Here's something to put the Psychic Friends Hotline out of business. Some lab boys in Silicon Valley are developing new toys that can read your mind. You didn't misread that, bub. This gizmo that they've got goes around your head, reads the signals from the gray matter in between your ears, and then turns on the toys that it's connected to, see? That's putting the brain to work in a whole new way, baby.

It would be fun to put these gizmos on some people's heads and find out what they were thinking ... like when they get big-time car payments or are up to their eyeballs in debt problems. Think that's the key to becoming wealthy? Think again! You get piles of dough when you make a budget, get rid of your consumer debt, and invest money. Doing that ain't just smart ... it's Dave Ramsey Show smart, jack.

At 95 years old, Nola Ochs is a college teen times five. That's the word from Fort Hays State University, where Ochs is two weeks away from graduating. She's set to become the oldest person in the world to turn the tassel, baby. Think about it ... the story of the year when this dame was born was the Titanic sinking. And here she is, earning college credit at a time in her life when most other folks are putting themselves out to pasture.

Said it before and sayin' it again, jack ... it's never too late to do something great. If some 95-year-old dollface can walk across the stage and grab that sheepskin, then you still have time to get out of debt. Don't think you're too deep in the hole and throw in the towel. The sooner you get to making a budget and saving money, a la The Dave Ramsey Show, the better. Get to it.

This blog never gets old, jack ... so add it to yours.

We have now hit the bottom of the barrel, baby. I'm not talking about some TV show where you get punk'd or gonged ... I'm talking about a Web site where you can watch a block of cheddar cheese ripen. Think I'm kidding? Then feast your eyes, jack. Seems a bunch of people are tuning in to some English Web site to watch a piece of old gourmet cheese grow a bunch of gunk.

It's good to know that over a million joes and jills are sitting and watching mold grow when they could be doing dangerous stuff like making a budget to get out of debt. In case you don't have a clue, let me give you one ... that last bit was sarcastic. Quit wasting your time figuring out who gets thrown off the island or which fungi agent is growing on a random piece of dairy. Listen to The Dave Ramsey Show, save money and eliminate debt. After that, you can sit on your can and grow all the mold you want.

Ever hear the one about the Oregon governor who tried to raise awareness about the difficulty of feeding a family on a food stamp budget by doing it himself for a week? Well, you have now, bub. The top man in the Beaver State, Gov. Ted Kulongoski, went shopping this week with all of 21 bucks in his pocket ... all on food stamps. I laughed when I saw that some joe told him to not spend it all in one place.

Food stamp living is tough, and it raises a good point. When you get backed up against the wall, and it's all debt and no savings for you, and it seems like you're just scrimping by ... do what you have to do to get you and your family through the rough spots, see? So if you got a mountain of debt, here's some debt help ... get out of debt. Cut your lifestyle if it helps (and it usually does). Dave says on The Dave Ramsey Show that YOU'VE got to make your situation better, baby; and he's dead-on right. Learn how to make a budget and get some extra cash under your belt. It'll take hard work, but it'll be worth it.

You hear Dave talk on The Dave Ramsey Show about risk vs. reward. You'd be doing the smart money thing to invest your cash in a mutual fund instead of high-rolling it in Vegas on the roulette wheel, because the mutual fund isn't as risky as red 40. Well, if you don't get that comparison, try this one on for size. The Coast Guard boys just turned up the biggest drug bust in U.S. maritime history when they seized 40,000 pounds of cocaine from three ships off the Central American coast. Street value? About 500 million ... and change. Pretty big score, even for drug traffickers.

It's a bad comparison to make, but it makes the point crystal clear, baby. If these drug dopeheads had just said no and done something honest instead of risky, they wouldn't have to worry about getting busted with 20 tons of blow in their back seat and facing 20 to life in the cooler. Don't be risky with your dough, either. Invest smart, but only after learning how to make a budget, then getting that emergency fund in place, then get out of debt. Take a hit of that, jack.

When you set your mind on doing something big-time, you need to stick to it like ugly on an ape's keester. Need some inspiration? Then look no further, baby. Bigwig movie critic Roger Ebert had salivary gland cancer surgery last year, and the docs had to take part of his jawbone with it, see? But Mr. Thumbs Down ain't letting the scarring stop him from hosting his film festival, even though the paparazzi pea-brains are gonna try and make him look bad in all their crummy tabloid newspapers.

If you didn't catch that, jack, I'll say it again. Ebert isn't letting a bunch of camera coo-coos stop him from doing his thing. If he can do it, so can you. You may have broke family and friends who laugh at you for wanting to get out of debt. So who gives a flip about 'em? Instead, listen to The Dave Ramsey Show and get started on your Baby Steps, and in five years you'll be too busy having money in the bank to remember all the stupid comments that the broke people say.

How's this for a religious experience? Some 40-year-old yahoo walked into a bank in Texas last week, proclaimed that he was God, and then demands some cash from the teller. This bank robber was caught later on that day, and is going through some "tests" right now. He's not without God, but personally, I think he's a few apples short of an orchard, baby.

If you're gonna do something good for The Big Guy, don't start with dirty deeds. Granted, this moron should buy a one-way ticket to the funny farm, but the point gets made. Do those random acts of kindness. Learn how to make a budget so you can get out of debt and give some dough instead of taking it. The host of The Dave Ramsey Show would say the same thing, jack.

This one sounds like a corny action movie plot, but it's true and it's funny, jack. Miss America 1944, 82-year-old Venus Ramey, confronted a burglar on her farm in south-central Kentucky. He said he was leaving, but she had other ideas. She then balanced herself on her walker, pulled out a snub-nosed .38 and blew the tires out of his car. Bet that wasn't in the talent portion of the Miss America pageant. It's a good thing she wasn't in a wheelchair, or the guy might be dead.

This dollface had a challenge and a half on her hands that day, but she didn't back down. So don't give me any lip about how you knock down 60 thousand a year and can't get out of debt. It's a challenge, so face it head on and blow it away. Learn how to make a budget and start listening to The Dave Ramsey Show. Don't be embarrassed about trying to get out of debt, either; save that for the guy who has to explain to his cellmate that he was stopped by an 82-year-old lady ... ON A WALKER!

From Super Mario Brothers to Mortal Kombat to Grand Theft Auto ... we Americans (and our kids) have a serious video game addiction, don't we? VGs nowadays offer plenty of chances to blow something away, see? But the lab boys across the pond just finished a survey that says players know the difference between video game violence and the real thing. The $100 word they used is "exhilarating escapism". That may be the case with most joes and jills, but not all.

Some spineless parents out there will read that story and think it means they don't have to police their kids and lose brownie points when it comes to the PlayStation or the Xbox. That ain't the case ... you need to be in charge. Be big enough to stand up to the small ones. Turn off the games and open a book. Love 'em enough to discipline them when they need it. Teach them about doing the hard work, about the monthly budget, and about staying on the straight and narrow. Need advice? Listen to The Dave Ramsey Show.

Life ain't always a bed of roses for the fashion icons of the world. Check out English designer bigwig John Galliano ... he was ordered to pay $271,000 to U.S. photographer William Klein for using Klein's pictures in an ad campaign without getting Klein's go-ahead.

Was it intentional? Only one joe knows. Was it stupid? All signs point to yes. Now, everybody's done stupid a few times in their life, but when it costs you 271 grand, you'd think to pay more attention to something before you do it.

It's a stupid mistake, and stupid can cost you. Dave talks about stupid all the time on The Dave Ramsey Show. But you know what? Stupid doesn't mean dead and gone. If you've done stupid and gotten yourself into trouble with the dough, then start doing smart get right back in the fight. If you have to eliminate credit card debt, or just save money, or whatever other jazz, then do it. Simple, simon.

Remember way back when all the naysayers were saying nay about the stock market? How stocks were suffering and a recession was barreling down on us? Well, no stock market crash is happening here, jack. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record high this week, and the future looks bright, baby. When you invest smart like I do, it's important to keep track of what your dough is doing, so keep track of the Dow Jones. Having said that, remember this: it will be the only time in my life where I say it's good to keep up with the Joneses.

The stock market chart is going off the charts. It goes up and it goes down, but over the last 70 years and change, it's grown like the bootlegging business during Prohibition. So don't wait ... start your Dave Ramsey Show Baby Steps so you can get in on the action. Get on a monthly budget and get that baby emergency fund in place, then get out of debt. Once you stash away 3 to 6 months of expenses, than start investing 15% of your gross pay.

Wanna be a happy boy or a happy girl? Then get a job that makes you happy, baby. No kidding. A recent survey found that people who have a job where they get to serve others are high up on the job satisfaction scale. They get a kick out of knowing that what they do makes this crazy world a better place. Who wouldn't like that feeling, jack? It's priceless.

Quick tip ... if you hate your job and want out, then start doing what it takes to do what you enjoy, see? Life's too short to sing the blues on your way to work. In the meantime, never pass up the chance to help someone with random acts of kindness.

Of course, if you've done your part to eliminate credit card debt and save money for when life puts you into a state of emergency, then you're more able to do the Dave Ramsey Show deal and give to people who are having hard luck. How do you like them apples, jack?

Looks like these two decided to kiss and tell, like in tell the news boys. Apparently, things got so hot and heavy during this love kiss that his Israeli dollface bit off part of her boyfriend's tongue. I know, I know ... a bunch of bad jokes could be made here, baby ... but I'll bite my tongue for now. Don't give me any lip about it, either.

There are worse things you could do to your spouse, see? You could always talk negative, you could never talk money, or a bunch of other junk. Don't do it. Here's my Dr. Phil moment for the day. Make sure to communicate with your other half about everything. It's the key to a strong marriage. When it comes to the dough, have regular money meetings, get on a monthly budget and work to get out debt. The Dave Ramsey Show would tell you the same thing, so listen in and learn.

Amobi Okoye is about to do something that all other 19-year-olds only dream about. Come this fall, this Nigerian phenom will suit up for some NFL team and be the youngest player in the past 37 years to play in the pros. Here's the best part, though ... the inside scoop says this Top 10 NFL pick is mature beyond his years. That's what you want from someone like that.

You need to know how to handle fame and fortune, baby. And age doesn't have much to do with it. I've met 15-year-olds who had more sense than some 55-year-olds, and vice versa. When you have piles of cash, you need to have discipline and not blow all your dough on a bunch of stuff. That's where the Baby Steps and hard work come in; as you do them, they discipline you.

A total money makeover is worth it, big-time, because you learn how to make a budget, save money and invest smart, and it prepares you for a lifetime of having fun and helping people with your piles of dough and those random acts of kindness. Heard that one on The Dave Ramsey Show.

Some joes and jills, you hold to a higher standard. Take Tuesday night's NBA game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks, for example. NBA referee Joey Crawford calls a technical on Tim Duncan, grows a chip on his shoulder and then wants to duke it out with TD. This yahoo is supposed to enforce the rules, and he's out there trying to start a rumble.

Point being, set a good example. You never know who's watching you. Could be a friend, a stranger or your own kids. Don't be some hypocrite who says he's honest and then plays dirty. Stick to the good stuff ... work hard, save money and do things on the up-and-up. Start listening to The Dave Ramsey Show and learn how to eliminate credit card debt, save an emergency fund, and all that other jazz. It's the stuff that dreams are made of.

News flash, bub ... American Idol girl Carrie Underwood is hot stuff, see? Her video "Before He Cheats" scored a double last night, winning both CMT Music Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year. This dollface gets a couple of wins under her belt, and before you know it, she's gets hit with more Google searches than Brangelina.

It's called momentum, baby, and once you get some on your side, you can do some big-time things. You don't need to win an American Idol video award or any of that jazz. Just get to work and work hard.

Your dough is the same way. When you commit to doing the Baby Steps like Dave talks about on The Dave Ramsey Show and get that monthly budget in place, good juices start to flow. You'll find money that you didn't know you had. Then later, while you get out of debt, you'll do it faster than you thought. From there, the sky's the limit, baby.

As you make more, those little expenses affect you less. Take a look at Apple Computers big-shot Steve Jobs, jack. Last year he drew a salary of $1. But with his stock options, savings and all that other jazz, the Apple Computer mac daddy is good for a cool 5.7 billion. He has to work and he has to save, but since he does plenty of both, he doesn't sweat it when the car engine blows out.

So before you go sweating your skin off over stuff like car breakdowns, prescription drugs or downsizing, remember that it doesn't have to be that way, baby. The sooner you learn how to save money, the quicker you turn a cash crisis into a cash inconvenience.

The sooner you learn how to make a budget, the sooner you can start your Baby Steps. And the sooner you can save your baby emergency fund, then get out of debt, then polish off the rainy day fund and start to invest smart. Now, excuse me while I go listen to The Dave Ramsey Show.

You can be the best joe or jill for the job and still get left out in the cold. Exhibit A ... Al Wilson, linebacker for the Denver Broncos. After eight rough n' tumble years in the Mile High City, five times on the Pro Bowl roster and a Super Bowl ring, the Broncos released AW because of injuries and the salary cap, see? Personally, I think Wilson's the cream of the crop, and even with a laundry list of injuries, he's still better than half the 'backers out there.

Bottom line, baby ... you never know when you're gonna find yourself out on the street, or laid up in bed, or getting something fixed at the car shop. Life happens, and lots of times it ain't pretty; so be ready. Save money so that, in case of emergency, you'll have an emergency fund. Once you have the baby one in place, do like Dave talks about on The Dave Ramsey Show and get out of debt. Try it, baby ... it'll knock your socks off.

All together now ... what are the two things in life that are guaranteed? Well, some yahoo in California is trying to combine them, see? This devil of a dollface tried to get federal income tax refunds by using the identities of about 200 dead people. I don't care who you are ... trying to get an income tax refund using the names of joes and jills who are six feet under is about as sick as sick gets, baby.

A word to the wise ... if you try to cheat the I-R-S, they're gonna get Y-O-U. Cheating never got anybody anywhere without coming back to bite 'em in the keester. If you owe, pony up the dough. But do things on the up-and-up. Now, get to learning how to make a budget and get intense about getting out of debt. And do some Dave Ramsey Show listening while you're at it.

A new number 2 has made his case. Mexican moolah magnate Carlos Slim has taken over the second spot on the Forbes Magazine list of the richest people in this crazy world. It cracks me up and makes me cry when I see people competing for the top spot with the dough. That doesn't happen with the Forbes Magazine list, but it happens in every town in America.

If Mr. Jones down the street gets a new toy, don't go out and finance something bigger and badder. Trying to do your neighbors one better like that is a surefire way to keep yourself broke. Be happy with what you have. The best things in life really are free.

After you've walked through your Baby Steps, you'll be at the point where you can spend, invest and give. Dave talks about doing all three on The Dave Ramsey Show. So, get on a monthly budget, get out of debt, have an emergency fund and save for retirement and college. Then comes the good part. Have fun? Have at it. Keep investing? Keep at it. But give it away, give it away, give it away now.

Anyone out there have Chicago Cubs tickets to the playoffs? 'Cause this is the year they're goin', baby. Sure, the North Side Chi-Town boys haven't won the big one since 1908, but that just means they're due. Mark my words ... the Cubs will be shining their World Series rings before Thanksgiving.

The message here is persistence, jack. When you stick to something long enough and do the hard work to get it, it pays off. The same way as when you try to save money or get out of debt. If you're willing to live small-time and do the beans and rice routine, eventually you'll deep-six your debt, see?

Even if it seems like a long shot (and who would know more about that than the Cubbies?), keep at it. Don't quit, ever ... quitting is for chumps. If you need to get fired up to eliminate debt, listen to The Dave Ramsey Show. If that doesn't do it, then check your pulse.

News flash ... the verdict is in. Larry Birkhead is the father of Dannielynn, Anna Nicole Smith's baby, baby. I was ready to put the whole thing to rest when I saw the news yesterday, but then it happened. Birkhead walked out to the cameras ... and rubbed some noses in the mud.

If you ask me, old Larry Birkhead should be called Larry Jerkhead. He posed for the cameras with his fists in the air like a Super Bowl champion, yells "I told you so" ... I mean, the only thing he could have done worse was to circle his fist in the air and whoop it up.

This guy looks to be about as shallow as a puddle on a busy sidewalk, see? A real parent who cares about their kid will teach 'em right from wrong and how to be responsible, in life and money, in that order. Knowing how to make a budget and get out of debt is only good if you know what to do with the dough after that. For more info, listen to The Dave Ramsey Show.

It may not go in the Johnny Cash biography, but it's still part of his story, jack. The Tennessee digs of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash burned to the ground yesterday. Just goes to show, joe ... nothing lasts forever in this crazy world. Except your legacy.

When you check into the wooden Waldorf, make sure that people remember you and smile. I don't give a flip what the old saying is ... I never met a nice guy who finished last. I talk about saving money and deep-sixing consumer debt all the time, but that starts with the heart.

Make sure to do all the usuals like learn how to make a budget, save an emergency fund and get out of debt. But do those random acts of kindness along the way, too. Give money away, like Dave talks about on The Dave Ramsey Show. Share what you got, and you'll never want.

This one goes out to all you chocolate chip lovers out there. Some German lab boys just announced that the brown n' sweet stuff will lower blood pressure more than tea. Talk about some pleasant news ... that's like dropping 50 pounds on a Krispy Kreme diet, baby.

Now, while having lower blood pressure is all fun and good, chocolate ain't the only way to get there. If you save an emergency fund and then get out of debt, you'll feel the weight taken off your shoulders, and your ticker won't hurt when it thumps.

It doesn't take research in the lab to know about that last part, bub. When you save money; when you get out of debt, the stress in your life takes a nose-dive. And your blood pressure reading can go with it. You don't need to OD on chocolate, or tea, or acupuncture, or any of that other fancy-schmancy jazz. Listen to The Dave Ramsey Show if you don't believe me.

Ladies and germs, meet the newest ace-in-the-hole. A 102-year-old dame in California stepped onto a par 3 at the links in and proceeded to nail a hole in one. It's something else, bub. Getting a golf hole in one is rare, but doing it once you've past the century mark will just about knock those orthopedic shoes off your feet.

Nobody ... but NOBODY ... expected this sweet ole dollface to nail that shot, but she did it. It's never too late to do something great. If you're reading this, odds are you've still got some time left in this crazy world, so get started on your baby steps, baby. Learn how to make a budget, for starters. Then get a baby emergency fund. Next up, get out of debt. Once you've got all that extra dough, give money away. It's the right way to do things ... just ask The Dave Ramsey Show host.

Ever heard on The Dave Ramsey Show how money can make family relationships more awkward than Seinfeld's Elaine Benes dancing on a high wire? Well, here's some hot Elizabeth Hurley news to back that up. The English dollface got hitched to the son of an Indian textile bigshot last month, and now the new in-laws are saying the wedding was so lavish that they were humiliated. Even though Elizabeth Hurley is a cute little number, this situation is anything but pretty.

Mixing money and family is like mixing a match and dynamite, jack. It will usually make trouble if you loan money to a sister, or co-sign for a loan with a nephew who turns out to be a deadbeat. Giving dough to someone to help out is one thing, but expecting to get repaid is a one-way ticket to disaster, see? Don't fall for it. If someone in the family's having money trouble, teach them how to make a budget and live without consumer debt. Easy enough.

Tax collectors ... since Biblical times, they've had a bad rep. But this one may take it to a new low, jack. A former IRS clerk was charged on Thursday with stealing 330,000 bucks worth of stuff from Home Depot and then taking them back to try and get store credit. Bet he didn't learn that from his IRS services training.

This is a story that's sure to make the front page of Bad News, baby. The real kicker would be if this yahoo fills out his 2006 IRS tax form and puts the merchandise as income. That'd be about as stupid as ... well, as taking the goods in the first place.

Do things on the up-and-up, and you'll never have to worry about being kicked while you're down. The Dave Ramsey Show host talks about integrity all the time, and he's dead on. Make sure to catch him, and you'll learn all about making a personal budget, how to eliminate credit card debt, and save money.

Here's the latest Anna Nicole Smith news. Playboy big-shot Hugh Hefner is doing a few things on TV, online and in his magazine to remember his 1993 Playmate of the Year. He calls it a tribute. I'll say this ... ANS may have only been famous for being famous, but posting pics of her posing and calling it a tribute ain't exactly first class.

Don't know about you, bub ... but when I check out from this crazy world, I don't want my tribute to be something that you have to unfold to get a good look at. And I don't wanna hear any more about the Anna Nicole Smith autopsy report, either. This dame and her son are together again, so leave it at that, see? Hef needs to do take all that dough he's got and buy a life so he can do something worthwhile. I'd love to hear what Dave would say about this on The Dave Ramsey Show.

Here's something that's bound to inspire some college fraternity pranks. Some dame in China was hanging her dirty laundry outside her apartment and leaned too far over the railing. Lucky (or not) for her, the building's excrement septic tank had just been cleaned out below. She ended up taking a six-story swan dive straight into a pile of toilet poop. The good news is it saved her life. Bad news? She'll probably have to do another load of laundry.

I know, I know ... you joes and jills are probably saying I'm full of it. Well, somebody is, but it ain't me. Hope this story moves you.

Coming into money ain't as easy as falling into a pile of poop, but it does involve gettin' down and dirty with hard work, learning how to make a budget and how to save money. Living on less than you make and having a plan for your dough works every time, bub. Got that one from The Dave Ramsey Show.

I've heard Dave say on The Dave Ramsey Show that he'd put the secretaries at his company on commission if he could. That way, the more productive somebody is, the more moolah they can make. His employees don't cruise through their jobs, they work hard at it, see? Working hard in any organization pays off.

Don't believe me? Then just ask Google bigwigs Eric Schmidt, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Each drew a salary of $1 last year, but because they make and build a product that generates big-time dough, they get billion-dollar bonuses, baby.

Point being, you don't get anything for free. If you want a six-figure salary, you need to work hard to get it. Leave the cave, kill something and drag it home. Of course, if you wanna hang onto the money, learning how to make a budget wouldn't hurt. Make sure you save an emergency fund, pay off debt and invest smart. Simple, simon.

Big news, ladies and germs ... my favorite Web site in this crazy world, My Total Money Makeover, just rolled out their newest goods. I'm talkin' about My Money Tools 2.0, baby. It's the best thing to happen to money since cash.

Let's check out the merchandise. The new Integrated Budget/Expense Tracker means you can record and see exactly what you bought, when and where. No more question marks about where that 20 bucks from last week went. The money plan and categories are even more customizable. Plus, you can archive past budgets, so you know more about how much dough you spend at certain times of the year. If you're new to setting up a budget, the Budget Wizard will walk you through it.

Package it up and I'll buy it, baby. It'll teach you how to make a budget, how to save money, how to get an emergency fund and pay off consumer debt ... the whole shebang. Don't be a sucker, jack ... sign up; and don't forget to listen to The Dave Ramsey Show.

This one just might take heavy metal music to a new high (or low, depending on who you ask). Seems some couple in Sweden are fighting to name their wee baby Metallica. That's right, jack ... after the heavy metal band. Don't know if these "yeels" know about what happens to kids on the playground with funny names, but to each his own. The change in my pocket is enough metal for me, baby.

The name may be by unusual, but at least the parents agree about it, see? Like Dave talks about on The Dave Ramsey Show, if couples can agree about in-laws, religion, kids and money, odds are that tying the knot won't be like tying the noose. The marriage should be as smooth as can be. Just remember to put your dough where your cake hole is, baby. If you agree about money, then learn how to make a budget, save a baby emergency fund and pay off debt.

The men's 2007 NCAA tournament is in the history books, and who's standing at the top? None other than last year's champ, the Florida Gators basketball team. The Gainesville boys stuck it to Ohio State last night, to the tune of 84-75. Coupled with Florida's beatdown of the Buckeyes in the national football championship game three months ago, you might say Florida has OSU's number, and then some.

The Gators went into every game this season with a bulls-eye on their back, baby. When you're winning, everyone tries a little harder to bump you off. It's the same deal with the dough. Just like Dave says on The Dave Ramsey Show, when you're doing your Baby Steps and getting ahead with the moolah, all the naysayers will try to knock you off. They'll say you can't have a car without a car payment, or that you should keep your mortgage, or a bunch of other jazz.

Don't buy into it, bub. Learn how to make a budget, save a baby emergency fund, and deep-six your consumer debt. Pretty soon, you'll be the money champ.

One of the last World War I weapons is no more. Navy vet Lloyd Brown passed on this week at the tender age of 105. With Brown's passing, there are just three known World War I veterans still around. It's sad to see the old ones go, but there are two good things to learn from Brown and his generation.

First off, as long as you're in this crazy world, do something good for it, jack. Save money so you can donate money to charities and people who are down on their luck. Second, since you don't know how long it's gonna be before you kick the oxygen habit, then invest smart so you have lots of dough and can live off the interest. Make sure you get some long-term care insurance too, see? Don't listen to me, though ... catch The Dave Ramsey Show sometime.

Here's a writer journey for you. New Jersey's own Harry Bernstein had a rough life, between an alcoholic father, a wife who died five years ago, and a boatload of other jazz to deal with. Three years ago, he decided to write about it to give himself some relief; call it alternative therapy. He sent the script to Random House and, next thing you know ... bada-bing, bada-boom; he's gettin' published.

Oh, by the way ... Harry's 96 years old, baby. Late start? Maybe. Home run? You betcha. This would be a great example for Dave to talk about on The Dave Ramsey Show.

Point being, ladies and germs, is this; it's NEVER TOO LATE. You may be dealing with lots of financial pain and little money. You may be pushing 60 or 70 and have tons of consumer debt. You may have not invested well so you have some retirement income. That just means you still have some time. Giving up is for suckers, see? The second you start working to get things better, you're making progress. Get started.

It ain't too late, baby ... put me on your blogroll.

The theme of the day, joes and jills, is to never give up because you think it's too late. Need proof? Then here's the pudding. Pat Summitt and her Tennessee Lady Vols were down by 12 points with eight minutes to go against the dames of North Carolina last night in the NCAA Women's Semifinals hoops game. Neither team could buy a basket the whole night, so the chances of the Lady Vols putting together a comeback were slim and slimmer, and slim was about to punch out for the night.

So what happened? I'll tell you what didn't happen, jack ... Summit's team didn't quit like a bunch of chumps. They fought back and gutted it out. Next stop, the championship game tomorrow against Rutgers.

Same deal with you and me, baby. You may be backed into a corner with a bunch of consumer debt, but that just means there's no way to go but forward. If bad credit card debt and car payments have pushed you around, push back. Learn how to make a budget and show your debt who's boss. Listen to The Dave Ramsey Show sometime ... it'll get you fired up.