My influences

I feel the biggest influence that pushes me in school is the struggle of my years in life. I grew up with a lower middle class income from two parents working full time and sometimes more. My dad worked in a factory for twenty five years and was in the military for thirteen years. That is a descent and honorable lifestyle but the income is still average. My mom worked in a dress shop for at least fifteen years and has worked a a carpet store for about thirteen years. They both worked more part time jobs so that they could save for their future as well as my sister and me. They have gone through all of their savings and continue to struggle. I have worked many jobs as well as having my own drywall business. When the economy tanked my savings were eaten up in expenses trying to keep my business alive which was a little ignorant but you have to make some mistakes so that you can learn from them. One day when I was working I thought about how much I hated having to work in a warehouse and making just enough to get by like my parents continue to do. I stopped what I was doing and was a little dramatic about it when my boss asked what I was doing. I said that I was taking the first step and proceeded to call Kaskaskia College and inquire about their classes and financial aid program. They helped me apply for financial aid, I came to SWIC and felt it was the best option. I am very glad that I decided to come back. I thought it would be much harder than it is but the matter of difficulty to me is not really the problem, it's just a matter of getting your self to do the work (motivation). When you can look back and see what life is like when you have to struggle it is easier to find your motivation.

So here I sit in english class, thinking about all of the assignments that I have coming up due. I have all of my english assignments which include a couple more blogs, fixing my research paper, getting together a presentation, and writing a blog essay. Then I have Math XL homework to catch up on as well as study for the final exam and one more friday quiz. I also have to study for a chemistry quiz today, two more lab homework, a test on Tuesday, and a final exam after that. I have two economics quizzes and homework and then a final exam. I guess I'll be a little busy for the next couple of weeks, but it's cool.

The Value of Your Education!

If more people realized how easy it was to take advantage of government grants and loans for the purpose of education, many more people would do so. Increased human capital leads to greater overall income levels due to greater demand by employers. They would reap the rewards of higher rates of returns by surpassing certain barriers to entry. More factories are being shut down and relocated to different countries where companies can pay lower wage rates and obtain greater economic efficiency. Since we are becoming a less industrial country every day, unskilled workers are continuously becoming more obsolete.

Being Nice

Have you ever had some one ask you to do something for them, but you really don't want to do it just because of the type of person they are? I am in that position right now. I don't really want to get into details because it is very small. A push of a button that won't even put me out of my way. I think the real dilemma is that people aren't nice enough to others even though they don't like each other, which in turn causes a vicious cycle of hatred. Remember the "golden rule"? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. On one hand if I don't there will be no immediate consequences, but it will be in the back of my mind that I could have done something nice for someone and did not. On the other hand, I would be helping to increase the size of the pedastal this person puts themselves on and lowering the amount of respect that they have for others, further poisoning the culture that we live in. If I use "game theory" in my approach the probability is not likely to change enough to matter, it will lead me to not do the good deed, since even if I do the repercussions will not change. If I do not do the good deed I will have comprimized my own principals, since I would always rather do nice things for others and I believe in the golden rule.

Top 5 economic indicators to follow if you're thinking of investing.

If you're going to invest, you're going to first look at the big picture. See how the economy is moving. The first thing to look at is inflation. If inflation is high people will want to invest less and real wealth will be low. Watch for inflation rates to decrease. The second thing you will need to look at is employment rates. The more people on average that are working, the more people will have money to spend. If you see that employment rates have risen you will have missed out on a better opportunity, since it is a lagging indicator. The third thing to look at is housing. Since a weaker housing sector leads to a weakening of the overall market, look for strengthening in the average of new building permits to tell you when the market is beginning to strengthen. The fourth you will need to look at is spending. When more people begin to consume, the retail sales average will begin to increase exponentially and becomes a great indicator that the market is moving. This fifth and last thing I'll have you look at is certainly not the final objective you should notice, but you'll be off to a good start. Consumer confidence, that is the gauge that shows when the overall economy does or does not feel like it is a good idea to go ahead and spend money over a long run period of time. Be sure to look at a year over year moving average and consider the trends. There are many other things you should look at when choosing whether or not to invest, but this should give you a good idea about when market timing is right.

Get up!

What can I do that isn't going to get done unless I do it, just because of who I am.
-Buckminster Fuller



      Makes sense if you don't think about it. We all have our inner demons telling us when we should and should not do things. It's like they want us to procrastinate until it's too late or we are so stressed out we don't want to do it. That's not the case for Buckminster Fuller. He was a man of action with limited resources. He left some really big shoes to fill.
      The quote that I began with should get you thinking. Nothing will get done if everyone is just sitting around thinking about doing stuff. Think for a moment about who you are. Not just that, but what are your beleifs, how do you feel about the way you are able to get things done. If you aren't truly satisfied about your history of accomplishments. Maybe it's time for a change. Maybe it's time to step to the other side of your life. Only you can determine your actions. Think about this for a second:

The rocks in the water don't know how the rocks in the sun feel.
-Hatian Proverb

      If the "water" is slowing you down, get your ass out of it!!!!!!! There are so many different aspects of your life that you can change, it would make your head spin off if you would just realize it. Don't just sit there and say "oh yeah I know, but...., but......., but.......". That's a whole lot of buts and we all know what comes out of buts. Stop making excuses and get your ass out of the "water", it's slowing you down.

Good Times

I don't know if y'all have heard of The Carrington Event but back on Sept. 1st, 1859, there were two huge solar flares that shot out directly at Earth. One cleared the way, almost slingshotting the next. The radiation that was released energized telegraph machines even after they were unplugged and set fire to the paper in some. That was way before we were so technologically advanced. I did some research and found that there is a solar flux cycle. That just tells when solar activity hits its peaks and valleys. Currently we are at 111.7 on this scale and we are supposed to peak at 195.0 in June of 2012. This doesn't really mean much since a flare of The Carrington Events magnitude would have to release almost directly at Earth. Just imagine for a minute that it did happen. Civilization as we know it would come to a stand still. There would be marshall law in the streets, anarchy, some would starve to death, even die of thirst due to the lack of potable water. You could only drive your car until you ran out of gas and that's only if your circuits weren't fried. Your money would be lost because most of it is electronic. Most people have become reliant to current economic standards and lack survival skills. I wouldn't worry too much though, the odds are pretty good that it won't happen. Have a nice day. ;)