<div class="gmail_quote">On Dec 1, 2007 11:04 AM, paul bruesch <<a href="mailto:paul@bruesch.net" target="_blank">paul@bruesch.net</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> Totally agree with your rant, John. <br><br>But... some people use plastic regularly and derive benefits, such as flier miles, and pay off their bill in full each month, which is great since the benefits are (I imagine) funded by finance charges that they're not paying when they pay in full. Then again, there are others who ARE funding the benefits as well as other benefits of the corporate execs and shareholders... and those who are funding the collection agency pocketbooks... and bankruptcy judges... <br><br>Plastic-free (all-natural) Paul</blockquote><div> </div><div>:-)  Yeah, you know that saying, "there's no such thing as a free lunch...."  In my earlier years, I would have boasted about how I benefited from the mileage offers, and rebates, or whatever.  Not anymore -- they have it figured out to THEIR advantage.  Bankers are not stupid.   </div><div><br></div><div>Hey guys, if you wanna accept/use the big C cards, that's your prerogative.  I know there are pros and cons.  I like the fact that by using a debit card, I can keep up with transactions in a monthly statement.  It makes tax prep much easier.  What I DON'T like is the fact that my spending habits are there in someone's file.   So I will probably transition out of that because our government is beginning to head toward a totalitarian state. </div><div><br></div><div>The bottom line is that credit: often works for people who can control themselves, and some get screwed who can't control themselves or have other financial difficulties.  But the banks ALWAYS win.  </div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Enough of that....it's hardly piano related.  :-)</div><div><br></div></div>-- <br>JF<br><br><a href="http://www.formsma.blogspot.com" target="_blank">www.formsma.blogspot.com </a>