Just a random post- tanning, CDs, NPR, old friends and the like

This week has been great. Lots of good stuff.

Writing & the Memoir
Had a great writing workshop with some Wilkes U. creative writing classmates and friends on Sunday, so I am feeling all sorts of motivated. I've been getting some great feedback from my mentor as well. I finally understand what some of my roadblocks have been and have some ideas on how to get over them. The first thing is to turn off the Internet and get writing, meaning I really should not be writing this. My big thing now is to reconnect with the people I was close to at ages 13-16- so I spent a few hours on MySpace and Facebook last night to find some old friends. Memories are already flooding back at just the mere sight of someone's name.

Tanning
I'm not just a white girl. I am a very white girl. I used to tan regulary a few years back, but I let myself get back to being Casper-esque. I feel healthier when I am darker, so I am now committed to tanning and getting a nice glow. And then maybe next is to whiten my teeth. (Years of coffee stains and my dentist swears I smoke.)

CDs & Wayne's World
My next blog will be about how I like tangible things, so I'll elaborate. But today, I went to Wayne's World, which is in the same plaza as the new tanning place. The smell of incense filled my nostrils and I went back to high school where I lived for spending my ice cream parlor money on incense and Dead t-shirts and other rock-and-roll apparel at Gallery of Sound in Mount Pocono or Living Dyes at Blakeslee Corners. So, I bought 10 incense sticks for a few bucks, a really cute Dead shirt and a local artist's CD. The sounds of guitar lessons at Wayne's World reminded me that I really want to learn guitar someday.

NPR
Tonight American Idol is doing a fundraiser which I guess is cool. But part of me just hates that fact that all these celebs and muscians-- that became famous the 'hard way' are being part of a show dedicated to insta-fame. Not that the Idol contestants aren't talented, I just mean that in the old days, people packed up, moved to Nashville or LA or Seattle or Austin with nothing but their guitar/keyboard and a notebook full of songs and poems and paid their dues and played their hearts out for years and years until they finally were at the right place at the right time. Now, people on Idol get stylists, make-up artists, etc. and record deals even if the lose. Okay, this could be a blog post on its own, but what I meant to say is that I pledged my annual membership to WVIA last night for George Graham's show, specifically- local and unique music every night. And of course, I also want to support WVIA for its NPR affiliation- I love Morning Edition and Fresh Air. So, $120 per year to get the best news and music. Worth it.

Okay- enough rambling. Time to microwave some corn. I was supposed to rotate 1/4 way ten minutes ago.

Screw the Banks! Have you heard of person-to-person lending? Read this if you need money-- or want to invest money.

Todays blog-- for once-- is not a rambling about my views on something. Today, I am providing a public service to those looking for money-- or looking for a great investment opportunity.

On NPR this morning I learned of this wonderful concept of person-to-person lending. I mean- borrowing money from friends, family and neighbors- and loan sharks- has been happening since the beginning of currency. However, this person-to-person lending has stormed onto the Internet, and there are some great success stories on both ends, lender and borrower.

The company that NPR profiled this morning is called Prosper. The site allows people to lend or borrow money- and manage payment, etc. all from one place.

Loans from Prosper:
Users can ask for a Prosper loan from $1000 to $25,000 (certain states have limitations)-- those borrowing on Prosper can create a listing- just like they would on an auction site- explaining their need. Pictures can also be uploaded as well, which I think is a great option especially if the loan is for a house-related purpose. Then, the loan is listed in the listings section and lenders can "bid" on your loan- a $50 minimum. So- this is not like one person out there is giving another $5000- more like a community of people chipping in.

When the Prosper loan is fully-funded- after everything is reviewed- the money is automatically put into your bank account, minus the fees associated. How cool is that?

Lenders get to ask questions to verify anything. Credit score and debt to income ratio is displayed on your listing, but only to registered lenders. One thing I did notice was that people really failed to proofread their listings. My take is that people want to lend to smart people-- and if someone wants to "CONSALIDATE" their loan... or promised the loan will be "PAYED" on time-- they will be ignored.

There are forums, webinars and other help areas to assist borrowers to create successful listings.

Investing in Prosper:
People who are looking to get a good return on investment may want to look into Prosper-- when people get into the high DTI or low credit score area, interest rates go up-- some people in states that allow it will pledge they will pay 25% interest! So, the ROI for lending money on Prosper can be very lucrative. I did not read too much into the lending part, but I believe what happens is that a portfolio of investments is created and the lender is paid by Propser monthly.

How does Prosper make out? They charge an origination fee off the top of the loan and then take 1-2% of each loan, while the lender gets the rest.

This is a sound company with huge financial backing, as well as a community of 450,000 people
and has thus far loaned over $93M.

I did it
I have been wanting to sell dream items on line for a long time now, but just didn't have the start-up money to get an intial inventory-- so I created a listing. Let's see what happens. Here is a link if you want to try it too.... either borrow some money, or make some money!!