Diversified Funk - an Urban Mosaic

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Quote of the day

"We will go before God to be judged, and God will ask us, 'Where are your wounds?' And we will say, 'We have no wounds.' And God will ask, 'Was nothing worth fighting for?'"
-Rev. Allan Boesak

Monday, February 21, 2011

Healing a Wounded Credit Score

February 18, 2011

Millions of consumers have fallen out of favor with the credit scoring gods.
Some lost their jobs or were just overwhelmed by mounting debt. Others got caught up in the real estate bubble or had major medical bills. Whatever the reason, the rising number of foreclosures, short sales, late credit card payments and the ultimate credit sin — bankruptcies — have left black marks on credit reports most everywhere.
So what can these people do to repair their credit?
The simple answer is to focus on the information that is used to generate the all-powerful FICO score — the measure used most frequently by traditional lenders to determine creditworthiness. Its scale runs from 300 points to 850 points; the higher the score, the better your credit standing. “FICO is still the 500-pound gorilla,” said John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. “In 2011, the best way to get credit from the mainstream lenders is to have a good FICO score.”
Consumers can hope that the banks will eventually consider alternatives to the traditional FICO score, which was developed by Fair Isaac Corporation and has been in wide use for about two decades. After all, as banks regain their appetite for lending, they will be looking for ways to differentiate between borrowers with the same scores, some of whom are temporarily struggling and others who chronically have trouble with money.
For now, though, the FICO score reigns. The best antidote to a poor score is time. Still, there are a half dozen ways to speed the process, or, at the least, avoid even more credit trouble. To view the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/your-money/19money.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25&pagewanted=print

Tri-C JazzFest April 28-May 8, 2011

Featuring a couple of my favorite artists Trombone Shorty and Smokey Robinson. For complete schedule go to http://www.tricpresents.com/

2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival featuring Mavis Staples, Bootsy Collins & the Funk University, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Dr John and the Original Meters

June 9 - 12, 2011 in Manchester, Tennessee

BONNAROO 2011 TICKETS ARE ON-SALE NOW. http://www.bonnaroo.com/tickets/ticket-info.aspx
Price Level 1 - ~~$209.50 plus applicable fees~~ - SOLD OUT via Holiday Pre-Sale
Price Level 2 - ~~$224.50 plus applicable fees~~ - SOLD OUT
Price Level 3 - ~~$234.50 plus applicable fees~~ - SOLD OUT
Price Level 4 - $249.50 plus applicable fees

Price Level 2 and Price Level 3 are available in very limited quantities. Once each price level is sold out, tickets will continue to be sold at Price Level 4, while supplies last.

All tickets are 4-day festival tickets (Thursday through Sunday), which include camping and parking. RVs and other oversized vehicles require a VIP RV upgrade pass. See below for more information.

Want to buy now and pay later? Check out the Bonnaroo General Admission Payment Plan.

Complete 2011 Artist line-up: Eminem Arcade Fire Widespread Panic The Black Keys Buffalo Springfield feat Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale My Morning Jacket Lil Wayne String Cheese Incident Robert Plant & Band of Joy Mumford & Sons The Strokes The Decemberists Ray Lamontagne Bassnectar Iron & Wine Girl Talk Primus Dr. John and The Original Meters performing Desitively Bonnaroo Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas Pretty Lights Florence + the Machine Superjam ft. Dan Auerbach and Dr. John Explosions in the Sky STS9 Gogol Bordello Beirut Big Boi Gregg Allman Ratatat Global Gypsy Punk Revue curated by Eugene Hütz Robyn Warren Haynes Band Deerhunter Opeth Atmosphere Old Crow Medicine Show Bootsy Collins & the Funk University Wiz Khalifa Matt & Kim Grace Potter & the Nocturnals The Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band Mavis Staples Béla Fleck & the Flecktones Chiddy Bang Jovanotti Bruce Hornsby & the NoisemakersLoretta Lynn Cold War Kids The Walkmen Devotchka Wanda Jackson Neon Trees Portugal. The Man Sleigh Bells Amos Lee Best Coast Dãm-Funk & Master Blazter The Sword The Drums The Black Angels School of Seven Bells J. Cole Nicole Atkins & the Black Sea Wavves !!! Junip Freelance Whales Justin Townes Earle Ryan Bingham Deer Tick Band of Skulls Sharon Van Etten Abigail Washburn Omar Souleyman Twin Shadow Kylesa Man Man The Low Anthem Alberta Cross Railroad Earth Jessica Lea Mayfield Smith Westerns The Head and the Heart Karen Elson Beats Antique 22-20s Phosphorescent Clare MaGuire Hayes Carll

- Lineup Subject to Change -

Quote of the day

2/21/2011
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes."
-Charles Swindoll, Thinkexist.com