( continues...) the cheeks of their asses just grazed the tops of their heads, and then they did the splits from there. They turned no-hands cartwheels over each other's bodies, twined around each other like snakes, made shapes of themselves that were surely not human. They were boneless and sinuous and utterly at home in their own bodies, precise and strong and fearless.

The smiling old man who followed them was almost anticlimactic, except he wasn't; he balanced raw eggs on more raw eggs on chopsticks on his chin, and tossed porcelain plates in the air and spun them about on slender metal rods, and made a helicopter out of two sticks and a nail and sent it zooming over everyone's heads and up to the ceiling beams and then obediently back into his waiting hand, and he laughed at himself the whole time.

Then there was dessert, and then I gathered up the wine glasses, and then I swept up all the rose petals that had fallen on the floor, so the students in the clowning class the next morning wouldn't step on them and slip. Then I had some English toffee and came home.

Best. Community. Service. Ever.

Anyone want to guess whether or not the bank made money?

Money being made on exchange of money? The banks are really clever to have thought that one up, and nefarious to boot.

Why shouldn't they make money?

Don't get me wrong -- they seem to make money keeping my money where it's hard for me to get to it, and I resent that. But if they make money off of me borrowing to buy something that I want, that can serve as an investment? Bully for them.

Credit does not suck. Using it to meet basic needs does.

Wait a minute, I have to come back to this. Credit to buy - what, a big tv - is okay, but not to buy a house? What do you think credit should be used for?

Man, I need to get out there and get some more parking tickets.

Brenda, I answered this a few "continued"'s' back.

Yup, just saw it. So, buying a business is ok (agreed) but not buying a house? I just don't get that. As for other things that might "keep you ahead of the interest," what would that be? Buying on margin?

How much could you borrow on your current monthly rental payment?

Buying on margin?

O, no you don't. I have my arithmetic in hand.

I'd still have to pay the rent, though. I don't get out of that by putting the money to another use. [eta] Unless it were going to a mortgage. So the question is more, how much could I borrow with what I have left over after I pay the rent and other fixed expenses, isn't it? And the answer is, precious little.

x-posty with Brenda:

Rent is not all the money you spend. Nor are groceries, cable, utilities, or Pina Coladas at the "local".

OK, in your case, it could be clothes, 'cuz you look ... wait for it ... mahvellevous!!

One of my friends is living in an apartment that her mother bought. Rather than paying rent, she pays the mortgage payments each month. It works out to just about what I'd expect to pay in rent for that apartment.

Not sure if this is totally relevant, but it's a data point.