View Full Version : Dumping student loans
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 00:33
I plan on graduating, but I have though about saying "forget school" and just spending my life hiking. I know it would make me happy, that is what is important in life. I have about 20K in student loans, and since I don't care about money as much as most people, or worry about debt, I have considered just doing it. It is always a backup plan, and the more I learn to be frugal and learn wilderness survival skills, the more confident I am and the less I worry.
garlic08
12-17-2009, 00:38
I hear student loans are about the worst loans to default on, if that's what you're saying. They're about the only ones with the very real power to garnish wages. This decision might have real consequences if you ever decide to come back to the world.
paradoxb3
12-17-2009, 00:39
I think Vincent Vega had something to say on this topic... :D
Feral Bill
12-17-2009, 00:42
You owe the lenders $20,000. Pay up, then go hiking.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 00:46
You owe the lenders $20,000. Pay up, then go hiking.
I plan on completing school, and paying it off when I got a job. I am just saying I don't worry about debt, and will not be a slave to money. If I owed that much, and could not find a job, I would not be a wage slave at some crap job for years to pay it off. My life and time are much more important than money.
I plan on graduating, but I have though about saying "forget school" and just spending my life hiking. I know it would make me happy, that is what is important in life. I have about 20K in student loans, and since I don't care about money as much as most people, or worry about debt, I have considered just doing it. It is always a backup plan, and the more I learn to be frugal and learn wilderness survival skills, the more confident I am and the less I worry.
Having cosigned $60,000 worth of student loans for a couple of grandkids, I hope they don't succumb to the same temptation.
I've never made much money. And I've gotten much joy out of many years of backpacking. But I've also done useful things while earning a living. As I near the final decades(:)) of a long life, I get the most satisfaction from things I've done that suggest that my existence may have made planet earth a bit better because I've lived here.
Weary www.matlt.org
mister pooh
12-17-2009, 00:56
I "dumped" mine when I was in my 20's. I'm just now getting my credit rebuilt, and it is a major pain now that I'm looking to do things like buy a house. They will garnish your wages, take every tax refund you anticipate getting, etc.
Even with a garbage job, put at least 10% of your net income towards your loans and 15% into savings. Spend the rest on ramen if need be. Trust me, you don't want to wreck yourself early like I did.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 01:08
I am just saying I don't worry about debt, and will not be a slave to money. If I owed that much, and could not find a job, I would not be a wage slave at some crap job for years to pay it off. My life and time are much more important than money.
How convenient that you have drawn this conclusion after receiving the education that someone else's bank deposits made possible for you. All those people with "crap jobs" who have made your life possible are entitled to think you are the jerk. Their time and lives - whether rich or poor - are just as important as yours and, by lights, a lot more worthy than you.
Tell you what: You pay them back, and then go "hike forever" on the money I assume you have saved. Because otherwise, all you are saying is, "I want to cheat people of the money they gave me for my education, and then I want to sponge off of people so I can go hike, because MY life and time are so much more important than those other idiots, whose money I want to support me."
I hope I never meet you. That's pathetic.
The Weasel
beakerman
12-17-2009, 01:12
How convenient that you have drawn this conclusion after receiving the education that someone else's bank deposits made possible for you. All those people with "crap jobs" who have made your life possible are entitled to think you are the jerk. Their time and lives - whether rich or poor - are just as important as yours and, by lights, a lot more worthy than you.
Tell you what: You pay them back, and then go "hike forever" on the money I assume you have saved. Because otherwise, all you are saying is, "I want to cheat people of the money they gave me for my education, and then I want to sponge off of people so I can go hike, because MY life and time are so much more important than those other idiots, whose money I want to support me."
I hope I never meet you. That's pathetic.
The Weasel
I couldn't have said it better myself....
Montana AT05
12-17-2009, 01:33
By dump do you mean default? As in, just not pay it back? Not only is that incredibly unwise from a financial perspective, it is morally reprehensible.
And do you actually think you can "live" in the woods and not incur costs? Oh lordy.
If you didn't have "geology" in your bio, I would have assumed you were a Liberal Arts major, I don't know--maybe Sociology or something. Clearly you weren't an economics major.
I had some student loans when I did my hike. I had been paying them off for five years. I had to quit a job to hike the AT (ya a J-O-B, as in I paid taxes to fund your student loans even while I was paying off mine).
I applied to have the payments reduced to near interest-only--which mean I would owe more in the long run, but it helped me stretch my savings to cover my hike and expenses when I was done and until I found work.
Being a hiker/thru-hiker/adventurer does not mean you lose responsibility for yourself and your commitments. It means you plan differently. If I understand what you propose you want to be a freeloader on the backs of all of us.
And wow, I agree with Weasel!
If I misunderstood the OP--then my apologies.
sofaking
12-17-2009, 01:40
trailbender, youve got 20k in student loan debt, youre 29 years old asking for lifestyle advice from an internet chatroom...and you think you can live off of wilderness survival skills and hiking. go for it dude. i think the bus in alaska is still there, just be sure to lose your cell phone so you cant wuss out and call for help.
Shutterbug
12-17-2009, 02:09
I plan on graduating, but I have though about saying "forget school" and just spending my life hiking. I know it would make me happy, that is what is important in life. I have about 20K in student loans, and since I don't care about money as much as most people, or worry about debt, I have considered just doing it. It is always a backup plan, and the more I learn to be frugal and learn wilderness survival skills, the more confident I am and the less I worry.
Trailbender, I have been poor and I have been rich. Take my word for it, rich is more fun.
I agee with Weasel.
Get over yourself. You are not all that.
The hiking world can wait with baited breath until you pay off the money you owe.
You should have come up with your wage slave philosophy before you borrowed all that money for a good education. How about using that very interesting degree to work outdoors?
Here's hoping your post was a joke meant for the humor thread.
I plan on graduating, but I have though about saying "forget school" and just spending my life hiking. I know it would make me happy, that is what is important in life. I have about 20K in student loans, and since I don't care about money as much as most people, or worry about debt, I have considered just doing it. It is always a backup plan, and the more I learn to be frugal and learn wilderness survival skills, the more confident I am and the less I worry. I was reading that the current default rate for student loans like doubled over the last year or so due to the bad economy. If you did decide to do this, most likely eventually it will catch up to you if, as other's have said, you decide to eventually get a legitimate job and reenter the "real" workaday world. It sounds as if you have decided to pursue what you feel is your true passion, which is hiking and the wilderness. I think though, as other's have said, it would be best to settle the loan debt before dropping off the "grid". There is an old saying, "Life is short, Live it up!" I think this is how you are basically stating you feel.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 04:44
How convenient that you have drawn this conclusion after receiving the education that someone else's bank deposits made possible for you. All those people with "crap jobs" who have made your life possible are entitled to think you are the jerk. Their time and lives - whether rich or poor - are just as important as yours and, by lights, a lot more worthy than you.
Tell you what: You pay them back, and then go "hike forever" on the money I assume you have saved. Because otherwise, all you are saying is, "I want to cheat people of the money they gave me for my education, and then I want to sponge off of people so I can go hike, because MY life and time are so much more important than those other idiots, whose money I want to support me."
I hope I never meet you. That's pathetic.
The Weasel
I am pathetic because I won't let some green pieces of paper rule my life? This has always been my attitude about money. I am very frugal, but it is just a tool. I decided long ago not to let it run my life and worry constantly about it. I am staying in school anyways, it was a thought, such as if I graduate and can't get a job with my major. If others want to let money rule their lives, they are welcome to it. I understand about the defaulting thing, it would be a last ditch option.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 04:49
I agee with Weasel.
Get over yourself. You are not all that.
The hiking world can wait with baited breath until you pay off the money you owe.
You should have come up with your wage slave philosophy before you borrowed all that money for a good education. How about using that very interesting degree to work outdoors?
Here's hoping your post was a joke meant for the humor thread.
I majored in Geology so I can work outdoors. As for being all that, I am and more. I anticipated getting a job when I graduate, as there are not a whole lot of Geology majors and the starting pay is pretty good. I would be able to pay the loans off no problem, if I got a job doing that. I take my life on my own terms, I have done the wage slave thing before, never again. I prefer freedom. I have seen people that slaved away for 5-6 years to pay the loans off, screw that. Would you throw away 5 years of your life for anything, especially money?
I could walk away from society with no qualms. I have been training in wilderness survival the last couple of years, so worst case, I can do that.
It's not the green pieces of paper that rule people's lives - it's people succumbing to their wants. Most are unable to properly distinguish between what they want and what they need ie "I really need to get a new phone". People enslave themselves to green bits of paper in pursuit of needless wants and not the other way round.
The less you want, the less you need that green paper. I work 6 months on and then have 6 months off to travel (my current line of work mixes the two). I do this by being disciplined and it's not hard to do, just "simplify, simplify" (Thoreau).
On a side note - I do think that education should be free and think it's a great shame that this is no longer the case in the UK... but then I'm a scary socialist... BOO!
"I have done the wage slave thing before, never again. I prefer freedom. I have seen people that slaved away for 5-6 years to pay the loans off, screw that. Would you throw away 5 years of your life for anything, especially money?"
Trailbender, what you obviously don't get here is that YOU TRADED YOUR "FREEDOM" FOR THE MONEY YOU BORROWED. If you want your freedom back you're going to have to pay back the money, whether it be as a wage slave or some other legal or moral means. Because what you're talking about is both illegal and immoral. You can believe anything you want to try to justify it...come up with profound economic theories (that won't work in the real world) but you're FULL OF CRAP.
Like others have said, its pretty convenient that you have adopted your philosophy on money after blowing thousands of dollars of somebody else's money setting yourself up for a career you clearly aren't interested in pursuing. That's your fault bucko, not the person who loaned you the money...and trust me, a federally backed student loan can't just be dumped...the feds are the next closest thing to the mafia...they will get their money...if you do this you will never be able to own ANYTHING of value for the rest of your life until you pay up...and they will garnish and attach every bank account and paycheck until they get what they have coming to them...and by the time they add interest and late fees on top of everything over the years you'll end up paying 2, 3, 4 maybe 5 times or more what you would have paid if you just paid up to begin with.
People will judge you by what you do, probably for the rest of your life.
You'd better hope you're right about your theories on money...because nobody will probably ever loan you any again if you do this. And honestly, I would never give someone a job who doesn't fulfill their obligations...I wouldn't pay you pocket change to wash my windshield.
Being homeless and unemployed can be a helluva lot of fun...some of the best times of my life were spent that way...but a big part of the reason for that was that I knew I could go back any time I wanted to.
I understand why you want to "drop out of the system." But I think you need to settle your affairs before you do so.
Everybody with a debt like you probably have hanging over their head entertains thoughts like this...so we're all probably being a bit too hard on you. But take it from somebody who has been there...when all is said and done you'll be glad you paid it all off and can hold your head high as you walk down the trail a person of honor and character.
Rockhound
12-17-2009, 06:49
you're comments about escaping society and finding happiness on the trail are a little disturbing. I used to feel the same way. You are a part of society and few, if any, ever "escape it" Are you saying you will never drive a car. never read a newspaper, never glance at a television screen, never eat packaged,processed food, never buy clothes,gear, or anything from any store? Or even have contact with any other humans for that matter? It's a pipe dream and impossible if you're talking about escaping society on the A.T. with all the people it's simply a small model of society. As for finding happiness. That comes from within. You may find inspiration. You may find some moments of enjoyment. You may find some great vistas, but if you are looking to outside sources to find happiness you never will. It comes from the heart.
Can decisions you've previously make your future less free?
You betcha.
Take out a loan, and you need to repay it.
Have a child, and you need to raise it.
Instead of trying to weasel out of dealing with the consequences of something you've already done, man up and deal...but let the knowledge inform decisions you make in the future.
Weasel, you said it best.
Having just gone through the loan process for my college-freshman daughter, and reading the fine print, her student loans are NOT bankruptable... they will always follow her in life, regardless. hope yours are the same...
(this individiual is a case in favor of poll taxes designed to ensure those who vote actually have a stake in this country.)
Gray Blazer
12-17-2009, 08:57
If you want to do good for others, get a job. Your taxes can help pay for their health insurance and other things.
The beauty of America is you can work two or even 3 jobs or more and get those loans paid off. You can even work while you are in college.
Cabin Fever
12-17-2009, 09:02
I have another approach to this question...
How in the world do you have $20k in loans from a state school in Tennessee? I qualify myself I went to a state school in Tennessee. You must be dragging tail academically to not get the lottery scholarship, pell grant, work study or anything that helps financially. If you spent $20k on a BS in geology at MTSU, you must have taken about 6 years to graduate.
Sounds pretty clear to me. You didn't do anything to assist yourself through school, you now have a degree, probably cannot find a job and have decided to default on your loans and hike. Own up to the responsibility of a) having to get a job b) paying off your loans and c) being an adult.
sbennett
12-17-2009, 10:09
Should've thought about not being a slave to money before you borrowed the $20k.
You should try at all costs not to default on the loans as it will make life extremely difficult. It is also a very occasion that these things are ever discharged in bankruptcy so you'll have to answer up sooner or later.
You guys just don't understand. The loan money came from the government, not from you taxpayers. And the land he plans to live off of for free belongs to the government so he won't be living off you citizen tax payers. And when he eats something bad out of the dumpster he plans to shop in, it will be the government paying his medical bills at the emergency room, not you taxpayers and health insurance premium payers. You people should stop being so selfish and let him go live his free life.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 10:27
I am pathetic because I won't let some green pieces of paper rule my life?
No, you're pathetic because you're saying your word is no good when you sign a promise to give someone back something you took from them, and then try to seek our approval for it for lying and cheating. Sorry; not interested.
TW
WalkingStick75
12-17-2009, 10:29
It appears you came to WB looking for support hoping somebody would say "go for it" but the reality is you purchased something on credit now you have to work before you get to play. That is just how life is. The great part about this is, just like the rest of us you can also play WHILE you work, just like the rest of us. I am retired now and would love to just travel and backpack but I still have responsibilities. Not a lot of money, not much debt but responsibilities.
hopefulhiker
12-17-2009, 10:31
I can sympathize with wanting to "get away from it all".. I think about hiking all the time.. For me most of the enjoyment of the trail is simplicity,, food, shelter,and making the distance...
As Marta said...You need to honor your commitmentments first.
Also there is not that much opportunity for providing food through survival skills on the trail.. You can supplement your diet but you will end up having to buy most of your food.. The trail is meant for recreation not a life stlye...
As for myself I have been busy trying to put my last kid through college and try to prepare for the increased cost of possible mandated health insurance in my midlin to older age..
I am concerned about the period between ages 55 and 65... I would like to be insured and be able to hike the trail during that time..
If mandated health insurance happens then it means several hundred dollars more a month expense for someone who is not already covered... So unless one budgets thousands of dollars extra or waits till they are in they are older than 65, they will not be able to hike the trail without the risk of potentially bankrupting medical bills.
So what have I been doing about it?
As for finances I heeded my own advice in the since hundreds of deleted posts on this site concerning the direction of the economy.I knew a couple of years ago where things were headed...Many on this site were critical of my observations.
Since I was frugal and saved I have been able to invest in a down real estate market. By paying attention to developments I was able to capitalize and now I am in better shape despitite the market down turn..
Now I will probably be able to attempt another thru hike after knowing that all my affairs are set in order.. I will not be running away from anything....
I wonder if this post too will be deleted..?
clodhopper
12-17-2009, 10:34
I am guessing that your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors have or had a different work ethic--worth considering how you fit into that picture.
Actually regardless of whether or not I agree with anyone here, most of that studen loan money comes from private corporations/banks. These are the same corporations/banks that put idiots in at CEO and then when their company was going under due to bad management they cried for government bailouts. Who pays that money? The taxpayers of course. Moral and legal implications aside, these corporations don't need that money. If this guy wants to default that'll be a decision he has to deal with, but please don't weep for the greedy corporations.
I also owe alot of money in student loans, and it is a heavy burden to deal with. Especially since I can't get a job in my field. That college degree I just paid 40k for is essentially worthless to me right now unless I get more training which also costs more money. It's an endless cycle and anyone stuck borrowing that money, never wins. So yea, I can see this guys point. That doesn't mean that I agree with him, just that I see his point.
Cabin Fever
12-17-2009, 10:36
You guys just don't understand. The loan money came from the government, not from you taxpayers. And the land he plans to live off of for free belongs to the government so he won't be living off you citizen tax payers. And when he eats something bad out of the dumpster he plans to shop in, it will be the government paying his medical bills at the emergency room, not you taxpayers and health insurance premium payers. You people should stop being so selfish and let him go live his free life.
And how do you think the government is funded and how that free land is maintained? Moronic comment.
That being said, my advice is if you don't want to pay anymore than you already owe, quit college now and get a job (or 2) so you can more quickly pay of what you already borrowed. I know if I would have known after Sophomore year how hard it would be for me to get a decent job once done, I would stopped right then. Thats just me though.
And how do you think the government is funded and how that free land is maintained? Moronic comment.
Satire/sarcasm. :-? Just needs more emoticons. :sun
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 10:42
easy to say money doesn't mean anything to you
when its not your money you are getting cheated out of
Wants vs. needs. Once again.
You say you want to live in the wild, go on extended hikes.
You need to man up to your responsibilities first.
Saying you won't be a slave to money is just a pathetic smokescreen so you can justify sticking it to the taxpayers. With that kind of outlook, you won't last long in the woods. You need to be accountable and self-sufficient there.
Tuckahoe
12-17-2009, 10:54
Weasel, thanks for expressing so well my thoughts on the matter.
Ronin -- keep in mind that many banks are publicly traded companies, and many further depend on the deposits of their customers to be able to have the funds to make loans. That means any of us who conduct business, bank with or save for retirement, invest in mutual funds, 401's or a 457 etc are invested in these banks. I know I am, I am that "greedy" corporation. Call me greedy if you like, but I invest in my future and retirement and I expect to see a return on my investment.
So NO, its not the banks money it is infact my money. The bank may have offered the money and made the loan, but that loan is guaranteed by the Federal government. So should one default on their student loan, I the tax payer must again eat it.
Sadly the problem is that too many people just dont seem to understand where money actually comes from, and its just not made on trees or created out of thin air. All of it comes from someone else's sweat and work.
. . . As for myself I have been busy trying to put my last kid through college and try to prepare for the increased cost of possible mandated health insurance in my midlin to older age..
I am concerned about the period between ages 55 and 65... I would like to be insured and be able to hike the trail during that time..
If mandated health insurance happens then it means several hundred dollars more a month expense for someone who is not already covered... So unless one budgets thousands of dollars extra or waits till they are in they are older than 65, they will not be able to hike the trail without the risk of potentially bankrupting medical bills . . .
Reading between the lines, it seems as if you've been going without the "burden" of paying for health insurance and now you fear the "mandate" to do so.
I know a lot of people in the same boat, but most of them are in their 20s and 30s. At your age, doing without health insurance is like playing Russian Roulette. If it's going to happen, health issues will be more likely to crop up in one's 50s and 60s than for 20somethings. After age 65, Medicare can kick in, you can get a more affordable supplement, and you're set for life.
But to do without health insurance between 55 and 65 is unwise, unless one intends to throw oneself on the mercy of free emergency room care during that span of their life. Which would put such a person in the same league as Trailbender IMHO.
And that's the dirty little secret of it all. We already have--have had, for many years--free public-option health care that that the rest of us pay for one way or the other. An emergency room is the most expensive, least efficient place to get diagnosis, treatment, and followup.
Far too many people have been opting to use that public option, including some who could undoubtedly find a way to buy insurance on their own. For others who really cannot afford to, there's got to be a better, more cost-efficient way for them.
Mandating those who can afford to buy, or at least contribute to the cost, of their own health insurance do so is a good idea. For 20somethings and 50somethings.
Tuckahoe- You are correct, much of the banks money is the cosumers money. However, they have to have money first to become a bank. You or I can't just decide tomorrow that we want to open a bank, can we. My post wasn't meant to defend this guys proposed actions, just to make a point that corporations have money and most normal people don't. It was also to show that when a corporation puts someone in charge that runs the place into the ground (which happened with many of the banks/car companies/various other corporations) they shouldn't get government bailout because in a sense the taxpayers are paying for someone else's failure.
If a small business was run into the ground by bad management, they wouldn't get a bailout. Only the corporate machine gets that bailout. I completely agree with your point that money always comes from someone else's work and not alot of people realize that. My point is that what goes around rarely ever comes around when it comes to money.
Satire/sarcasm. :-? Just needs more emoticons. :sun
I believe that a persons susceptibility to miss satire/sarcasm in internet posts is directly proportional to how likely that person is to dismiss other people's arguments without ever trying to understand them. Thus, if I think my satirical post is obvious enough for most open minded people to see it as satirical then I don't water it down with emoticons. Now I just need to work out a way to tell if the person who doesn't see the satire just skimmed my post or is actually to wound up in their own position to see the other side. Or, alternatively, I need to become better at good satire.
Tuckahoe- You are correct, much of the banks money is the cosumers money. However, they have to have money first to become a bank. You or I can't just decide tomorrow that we want to open a bank, can we. My post wasn't meant to defend this guys proposed actions, just to make a point that corporations have money and most normal people don't. It was also to show that when a corporation puts someone in charge that runs the place into the ground (which happened with many of the banks/car companies/various other corporations) they shouldn't get government bailout because in a sense the taxpayers are paying for someone else's failure.
If a small business was run into the ground by bad management, they wouldn't get a bailout. Only the corporate machine gets that bailout. I completely agree with your point that money always comes from someone else's work and not alot of people realize that. My point is that what goes around rarely ever comes around when it comes to money.
What does that have to do with the OP personally boring $20,000 and refusing to pay it back. That is stealing no matter how you want to rationalize it. If he borrowed the $20,000 from you would you just go, well I still have enough to live on, just keep it?
I'm pretty sure once they have mandated health insurance, companies will figure out how to stop offering it, so it's good to prepare for the day they've got their hand in your pocket.
Anyway, to the guy who started this topic: 20K really isn't that much money. You can pay it off. Hopefully your payments will be low enough that you can pay double or triple payments whenever you have extra money. You might try living super cheaply, such as in a tent or something, and then pay off your debt even quicker. That way you can have your adventurous life while paying your bill.
Also, geology jobs aren't that great. I was a geology major a long time ago. As students went on field trips, we mapped in the wilderness, we looked at pretty rocks in the lab. The reality is bulldozers and oil spills and raping the environment and toiling away running boring tests in a lab.
There is a percentage that if you pay it for ten years straight they have to forgive anything left over. Call your student loan office and ask them about the tenuer.
Rasputen
12-17-2009, 11:41
Boy vs Man. It is imperative to make this transition. Responsibility, character, integrity, morals and ethics are the core values that define us as men. Which of these are the most important? The one we are the weakest at.
No matter how far or fast you run from them they will be waiting around every corner to meet and test you. You have taken a pretty good beating here today. We have all paid the "stupid tax" at some time in our lives. We are trying to spare you the misery and discomfort of doing the same.
What advice would you give to a son or daughter as they sit before you looking for fatherly advice?
Be-Know and Do... These are words written at our great institution- West Point. Simple words with a profound meaning.
A man of honor is what this country needs now more than ever. Best of luck to you.........
Tuckahoe
12-17-2009, 11:43
Ronin – You really shouldn’t buy into the whole class warfare thing. Corporations only have money because normal people invest in those corporations. Banks get started precisely people like you and I infact do decided to start a bank and convince enough people to be investors and enough to be customers.
You keep harping on bad management, and that is an issue, but how much of the crisis was also pushed along by bad loans, defaults and people who just walked away from the money that they owe?
There is a percentage that if you pay it for ten years straight they have to forgive anything left over. Call your student loan office and ask them about the tenuer.
Private loans that is.
I could walk away from society with no qualms. I have been training in wilderness survival the last couple of years, so worst case, I can do that.
Perhaps. But I'm doubtful. There is very little wilderness left suitable for surviving these days. Nor is escaping society as easy as you may think. Society is everywhere, imposing rules and regulations on the use of the bits and pieces of wilderness that society has allowed to remain.
The only way that I know to escape being a wage slave, is to earn your living doing something you enjoy. It took me a few years but I enjoyed going to work most days during the last 35 years of my working life.
Though my employers offered unlimited sick time off, I rarely stayed home -- not once in the final decade. I had the usual infirmities from time to time, but they were never severe enough to warrant missing the fun and excitement of working, and the sense of doing something useful.
I agree with whoever said, rich is better than poor -- though I had chosen a life that foreclosed the possibility of wealth. Still I pity those I see who have spent a lifetime doing nonsensical or harmful things. What sense of accomplishment do you suppose a wealthy 80-year-old retired tobacco executive must feel as he ponders a life spent making and selling a product that causes a terrible sickness and early deaths?
Weary
double d
12-17-2009, 11:59
During my 20's, I hated the fact that I had to get student loans to pay for graduate school, but coming from a blue-collar family and not making much money (probation officer) at that time, I got them and have paid them back to Uncle Sam (well, the Dept of Education). It was my choice to go to college, so I'm not complaining, but I hope we don't out-price working people who wish to go to college because we are heading that way now in our country, but man up and pay the damn things back, you signed off on them.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 12:08
you're comments about escaping society and finding happiness on the trail are a little disturbing. I used to feel the same way. You are a part of society and few, if any, ever "escape it" Are you saying you will never drive a car. never read a newspaper, never glance at a television screen, never eat packaged,processed food, never buy clothes,gear, or anything from any store? Or even have contact with any other humans for that matter? It's a pipe dream and impossible if you're talking about escaping society on the A.T. with all the people it's simply a small model of society. As for finding happiness. That comes from within. You may find inspiration. You may find some moments of enjoyment. You may find some great vistas, but if you are looking to outside sources to find happiness you never will. It comes from the heart.
I don't mind talking to people, and had many interesting conversations on the AT. I don't watch TV or read the paper now. I don't buy clothing that often, repairing what I already have. I do understand that happiness comes from within. I am happy most of the time. I do not worry about things.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 12:13
I have another approach to this question...
How in the world do you have $20k in loans from a state school in Tennessee? I qualify myself I went to a state school in Tennessee. You must be dragging tail academically to not get the lottery scholarship, pell grant, work study or anything that helps financially. If you spent $20k on a BS in geology at MTSU, you must have taken about 6 years to graduate.
Sounds pretty clear to me. You didn't do anything to assist yourself through school, you now have a degree, probably cannot find a job and have decided to default on your loans and hike. Own up to the responsibility of a) having to get a job b) paying off your loans and c) being an adult.
I don't work while I am in school, I keep the max amount of loans each time, and live off that. I do get plenty of grants, had the GI Bill for awhile, but had a medical discharge so I did not get my full 4 years. I had to take a bunch of remedial courses because I waited so long to go to college I forgot everything. It will probably be a total of 6 years before I graduate, as I changed my major. I am going to graduate school, but this has been a thought. Dump everything, and do what makes me happy. Paying off my loans won't make me an adult, I think a tour in Iraq did that already.
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 12:14
I plan on completing school, and paying it off when I got a job. I am just saying I don't worry about debt, and will not be a slave to money. If I owed that much, and could not find a job, I would not be a wage slave at some crap job for years to pay it off. My life and time are much more important than money.
It doesn't actually sound like you "plan" to pay it off. It sounds like if you feel like it, you might consider paying it off. Not cool.
Jester2000
12-17-2009, 12:17
I plan on completing school, and paying it off when I got a job. I am just saying I don't worry about debt, and will not be a slave to money. If I owed that much, and could not find a job, I would not be a wage slave at some crap job for years to pay it off. My life and time are much more important than money.
. . . as long as we're talking about other people's money, apparently.
Actually regardless of whether or not I agree with anyone here, most of that studen loan money comes from private corporations/banks. These are the same corporations/banks that put idiots in at CEO and then when their company was going under due to bad management they cried for government bailouts. Who pays that money? The taxpayers of course. Moral and legal implications aside, these corporations don't need that money. If this guy wants to default that'll be a decision he has to deal with, but please don't weep for the greedy corporations. . .
Absolutely wrong. Most student loans are backed Federally. When a student defaults, the Federal Government, which has backed the loan, assumes the debt and then pays it off. This is the reason why corporations are willing to back such risky unsecured loans.
Satire/sarcasm. :-? Just needs more emoticons. :sun
There was nothing wrong with that satire/sarcasm that couldn't be fixed by the reader acquiring a sense of humor.
fredmugs
12-17-2009, 12:17
A person who has $500 and goes out hiking until it's gone and then works to get another $500 doesn't care about money. A person who racks up $20K in debt, has the ability to pay it off but doesn't want to is a douchebag.
Make sure you go out any buy a house you can't afford too. If you get hurt hiking I'm sure the free health care will be ready be then as well.
You should change your trail name to sponge.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 12:17
Tuckahoe- You are correct, much of the banks money is the cosumers money. However, they have to have money first to become a bank. You or I can't just decide tomorrow that we want to open a bank, can we. My post wasn't meant to defend this guys proposed actions, just to make a point that corporations have money and most normal people don't. It was also to show that when a corporation puts someone in charge that runs the place into the ground (which happened with many of the banks/car companies/various other corporations) they shouldn't get government bailout because in a sense the taxpayers are paying for someone else's failure.
If a small business was run into the ground by bad management, they wouldn't get a bailout. Only the corporate machine gets that bailout. I completely agree with your point that money always comes from someone else's work and not alot of people realize that. My point is that what goes around rarely ever comes around when it comes to money.
Well, Ronin, you're just dead wrong all the way. Speaking as a former senior bank attorney, yes, you can form a bank, and it's not all that hard. A number of investors take their own money - money they earned in any number of ways - and pool it. That number may be as small as 10, and the amount as little as $1 million, which isn't a lot on a per person basis. If the bank fails, they lose all of that. So they try to lend wisely. Obviously, they shouldn't lend to people like TrailBender, who make a promise they don't believe they have to live up to even if they can. So when that loan goes into default, it's not really the fault of "big bad bank" that the bank has lost money. Hate to burst your bubble. You're wrong.
Small businesses get a lot of what you call "bailouts". There arne actually more "small business loans" in number and in total amount than there are for the "corporations" you don't seem to like. When those businesses leget in trouble, they often get assistance in any number of ways from local, state and federal government. So I'm sorry you missed it there, too.
And yes, some businesses have been helped because if they fail, it's more than just the owners or managers who suffer. I'm from Detroit, and we don't have a lot of respect for the former management of GM, or for what Mercedes-Benz did to Chrysler. (Bill Ford, on the other hand, gets respect except for the Detroit Lions.) But closing GM and Chrysler would have hurt millions of workers, suppliers, retirees and more in every city and town in the US.
That's why TrailBender is so dead wrong, like you, suggesting that it's OK to default. It's not OK to hurt others, economically or otherwise, when that damage can be avoided, particularly when the others are not responsible for the reason he can't keep his word. Whether it's to go for a "life of hiking" or to steal to live in the Caymans, either way, it's wrong. And so are you.
TW
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 12:19
*** You should change your trail name to sponge.
Sponges will at least give back when you squeeze them. How about just plain, "Deadbeat"?
TW
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 12:19
Saying you won't be a slave to money is just a pathetic smokescreen so you can justify sticking it to the taxpayers. With that kind of outlook, you won't last long in the woods. You need to be accountable and self-sufficient there.
I have lasted a long time in the woods. I know how to make snares, I have made a fire after 5 days of solid rain, I can build many varieties of shelter, make fire several different ways, some of them primitive. Make and hunt with primitive weapons, fish, ect. I have foraged on the AT to supplement my food supplies there. I would not plan on being totally self sufficient, but done properly, the money I currently have would last a long time.
My hardest semester was fall, senior year. I so wanted to walk away.
You will snap out of it.
Part time job around people might help snap you out of it.
Lot of nice looking people needed their trash emptied. They always smiled when I aimed the dust mop at them.
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 12:22
That's what a lot of people say. Oh, I'll do the AT on X amount of money and everything'll be cool. Two months later, borrowing money from everyone and never paying people back. You will not make friends that way. And of course, it sounds like you wouldn't pay them back either.
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 12:23
I think that, even though you say "this is no object" and all, you will be much happier if you get rid of your debt by paying it. Then a bruden will be lifted from your shoulders and you can do whatever you want, however hard it maye be for a time. (You could work supremely hard and be rid of your debt in a year/two years)
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 12:31
Perhaps. But I'm doubtful. There is very little wilderness left suitable for surviving these days. Nor is escaping society as easy as you may think. Society is everywhere, imposing rules and regulations on the use of the bits and pieces of wilderness that society has allowed to remain.
Weary
Weary:
Actually, there is one place in America where you can easily live in the wild, surrounded by deer, racoons, rabbits and a host of other wildlife, in tree-shaded praries that are gently rolling and green, with few people to trouble you, and in an area where "laws" and "rules" do not apply, yet near to places to acquire the food and tools you need for your time in the wild. Where is this secret Eden?
Those of us who know, call it......Detroit.
http://www.detroitblog.org/?p=287
The Weasel
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 12:33
Sponges will at least give back when you squeeze them. How about just plain, "Deadbeat"?
TW
A deadbeat because I live on a higher plane than most other people, and see money for the BS controller that it is? Also, for your information, I have had the same attitude about money for as long as I can remember. I remember being 4 years old, and seeing a homeless guy on the side of the street. I turn, and a fancy expensive car drives by. I remember thinking "how many people could that car have fed?"
I don't splurge buying crap, I have always been extremely frugal. I have also loaned thousands to friends over the years, and none of it has been paid back. I don't stress and worry about it. I live very cheaply, that is how I can get away with not working while I am in college. I live on about 7K a year right now, pay rent, and do everything else with that, and even save some.
People need to drop this crap about calling people deadbeats and sponges because they refuse to be slaves. Open your eyes, stop being brainwashed by commercialism.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 12:35
Weary:
Actually, there is one place in America where you can easily live in the wild, surrounded by deer, racoons, rabbits and a host of other wildlife, in tree-shaded praries that are gently rolling and green, with few people to trouble you, and in an area where "laws" and "rules" do not apply, yet near to places to acquire the food and tools you need for your time in the wild. Where is this secret Eden?
Those of us who know, call it......Detroit.
http://www.detroitblog.org/?p=287
The Weasel
I wouldn't go to Detroit without my AK-47 and plenty of ammo. It always amuses me that the cities with the strictest gun control laws have the highest crime rates.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 12:36
I have lasted a long time in the woods. I know how to make snares, I have made a fire after 5 days of solid rain, I can build many varieties of shelter, make fire several different ways, some of them primitive. Make and hunt with primitive weapons, fish, ect. I have foraged on the AT to supplement my food supplies there. I would not plan on being totally self sufficient, but done properly, the money I currently have would last a long time.
Yeah. And in a few months, you'll be either dumpster diving like Eric "I Can Live Off The Land" Rudolf or taking that corporate paycheck and hoping like Hell you don't get your wages seized for cheating on your loans. As for the "money you currently have," isn't that some of that "evil green paper" you despise so much? If it all that evil, give it to someone who can deal with evil green paper (I can give you my mailing address) or just burn it. Don't be a (greater) hypocrite. Show us how you can live off of cooking bunnies in the woods in the rain. Make us proud.
Phony.
TW
sherrill
12-17-2009, 12:37
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DCS/index.html
http://www.financialaidfinder.com/what-happens-when-you-default-on-your-student-loans.html
http://www.finaid.org/loans/default.phtml
Just trying to inform. I wouldn't do it. My wife and I paid hers off in 3 years and she had 25k.
Trailbender, you can not file bankruptcy on student loans, nor can you just "walk away" from them. If you try to ignore them, the fines will rapidly increase the amount you owe and there is no limit to the amount. You could end up owing a couple of hundred thousand. Your credit history will be ruined and your wages will be garnished until you pay them off. Please do not ignore them, it will end up costing you so much more in the long run. You can defer them for short periods of time, but student loans are one set of loans that will never magically go away.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 12:44
I wouldn't go to Detroit without my AK-47 and plenty of ammo. It always amuses me that the cities with the strictest gun control laws have the highest crime rates.
Be amused. I love it when a hypocrite tries to expose hypocrisy.
But Detroit doesn't really have strict gun laws. And there isn't all that much crime, although yeah, it would be a good idea for YOU to stay away. The United States Attorney in Detroit prosecutes student loan fraud and gets convictions. Maybe you'd like to "camp out" with Lorrie Pierson after he serves his 27 months. You could teach him how to start fires and cook bunnies in the rain. With a federal felony rap sheet, that's about all he's going to be able to do when he gets out.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/mie/press/2009/2009-10-21_lpierson.pdf
TW
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 12:51
A deadbeat because I live on a higher plane than most other people, and see money for the BS controller that it is? Also, for your information, I have had the same attitude about money for as long as I can remember. I remember being 4 years old, and seeing a homeless guy on the side of the street. I turn, and a fancy expensive car drives by. I remember thinking "how many people could that car have fed?"
I don't splurge buying crap, I have always been extremely frugal. I have also loaned thousands to friends over the years, and none of it has been paid back. I don't stress and worry about it. I live very cheaply, that is how I can get away with not working while I am in college. I live on about 7K a year right now, pay rent, and do everything else with that, and even save some.
People need to drop this crap about calling people deadbeats and sponges because they refuse to be slaves. Open your eyes, stop being brainwashed by commercialism.
I usually try to be nice to people here, I try really hard. But MAN you are full of it. Get of your high flipping horse you elitist. If you came here hoping everyone would pat you on the back and say, oh how nice for you, escaping society, leaving all your mess behind for others to deal with, you were dead wrong.
I'm with Weasel. You're a phony.
Tuckahoe
12-17-2009, 12:57
Weasel remember that thread you and I participated in concering carrying of weapons. I think this is the one instant that I would agree with you, and would have concern for this guy having a weapon.:sun
Trailbender, you do not own an AK-47. And get over yourself. No one has an issue being frugal, dropping out of college or going off to live in the wilderness. What folks have an issue with is that you are considering defaulting on 20K in loans that you are obligated to pay. That makes you a deadbeat. And for all your desire to not be a wage slave, defaulting on your student loan will make you nothing more than one.
If you dont want to be a wage slave, then suck it up now cupcake and work your ass off, so that you can enjoy life without obligation to others. You dont get instant gratification.
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 13:00
:clap to tuckahoe
And Trailbender, if you don't care about society at all, why are you here? You sure seem to care about everyone here agreeing with you and knowing how incredibly awesome you are.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:01
Well, being from Detroit, I have some experience in "how many people could that car have fed." Let's assume that it is a Lincoln Town Car, prepped and delivered in Murfreesboro, TN from its assembly plant in St. Thomas, Ontario. Let's round the cost off to, say, $50,000.
One way to look at that is to say, "There's $50,000 in money that goes to the miners and recyclers and ranchers and farmers who generated the raw materials, to the workers who fashioned those materials into parts and assembled them into a car, to the railroad workers who loaded and shipped the car to Tennessee, to the trucker who delivered it to M'boro, to washers and mechanics at the dealer who prepared it, to the State which takes the fees and taxes for education, roads and more, and yes, to the dealer - who made about $250 on the sale - and to Ford, which made another $1,000 - and used that money to modernize (with more workers getting paid from it) or to their shareholders (whose 401(k) plans support them in retirement."
That's one way, but it would be wrong. That $55,000 multiplies out through the community, on approximately a 3:1 ratio (economists call this the "multiplier effect") as one worker gets paid and uses that money to buy other things, and so on. So it's really like $150,000 in economic effect. If the average paycheck in America is $25,000, that means buying that "luxury car" was able to feed six people.
That's another way to look at it. But that would be wrong, too. Those six people help support families, and let's assume that those families are 4 people each, and the $25,000 provides half their support. (It's not easy to support a family of 4 on that, although a lot of people try.) So $150,000 in economic effect supports, fully, 12 people or so.
So that luxury car "fed" a dozen people, and productively contributed to the health of the US and Canadian economies.
Unlike a deadbeat who stiffs those he borrows from to hike the AT.
TW
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:06
Weasel remember that thread you and I participated in concering carrying of weapons. I think this is the one instant that I would agree with you, and would have concern for this guy having a weapon.:sun
Even armed, he wouldn't last long in Detroit.:D
TW
Weasel, Weasel, Weasel, how little you know. That Lincoln Town Car was contrived out of thin air by the government just like those school loans. Stop with your free market propaganda already.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:10
Weasel, Weasel, Weasel, how little you know. That Lincoln Town Car was contrived out of thin air by the government just like those school loans. Stop with your free market propaganda already.
I am such a grasshopper. I bow to your wisdom. I now know that everything good is free, and everything which costs money is evil. I shall tear down the walls of my home, burns my clothes, and don my saffron robe and carry my bowl house to house. Thank you so much.
Hare hare, Krishna Krishna.........
The Weasel
I remember being 4 years old, and seeing a homeless guy on the side of the street. I turn, and a fancy expensive car drives by. I remember thinking "how many people could that car have fed?"
Very insightful. You've spent a lot of time in college now. See any connections between your above statement and the thousands of dollars "borrowed"?
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 13:12
But Weasel is right, car companies (however gultonous, bastardly and capitialist they may be) provide jobs for many, many people. I honestly would love to live without a car myself, but it isn't possible where I live.
But this isn't even about cars, Hyway, it's about not paying back money that you borrowed, in the understanding that you would pay it back. Just to say, "nah, I don't feel like forking over the cash" is an ******* thing to do.
kombiguy
12-17-2009, 13:13
There are a couple of options here. One is that the OP is a troll, just looking to stir things up. I doubt this, though.
One other option is that this guy is full of cr*p. He claims to be educated, yet can't understand the concept of theft. He claims to be a veteran, but has no grasp of the concept of honor. He claims to be on a higher plane than we mere mortals, but lies about what he remembers at age 4.
My estimate is that he is an amoral, or immoral, turd. The best way to deal with him would be the Amish way; shun him.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:18
No, Shelter, my dear friend. It IS about cars. The free ones. I'm going to go get a real nice Lamborghini Gallardo, which is probably about $200k, financed. I'll drive it with delight, but I'm going to stiff the bank since I deserve that car, and I'm not going to be a slave to some bunch of rich bankers. And I'll drive so fast they will never find me. I will park it at secret AT shelters for when I am cooking bunnies in the rain. I will be free and good and wonderful because I live on a higher plane. That's a figurative statement. I really will live on the AT when I am not driving my free car. See, it's all about cars. And me. Mostly me. Not anyone else. Hahahahaha.
So much for that stupid saffron robe.
Hare hare, Lambo Lambo..........
TW
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:20
The best way to deal with him would be the Amish way; shun him.
Nah, let's do it the Detroit way.....:-?
TW
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 13:21
Nah, let's do it the Detroit way.....:-?
TW
What, beat him up?
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:23
Trailbender, you do not own an AK-47.
Well, technically, it is a semi-automatic AK clone.
http://www.greenmountaintactical.com/Century_Arms_GP_1975_AK_Style_Rifle_p/cia-gp1975.htm
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:23
I used to eat often at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machus_Red_Fox
TW
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:24
What, beat him up?
Good luck with that, I train in martial arts.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:26
Be amused. I love it when a hypocrite tries to expose hypocrisy.
But Detroit doesn't really have strict gun laws. And there isn't all that much crime, although yeah, it would be a good idea for YOU to stay away. The United States Attorney in Detroit prosecutes student loan fraud and gets convictions. Maybe you'd like to "camp out" with Lorrie Pierson after he serves his 27 months. You could teach him how to start fires and cook bunnies in the rain. With a federal felony rap sheet, that's about all he's going to be able to do when he gets out.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/mie/press/2009/2009-10-21_lpierson.pdf
TW
His is completely different, he wasn't just going to school and decided to not pay off loans, he actively ran a fraud scheme, completely different. I did not start school with the intention of quitting and not paying off loans, anyways.
Cookerhiker
12-17-2009, 13:27
A deadbeat because I live on a higher plane than most other people, and see money for the BS controller that it is? ......
Then why did you borrow the money in the first place, and why did you enter college knowing it would require "BS Controller" to get in and pursue your studies?
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:28
Even armed, he wouldn't last long in Detroit.:D
TW
Actually I would, gangbangers do not really have any fighting skills. I did a tour in Iraq, house to house clearing, and I shoot rifles and handguns regularly, as well as taking weapons courses from training groups.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:28
Good luck with that, I train in martial arts.
Yes. You're a tough guy. We are all impressed. Jimmy Hoffa was tough too. We miss him.
TW
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 13:30
His is completely different, he wasn't just going to school and decided to not pay off loans, he actively ran a fraud scheme, completely different. I did not start school with the intention of quitting and not paying off loans, anyways.
As opposed to the intention of finishing, and not paying off loans.
Why are you even still here? Are you that desperate to win the approval and show off to everyone here?
Tuckahoe
12-17-2009, 13:30
Well, technically, it is a semi-automatic AK clone.
http://www.greenmountaintactical.com/Century_Arms_GP_1975_AK_Style_Rifle_p/cia-gp1975.htm
No duh, really? And man oh man, please tell me you didn't buy some Century rebuilt parts kit crap. You know if you saved up a little more money you could have purchased a better quality AK clone. Oh wait, you're not a slave to money.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:31
Yes. You're a tough guy. We are all impressed. Jimmy Hoffa was tough too. We miss him.
TW
Never said I was tough, I just train in case of violence. It is the same thing as having insurance. Being able to defend yourself is an important skill. Jimmy Hoffa was also involved with the mob, which isn't exactly wise.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:31
Actually I would, gangbangers do not really have any fighting skills. I did a tour in Iraq, house to house clearing, and I shoot rifles and handguns regularly, as well as taking weapons courses from training groups.
Assuming he is telling the truth (and a man who proposes to basically steal from those who lent him money by "dumping" his debt to them may fairly be questioned) that he actually served, I'm really glad that he is out of the military. If he was, he'd know he dishonors all those who have served and are serving.
Frankly, I doubt he was in.
TW
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 13:33
Jimmy Hoffa was not "involved" with the Mob, he was the mob. Show respect!
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:33
No duh, really? And man oh man, please tell me you didn't buy some Century rebuilt parts kit crap. You know if you saved up a little more money you could have purchased a better quality AK clone. Oh wait, you're not a slave to money.
The one I have is fine. Their guns are hit and miss, some are lemons. I checked it over and made sure it was a good one. I have never had an FTF and it is good to 200 yards. Century has an undeserved bad rep, probably from the sh1tty CETME clones they had awhile back.
A deadbeat because I live on a higher plane than most other people,
Get over yourself. You don't.
and see money for the BS controller that it is? Also, for your information, I have had the same attitude about money for as long as I can remember. I remember being 4 years old, and seeing a homeless guy on the side of the street. I turn, and a fancy expensive car drives by. I remember thinking "how many people could that car have fed?"
Then you shouldn't have borrowed other people's money in the first place.
I don't splurge buying crap, I have always been extremely frugal. I have also loaned thousands to friends over the years, and none of it has been paid back. I don't stress and worry about it. I live very cheaply, that is how I can get away with not working while I am in college. I live on about 7K a year right now, pay rent, and do everything else with that, and even save some.
It doesn't matter what you spend other people's money on, you are still expected to pay it back.
People need to drop this crap about calling people deadbeats and sponges because they refuse to be slaves. Open your eyes, stop being brainwashed by commercialism.
It's not crap if you are in fact not paying back money that you borrowed. It's called stealing, and it makes you a deadbeat.
Bottom line---> PAY BACK THE MONEY YOU OWE.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:35
Assuming he is telling the truth (and a man who proposes to basically steal from those who lent him money by "dumping" his debt to them may fairly be questioned) that he actually served, I'm really glad that he is out of the military. If he was, he'd know he dishonors all those who have served and are serving.
Frankly, I doubt he was in.
TW
293rd MP CO, FT Stewart GA, 3rd ID. My unit served in Mosul, Iraq in 2004. I was medically discharged.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:35
Jimmy Hoffa was also involved with the mob, which isn't exactly wise.
Neither is being a deadbeat.
You don't seem to get it, do you? No one - not a single poster - is supporting your crap about how you want to dump your loans and "live free" of "green paper." You've forfeited pretty much any respect you could get here, and if you actually do try to hike the AT, your trail name needs to be different or you'll be shunned there, too. Your best choice now is to leave the thread, shut up about your chiseling (if you can't abandon it and be decent, at least) and get a new sign in and hope no one finds out.
TW
kombiguy
12-17-2009, 13:40
293rd MP CO, FT Stewart GA, 3rd ID. My unit served in Mosul, Iraq in 2004. I was medically discharged.
Probably for being a psychopathic thief.
ChinMusic
12-17-2009, 13:44
gimme a "T"
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:46
Probably for being a psychopathic thief.
Stress fractures from lower leg injuries, actually. Carrying a heavy pack, body armor, and weapons is a huge amount of weight. It is actually a common injury in the military, mine was bad enough to be discharged for. This is the main reason I try to keep my pack weight down.
and see money for the BS controller that it is? Also, for your information, I have had the same attitude about money for as long as I can remember. I remember being 4 years old, and seeing a homeless guy on the side of the street. I turn, and a fancy expensive car drives by. I remember thinking "how many people could that car have fed?"[/quote]
Originally Posted by Trailbender http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wb_style/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=934943#post934943)
I did not start school with the intention of quitting and not paying off loans, anyways.
These two statements do not mesh. And how many people could have gotten an Associate Degrees with the $20,000 you wasted so you could live the easy life on someone else's dime? Their associates degrees will contribute more to society than you ever will with your Bachelors Degree. I know that you think you are closer to being that homeless guy on the street in your 4 yo fantasy, but face it, you are more like the guy driving the Lincoln Town Car.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:48
Neither is being a deadbeat.
You don't seem to get it, do you? No one - not a single poster - is supporting your crap about how you want to dump your loans and "live free" of "green paper." You've forfeited pretty much any respect you could get here, and if you actually do try to hike the AT, your trail name needs to be different or you'll be shunned there, too. Your best choice now is to leave the thread, shut up about your chiseling (if you can't abandon it and be decent, at least) and get a new sign in and hope no one finds out.
TW
Respect comes from within, not from what other people say or think. If someone calls someone a loser or whatever, it doesn't make them one. The person is not a loser until they think they are.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:48
If you served, you should stop mentioning it in posts or threads where you suggest that it is wonderful to steal from lenders whose student loans are guaranteed by the US Government for which you say you served. Saying you are a veteran in the same breath as proposing to default dishonors the United States Army and the "The Warriors" of the 293rd Military Police Company, as well as yourself. If you feel no honor for yourself, you owe them that much, and they would be ashamed of you. Those of the 293rd who gave their lives in Mosul - their names may be found on Google without difficulty - did not die to make possible cheating as you propose.
You should stop trying to justify yourself. You're wrong.
TW
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:50
and see money for the BS controller that it is? Also, for your information, I have had the same attitude about money for as long as I can remember. I remember being 4 years old, and seeing a homeless guy on the side of the street. I turn, and a fancy expensive car drives by. I remember thinking "how many people could that car have fed?"
These two statements do not mesh. And how many people could have gotten an Associate Degrees with the $20,000 you wasted so you could live the easy life on someone else's dime? Their associates degrees will contribute more to society than you ever will with your Bachelors Degree. I know that you think you are closer to being that homeless guy on the street in your 4 yo fantasy, but face it, you are more like the guy driving the Lincoln Town Car.
[/i][/quote]
PhD actually. I am in a program where I go to graduate school when I am done. I plan on sticking with school, this was just something I was thinking about.
293rd MP CO, FT Stewart GA, 3rd ID. My unit served in Mosul, Iraq in 2004. I was medically discharged.
I didn't know you could get a medical discharge for being a deadbeat...
Respect comes from within, not from what other people say or think. If someone calls someone a loser or whatever, it doesn't make them one. The person is not a loser until they think they are.
No, you become a loser the second you default on your promises and steal $20,000.
kombiguy
12-17-2009, 13:50
Maybe. But you're still a thief, whatever you may think. What really annoys me is having paid for an education that taught you nothing worth knowing, apparently.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:50
The person is not a loser until they think they are.
Then you need to think a little more.
TW
Maybe. But you're still a thief, whatever you may think. What really annoys me is having paid for an education that taught you nothing worth knowing, apparently.
This is a brilliant post. Bravo.
But Weasel is right, car companies (however gultonous, bastardly and capitialist they may be) provide jobs for many, many people. I honestly would love to live without a car myself, but it isn't possible where I live.
But this isn't even about cars, Hyway, it's about not paying back money that you borrowed, in the understanding that you would pay it back. Just to say, "nah, I don't feel like forking over the cash" is an ******* thing to do.
I've been here for the whole thread, it isn't even about paying back money you borrowed any more. Its about America coming together. Its about the left, the right, the independents, the greens, and everyone else coming together in agreement that Trailbender/Sponge is waste of humanity.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:55
PhD actually. I am in a program where I go to graduate school when I am done. I plan on sticking with school, this was just something I was thinking about.
How wonderful. And when you apply to Graduate School at anything other than Murpheesboro Galactic University of Deadbeating, and they do a Google Search about you - and yes, that is pretty common now in the highly competitive world of graduate admissions - they are going to find that you seriously consider "taking the money and running" after you get student loans and defaulting on them. I'm sure that will impress the Graduate Admissions Committee. "Hmmm....we have here someone who thinks it is morally acceptable to default on loans on purpose. Next!"
What a phony. Big tough guy with gun, debt he is scared of, and doesn't care about honor but brags that he's a vet. Pathetic is what I said before. I was right.
TW
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:55
If you served, you should stop mentioning it in posts or threads where you suggest that it is wonderful to steal from lenders whose student loans are guaranteed by the US Government for which you say you served. Saying you are a veteran in the same breath as proposing to default dishonors the United States Army and the "The Warriors" of the 293rd Military Police Company, as well as yourself. If you feel no honor for yourself, you owe them that much, and they would be ashamed of you. Those of the 293rd who gave their lives in Mosul - their names may be found on Google without difficulty - did not die to make possible cheating as you propose.
You should stop trying to justify yourself. You're wrong.
TW
I know who they were, I was the medic.
I do feel honor for myself, nothing anyone says can change that. We fought for freedom, which is what I would be doing by not being a wage slave to pay off a loan(which is purely hypothetical as I am doing quite well in school).
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:57
I've been here for the whole thread, it isn't even about paying back money you borrowed any more. Its about America coming together. Its about the left, the right, the independents, the greens, and everyone else coming together in agreement that Trailbender/Sponge is waste of humanity.
And singing Kumbaya as we do so. :banana
TW
I know who they were, I was the medic.
I do feel honor for myself, nothing anyone says can change that. We fought for freedom, which is what I would be doing by not being a wage slave to pay off a loan(which is purely hypothetical as I am doing quite well in school).
I didn't realize that "freedom" meant "thief".
"doing quite well at school." Wow, yet one more thing that you are superb at. I would have been more surprised if you had said you were doing average or not so well.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 13:58
I know who they were, I was the medic.
I do feel honor for myself, nothing anyone says can change that. We fought for freedom, which is what I would be doing by not being a wage slave to pay off a loan(which is purely hypothetical as I am doing quite well in school).
BS.
The Weasel
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 13:58
How wonderful. And when you apply to Graduate School at anything other than Murpheesboro Galactic University of Deadbeating, and they do a Google Search about you - and yes, that is pretty common now in the highly competitive world of graduate admissions - they are going to find that you seriously consider "taking the money and running" after you get student loans and defaulting on them. I'm sure that will impress the Graduate Admissions Committee. "Hmmm....we have here someone who thinks it is morally acceptable to default on loans on purpose. Next!"
What a phony. Big tough guy with gun, debt he is scared of, and doesn't care about honor but brags that he's a vet. Pathetic is what I said before. I was right.
TW
I am not big, actually. I am not scared of debt, either. Money just doesn't mean the same to me as most others.
I've been here for the whole thread, it isn't even about paying back money you borrowed any more. Its about America coming together. Its about the left, the right, the independents, the greens, and everyone else coming together in agreement that Trailbender/Sponge is waste of humanity.
Here's one left-leaning green liberal saying amen.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 14:00
I didn't realize that "freedom" meant "thief".
You have been completely brainwashed by society's materialism. I think your processed meal replacement bar is waiting for you, drone #32394234.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 14:02
"Well, look at it my way - what am I? I ask you, what am I? I'm one of the undeserving poor, that's what I am. Now think what that means to a man. It means that he's up against middle-class morality for all of time. If there's anything going, and I puts in for a bit of it, it's always the same story: "you're undeserving, so you can't have it." But my needs is as great as the most deserving widows that ever got money out of six different charities in one week for the death of the same 'usband. I don't need less than a deserving man, I need more! I don't eat less 'earty than 'e does, and I drink, oh, a lot more. I'm playin' straight with you. I ain't pretendin' to be deserving. No, I'm undeserving. And I mean to go on being undeserving. I like it and that's the truth. But, will you take advantage of a man's nature to do 'im out of the price of 'is own daughter what he's brought up, fed and clothed by the sweat of 'is brow till she's growed big enough to be interesting to you two gentlemen? Well, is five pounds unreasonable? I'll put it to you, and I'll leave it to you."
---Alfred P. Doolittle, in My Fair Lady
I believe that a persons susceptibility to miss satire/sarcasm in internet posts is directly proportional to how likely that person is to dismiss other people's arguments without ever trying to understand them. Thus, if I think my satirical post is obvious enough for most open minded people to see it as satirical then I don't water it down with emoticons. Now I just need to work out a way to tell if the person who doesn't see the satire just skimmed my post or is actually to wound up in their own position to see the other side. Or, alternatively, I need to become better at good satire.
Study up on Lone Wolf. He does "over the top" satire quite well. Of course, some folks still think he's serious.
I am not big, actually. I am not scared of debt, either. Money just doesn't mean the same to me as most others.
Of course it doesn't mean the same. You don't earn it, you just spend it.
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 14:07
I probably shouldn't have posted this, I knew people would not understand. Not many people have the same view of money as I do, and truly realize what it is for. I have existed on a higher mental plane than society for years, watched this gray mass move through life, with their hopes and sad dreams, addicted to television, slaves to money.
Until a daring and very attractive visionary comes along with a totally different view on what money is. Merely a tool, to be used, but not to rule their lives.
Awaken, humanity! Cast off your shackles of money and debt! Tell your creditors that you are human beings, damn it!
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:09
I probably shouldn't have posted this, I knew people would not understand. Not many people have the same view of money as I do, and truly realize what it is for. I have existed on a higher mental plane than society for years, watched this gray mass move through life, with their hopes and sad dreams, addicted to television, slaves to money.
Until a daring and very attractive visionary comes along with a totally different view on what money is. Merely a tool, to be used, but not to rule their lives.
Awaken, humanity! Cast off your shackles of money and debt! Tell your creditors that you are human beings, damn it!
:D
Now that is funny rait thair
:D
:banana
kombiguy
12-17-2009, 14:10
You have been completely brainwashed by society's materialism. I think your processed meal replacement bar is waiting for you, drone #32394234.
Nice try, but again, your lack of education is astounding. You borrowed money, promising to pay it back. Now you want to reneg on that promise, and keep the money. That makes you not only a thief, but a liar. And remember what Disraeli(British Prime Minister) said about liars. "There are three kind of liars. Liars, ******* liars, and statisticians."
It's clear to many, if not all, of us into which category you fall.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 14:10
Goodbye, Aaron. I have said what I have said, and I agree with the others here: You are contemptible, and a disgrace to the military you say you served, and a waste of the limited resources of higher education. Respect is earned, and lost, by what one says and does, and you know that, as well as knowing that you have lost any respect in this website (and possibly elsewhere) you may have otherwise had. On this or any other topic, on the Internet or on the Trail, you'll be known as "that guy who thinks its OK to cheat on paying loans back. As I said, you'd be wisest to leave this thread, try to change your "trail name" (don't use "Hollywood", either, since it's clear that's you, too) and change your attitude.
You're pathetic.
TW
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:10
wanna cast of your shackles of debt
don't borrow money
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 14:11
Of course it doesn't mean the same. You don't earn it, you just spend it.
I earned it by merely existing. I have always felt that I am the central role in life, everyone else is here merely to make my life enjoyable.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:11
I think he is a troll and we all been tricked
The two best investments you can ever make is in yourself and in your kids. Both of my degrees were payed for 100% by my employer. I have a BSEE and BSCS. I've never had a student loan.
Finish your degree and get on with your life. Be responsible and pay off your loans.
If you want excitement...join these guys: http://www.peacecorps.gov/. If you want to bum around, put the effort to good use. You might have a whale of a time teaching Calculus in some small village somewhere.
If I wasn't supporting my parents physically, emotionally and financially. Yes...you read that right....financially. I'll quit my job and ride my motorcycle around the world.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/
daryl
You have been completely brainwashed by society's materialism. I think your processed meal replacement bar is waiting for you, drone #32394234.
No, if you take something that you are required to give back, and you don't give it back, it's called stealing. And stealing makes you a thief. It's really very simple.
If you do what you are proposing, you will be a thief. And being a thief makes you a deadbeat.
kombiguy
12-17-2009, 14:13
I think he is a troll and we all been tricked
I agree. I suggested that a while back, but said I doubted it. I think you are right!
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 14:13
Goodbye, Aaron. I have said what I have said, and I agree with the others here: You are contemptible, and a disgrace to the military you say you served, and a waste of the limited resources of higher education. Respect is earned, and lost, by what one says and does, and you know that, as well as knowing that you have lost any respect in this website (and possibly elsewhere) you may have otherwise had. On this or any other topic, on the Internet or on the Trail, you'll be known as "that guy who thinks its OK to cheat on paying loans back. As I said, you'd be wisest to leave this thread, try to change your "trail name" (don't use "Hollywood", either, since it's clear that's you, too) and change your attitude.
You're pathetic.
TW
I got that trail name because two female hikers said I was hot enough to be a movie star. I have gotten comments like that a lot. I am glad to think of a new trail name, didn't care for that one much, but it kind of stuck.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 14:13
PS:
Stay away from Warren Avenue and Conner.
TW
I think he is a troll and we all been tricked
I'm starting to agree. I think we're being punked.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:14
I agree. I suggested that a while back, but said I doubted it. I think you are right!
I hates takin the troll bait
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 14:14
I think he is a troll and we all been tricked
You mean he's going to threaten to leave? :banana
TW
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:15
You mean he's going to threaten to leave? :banana
TW
yeah
with our money
kombiguy
12-17-2009, 14:16
I got that trail name because two female hikers said I was hot enough to be a movie star. I have gotten comments like that a lot. I am glad to think of a new trail name, didn't care for that one much, but it kind of stuck.
Please! We've seen your picture! It appears you never took a class in aesthetics!
Montana AT05
12-17-2009, 14:17
I am such a grasshopper. I bow to your wisdom. I now know that everything good is free, and everything which costs money is evil. I shall tear down the walls of my home, burns my clothes, and don my saffron robe and carry my bowl house to house. Thank you so much.
Hare hare, Krishna Krishna.........
The Weasel
Heh, good one.
True Story: Some British kid thought he lived on a higher plane too. Just like the OP.
So he decided to recreate some monk's journey from England to the India...starting out with NOTHING. He planned to walk to India and to be fed, housed and clothed by random people. In other words, he expected WORKING PEOPLE to PAY HIS WAY.
He crossed the channel and had to go back home because the French people treated him like he deserved to be treated--as a bum.
He likely remains indignant that people didn't see to his needs.
Welcome to Generation E
E, for entitlement.
Sgt Pepper
12-17-2009, 14:17
I know that I am only 25 years old, and I have only been in the "real world" for a few years, but believe me, ruining your credit is a terrible idea (especially now!).
I don't make a whole lot of money, but what little money I do make, I pay my bills on time and save up for "me things" (like my sobo hike 2010). I work for a small town Ford dealership and I have seen the trouble people have with bad credit scores.
Please, do yourself a favor and pay back the money you owe first. Save up to pay those bills while you hike if need be. You will appreciate your hiking so much more if you have earned it.
p.s. I hope you didnt borrow from the mafia haha
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 14:18
I've gottent to the point in this thread, where all I can do when I read your posts is sit back and laugh! Thanks so much for this, I spilled my coffee I laughed so hard, oh, this should be moved to humor! Are you seriously still trying to convince people that you are awesome? GET THE PICTURE. I'm with Weasel, sign out, get a new user name and never bring this up again, and you sure as heck are not listening to what everyone else here is saying. From now on, I'm just reading this as humor.
Respect comes from within, not from what other people say or think. If someone calls someone a loser or whatever, it doesn't make them one. The person is not a loser until they think they are.
I've been here for the whole thread, it isn't even about paying back money you borrowed any more. Its about America coming together. Its about the left, the right, the independents, the greens, and everyone else coming together in agreement that Trailbender/Sponge is waste of humanity.
Nope, 'member, it isn't "sponge", it's "deadbeat". As Weasel aptly pointed out, a sponge gives back when squeezed.
And nice Weasel- I directed Pygmalion in high school, love it.
I probably shouldn't have posted this, I knew people would not understand. Not many people have the same view of money as I do, and truly realize what it is for. I have existed on a higher mental plane than society for years, watched this gray mass move through life, with their hopes and sad dreams, addicted to television, slaves to money.
Until a daring and very attractive visionary comes along with a totally different view on what money is. Merely a tool, to be used, but not to rule their lives.
HAHAHAH! Now I know that you're kidding! A daring attractive visionary? Thanks goodness, I was so afraid that you were serious... If you aren't kidding, you are the most pompous, most full of one's self, most idiotic person I have ever heard of. But, since you're joking, I'll just laugh.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:18
Heh, good one.
True Story: Some British kid thought he lived on a higher plane too. Just like the OP.
So he decided to recreate some monk's journey from England to the India...starting out with NOTHING. He planned to walk to India and to be fed, housed and clothed by random people. In other words, he expected WORKING PEOPLE to PAY HIS WAY.
He crossed the channel and had to go back home because the French people treated him like he deserved to be treated--as a bum.
He likely remains indignant that people didn't see to his needs.
Welcome to Generation E
E, for entitlement.
Maybe he could move to alaska an live inna bus
like that other spiritual guy
you know the dead one
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 14:19
Please! We've seen your picture! It appears you never took a class in aesthetics!
Well, I would hope another man would not find me attractive. Apparently I am to females, especially working out at the rec center. I prefer being single, though.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 14:20
Well, I would hope another man would not find me attractive. Apparently I am to females, especially working out at the rec center. I prefer being single, though.
Get used to it.
TW
Trailbender
12-17-2009, 14:22
Maybe he could move to alaska an live inna bus
like that other spiritual guy
you know the dead one
The one that didn't have any wilderness survival skills?
kombiguy
12-17-2009, 14:22
Well, I would hope another man would not find me attractive. Apparently I am to females, especially working out at the rec center. I prefer being single, though.
Relax, they'll find you attractive in prison, I'm sure. And judging by your psychotic ravings, I'm equally sure you'll wind up there, sooner or later!
The one that didn't have any wilderness survival skills?
Watch Survivorman some time... that dude has more wilderness survival skills than just about anyone, and even he basically starves his way through a week of being alone in the woods with nothing.
white_russian
12-17-2009, 14:24
Wait a tick:
1. opinionated
2. geologist
3. arrogant
I think the OP might be related to MS.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:24
The one that didn't have any wilderness survival skills?
troll troll troll
I'm not bitin
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 14:26
I got that trail name because two female hikers said I was hot enough to be a movie star. I have gotten comments like that a lot. I am glad to think of a new trail name, didn't care for that one much, but it kind of stuck.
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-rpg003.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Maybe he could move to alaska an live inna bus
like that other spiritual guy
you know the dead one
At least Chris McCandles didn't have any debt, he up and left but didn't leave $20,000 of crap for other people to deal with.
My first thought was that I prefer you single, too, so you won't produce offspring, but then I realized it wouldn't matter to you. You could just leave them behind for someone else to raise.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:28
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-rpg003.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
At least Chris McCandles didn't have any debt, he up and left but didn't leave $20,000 of crap for other people to deal with.
very true
................
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 14:29
Well, I would hope another man would not find me attractive. Apparently I am to females, especially working out at the rec center. I prefer being single, though.
[Snort of laughter]
I bet you're the kind of person who puts gum wrappers in the Salvation Army change-collecting buckets to make it look like they put in money.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 14:32
My first thought was that I prefer you single, too, so you won't produce offspring, but then I realized it wouldn't matter to you. You could just leave them behind for someone else to raise.
Don't worry. He admitted he wasn't a "big guy." ;)
TW
white_russian
12-17-2009, 14:32
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-rpg003.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
At least Chris McCandles didn't have any debt, he up and left but didn't leave $20,000 of crap for other people to deal with.
He didn't pay his own way for college either, he had some sort of trust fund his parents set up for him to pay for his schooling.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:35
He didn't pay his own way for college either, he had some sort of trust fund his parents set up for him to pay for his schooling.
So does tail bender have to die to be as big a loser as CM or not?
Lucy Lulu
12-17-2009, 14:36
It is a troll...
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 14:37
Doesn't matter, he didn't have any debt anyway.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:37
It is a troll...
yep
lives unner a bridge
He didn't pay his own way for college either, he had some sort of trust fund his parents set up for him to pay for his schooling.
That's how it is supposed to work. You raise kids, you teach them your values, you help them through college then they pay it forward with their kids. then when your kids are out and on their own and you have completed your responsibility to teh human race, you take your time by retiring and living large then. An increasing percentage of recent generations have decided to skip the paying forward portion of that method.
The Weasel
12-17-2009, 14:42
It is a troll...
Doesn't matter. Either way, he's a liar. Probably didn't even serve in the Army.
TW
white_russian
12-17-2009, 14:48
That's how it is supposed to work. You raise kids, you teach them your values, you help them through college then they pay it forward with their kids. then when your kids are out and on their own and you have completed your responsibility to teh human race, you take your time by retiring and living large then. An increasing percentage of recent generations have decided to skip the paying forward portion of that method.
Thus ensuring the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 14:51
Look guys, TB is in the news!
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-char039.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
.
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 14:53
Just realized, this thread has finally reached the stage of purely annoying, no longer hilariously funny...
Slo-go'en
12-17-2009, 14:55
All I can say is being a full time trail/mountian bum is fun for awhile, but eventually it gets old. Sooner or later, you will have to come back to the real world and any crap you left behind will come back to bite you.
I guess the OP could join a cult or commune, but even they expect you to work for your keep.
double d
12-17-2009, 15:01
Actually I would, gangbangers do not really have any fighting skills. I did a tour in Iraq, house to house clearing, and I shoot rifles and handguns regularly, as well as taking weapons courses from training groups.
If you were in the military, you should have the G.I. Bill pay for your education, after all, you earned it with your service.
Jester2000
12-17-2009, 15:05
I probably shouldn't have posted this, I knew people would not understand. Not many people have the same view of money as I do, and truly realize what it is for. I have existed on a higher mental plane than society for years, watched this gray mass move through life, with their hopes and sad dreams, addicted to television, slaves to money.
Until a daring and very attractive visionary comes along with a totally different view on what money is. Merely a tool, to be used, but not to rule their lives.
Awaken, humanity! Cast off your shackles of money and debt! Tell your creditors that you are human beings, damn it!
This is far and away one of the funniest posts on whiteblaze ever. It's brilliant if it's meant as a joke, and it's even more funny if it's meant seriously.
I almost never post "LOL," because rarely does something online make me laugh out loud. But I did here. Kudos to you, Trailbender, whether you're a completely clueless jackass or an astoundingly clever comedian.
Just realized, this thread has finally reached the stage of purely annoying, no longer hilariously funny...
Not only that but increasingly boring. I suggest we all back off for a bit. The guy is not a thief. He's just thinking about being one. And asking us for our opinion. We've given him that. Some of us eight times over.
Unless someone has something fresh to say, let's all find something else to chat about. Hopefully the guy will report back with his final decision. I know the horse still isn't dead, but the beating is getting tiring.
Weary
Life becomes meaningless when you can no longer banter with trolls.
Many Walks
12-17-2009, 15:48
Trailbender, assuming you are real and not just another troll punking everyone, I'll thank you for your service to the country.
You said repeatedly you are presently thinking about dumping the school loans and haven't moved in that direction yet. I have to say most everyone thinks about stuff that's really out there, but don't act on it, so other than getting a bunch of hate posts no harm has yet been done. In the end all you really have is your credibility and you put that on the line when you agreed to repay the loans. I hope for your sake you follow through on repaying them.
Your feeling about materialism doesn't fall on deaf ears here. Many live frugally to be able to live their lives. Personally, we have drastically downsized our possessions, sold our property, quit great jobs, and disengaged from the treadmill chasing money, but it was only after working constantly and very hard for many years. When we did we paid all of our debts (including our daughter's school loans to help get her started) gave trailer loads of stuff to Goodwill and missions to live a more simple life.
Lot's of folks on this site agree with living simply and would give most people the shirt off their backs if needed, but they would never steal from someone else. These are independent people who pay their debts and don't care for people who don't. Not too many things worse on this site than someone who rips off other hikers, hostels or other businesses on the trail. In this community you are expected to stand up to your responsibilities first, then hike when you can. Not paying your loans is stealing our taxes and there is way too much of that going on already.
Most would encourage you to go live off the land in some remote wilderness of Canada or someplace if that is your desire, but do it only after you've paid your debts. Then live as free as you wish.
This administration is all about expanding entitlements and I believe I heard them talk about forgiving school loans in exchange for service of some kind. Don't know if it's been enacted yet, but you might look into that. Perhaps you can use your education to find resources to help people in foreign lands digging water wells in Darfur or finding minerals for Hugo Chavez, since he hates Capitalism too.
I'm really trying hard to not pile on and just call you a slug here. Hope you get your head straight, pay your bills and then do whatever you want. Have a good life!
Alligator
12-17-2009, 17:27
Thread was closed due to personal attacks.