The Fantasy Football Bomb  

We'll rank all of the key positions, give some draft strategy options other than "RB's first", and we'll share how we think the Bears will fare this year.

I just found out today that someone I used to work with years ago has just gotten over a battle with cancer. Four years of treatment and she's all better. Physically, at least. Her life pretty much fell completely apart after the diagnosis, even though it was a pretty recoverable form of cancer. She panicked, I guess, because her Mother, Grandmother, and Aunt had all been diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes and only her Aunt has survived. Good reason to panic, I'd say. After hearing the news she went into depression - stopped showing up at work regularly, wouldn't return phone calls from friends and family, that sort of depression. Eventually, she was fired from our old work because she wasn't getting her work done even when she did show up. Her husband worked but I guess he wasn't making enough money to make up for the money she made. On top of her lost income, the hospital bills started showing up - to the tune of thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars - over $40,000 when it was all said and done. She had health insurance and she STILL owes $40,000!? I don't get it. We're paying all of this money for car insurance, health insurance, home-owners insurance, yet as soon as something happens we somehow end up owing MORE money to the insurance companies. What the hell happened to all of that money we all paid over the years? Anyway, now she's $40K in debt, she lost her house because they couldn't afford it on just her husbands income, and oh, this is the real kicker, she doesn't even have health insurance anymore because it's too soon after her treatment for her to qualify. Ain't that a kick in the ass. My original point to this was - Save your money for a rainy day, but who the hell makes enough to save $40K? Almost makes you think - why bother saving? Unless, of course, you like the house you're living in.

It's official. Most of us will be getting a tax return from good ol' Mr. Bush this spring. My question to you is: What will you do with that money? I bet I know what you'll do. You're deep in debt, having trouble paying your mortgage, utilities, credit cards, child-care expenses. I know what you're going to do with that money. You're going to use it to pay bills, right?

You just shook your head, "No" didn't you? Wait a second, you mean to tell me you're stressed out, you're short-tempered with your co-workers and family, you're not getting any sleep because your bills are piling up, but you're not going to spend this gracious tax return on bills? What else are you going to spend it on?

Oh, I see. Yeah, I guess it's hard not to dream of big-screen tv's, new carpeting, new appliances, more powerful power tools, or that comic that features the first appearance of Swamp Thing when you've got several hundred, or a couple thousand, smackaroos staring you in the face. Isn't it?

I'm no financial guru, but what you should probably do is put that money is neither of the above. You should put that money right into your 401K or open a money market fund. What you should do is follow the advice of Robert Kiyosaki (if I spelled that right) and "pay yourself first."

Really? That doesn't sound like much fun. Now, a shopping spree for some new clothes that won't fit me next year - THAT'S more like it!

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080219/borrowing_against_retirement.html?.v=2

There it is. This article sums up the state of economy that most of us are in. More and more people are withdrawing from their retirement accounts early in order to pay their everyday living expenses. The mortgage industry screwed a bunch of people by giving them loans they never would have qualified for ten years ago and now they're mortgaging off their future so they can keep a roof over their heads, have hot water, feed their kids, watch 300 channels of television programming, pay for 50 gallons of gas in both SUV's to drive their one kid to school and back,  and eat til they're obese. Although I complain about this I was the beneficiary of one of these loans for my house. I like my house, but my wife and I never should have qualified for this mortgage. Oh, and don't forget to add property taxes on top of that mortgage bill. t's killing us to try desperately (effort that is ultimately futile) to remain a 1 and a 1/2 income family with hopes of eventually becoming a one income family. Yeah, right. Damn mortgage companies! Oh, wait, did I just blame the mortgage companies for my bills being too high? I guess we could have bought a less expensive house. Whatever! Don't try to bring me down with your stupid common sense! I'm blaming others for my problems. Just let me blame!