Take Charge of Your Credit!

I read an article in Essence magazine about credit ratings and the importance of staying on top of it. I like this article. It gives great advice on what to do to stay out of "credit" danger! Here are a few tips:

1. Open all mail. Read every correspondence from your card issuer and keep a lookout for changing credit limits or changes in other terms. Get an up-to-date copy of your credit agreement, and prepare to go through the fine print.

2. Make timely payments. Watch out for a universal default clause, which may be buried in your agreement. This policy lets creditors scan your credit report regularly to check for late payments or exceeded credit limits on all accounts. Pay one bill late, and a separate creditor can stick you with a higher default rate or an additional fee. Federal legislation restricting these clauses won't go into effect until July, 2010, so pay all accounts as soon as you get the bill.

3. Stay out of the credit danger zone. Issuers are looking for red flags indicating a consumer trouble. Late payments, high balances and cash advances could be a sign of cash flow problems and prompt a change in terms. If issuers sense you're at risk, they may assess a monthly fee, lower your credit line, or raise your APR.

4. Reassess credit. Know which cards you use and which you don't. Are there any you are saving as a rainy-day credit line? Charge a small amount at least every three months to keep them active.

5. Get a fixed rate. If possible, ask for a lower rate, pay down your credit card, and try not to build it back up. Do everything you can to bring your card balances down as quickly as possible.


I know these economic times are tough, but please try to do your best to keep your credit rating good.

The Amethyst Gemstone

I am a lover of gemstones and one of my favorites is the Amethyst. It's beautiful purple color is stunning. I have an amethyst gemstone that I keep in a pouch, in my purse at all times for constant spiritual enlightenment. Read on for more information about the Amethyst gemstone.

Amethyst is an extremely powerful and protective stone with a high spiritual vibration. It guards against psychic attack and transmuting the energy into love. A natural tranquilizer, Amethyst blocks stress and negative energies. It enhances higher states of consciousness and meditation. Amethyst has strong healing and cleansing powers, and enhances spiritual awareness. Traditionally, it was worn to prevent drunkenness and has a sobering effect on overindulgence, physical passions and supporting sobriety. It overcomes addictions and blockages of all kinds. Used at a higher level, Amethyst opens to another reality.

Amethyst is extremely beneficial to the mind, calming or stimulation as appropriate. When you meditate, it turns thoughts away from the mundane into tranquility and deeper understanding. Mentally, it helps enhances the assimilation of new ideas and connects cause with effect.

This stone facilitates the decision-making process, bringing in common sense and spiritual insights, and putting decisions and insights into practice. Mentally, it calms and synthesizes and aids the transmission neural signals through the brain. It is helpful where insomnia is caused by an overactive mind and protects against recurring nightmares.

Amethyst is one of the most spiritual stones, promoting love of the divine, giving insights into its true nature, and encouraging selflessness and spiritual wisdom. It opens intuition and enhances psychic gifts. This is an excellent stone for meditation and scrying and can be placed on the third eye to stimulate it. Sleeping with Amethyst facilitates out-of-body experiences and brings intuitive dreams. It transmutes lower energies to the higher frequencies of the spiritual and etheric realms.

Amethyst boosts production of hormones, and tunes the endocrine system and metabolism. It strengthens the cleansing and eliminating organs and the immune system. Amethyst relieves physical, emotional, and psychological pain or stress, and blocks stress. It eases headaches and releases tension.

Amethyst balances and connects the physical, mental and emotional bodies, linking them to the spiritual. It cleanses the aura and transmutes negative energy and stimulates the throat and crown chakras. It is helpful for people about to make the transition through death.

Wear or place as appropriate, especially as jewelry. Amethyst is beneficial worn over the throat or heart.

Lillo Thomas - Your Love's Got A Hold On Me

This takes me back! I love me some Lillo Thomas. When I discovered this rare video of him performing on Soul Train, I had to blog about it. I met Lillo when he appeared on Soul Train (yes I was a Soul Train dancer) back in the early 80's. One of my favorite male singers of all time, Lillo's voice was smooth, sexy and inviting, he definitely deserved more recognition as a vocalist and songwriter. I haven't spoken to Lillo since 2002 and I do hope he is still performing and bringing ear pleasure to all who is listening.

Enjoy "Your Love's Got A Hold On Me" by my friend forever LILLO THOMAS!

p.s. If you get a chance youtube his version of the Temptations "Just My Imagination" it is beautiful.

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN - Radio Show on KPFK

Every Monday morning at 3:30am, D.J. Teddy, soul brother of the night comes on and plays soul music of the 60's and 70's and it is phenomenal! This morning he played The Whispers "Loveland" and Lenny Williams "Cuz I Love You" (Steve Harvey's theme song). He followed up with The Spinners and the "Over Easy" section of the show where he plays an album (yes a album) on the first side and then flips it "over easy" to the second side. For those of us who are old enough to remember record albums, you know you had to flip it over nice and easy to avoid touching the record itself. You did not want to scratch it or get it dirty! This morning he featured Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, featuring Theodore (Teddy) Pendergrass. Do you remember "You Know how to Make me Feel so Good, Wake up Everybody, Don't Leave Me This Way and Tell the World How I Feel About You? Well these are just some of the memorable songs D.J. Teddy played this morning. Want more, then "wake up everybody" at 3:30am on Monday mornings, turn on the radio to KPFK, 90.7 on your radio dial and listen to the soul brother of the night!