Are You Gonna Pay Your Citibank Bill This Month?

Are you gonna pay your Citibank bill this month?

A. Yes. I never miss a payment. Every month I send in my check, making sure to dab a small blot of my own fecal matter in the memo line.

B. Yes, it's perfectly justified that I'm being charged a 33% APR while they get $20 billion in free money.

C. I don't have any food, clothing or shelter. So no, I might go with the late charge this month.

D. Why start now? Oh my God, did I cause this?!

E. Since Citigroup laid me off last week, no, I don't think I'll be able to get them their monthly minimum just now. But congrats on the $20B guys!


POLL COURTESY OF 236.COM

(Of Course, Citi is not the bank giving me hassles, but hey, if it can happen to THEM, there is hope that it will happen to Capital One... may they all burn in hell. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.)

A Moral Defense, Not a Legal One

My lawyer just informed me that North Fork Bank is coming on strong right now, ratcheting up the attacks and pushing for some sort of immediate judgement of "No Contest" saying that my defense, while a strong moral one, has no legal strength.

I am sorry, call me naive, but I somehow still thought the 2 of those were sometimes the same thing. Stupid me.

Stupid me for believing that this system wouldn't screw an innocent person. The lawyer is going over the paperwork today/tonight with fresh eyes (it HAS been a year, after all!) and we'll try to get a plan tomorrow. His questions to ME were:

"Is your business still financially in peril like it was when we last spoke?"
(translation: you are in jeopardy.)

"Do you want to continue to fight?"
(translation: probably going to lose)

"How about Settlement?"
(translation: Banks are so desperate, they need to get SOMETHING")

My answer to all the above is an exasperated "Who the F*CK KNOWS???"

I feel like if we just plain out lose, I should have just skipped on the whole lawyer thing. Could have saved countless thousands of dollars.

Also, I figure if I AM being held liable, at least give me the freaking EQUIPTMENT/FURNITURE in that place!!! I KNOW it's still there, because I pass the old space once a week and look up into the big window and can see it all sitting right there!

I could sell it and get 30-40k I'm sure. Of course, had we all sold it over a YEAR ago like I TOLD them to, the bank would have gotten every red cent I'm sure. No harm, no foul.

If I SETTLE, then for how much? what is the rule of thumb for something like that? I have no frame of reference because I never saw DIME-ONE of that money to begin with... how can IIIII say how much imaginary loan I should have to pay back?? It might as well be a Quadrillion dollars. It might as well be McDonalds Monopoly coupons. Or Marlboro Bucks.

Stay tuned I guess. As It develops I'll post here.

What a joke.

In honor of the moment, here is a short but sweet Bootleg I have of Rage Against The Machine reunited in 2007 for the Coachella Festival.

The show is short and blistering. Sound quality's not very good, but hey, these songs aren't really about clear crisp audio and harmony. It's pretty much just about Rage. Against machines. Or something.


Rage Against The Machine: Live @ Coachella 2007
01. Testify
02. Bulls On Parade
03. People Of The Sun
04. Bombtrack
05. Bullet In The Head
06. Know Your Enemy
07. Down Rodeo

Here's the Zip!

Download: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: Live @ Coachella 2007 (zipped)


Download and enjoy!

They're Out To Get Me!

Coming home late after a great Indian dinner at the Bombay Palace, I checked the mail on the way up to the apartment. A large envelope from a law firm loomed dark and dreary in the box. It would seem that last year's nightmare lawsuit is not only not OVER (as a nearly 12 month radio silence might have some people believe) but is proceeding full force, with the Evil Empire, er, I mean North Fork Bank (recently bought by Capital One) releasing the hounds once again on me.

The only difference between LAST YEAR and NOW is that while last year was right before my wedding (bad timing, huh?) THIS year is right when we have just recently (as in, 3 weeks ago) had to move our entire business. Actually, it's hard to believe, but I actually think THIS timing is actually far, far worse. I can't imagine how my business could continue in this point in time if judgement went against me and I owed the amount of money these chimpanzees seem to think I owe.

Alternating between tears and rage, I went out to walk Chalupa (see post #1) and set the iPod to shuffle, having NO idea what I was going to post for you guys on my (new) blog, MUCH LESS how to deal with impending financial destruction.

Shuffle saved the day. Guns and Roses. Live. 1988. The Ritz. "They're Out To Get Me" The first song out of the cannon. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't have PICKED a better song to hear at that moment. So I knew immediately I had to post.


Here's a link to hear "Out To Get Me" live from the Ritz, 1988... Take a listen, share my rage...

Download: Guns N' Roses "Out to Get Me"

Just a quick note about the show: forget the bloated corpse that GNR became by the 90's (all the marriages/divorces to supermodels, $70 million videos, playing with Elton John at the VMAs, etc) In 1988 these guys were living (squatting) in one vomit covered rat's nest room in LA, playing at night, boozing and wasted till dawn, then driving (crashing) a van on the way to the next gig. No exaggeration, these guys were the most destructive force Rock had ever seen. And this is a great gig... they are young, hungry, angry and belligerent, and the energy this gives off in their performance is still to this day unrivaled.


Here's the link to the entire show:

Download: Guns N' Roses Live at the Ritz Feb. 02, 1988

I may be in misery, but that's no reason you all shouldn't at least enjoy some rock! God knows it made MY night! F@ck Banks. Seriously. My next posting will be about Fight Club. Or from Prison. Or Both.