Web Video of the week: Bride to be...

OK this Web Video has little to do with finance but looks a little like what I saw transpire in the last 24 hours:



I love you babe...please don't become a Bridezilla - thanks!

Progress Report - for week ended 10/21/07

1. Sell more things on E-bay - still haven't received my check back from 'i sold it on e-bay'! I didn't get a chance to go in and inquire about it this past week but, I need to this week. I was talking to one of my co-workers who sells things on e-bay and he said that he's made more this month than what he makes at my 1st job - in the future I believe I'll sell things myself and not rely on a sell-for-you E-bay service.
   
2. Make $100 in alternative income - I'm starting to see a little bit more of a return from Google and other sources but it's still under the $10 mark.
   
3. Raise net worth above $8000 (again) - even though the month isn't over yet I don't foresee hitting this goal at all at this point. This is due in large part because after a long conversation with my girlfriend ...I decided to propose, she said 'yes' - and then went out and bought a ring - on credit :( - with her in tow. It hasn't hit me yet but judging by her reaction it definitely hit her - by now she has contacted all of the inhabitants of her native land and then some...I love her though and I can finally tell her about this blog.
   
4. Apply/try out for 3 finance related freelancing jobs -SUCCESS I sent out 3 'feeler' e-mails to different online sites that are accepting freelancers. still no response though.
   
5. Pay off remainder of debt/collection - SUCCESS - I paid this off the other week.

Permission to Propose and the 'Dowery' reminder...

So a few hours after I got off the plane from the 'wild west' last week, I picked up my car and went over to my girlfriend's adopted parent's house.

To update those not familiar:

My girlfriend is an immigrant from a country out west of Hawaii & East of England. For the past 10 years she has lived with friends of her real parents who are American and who she calls MOM & DAD - I call them her adopted parents. I've been in contact with her real father via e-mail, have already asked him for her hand and he said yes and soon after mentioned the fact that his culture believes in 'bride price' or a dowry...

So I went over to her adopted parent's house in order to ask them for permission to marry their adopted daughter as well. After a nice conversation they said they would give their blessing.

They also mentioned that they have told & will continue to tell my girlfriend's real parents that 'bride price' is not something that's realistic here in the U.S.

However, toward the end of the conversation they did sort of hint at the fact that marrying without a 'bride price' in there culture is similar to "shackin' up" or having kids out of wedlock - while still living together in U.S. culture...say 30 yrs ago, seeing as it's pretty much an accepted fact today. Vow's apparently mean nothing to them it's all about the dollar bills.

This bugs me quite a bit to say the least- the whole idea of purchasing my bride completely cheapens it for me. Does that mean she becomes my slave if I pay the bride price?

You can see how a family that has struggled for generations to overcome the implications of slavery (like mine) and a family that has sort of had some slave-like ideas ingrained into their culture (like hers) could eventually come at odds.

Just in case you're wondering a conservative guess on a 'bride price' amount is somewhere in the range of $10,000-$20,000 - something I have no intention of paying anytime soon.

Expensive engagements & really direct marketing

As I might have mentioned before I have an impending engagement in the next 3-6 Mos give or take. I asked one of my friends who has a knack for making larger-than life impressions about what I might do for an engagement. He promptly e-mailed what this GUY did.

Here's an excerpt from the attached e-mail:

> My friend Rob just got engaged a couple of months
> ago. He told me that God
> was unfolding a vision in his life over the span of
> about a year and then he
> put faith to feet and made it happen. He sent me
> over the slide show today
> and after I watched it I sat here almost in tears.
> Just to give you a brief
> synopsis of what went on (And yes I did get Rob and
> Keisha's permission to
> share this great story with all of you)...Rob and
> Keisha dated for about 4
> years. And he knew that she was the one...but he had
> to save up for all
> that God had prompted him to do for her. So in short
> what you are about to
> see happen on April 28th....he rented out 10 rooms
> in the Ritz Carlton in
> buckhead and invited about 50-60 people to be there
> for this special
> night...Keisha had to go from room to room and in
> each room were people who
> were special to them....his boys...her girls...her
> Bible Study group....his
> parents...her parents..etc. and everybody in each
> room had questions that
> she had to answer to be able to move to the next
> room and before she left
> each room the people there would pray over her....so
> you have to watch each
> room to see how that goes...he chose roses because
> Keisha aunt who passed
> suddenly loved roses and he bought some of the
> dipped in gold because of the
> stories in the Bible about Solomon and how
> everything was dipped in gold and
> the song that you hear playing in the background was
> the same song that was
> played at Keisha aunts funeral, she was like a
> second mom to Keisha.
....
> Here's the video (if the link doesn't word the first
> time, just keep
> refreshing it - it's def worth seeing):
> http://www.spelhouse.com/gray/

Assuming the link works, you'll see a photo slide show of a gentleman and his elaborate proposal for his girlfriend. I'm not sure I've heard of a whole lot of people going above and beyond what this guy did. I'm not sure that I would want to go above and beyond it.When I stop and think of all the expense he went through just to propose - the flowers, the luxury hotel room(s), organizing family & friends etc... I wonder what the wedding will look like? Hopefully they'll live happily ever after.

In other news - Direct marketers are getting better and better at their trade. The following is a picture of a recent offer I got in the mail:

There's nothing particularly odd or wrong about this offer other than the fact that it is for a Chicago Cubs credit card and I LIVE IN OHIO! Coincidentally enough, I do happen to be a Chicago Cubs fan -BUT, this is not something I share on the first or even the 5th time I meet someone. What I am wondering is how in the world did the marketers know so much info about me to know to send a Chicago Cubs card offer to little ole' me sitting here in Ohio. If it were a random mailing, a Cleveland Indians or Cincinatti Reds card offer would have made much more sense - teams that are both 2-3 hours away give or take. The fact that this offer is for a team that is over 450 miles (and/or 6 1/2 hours) away makes me suspect someone at the credit card companies knows a wee bit too much info on me. So much for me slowly letting go of my 'black paranoia'. Oh well.