Wiping Out Student Debt? This isn't something most of us can do.

Okay, when you read the story headline about a student wiping out 90,000 in student loan debt in just about 7 months it seems inspiring. That is until you read that this was some Harvard boy that did things like sacrifice buying liquor in bars when his friends went out to booze it up by bringing in his own flask of alcohol.

Sure, he walked to work but he also cashed in investments and stopped contributing to his 401K. Again, I'm sorry if it is crass of me, but this isn't a heart warming story that I can relate to. I am willing to bet that you can't relate to it either. There are millions of us with student debt that can't even find jobs, much less have any investments to cash in or 401K's to pull from.

No, this is some feel good story to make the rest of us think things are possible so we keep up hope. They hope we don't think too hard about it or compare our situation.  If I could simply stop my retirement savings for a while and be out of debt I would and so would most people. I don't know about you, I live day by day and juggle late payments and payment arrangements just to keep the lights on.

If you want to be frustrated, you can read the full story here.

Legal Action Against Universities for Selling a Lie

I will not be surprised if more of this kind of thing starts to happen. Lawyers that have recently graduated are suing the various schools that they've attended.

The reason behind the lawsuit is a claim that these iinstitutions are inflating facts and figures regarding prospects and earnings to get more people enrolled.

At the heart of this story is the fact that universities across the country use statistics on employment and earnings to lure students into a trap of debt. When many students get out they are incapable of getting work and paying back those big bills.

This lawsuit is something to watch as it might set a precedent for this type of legal action. If successful we might see some major changes in the university system across the nation. Why not a return to apprenticeships for many vocations? Why not reasonable prices for higher education.

Read the full story here.

Obesity and the Poor

I'm tired of hearing that America is the only place in the world where you can be poor and still be fat. Here is the problem with this old and divisive argument, the food supply in America is full of junk and poison.

The cheaper the food the worse it is for you with processed items, preservatives and cheap sugars like high fructose. Now,  look at other inexpensive foods in your grocery store: bread, potatoes, canned foods, boxed and processed foods.

These aren't diet food friends, they are full of carbohydrates or empty calories or preservatives. Canned foods have BPA in them and the more processed the food the less healthy it is.

Poor people that have $100 to buy food for their family are going to end up with more bad food than good food. And that bad food adds up to weight and health problems. Don't think that's true? Researchers at Georgia Health Sciences University published evidence linking high fructose to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This cheap form of sweetener is in everything from cereal and soda to salad dressing and 

One Reason the Rich Get Richer

We all know that saying about how the rich just get richer. It's pretty much a universal truth because those with money can invest, they have powerful friends and connections to the best jobs, get the best deals when they buy property, as their bank accounts grow they make more on interest than many of us earn working a job.

Basically the rich have access to tools that the rest of us do not. This is like playing a game against an opponent who starts off at the finish line. Making this case abundantly clear is a recent 60 Minutes story about how our elected officials in Congress can legally profit from insider trading.

Congress can use insider knowledge from companies to make out like bandits on the stock market. If you were to do this you would go to jail. They, however, have a legal pass on this activity. Don't think this is right? Me either and hopefully it makes you angry.

Here is the 60 Minutes story that ran in November of 2011.

Apple Promises to Improve Working Conditions

That fancy little piece of technology you have was probably made by slave labor. Apple isn't the only company that exploits the poor all over the world, but they are in the  news for promising to make changes at their China plant. Apple products, which are known for their high price tags, are made on the cheap employing some of the cheapest labor on the planet.

Now, many companies have been caught using slave labor and promised to make changes. They make the promise then the stories go away and in reality nothing changes. As soon as the spot light goes away so do the changes.

 I don't know if that is going to happen in the case of Apple but it would be shocking if it didn't. It is just too easy to take advantage of poor people, no matter where they live.

Want to read about Apple and their vow to improve working conditions? Here you go.

Whitney Houston Died... So what

Yes, I mean it just like it sounds. Whitney Houston died from what looks like accidental drowning due to drugs. She got high, took a bath and die. While many are saying this is some big tragedy I can't help but think about the state of the world, the homeless, the sick people dying due to lack of health care and proper treatment, starving families that can't keep up with the rising cost of food....

You see, what happened to her was self-inflicted. She had money, fame and fortune and decided to do drugs and guess where that often leads? A life of struggling and often an early death. This isn't shocking, it isn't surprising, it's the natural course of events with the choices she made.

Some of you might say that she was an addict, and that is a big problem that she can't really be blamed for. I don't believe that this is the case, but aside from this there is an obvious difference from Whitney Houston and the rest of us. She had the financial resources to go to rehabilitation while most of us do not. Bottom line is, she had choices and made all the wrong one.

What about you, struggling to get your rent in on time and have some food for your family every day. What about you strapped with debt, making too little or unable to find work at all, unable to save for the future? See, the state of our nation is the real tragedy not the fact that a spoiled celebrity drowned due to their own weakness.

The American Dream Film

Wonder why the dollar has less and less powerful? Ever wonder why we got so far down this road of inflation, debit and economic hardships?  Check out this powerful documentary - it is short, animated and makes a complicated subject easy to understand!