One of the social mantras we seem to hear a lot of is the idea of using a loan consolidation to pay off high-interest credit card debt. While this can sometimes be a good thing, it’s not a quick fix that works for everyone and, in most cases, is merely salve on the wound rather than true healing.
Debt Consolidation Loan Benefits

The benefits to paying off credit card debt with lower-interest loans are obvious: you get lower interest (which usually means lower overall payments), you make only one payment per month instead of several, and all of this often means the debt can be paid for more quickly. Loan consolidation can offer all of these things.

It can offer them.
Debt Consolidation Loan Pitfalls

That doesn’t mean it always does and it definitely doesn’t mean you’re really out of debt. YOU HAVE JUST MOVED DEBT!!

Paying off credit card debt by getting another loan is merely transferring the debt, not paying it. That’s an important thing to remember because that is more often than not the real pitfall with loan consolidation.

Many people have fallen into this trap. Chris Viale, who is the general manager of Cambridge Credit Corp (a non-profit credit counseling agency), says that 70% of Americans who take out a loan to consolidate debt end up with the same or more debt load within 2 years.

In other words, now that the credit cards are “clear” and the bills are coming in with $0.00 balance on them, card holders begin to see more money available and, rather than spend the extra cash they might have, now that their loans are lower-cost, to more quickly pay those loans, people are instead going deeper into debt.

This is an easy trap to fall into. There are hundreds of justifications people can make to themselves, even with the best of intentions.

Actually paying off credit card debt, rather than getting a new loan and thinking as if your credit cards are paid off, is an important step towards financial solvency. Shuffling debt around is only an interim step that doesn’t meet the goal of actually paying the debt off. Putting your home at risk (through equity loans) or other means may not be your best option or in your best interest.

Often, debt consolidation can help make it easier to keep up with your bills and pay off your debt, but it still requires discipline and isn’t a “quick fix” by any means. It’s a bandage on the wound, but the debt wound still requires healing. That comes from you, not your credit.

Watch a sneak peek of HBO’s new series HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA, which airs on February 21.

How To Make It in America Episode Synopsis: HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA “Crisp” Episode 2 – Using $3G they got via yet another high-interest loan from Rene, Ben and Cam buy up a roll of hot premium-denim material, then hit a series of dead ends in their search to find a manufacturer to make samples of their Crisp brand of retro-.70s jeans. Along the way, they parlay a crashed late-night dinner with top fashion designer John Varvatos into a brainstorming meeting that may, or may not, hold the key to their entrepreneurial success. Meanwhile, both Ben and Rachel realize that they haven’t totally moved on, and vow to try harder in the future. Written by Rob Weiss; directed by Julian Farino.

What is a Colonic?
Alternate Names: colonic hydrotherapy, colonic irrigation, colon irrigation

A colonic is the infusion of water into the rectum by a colon therapist to cleanse and flush out the colon.
What is a Typical Colonic Like?

After completing a health history form and consulting with the colon hydrotherapist, the client is asked to change into a gown and lie face up on a treatment table.

The colon therapist inserts a disposable speculum into the anus. The speculum is connected to a long disposable plastic hose connected to the colon hydrotherapy unit.

Warm, filtered water is slowly released into the colon. The water causes the muscles of the colon to contract, called peristalsis. Peristalsis “pushes” feces out through the hose to be disposed in a closed waste system.

The client and the colon therapist do not smell the feces. The therapist usually looks at the feces through the clear hose, and may comment on the color.

The client typically feels some discomfort in the abdomen during the therapy.

The colon therapist may apply light massage to the client’s abdominal area to facilitate the process.

After the session, the therapist leaves the room, and the client may sit on a toilet to pass any residual water and stools.

A typical session lasts 45 minutes to one hour.
What’s the Difference Between a Colonic and an Enema?

Colonics and enemas are similar, but there are some key differences between a colonic and an enema.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly announced Sunday he has dismissed wide receiver Jamere Holland from the team, hinting it was because of an expletive-filled statement Holland posted on Facebook the day before.

Kelly said Holland was dismissed for violating team rules, but didn’t elaborate.

However, asked by The Oregonian if the violation was related to Holland’s Facebook posting, the coach said: “I won’t get into the specifics, but you’re smart enough to figure it out.”

Holland posted the Facebook statement after linebacker Kristian Kiko Alonso was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants. Alonso is the fourth Oregon player to be arrested in the past month.

In his post, Holland mistakenly concluded that Alonso had been kicked off the team and blasted the move as unfair and damaging to the Ducks.

Holland wrote in a later post: “I wish I could block whites as friends and only have blacks LOL, cause apparently I’m misunderstood.”

School spokesman Dave Williford said Alonso remains on the team.

“His status hasn’t changed, contrary to Internet reports, rumors and Jamere Holland,” Williford said.

Athletic director Mike Bellotti, who was football coach when Holland transferred to Oregon from Southern California after the 2006 season, told The Oregonian he was frustrated with Holland.

“We’ve given this guy so many chances,” Bellotti said Sunday while attending Oregon’s stunts and gymnastics meet. “We’ve had many sit-down, very serious talks.”

In two seasons with Oregon, Holland had 17 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns.

Alonso was the Ducks’ primary backup at middle linebacker and one of the top special teams performers in the 2009 season. He has been viewed as a probable starter for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Alonso could not immediately be reached for comment.

He was stopped less than a day after Kelly held a news conference to talk about other off-field problems by his players.

Star running back LaMichael James, 20, was arrested last week after his girlfriend told police he choked her and threw her to the ground during an argument. James pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of fourth-degree assault, physical harassment and strangulation.

Eugene police said last week that place-kicker Rob Beard had been cited with investigation of misdemeanor assault in a Jan. 24 street fight that left him seriously injured. Police also cited defensive end Matt Simms for investigation of misdemeanor assault in that brawl. Simms was dismissed from the team, while another kicker allegedly involved in the incident, Mike Bowlin, left the team last week. Simms and Beard have pleaded not guilty.

At his Friday news conference, Kelly said he stresses discipline and responsibility to his players.

“We will constantly work to make sure that these players understand that playing here is a privilege, and with that privilege comes responsibility, and if you can’t follow the rules, I’ll have to make some tough decisions,” he said.

The space shuttle Endeavour glided to a safe landing on its first opportunity Sunday night, after a cloud deck that had threatened to force a wave-off cleared and rain showers over Florida stayed away from the shuttle landing strip at Kennedy Space Center.

STS-130 mission commander George Zamka and pilot Terry Virts guided Endeavour through a left turn onto Runway 15 at Kennedy, touching down at 10:20 p.m. EST. At Mission Control Center-Houston, astronaut Rick Sturchow gave Zamka the go for deorbit burn at 8:51 p.m. EST, after entry flight director Norm Knight decided the weather would hold until landing.

Knight based his call in part on reports from astronaut Chris Ferguson, who was flying approaches at Kennedy in the Shuttle Training Aircraft, a Gulfstream II that has been modified to mimic the handling characteristics of a shuttle orbiter.

With the landing, the six-member crew of Endeavour wrapped up a highly successful mission that began at 4:14 a.m. EST Feb. 8 with the last scheduled night launch of the space shuttle era. In its next-to-last flight before the shuttle fleet is retired at the end of this year, Endeavour delivered the Italian-built Tranquility pressurized node and its seven-window cupola to the International Space Station.

During nine days of docked operations Endeavour’s crew joined the five-member ISS Expedition 22 crew in attaching Tranquility to the side of the Unity node, at the center of the station’s sprawling structure. They used the station’s Canadian robotic arm to move the cupola from its launch position at the front of the new node to the Earth-facing side, where it will act as an orbital control tower for future robotic operations.

Endeavour also delivered some replacement parts for the station’s troublesome water recycling system, which Expedition 22 commander Jeff Williams of NASA installed as soon as they were unpacked. That gave enough time for a full test of the repaired system before the combined crews installed it in Tranquility, along with an oxygen generation system, a Russian-built toilet compartment and exercise equipment to help station crew members mitigate the effects of prolonged microgravity on their bodies.

After delivery of the new node, the space station is considered 98 percent complete by volume, with 90 percent of its planned mass in orbit. The next shuttle mission — STS-131 — will see the shuttle Discovery deliver supplies and on-orbit storage hardware. Launch of that mission is now scheduled for April 5.