Macy's, Retailers Charging Over 35% Interest On Credit Cards

It's a good thing that I've paid off my Macy's credit card. They and other retailers are hiking their credit card interest rates to around 35%. Ouch!

According to CBS 8: 

SAN DIEGO — Interest rates on retail credit cards are on the rise, and the numbers may surprise you.

Macy’s just sent letters to its card users announcing the interest rate on their Macy's card is jumping to 34.49%. Industry experts told CBS 8 the increase is part of a nationwide trend.

“I mean, i follow this so closely that I'm not shocked, but on the face of it, yeah, that's a really high interest rate," said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.

Rossman says retail stores already have the highest APRs, and those rates have been climbing steadily mirroring what the Feds are doing. 

To read more, go here. 

Vintage Man of Steel Balloon

Above, Superman balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in 1940.  AP photo.

Pants Trouble

We did some shopping tonight at Macy's in Woodland Hills. I saw these three mannequins with one with its pants a bit lower than it should be.

This looks like a good candidate for a "write your own caption" for the photo. Go ahead and have some fun!

Japan: Spending Spree In Preparation

Above, first stop in Tokyo after Narita Airport: Tokyo Station.

One of the things I do before heading off on a vacation trip to Japan is to check on the 10-day weather forecast to the places (in this case, Tokyo and Niigata) I'm going to.

Tokyo's temperatures range from the 40s to 60s (farenheit) and Niigata's temperatures range from the 40s to 50s. There's some rain forecasts for both.

In preparation, I went on a little shopping spree today at the local Macy's department store and picked up some cotton flannel shirts and some long-sleeve dress shirts (I didn't seem to have any long-sleeve dress shirts in the closet). Also, I picked up a couple of pairs of Levis (the ones I have are about to be permanently retired due to wear). Naturally, since I may be confronted by situations requiring me to remove my shoes (a Japanese custom), I also picked up some socks.

Although it may rain at times while I am in Japan, I am not going to pack my umbrella. If I need one, I can always buy one there (they're relatively cheap at 600 yen each).

In regard to the tensions between the two Koreas, a friend sent me this after reading my blog about possibly having a "ringside seat":

If you want to borrow my flak jacket I have a brand new one; US Army issue lol (its ceramic plates can shred a .50 cal round). I have a kevlar helmet too, but it was repainted black by the dept.

If I take him up on his offer, if the need arises, this will save me the time and money to buy them in Japan. Then again, they may take up too much room in my suitcase. I plan to pack light, so I have room to bring back some souvenirs.

Nine days to go. Can't wait!