Is Money The Answer?

Everyone says that money is "king". That without money life is nothing and money can determine whether someone's life is good or not. 

I am inclined to disagree as many people live without wealthiness and are happy. They are the ones who have decided for themselves that a simpler life style can still be good and that the meaning of happiness is not necessarily money. Some might call it being content. 

Now I am not saying money is bad, for our whole economy runs off of it. What I am saying is that the love of money is bad. And happiness cannot be bought with money. I like to think that happiness comes with the joys of family, friends, love, memories (past, present, and future, song, etc. Money is not "king". 

Having more money on the other hand can actually cause more stress. Think about it: the more you have, the more you can lose. And many who have lots of money and lose it often get put under a lot of stress. Even to the point of committing suicide. What a poor state of mind one has to be in the put a "$" sign on the value of their own life. 

No, with more money comes more stresses. 50% of divorces are due of money issues in the relationship. I people stopped putting so much importance on money and more on value of life, I believe we would have a lot happier and content nation. 

My advice would be to live humbly and simply. And count your blessings, for in counting what you already have, you will realize you have a lot to be happy about. No one's life is perfect, but that is okay. Your not the only one. 

Music Moves

Whenever you go to a concert, or listen to your favorite song. Something moves inside you. Something changes that you like. That's why people invest so much into a good sound system, they want to get the vibe of the music that they like and enjoy. Whether its country, metal, hip-hop, indie or jazz, music has a power over us that we all love and enjoy. 

Music can promote peace, war, conformity, change, indifference and so many other things. One can tell if their artist really cares or not, if their artist is suggesting a strong message or if their artist wants good or bad. Music is truly passion.

A good friend of mine who is a music major was once asked, " What makes music good?"

He replied, "If it sounds good to you, then it is good music". 

I like to take that approach when listening, especially to new artists. If the music is good, then it is good. 

Music can never be pushed out of our lives, especially in America. Music drives us like the caffeine for the soul. 

I will always try to discover new artists and new ways to do music. and I hope you do the same 

Dead to Deadlines

Procrastination and perfection seem to move hand in hand. However perfection does not automatically imply that one procrastinates. Situations arise that require a deadline for a valid reason and that reason may require great sacrifice. Unfulfilled deadlines may bring about unsatisfactory results. While procrastination (putting off a task for no valid reason) can become an undesirable trait in an individual who relies on it to avoid perceived hard work, legitimate reasons exist for certain projects to take longer than the desired amount of time. 
When public safety or protection of personal property becomes a factor in the situation, deadlines sometimes need adjustment. For example, a construction project may use materials that require a certain amount of time to reach full strength. Abbreviating the cure time in order to meet a deadline can result in a catastrophic failure resulting in death, serious injury, or destruction of property. Another circumstance where deadlines could cause problems involve rushing to get somewhere by a certain time and breaking the law to get there, therefore risking the safety of fellow drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the road. Additionally, rushing to meet a deadline may preclude one from gathering all the facts and there by endangering the final premise of a report or essay. 

Of course, not all responsibilities in a person’s life allow the setting aside of deadlines. Situations occur that require a final result in a timely manner. School work may require punctual completion for the satisfaction of a good grade. Preparation for an exam or final test can necessitate long hours of study in order to do well on that specific date. Getting a desirable job or contract may demand punctuality in the completion and submission of a report or application. Often times a work environment compels a person to submit reports or to meet deadlines due to the nature of the work or others who rely on its timely presentation. 

Over-thinking a project and making it more complicated than it calls for can cause worry and unwanted pressure resulting in procrastination. Focusing on every little detail may additionally cause unwanted stress and a feeling of unwillingness to even commence the project. One must also prioritize their schedule to fit their commitments in an orderly fashion. Randomly tackling whatever seems most pressing at the time wastes effort to complete a task. Often times what seems the most pressing in retrospect actually interferes with suitable completion of an assignment. 

To conclude, while reasons exist for delay, more often than not the better choice remains to complete one’s work as well as possible in the time frame allotted. As a doctor often only has limited time to save the life of a patient other circumstances exist that require our best effort by a specific time. Perhaps the best effort a person can make for the long term would include determining their ability to handle the pressures of deadlines when choosing a career or committing to a project. One cannot pick and choose when they will face a time limit, however knowing one’s ability to cope with them will go a long way towards achieving satisfaction in one’s life. In short, situations exist that require deadlines and all efforts should focus toward that end.

A fun diet for all!

There are many different diets out there. But finding the right one for you can be a difficult task. And because I like to find my own ways of doing things, I came up with my own diet plan that is simple and works!

 It's a very simple diet that I recently came up with. I seem to be a man of many phases. One of them just happened to allow me to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks! I'm sure this will work for anyone who stays dedicated to it. 

You simply replace 20% of all meals with popcorn. 

That's right, just replace 1/5 meals with popcorn. 

There are some things you have to follow. It can't be butter (or butter substitute) covered popcorn and it can't be covered in salt. Microwavable, and theater popcorn is also out as they are often covered in preservatives and chemicals. 

Popcorn is naturally high in fiber and low in calories. Popcorn also has antioxidants and whole grains! 

Now nothing can substitute for fresh fruits and vegetables but when your a person of variety (like me), you'll want to know all the alternatives. 

Hope you enjoy!

Does College Really Pay Off?

34.38 hours spent per week in class on average for full time student (1.25 hour class twice a week)
3 hours/homework per week per unit = 36 hours (12-15 hours realistically)
34.38 + 13.5 = 47.88 hours per week on average
16 weeks per semester
16 * 47.88 = 766.08 hours per semester NOT including finals week
4-year degree (let's be realistic again ... 5 years)

7660.8 hours (319.2 days straight) spent getting 4-year degree

Average hourly wage with a 4-year degree $1137 / 40hrs = $28.425 per hour
Average hourly wage without college education $678 / 40hrs = $16.95 per hour
Hours spent working with degree (23-65 years old): 42yrs * 49wks * 40hrs
Hours spent working without degree (18-65 years old): 47yrs * 49wks * 40hrs
3 weeks vacation/sick time taken per year average

Money made without degree: $1,561,434
Money made with degree: $2,618,511

Mind you I'm averaging a lot of stuff and not taking into consideration taxes and unexpected expenses/incomes... But still... College better be worth it.

The Perfect Pizookie!

After many trial and errors and a plethora of different recipes, I believe I have found the perfect Pizookie recipe. Make sure to read all the way through before starting as I have included one last final ingredient at the end.

Dry ingredients:

- 2 cups flower

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 cup brown sugar (packed)

-1/2 cup white sugar 

Wet ingredients:

-3/4 cup butter (melted)

-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

-2 eggs

Mix both lists of ingredients in separate bowls then blend together. Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chips. 

Then cook in a pie pan at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

Make sure you don't make the layer to thick as you want it to cook all the way through. 

Hope you enjoy your Pizookie! 

Please comment with things that might make this recipe better! Thanks!