GLUTTONY: the insurmountable desire to consume more than one needs.
I realize it has been a bit since the last installment of The Heathen's Guide, but unfortunately I've been distracted by the extreme wave of Girl Scout cookies that have flooded my room. MmmMmm, I could eat sleeves and sleeves of those Caramel Delites (or Somoas, depending on your region) and I'm pretty sure my jeans hate the amount of stretching I have been requiring of them because of those delicious little joy-gasms.
But I have managed to set aside those beautiful little cookies long enough to put all this panic reading I've been doing into a coherent blog for my readers....
Ok, maybe just one more cookie before I begin...
Alright, I'm ready now. This is of course a guide to the horrors of gluttony. Considering I live in America, this was way too easy for me. In fact, it was so easy to write about fat asses eating the weight in chocolate every day that the subject became boring to research and I realize that people are sick of being told how fat they are.
My message to those lard-asses reading this: You are fat, this guide is not going to harp on you. Go dance those flabs off on your own time.
So, if I am not going to the standard definition of gluttony, what on earth do I plan to write about? Considering it has to do with consuming (for my purposes, consumerism) and consuming too much at that I figure America has a much bigger problem than just eating too much.
That's right, everyone wants to live beyond their means. In the 80's and 90's our society went though a glorious boom (just like the 50's) where buying a house, car, and boat were not impossible. Unfortunately, we hit a new century which included new prices and very little new wages. The result? Debt, debt, and more debt.
America is in a debt crisis. In the past I would argue that it is mostly shopping addicted individuals that suffer the most (or the over enthusiastic college student who believe those new jeans are in fact an "emergency"). Those were the ones that racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt over five or even ten different credit cards and they were buying a lot of little things with big price tags.
Now it has become a widespread epidemic. Now everyone is in danger of going into debt, but this is typical. People have to get mortgages and enter into leases everyday, but back in the old economy people seemed smart about it. They bought within the market they had the budget for and defaulted only as a last resort.
Ah, those were the good old days. Now that modest three bedroom, two bathroom country house on the edge of town just doesn't cut the mustard. But are the buyers the ones to blame for the never ending debt cycle curses millions of people in this country? Of course...to an extent. You are always responsible for knowing your own limitations, but I would find it hard to resist that gorgeous two story Victorian with the ornate Elizabethan style fireplace versus the second half of an old 60's furnished condo on the bad side of town.
How are these people getting approved for the amount of money necessary to keep up a mortgage when they clearly are not making enough? In comes the borrowers. Once know as the nice loan manager down at the local bank who helped make the American dream come true, now more like the shady loan shark trying to trap you so he can snap your legs at the knees.
Foreclosure is becoming a word easily thrown around in today's economy. Last year, 1.6 million people defaulted. Around the country, many areas are seeing foreclosure rates coming in around 10%. That is ridiculous my friends.
And part of the danger comes from how many mortgages are being set up. To allow people a short time of easy payments to ease into the debt, the payments start out low and increases as time goes on (a.k.a. variable rate). It seems like a good concept that extents the payments, but allows the ability to plan as time goes on. If you play the game right you have enough time to sell your property before the rates get astronomical and the cycle stays in a nice balance. Usually, the game does not work out as planned.
Now people are falling into the trap of thinking they can pay at the lower rate and then jump out from under the debt wagon before the rate rises. What happens is they miss their chance because of unforeseen or unconsidered troubles (like job loss or a child starting college). Then when they try to refinance or sell out they hit the red tape that puts them at risk of bankruptcy.
A solution? Many home owners who choose the adjustable rate loan who were led to believe it would be beneficial now say if they could redo it they would most likely take a fixed rate loan. Luckily, if you are under the threat of defaulting most national banks are offering a 30 day chance to suspend the foreclosure to alter your terms and payments into something manageable.
Maybe, just maybe, you can have your house and live in it too.
Oh, before you go...can me you pass me those Thin Mints?
Next up...LUST
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