February 2010

We were all glad that the government has finally stepped in and cracked down on abusive credit card companies. The new rule changes will help eliminate some of the shady practices that are used by the banks to generate income. While there has been much improvement over the old ways, there are still some things to look out for.

One item that consumers should be aware of is a new policy that consumers must agree to overdraft protection services. The banks want this so that they can keep on charging people who overdraft their accounts. This has been a major source of revenue for the banks in the past. One alterative to this is to use an overdraft protection service that takes money out of another account or credit card.

Whatever the case, be sure to understand the policies of your particular bank. A little research may turn up the best protections for your money. Make sure to set a budget and stick to it. Try to put a little money aside for emergencies by forming a rainy day fund. Above all, keep track of your finances and use common sense when making purchases.

I have been looking forward to viewing the 2010 Winter Olympics that are scheduled to begin this Friday. Viewers can see the games on NBC starting at 7:30 February 12. I always enjoy the opening ceremonies and will root for the American ski team. I just hope the games will go on.

It seems that a warm weather spell has made life difficult for Olympic planners. They have been forced to bring in snow for the planned events. They are hoping for a positive turn in the weather to help them out. Let’s all pray that snow will arrive and save the day!

One disease that has been largely forgotten about is AIDS. When it first struck the Americas it was a huge threat. Now that doctors have figured out how to treat the disease, it has been basically forgotten about by millions of Americans. Just to remind everyone, there is still a large amount of work going on to cure this disease.

Scientist have developed a model of an enzyme called integrase. This will allow for better study of how HIV drugs work. Doctors hope to take advantage of the new model to gain a deeper understanding of what needs to be done to cure the disease. The disease is especially prevalent in Africa where it affects more than half of the population. I am glad there may finally be an answer to this terrible disease!