Credit Cards

Found on Internet:  alt.best-of-internet

In article  Steven J. Crisp writes:

> Justin Pollack (jpollack@delphi.com) wrote:
> : Which means more:  My high school diploma or my credit card?
> 
> Whoa, neat question. I have to say the college education, though. The 
> reasoning is thus:

He didn't say he had a college education.  He said HIGH SCHOOL education.
Read again the two things he's comparing.

> If you get a credit card, it will probably have a 
> $500 to $1000 credit limit. If you blow the roof off the thing, you will 
> have to get a job. Unless of course, your folks are picking up the entire 
> tab. In that case, go for the Amex gold. If you get a job, your studies 
> will suffer. This is not to say that you might not have to get a job 
> anyway, but why have to work even more to pay the minimum payments? If 
> the job interferes with school, your grades drop and, if they drop too 
> far, you're SOL. Then you will have a credit card and little, if any, 
> education.


Thus the Prophet spake in the book of Bankruptcy: "And lo, Satan appeared
unto Joe Schmuck College Student and did make as a gift unto him a card of
golden plastic.  And Satan did sayeth, 'Yea, with mine gift thou art mighty
indeed!  The gold of that plastic doth shine brightly in the eyes of the
merchants in the marketplace, and they shall bestow gifts upon thee, even
though thou offer not coin to them.  Thou shalt have thy choice of CD's,
dinners at Chili's, and yea! even stereo equipment.  I only ask in return
that thou givest me thy eternal soul, and 17.5% monthly interest.'

And Joe Schmuck College Student did as Satan said, and used the unholy plastic
to purchase many and sundry things, until the credit limit was reached.  He
enjoyed wine, women, and song, and purchased many intoxicating beverages,
until two fortnights had passed, and the first Visa bill appeared in a flash
of fire and brimstone.  Then a shadow hung over the head of Joe Schmuck
College Student, and the gold of the plastic revealed itself to him as the
cheap and tawdry thing it was.  And he did plead with the minions of Hell
not to ruin his credit record and repossess his chariot.  But the foul
demons and bill collectors did laugh in his face, and spat upon him, and
cried gleefully, 'Didst thou thinkest to purchase the world for nothing? Oh,
how foolish a thing is a mortal!  And now we will rend thy soul and take
thy Bose speakers, and thou shalt be cast down into the Pit, and live with
thy parents for years, whilst thou workest off thy Debt, yea, at Taco Bell.'"

Added May 23, 1996