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. ;)  

Centralia

You want to know from where am I
I'll send an image through to your eye
It's big enough for an Amtrack station
In basketball we've smoked the nation
There's fast food chains and lots of trains
Some people feel good some are in pain
There's aristocrats and lots of old money
Even some folks who don't think that's funny
There's a shopping mall on one side of town
Many people whom I would call clowns
A small airport for people who fly
Funeral homes for people that die
Bars and churches filled with people alike
Good safe streets for people on bikes
Plenty of jobs for blue and white collar
A couple of folks who'll beg for a dollar
A history museum filled with lots of cool stuff
Real nice one too if you're that kind of buff
Beautiful golf courses one's by the lake
Sounds pretty good and yes you're awake
You can feel right at home if you ever go there
Stop in for a visit and enjoy the fresh air

Birthday Time

    My girlfriend and I went out with some friends for my birthday last night. I was hoping to have a good time. I did. We went out to eat first. Then, we went to Jagerfest at Pop's for a while. When the concert was over it was still early so we went to a bar.
    We went to Mariachi's and I had the chicken and steak fajitas. If you've never had them I highly reccomend them. It's my favorite thing to eat. After we finished eating I had to run home and get my Jagermeister shirt because I was in such a hurry to go I had forgot to put it on.

    Upon our arrival at Pop's the concert wasn't even half over and some guy was getting thrown out for having a billy club. Hell Yeah was getting set up to play. I listened to a little of their music but it just wasn't for me. So we found some of our other friends and hung out with them in the smoking area for a while. Then went up to the VIP section for a while where my friends and I took some pictures with the Jager Girls.

 By the time we were done with that and getting pretty hammered on Jager Bombs, Buck Cherry was starting their gig. So we hung out in the VIP section and listened to the rest of their music. They finished their set so I turned to talked to my girlfriend for a few minutes. When I looked back down at the crowd there was nothing left but a bunch of plastic cups on the floor. We could have went down and met the bands but we were ready to go so we left.

     When we got back to Belleville it was only midnight and I just couldn't end my birthday that early. You know those places where everyone you talk to says you have to go there. We went to Schatze's because a lot of my friends tell me how awesome it is. It's not a bad place but it just wasn't my thing. They had a band there that was playing some pretty good old school rock music. Around one o'clock some old guy was so wasted you couldn't understand a word he said. He kept buying me and my friends beer after beer and I was already over the line so I just kept telling the bartender to save it for me for later. I have a lot of drinks there on reserve that I will never see but I'm cool with it somehow.

Looking Foreward

    My birthday is Fri. Feb. 4. I finally got my tickets to go to Jagerfest at Pop's. I have spent most of my last few days applying to understudy programs across the country and I still haven't finished. I will apply to 11 in total. There were a whole lot more, but the topic I need to cover was hard to find. I am going into genetic manipulation for pharmaceutical research.
    I think it's fun to say as well as study. If you don't know what that is, it means we take rats (usually) and alter their DNA so that they have specific diseases (that humans would have), then apply different drugs in different amounts and study the effects. The application process is very in depth and that is how I have spent most of my last two weeks. My efforts are not for nothing though. The programs usually give you free room and board then give you a $4000 stipend. The boost on your resume isn't too bad either.

My Arrangement

Hi, my name is D.Jay. I am a chemistry pre-major. I moved to Belleville close to five years ago while operating my own drywall business. An economic downturn talked me into changing professions. I took a job at a carpet store where I used to live. Driving fifty miles one way to work seems like a job in itself. A friend of mine offered to help me in getting a job where he is a level two biochemist. I thought about it for a few months and came to the realization that driving that far really stinks. This is my second semester here at SWIC and Chemistry has become my mistress.
When I am not studying, I like to hang out with my friends and watch football or play cards. I try not to watch too much television but when I do, I usually watch shows like Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother. I don't have a dog YET. I plan to get a yellow lab this summer. I really want one, but my girlfriend and I moved into a new house barely more than a year ago, and getting it the way I want it seems like it takes longer than it really does. Replacing the fence comes before the dog.