UMD

« May 2008 | Main | July 2008 »

I am not a big fan of money and the ways in which college life sort of forces me to keep my eyes on the prize in exchange for scrounging around for pocket change till I graduate. These days with prices of everything going up I think that we are one of the groups who are really starting to feel the pinch. I am not one of those students who came from the well off background and can ask for money whenever they choose. I have to earn every dollar that makes its way in to my pockets. Every time I give the rent check to the landlord or give up the last of my money to pay for coffee to stay awake at my minimum wage job I feel that pinch. This life is not for everyone of course and for those among the student population that are forced to live as I do there are some safety nets in place, but not many.

I have a couple of friends who are in the same sort of situation. We all have to manage with what we have because we have little , or as in my case, no family help with finances. When things get to that breaking point where you just cant' afford to live off of what you have at the moment then you are forced to look for some outside help in exchange for continuing on with this college thing. I am talking about a payday advance. This is one of the best things that my parents ever told me about. I wonder if I would have given up a long time ago had I never known about these things. A check advance has paid for my rent a couple of times and a cash advance has gotten me the gas to commute for a week or two. Where some people would call up their mother and father I call up one of these companies and the next time I get paid I am in the clear for just a small enough price to keep me in school for now. I hope I don't have to use one again but I won't hesitate if it keeps me moving foreword with my education.

When a student realizes that they have no authority over their own financial future it can come as quite a shock. I think that many students may make it all the way through college and never realize that they have had it great so far and that soon they may want to do things on their own. Every college student has that vision off in the distance from high school where they are successful and happy right away after they have graduated from school. This imagine is nothing to think twice about when you are young but as the time draws nearer to graduation many students should be thinking a little bit farther ahead in reality. The fact that most of us has no authority over our own finances with regard to credit and independent financial status is well and good until we realize that we can't buy anything without those things.

When students graduate without having taken control of their own finances, they have two different disadvantages. The first being that they may not even know how to properly handle money. The second goes along with that and is basically a general lack of knowledge about how to buy those substantial things that people desire with their independence. I am not advocating that every college student go out and get credit cards when they are young and try to build up a history before they graduate, but it wouldn't hurt. Some of us may not be able to handle that much freedom when we can always call our parents to bail us out. Others may realize the value pretty quickly as that credit score rises. One big way that we can all probably afford to do while we are still in school is to drop that family health insurance. As long as your are covered by your parents' insurance, you are viewed as a dependent person by the government and money lending organizations. This step alone could possibly lead to that house or that new car after graduation, but it may also lead to a simple feeling of freedom that is good for everyone when they are taking the big steps in to the world.

I don't know what it is about this year but fro some reason this seems to be the summer of responsibility and weird obligations. I have had to talk to my parents over and over about all of the ways in which I can be considered a financially independent person so my student aid report increases next year. Among the things that I can do are prove that I alone pay rent, and that I pay my own RV insurance and motorcycle insurance . On top of those, my parents want me to start paying a really small amount each month for a life insurance policy and that should put me over the top for any board that may need to review my case.

Now I don't know about the majority of college students or even people my age, but I would imagine that most of us don't ever have to think about insurance of any kind until we have finished with our studies. The majority of my friends think it is crazy that I even pay for anything that is my own. Most of them get their parents to pay for their rent and food. I come from a different type of family though. My mother and father both come from difficult financial and family backgrounds and so they really feel the need to instill a sense of self-reliance on me at any area possible. This is not an area that they consider to be off limits. Even though they can pay for any of the things that I pay for right now and still have money to burn, they choose not to because they want me to be able to know what I am capable of. Both of them had to put themselves through school and work three jobs at the same time when I was a baby. When I look at it from this perspective I can totally understand where they are coming from.

On the other hand though, it is not as if they are having me look in to RV insurance or home insurance. They are making me basically save for my own death. I personally don't want to think about my own death, let alone pay for it while I am still alive.

Working in a coffee shop has got to be the coolest job in the entire world. At least for someone like myself who feels safety in being surrounded by the educated and the education all at the same time. There is a nice energy inside of a place where people come to get things done. Having a knowledge of history also helps my interest in the coffee shop, and promotional umbrellas do help. I know that what we are doing here goes back for around two hundred years to when people really started major shipping of luxury goods like coffee all around the world. The first coffee houses in Europe changed the way politics was spoken of and how it would evolve. This was the place where people of all social classes and political affiliations could come and speak their minds while drinking something that would have been considered a treat back then and not a necessity as it is today. So that is where we get this wonderful legacy of establishments offering their steaming brew to the masses who speak their minds and recite their poems in the nooks and crannies of the book shelves.

I am glad that I am part of the modern local coffee shop movement as well because it is a microcosm of what everything else in this world needs to do. We are no doubt all in the grips of the monster known as globalization which has stretched our minds , our pocketbooks, and our collective patience. As with the produce market and the coffee shop business now, people feel confidence in what is both working for the world and keeping business in their towns. We have four Starbucks in our town but nothing will put this place out of business. We buy or promotional pens where they probably buy their promotional umbrellas and that is something we share. What we don't share is the distribution of our revenues. We do buy our supplies on the larger market online, but we supply our business locally only and don't plan on any kind of expansion. That is what people feel when they come in and that is why they stay.

I received an invitation to a party from a person I haven't seen in several years. She was a good friend of mine when I was in high school, but since college we really haven't kept in touch. The invitation says it is to attend a murder mystery party. I love a good murder mystery, but I have never been to this type of party, and I am not sure whether or not I should go. I think it is actually kind of odd for her to invite me, but I am home for the summer and maybe she is doing this as a kind of reunion party. I am thinking maybe I should go though because I would really love to see some of my old friends and find out what they are up to now. There is one guy Russ that I am particularly interested in. He was one of my best friends when I was in high school and we were just friends. Well, I had dated the same guy all 4 years of high school and we broke up right after I graduated. During that summer, I had begun dating someone else, and I bumped into Russ and his best friend Jim and Russ confessed to me that he had been in love with me all through high school. Honestly I didn't have a clue. Maybe it was because I was so into the guy I was seeing that I just didn't see Russ' interest in me. Well, anyway I am single now, and I wonder what he has been up to. He was always a really great guy and a great friend. He is really smart and his is good looking, not like a movie star, but regular guy cute. Anyway, maybe if he is in town he will be there and if he is not seeing anyone, then maybe we could hook up this time. I don't know, but I think I will give it a try and see what comes of it. If the party is really lame and I don't know anyone, I can always make an early exit I am sure.

I am not sure if it would be rude to ask Ann who is coming or who she has invited, just to see if there will be anyone there I know. Either way, I would like to get out and meet some new people so it can't really hurt anything. I will call and RSVP today. What is life without a little adventure?

Bottles Tea is history. We all remember when bottled teas arrived on the scene. If you don't happen to remember Wendy the Snapple lady and the immense popularity the bottles of tea enjoyed, you're probably too young to be truly enjoying a fine tea anyway. Regardless of how well your memory serves regarding bottled tea, you don't' need to stretch to find the details. Bottled tea is on the way out. It pales in comparison to the latest tea-to-go.

Bottled Tea

To make a bottled tea, companies take a basic green or white tea and add flavors and ingredients to help preserve its shelf life. Nobody will argue that tea is one of the healthiest drinks around, but is it so healthy once it's been heavily processed, flavored with derivatives of once natural ingredients, and souped up with sugar alternatives to create that chemically induced great taste? Read the labels - it might not seem so tasty after that.

The New Tea-to-Go

If bottled tea was the way to go a decade or two ago, canned tea is the wave of the future. Revolution 3D is one of the most forward thinking canned teas on the market and it isn't a chemical laden version of what should be delicious iced tea. It's real white tea with fruit and sweetened with real, honest to goodness, sugar - not a derivative.

This super fruit tea is made simply, but has a very intense flavor thanks to the super fruits included in every swallow. The fruit contains not only the great flavor of pomegranate, mango, green apple and blueberry, it also contains antioxidants to help give you a better grasp on your own health benefits.

Eliminating the Competition

Canned tea drinks are new, so they aren't a huge contender just yet. But if an individual enjoys the flavor of a bottled tea, but is also conscientious of health benefits and added ingredients, there is no reason why he won't make the switch, leaving old fashioned bottled teas far in the distant past where they belong.

Recently as part of my summer job we had to go and run a booth at a job fair. They sent me along because I am the student temp and I guess I would be the one that is most like those attending the job fair. We had talked about what kinds of ways we would like to promote the job and what ways we could market it to students. I told them about the booths I had seen that interested me the most at all of the job fairs I've seen here on campus. We took all of our ideas and gave them to a graphic designer here in the office and she put together a poster and a video which were meant to show all of our responsibilities and things that might entice people to work here.

We also took along with us some pretty cool stuff. My boss didn't want to have to give away anything but I told him that the jobs I am considering the most and the ones my friends are considering the most are those that gave them some tradeshow giveaway items at the start. I told him that it is also great for us because these students walk around campus and they go to parties wearing our logo merchandise. This may not appeal to the buying market in the student population, especially since we sell paper and they don't really need it. It makes a lot more sense that these promotional products would be just that. They would put our name out there and keep it in the minds of the job seekers and the future workers of other companies. It is all just a matter of making our name and logo on promotional gifts a name that people recognize. They don't even need to know what we sell but when they see it again they will ask questions and if that happens to be on the internet then we make money. The more people frequent our web site the better off everyone is.

Now that I have been on this end of the job fair as well, I know exactly why people give away so much stuff that I never thought would benefit them. Now I see that they have been tricking me all along as well.

I've been trying this week to build up my web site so I can really make it work when I am done with school. Because of requirements by the school I am not allowed to make any money off of my web site until after I am finished with my degree. For now all I can do is get it set up and ready to launch full force when I am done. My task this week is to bulk up the security.

Because I am in the college of computer technology I am kept abreast of all of the ups and own of the college computer network. Like everything else in this world the news that comes out of the network is typically bad news. We never get updated on how long it has been since the network was hacked a student accessed prohibited information. Last month there was a huge string of problems associated with sql injections within the network caused by students opening bad e-mails. Our software is only so sophisticated and can't help but just try to bulk as much of those sham e-mails as possible, but some are unavoidable. I mean it is kind of ridiculous to think that with such a loose internet that our internet would be as secure when a virus becomes present.

So the whole network was shut down this week for a complete security scan. Basically they were using a vulnerability scanner to find out exactly where the loop holes and cracks in security of the browsers actually exists. It wouldn't be a big deal if the students were to open the same e-mails if we knew where the holes where that they prey upon. So that is where you have to do web application scanning so you find them. It's basically like shinning light at a door in the dark and looking at the other side. Any cracks we find can be filled be there will always be more. This is exactly why I have been inspired to check my site for the same problems and save myself and my future customers a lot of hassle.

I couldn't resist a trip to the novelty store for my husband's birthday. I know that he loves some of that really cheesy stuff and I couldn't resist buying him some for a good laugh. It is not something that I would give to him in front of others, so I just saved it for after his party and gave it to him in private. When I was in the store, I had a hard time deciding between all the neat novelties that they had. I loved the some of the gag sex toys they had and I also liked some of the creams and lotions they had available.

I bought him an inflatable wife and some x-rated birthday candy. I got him some balloons and my friend who went along on the shopping spree bought her man a few light up items, but I would rather not go into detail. Some people say that shopping for this type of stuff embarrasses them, but not me. I get a real kick out of shopping in this type of store. My friend told me that she loves these types of items, but is reluctant to go into the store when she is by herself. She says that she is afraid that people are going to think that she is a pervert or something. Christy told me that very often she goes online to purchase these types of items instead of in the store. She prefers the anonymity of shopping in this way as opposed to entering the store with the possibility of bumping into someone she knows. I guess I can see her point, I mean I wouldn't think too much of it if I bumped into someone that I was friends with, but I guess I never thought about bumping into one of the kids teachers or PTA parents or something like that. Now that would be embarrassing.

Well, shopping online for adult and gag items is always an option. Most companies will ship these items all over the globe for a reasonable fee, and they all seem to ship these items quickly and in plain cardboard wrapping. This way if you are not home to receive your package and have to go into the post office to get it, you won't have to hide your face or wear a big hat or anything like that.

Anyway, my hubby got a real kick out of the novelty items I picked out, and we had a very interesting birthday celebration of our own.

Today was an interesting day at work. My boss, Susan, is having a baby so today was her last day before she takes her maternity leave. She is truly a joy to work for and so I wanted to get her something meaningful but not too expensive and something she could enjoy on her own. I don't have much experience with the whole "shopping for expecting mothers" thing, and I knew that everyone else in the office was buying her stuff for her baby and I wanted to be a little different. Plus, there was nothing on her needs list that was within my price range that somebody else wasn't already getting. I get the feeling they waited until I went on my lunch break to decide who was getting what and it was just my luck that I ended up looking at cribs and car seats, neither of which was I willing to buy.

I was surfing the web last week looking for what a good gift would be, and I saw a website for gift baskets. Before, I hadn't thought of the idea of getting her a gift basket. When I decided that gift baskets were the way to go, I was faced with more possibilities. Should I get her the "Congratulations" basket, even though she hadn't had the baby yet (although she did look ready to pop at any moment)? Should I get her one of the fancier, more expensive looking corporate gift baskets? Or should I just get a little basket of fruits and call it a day?

I decided against the fruit basket because it sounded too much like fruitcake which I hate. Plus, I didn't want the boss getting the wrong idea. I didn't want her to think I didn't think she ate enough or that she's fat or anything like that. I opted for the corporate gift basket because it seemed to be the most fitting gift to give. I chose a nice stress relieving basket because I figured my boss would need the stress relief, especially after she had the baby. The basket itself was beautiful and it contained a special pillow, a gel eye mask, and a little massager thing that looked a little like the cheap massagers that vibrate that you can buy in Walgreens. She really enjoyed it too; it looked like she was glad to actually get something that wasn't for the baby that she could use. Plus, it wasn't out of pocket or unprofessional like the gift Sam gave her (a maternity dress circa 1967 that was about 2 sizes too big and the wrong shade of green). She even pulled me to the side later to tell me how happy she was with her gift. I was pleased to have gotten her something that she can use well beyond her pregnancy, even if it's to deal with her stresses in the workplace. After all, she has to manage a team like mine...it would be enough to drive anyone crazy!

Why are there so many Maryland chiropractors? I mean don't you think that there are enough chiropractors in the world already? I guess the Maryland chiropractic business must be soaring. I know my chiropractor does really well. He always seems to be busy and they always seem to be moving people through. I questioned with my chiropractor why it seems that there are so many chiropractors in the world, and he said that believe it or not only about 25% of the population in this country has ever been to see a chiropractor. I don't know but it really seems to me that if this is the case, and we really need 4 xs as many chiropractors as we currently have, then they will have to start putting up offices next to each other.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being under chiropractic care. I have experienced a healthier life and a better functioning body from being under care, and that is something that I have never gotten from any other doctor I have ever been to. I tell everyone that I can about how valuable chiropractic care is and how well it has worked for me. I originally began getting adjusted for a low back injury and to my surprise getting adjusted not only took care of my low back issue, but cured my chronic headaches as well. In addition to that I also got relief from my allergies as well. I know that my body is more relaxed and I don't get those tight muscles like I used to.

I have met some people in my chiropractor's office who have had not only pain relief, but who have had improvements in the areas of eating, sleeping and blood pressure as well. I have met people who have gotten off of their anxiety meds and are now living a freer life thanks to chiropractic.

If you have never considered chiropractic care, or think that you don't have any issue that chiropractic could help you with then you are dead wrong, any issue that your body is having, could be directly affected by good chiropractic care. Chiropractic allows your body to function better by having a free nervous system. So even if you are not in pain, go to the chiropractor and give it a try and you will find that you begin to experience better health the natural way…chiropractically.

And I am sure that there is a plentitude of reasons for people to not be able to live up to that "Diet and Exercise" law, even though it makes so much sense to follow it, even if following it might require some sort of sacrifice in someone's life. Like, for example, even treatments for such systemic disorders as diabetes or hypercholesterolemia start with teaching the patient skills to follow proper diet and exercises, before the patient is put on some sort of drugs or anything else. And obviously, there is a good enough reason for that. Good diet and exercise are vital in one's life; there are rarely drugs that will be able to reverse the damage that people do to their bodies when they do not follow a healthy regiment in their lives. As I understand it, the drugs are treated by poison in the body, and the body will try to get rid of them as soon as possible and through all the means possible. Thus, if the body is already weakened by not having been fed properly and by not experiencing certain levels of physical activity, then the body will be less successful at eliminating those drugs from the body, and thus will be less successful at treating the disease. Liposuction, however, does not depend on someone's level of health, meaning, that technically the procedure can be done one anyone; it is the healing time that depends on how healthy the individual is. Out of all, Smart lipo is the least harmful liposuction method, since it relies on laser technology. The Smart lipo cost could be high, but, at the same time, the Smartlipo technique is so efficient that the smartlipo cost can't overweigh it. Generally, Smart lipo is recommended if a patient is in good health, does not want to "lose" more than 25 lbs (I guess that if a person wants more than 25 lbs out of the body, then it is hard to achieve that with laser, and the remaining pounds will then have to be shed naturally…?), and be motivated to get rid of the problem areas and to go through the procedure. I am not sure why the motivation matters here specifically, but I guess that motivation is essential for anything, so why not have a bit of motivation here?

Anybody who has ever been to some type of free event knows what to expect: too many people, sweltering heat, and vendors doing whatever they can to capitalize off your discomfort. The summer is coming around, and the events are starting to pop up left and right. There are marathons, galas, festivals, fairs, carnivals, and anything else you can think of that can go on in a field.

These events are a good way for a company to get the word out about their product, via promotional items such as coupons and promotional products such as free razors or whatever. There are many different items companies use to promote their business, like free key chains or pens with the company logos, or coupons to 10% off your next purchase at their store. I've noticed that these 10% coupons usually only shave a few dollars off your purchase but they look good and coupons seem to make people just feel more informed and confident about their purchases because they feel like they are saving money. My favorite promotional products, though, are when companies give out free food or the nice new razor that I was going to need soon anyway or hand sanitizer bottles or gel inserts or anything that I might need but don't want to have to go buy. It's a lot better than getting a coupon for some new company and hoping for the best.

I recently spent most of my day outside, traveling between my cousin's 5K marathon and a trip to eat (where we ate outside) then a trip to the book fair. I haven't been surrounded by so many people and handed so many postcards and coupons since the beginning of college when all I SAW was people and coupons and free bags. Everywhere I turned people were capitalizing on the effects of the hot weather. Hot? There's an ice cream man every block or so. Tired? Come sit on this bench and watch our little puppet show. Want to go home but can't remember where you parked? Don't worry, there's plenty of cabs around just waiting to overcharge you to drive you wherever you need to go. Hungry? We've got plenty of food sitting around getting bad in this heat, for a small price.

You can't blame these people, I suppose. It's well within their right (and is almost their duty) as American citizens to search out people who are suffering and offer their product as an alternative to that suffering and therefore make money off the discomfort of others. Then again, imagine the struggles they endure too. I mean, thousands of hot, tired, stinky, sweaty, hungry, irritated people who can't find a decent restroom and really don't want to be outside in the first place can't be a person's idea of a perfect day. So, kudos to the people who sell things outside in the heat! Now leave me alone.

Have you ever noticed that we as Americans have a really hard time admitting when we have made a mistake or have gotten in over our heads? Why is this? It just seems that from the time we are little we have been taught to hide our mistakes and lie about them. I am not really sure why, since after all, we all make mistakes. From the time we are born until the time we die, we are constantly making mistakes, and I personally feel that if you learn from them, then it was a good experience.

Take for instance the debt situation in this country. If you take a good look at it, much of the headaches could be avoided if people just dealt with the problem head on, instead of trying to sweep it under the rug. I don't where exactly they think that it is going, but I guess they think that if they avoid the bill collectors, that maybe they will just forget that they owe this money and the whole thing will go away. Does anyone really believe this, or is it less painful to avoid it then to admit and deal with it. I don't think that living everyday of your life in fear of it catching up with you is really the way to go. Grabbing the bull by the horns is really the only answer.

If you are one of these people just sitting around trying to wish your debts away, stop wishing because there really is help out there for you. If you are having trouble paying off your debt, then now is the time to consider debt consolidation. Debt consolidation is the process by which a company, usually free of charge will take your bills and put them into one low monthly payment which you can afford. Yes, they do take what you can afford into consideration. Once under debt consolidation, the credit companies and bill collectors will stop calling you. Not only that but your interest rate will go down, and they will stop charging you all those late fees and penalties for going over your balance. You can live headache free and if you pay your bills on time, they will even help you repair your credit.

This debt consolidation thing is really a great deal! So stop hiding America and come forward and face your fears. You will become totally freed by knowing that your bills will get paid and your credit will get back on track.

Credit is a very important part of our existence as Americans. I have often wondered if it is equally as important in other countries as well. In our country, once you blow your credit, you are really sunk. It is sad that is the way it works, but it is. You must be very careful as many people begin getting credit too young, while they are still irresponsible and not financially secure.

Once you have really messed up your credit report, you can try credit repair, but this is not an easy process. There are several steps that you can take to fix your credit.

The first thing that you must do is get copies of your credit report. The best way to do this is to ask for a free credit report, as long as you have been denied for credit in the past 3-6 months, this is a pretty easy process. Make sure that you get your credit report from all 3 of the major credit reporting agencies. These are Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Some information reported may be different with each of the different agencies, so you want to be sure to take a good look at all of them. Once you receive these reports read each and every item in the reports. Be on the lookout for any inaccurate information. If there is anything that you see is on your report that shouldn't be write a letter to the corresponding creditors requesting a debt validation. If they do not supply you written proof of the debt within thirty days they are required to remove the item from your report and supply documentation to this effect. (I have personally been told to contact all the companies, as any ones that don't respond in the correct time frame must remove the debt off your record, even if it is a real debt of yours.)

After you have eliminated any false information from your reports write down all remaining outstanding debts. Get in communication with any collection agencies that show up on your report and agree upon a payment schedule with each one. Be sure to keep it within your budget. Ask them if they will contact the credit reporting agencies to remove the negative entry once you have paid off the account. They are most often amenable to this as long as you meet your payment commitments.

It will take some work and some time, but these steps will have you back on track soon, and then you can start living the life you were meant to with all the cars and homes that only good credit can buy.

How does a GPS system work? There is one in my car (at least that's what I have been told), and I know that if I was ever car jacked, they would be able to find me, bu other than that I have no idea what that thing is all about. So I asked around and this is what I found out.

There are 3 categories. The first one is data loggers. This logs the position of the car in regular intervals into its memory. If you are a runner, you can use this kind of GPS system to log your route when you are done (I wish we had these in cross country in high school instead of our "course log" where we had to write down different routes). The second one is data pushers. Examples of these would be GPS fleet tracking or when they are searching for a stolen car. Race control is also in this category. In certain sports participants have tracking devices with them so that they can make sure that they aren't cheating at all. Another one that I found interesting was the animal tracking where you put in somewhere like in the collar. I have heard the a popular thing now is a chip that you put into your animals paw (I think) and if the animal is found they can scan it and it will have your address and contact information. This seems like such a great idea to me (as long as it doesn't hurt the pet at all). The third kind is data pullers, which is used when you have a computer that is connected with the internet. Also if you have a cell phone, you can send a message out and get one back with the location.

Which all of this information it seems like GPS tracking is such a great thing. You can keep your pet from getting lost and get your car back if it is stolen. However it also seems a little unsafe to me. It is really scary as a 20 year old girl that someone could be tracking me. They could know my every move and follow me. Its hard to think that something so helpful like a GPS tracking device could potentially save my life if I were ever car jacked or broken down in the middle of nowhere, could also be as deadly if it fell into the wrong hands.

Not many college students ever really think of the realities of the situation they create for themselves after college. It is not all about the great job and the vacations and the interesting experiences. Kids that are put in a position where college is not a humbling experience but just a place to party and try to appease their parents with all right grades may have a more difficult time dealing with those experiences that hit you all at once when college ends. When you finish college you may face a face full of debt and a mountain of responsibility that you never had before. On top of all that you have to do it without all of those friends who kept you up and interested when you needed it in college. I have not hit that point yet but I have been on my own for a while now and have been allowed to slowly ease myself in to all of these responsibilities. One of the biggest things that I am thankful I have looked in to early is what I think most don't look at until it's too late, eliminate debt. The sheer amount of money that we all spend on school is huge. So for all of us to think that there are much larger groups of people profiting off of our insensible and illogical spending habits makes us look stupid when we are supposed to be the educated ones. Debt consolidation for everyone is the key when they are in college. Many things like parenting you just can't fully understand until you have kids and have to cope with that situation. Debt consolidators on the other hand are something we all should do while in school but are never told about for some reason I have yet to figure out. I think that because we all have a vested interest in our own futures we should keep our eyes on it the best we can. I mean I know some of us aren't business majors but when we all learn to invest our cash we will realize that it is our responsibility to make sure that we are making the most of our money or else we are losing what we earn before we ever make it.

I have recently had some success with a dating strategy I always thought was for old people and people who just weren't compatible with anyone. I had always thought of myself as a fairly compatible person and that I was just finding the wrong people for my personality. After last semester I started to feel as though I just couldn't ever find anyone who would love me for me. I would find people who wanted similar things that I couldn't stand or people who I liked to be with but didn't share the same vision for the future that I do. So when I finally decided that I would try my best to find a girlfriend who has both of these things before my senior year I came came to a conclusion about the means. I knew that I would try an online dating service because it would bypass the whole bar scene and the uncontrollable nature of meeting love on the street. I registered with an online dating site and filled out the whole profile. Within a week I had a bunch of hits from women who matched my profile and the various conditions I want in any relationship that I start. I started to chat with a couple of them who seemed the most promising and they very quickly went down to just one who was most like the type of woman II would like to spend my time on. Her name is Cheryl and we have since been on three dates and have another one planned for this weekend. I am one of those cases where these sites actually work and we have clicked very well. We both really like the same things and have found a lot more things in common between us than the site actually asked about. Now I am sticking around for the summer because I want to try and solidify this relationship before the fall starts and my schedule becomes quite congested. I don't know about the future because I have never been in a relationship that felt this right before but I think that this relationship can turn in to everything that I hope it will be.

OMG…I just met the most incredible woman, her name is Marie. Who knew when I left the house today to go out and pick up a few pet supplies for my cats and my beagle that I would be on my way to meet my soul mate.

The day began like any other Saturday morning. I got up and grabbed a bowl of cereal and ran outside to cut the lawn before the day got too hot. When I returned inside for a cold glass of water, Harry my beagle was whining. I couldn't figure out what he wanted and then I saw that his dish was empty. When I went to the cabinet, I couldn't find anymore dog food anywhere. I scooped out some cat food for Harry, which let's face it, he would prefer to dog food if he could eat it all the time. I assured him that I would take him over to the pet store as soon as I was done with the yard work.

When I finished up the yard, I loaded Harry and myself into my pickup truck and we were off to the pet store. I always try to take Harry with me to the pet store, since it is one of the few places that he can go, without being hassled. He knows as soon as he gets in the truck that we must be going to the pet store, so he starts to get really excited.

When we get there, Harry and I get the dog food and cat food we need, and pick up a few extras. We were just looking around when I saw Harry had made a friend. I later learned that her name was Brownie, and she was a Beagle same as him, they instantly took a liking to each other. That is when I met Marie, she was on the other end of Brownie's leash, and boy was she beautiful, and obviously loved animals. We talked and laughed for a few minutes and then out of the blue she invited Harry and I to lunch at her place. This was just too good to pass up, so we went. She lived in a beautiful house and had 2 birds, 5 cats, and even a bunny rabbit, in addition to Brownie. It sounds like her house would be filthy, but it was actually quite clean and tidy.

Well, we had a great lunch and will be seeing each other again next weekend. I can hardly wait. Who knew that a trip for pet supplies could turn into a love connection?