http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/ Words on life, thoughts about everything else en-us Copyright 2010 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:27:07 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification I think the worse part of growing up is that bills are going to start coming in and instead of handing them off to dad, they will start going straight to me. First of all, I will probably start paying my part of the cell phone bill. My dad said he is going to keep me on his plan for the next two years because it is actually cheaper for everyone to stay on the family plan. But I will start paying my part of it, which thankfully won't be too much.
Also, my dad will keep paying my rent so I can save up money when I start working (Thank you Dad) but I will be paying for groceries, utilities and so on. So from being a college student and not paying for anything except going to bars and late night food sessions to being an adult and living on my own and paying for my needs is going to be a huge, exciting and also scary step.
Another thing that I will have to start looking into is health insurance. I am going to be on my dads for a full year after I graduate still which will help out a lot. But then after that I will have to start looking around and comparing prices and plans to see what is the best one for me.
I am going to start looking soon with my dad and talking about what is the best one for me. Health insurance is a serious decision to make and I want to be able to make it educated. So I will probably look at how much it will cost to stay on my dads for me each month and then go from there and compare other prices and how they match up benefit wise to the one I already have, which is really good. Either way I am excited to be growing up and making this 'scary' next step into the real world. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2010/02/becoming-an-adult.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2010/02/becoming-an-adult.html Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:27:07 -0500 FHA loan requirements there seemed to be a lot of restrictions, but lately it seems like they have loosened a lot of the requirements making it easier than ever to get a FHA loan. Some of the basic requirements to get an FHA loan are that you have a steady job, one that you have had for at least two years. Your income during this time should have stayed the same or be increasing over this period of time and your credit can have blemishes but should have a minimum score of at least 620. Some people who don't have any credit score at all may also be approved for an FHA loan.

If you have a bankruptcy than you must wait at least two years after that before you can apply for an FHA loan, and your credit must be perfect since the bankruptcy. You can apply if you have a foreclosure on your record, but it must be at least 3 years old again with perfect credit following that foreclosure. The mortgage you are applying for must be no more than thirty percent of your income prior to taxes.

If you are considering applying for a FHA loan, than it is a good idea to look over the guidelines as well as any additional paperwork that might be needed to help ensure the smoothest possible process with the best overall result, being approved for a FHA mortgage. You will find all this information is available and easy to access on the web and creating a checklist can really help you get all the information and documentation you need in order before applying. Being organized and thorough is the best way to slide through the process and straight into a new home.

If at first you are not approved don't be discouraged, just do the work and clean up whatever disqualified you this time through and apply again. You will find that the more familiar you become with the requirements the simpler it will be to complete the process a second time if need be. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2010/01/fha-loan-requirements.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2010/01/fha-loan-requirements.html Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:31:05 -0500
I did however take one class that I will remember forever. It was called personal financial planning and it was an amazing class to take as a college student. We talked about budgeting and where we wanted to be in five years and in ten years and how we can achieve that financially by starting now.

One thing that we talked about was credit cards and how important it was to handle them with care. I took this class right before the economy started to take a turn for the worst and I began to see first hand from seeing other people my age and across the country that this class was 100% right. I am so grateful that I took it.

We also learned a lot of other things that would be helpful in the future. Finding and researching insurance plans was something that we will all have to do and not many of us knew much about. We all, for the most part are still getting insurance through our parents, but in the next few years we will be having to find a plan for ourselves for health insurance and even auto and home insurance. So this class taught us how to research and look for what plans fit our needs and how to make an educated decision.

Finally, at the end of the semester we had to make a plan of where we would be in ten years. We had to go online and find a car and home and look up the salary for our major. Then we had to insure all of those things and make a budget for food and utilities and so on. This class made such a huge impact on me. I started putting more money in my savings account and focusing more on the future and planning for it. I am all for students having to take it before they graduate from college. Actually I think it should be a requirement for freshman. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/12/personal-financial-planning.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/12/personal-financial-planning.html Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:42:02 -0500 address labels from a reliable company to make your life simpler. Using these items to mark your mailing envelopes can really help save time, especially if you are in a business that does a lot of mailing. It can be very time consuming to print labels off your office printer and by the time all is said and done, you will probably be paying much more for Purdue address labels using this method over purchasing them from a printing company.

Printing companies can create some very professional looking labels that will do their best to present your business in the best possible light. And putting these great labels onto your mailings can also work to help promote your business. Seeing your business name and logo imprinted on the label you put on your envelope to mail gives it a level of exposure that is unmatched by most other methods of advertising.

Rubber stamps can be imprinted with your address and logo as well to serve the purpose of return address placement, or even for other markings that you will put on your mailings like the type of mail service, first class, parcel post or media mail. These stamps also can serve the purpose for putting a signature line on a document that you need others to sign or to stamp any sort of disclosure information onto your paperwork. They can even be imprinted with your web address on them, so that you can just stamp this information onto each envelope before you drop it in the mail.

No matter how you choose to use these address labels and rubber stamps, they are truly a low cost item that can really cut down on labor costs and increase productivity. Great items that work hard in your business, why not order some stamps and labels today and begin reaping the benefits of using them for your everyday business needs. You can really get a lot more done keeping these items handy for all your mailing needs. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/10/ordering-the-best-rubber-stamp.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/10/ordering-the-best-rubber-stamp.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:48:33 -0500 obesity and health problems are on the rise and people are getting sicker from their lack of care for their bodies and of course our general lack of moderation.

The bottom line is that supplements can really make all the difference when it comes to your health. There are general vitamin and diet supplements that really help, but there are also more specific ones like joint supplements, which can really help if you are experiencing problems with your joints. Remember if you are overweight though, that will put excessive burden on your joints as well, so if you find that you are having difficulties with your joints you may also want to consider diet and exercise as well as using some fat burners to help get your weight down. Studies have show that obesity is actually one of the main causes of joint problems, which actually makes a lot of sense, because if you weigh more than you should then your joints have extra wear and tear on them that will lead to long term damage if you are not careful.

Personally, I have found that I prefer using a hgh releaser, because it really helps me tone up. Many of the people I know who use them find that they really help build up muscle and keep away the fat. Working out has taught me a lot about my body and helping others work out has taught me about the human body in general and what it can do and what it can't. Observing bodies under the stress of working out, allows you to really see the difference between functioning with extra weight on your body and functioning with a lean well toned body. It is amazing to watch how fat really takes away from the long term function of a body.

If you want to have a better body, that feels better and functions well, then take some advice and use the supplements and fat burning products that are on the market. That combined with eating well and exercise will give you a much healthier body in the long run. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/09/taking-care-of-yourself-with-s.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/09/taking-care-of-yourself-with-s.html Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:08:06 -0500 Michael Pillsbury, I really was unsure as to who he was. All I knew for sure was that Mike Pillsbury was a name that was associated with China. Someone said that there was an incredible book called "China Debates the Future Security Environment" that I must read. I really didn't at first know if I wanted to read the book or not because I really didn't know anything about this man, so I did what anyone would have done, I began to look up information about who Michael Pillsbury is on Wikipedia and I found out that he is best known for his work in the Reagan administration where he functioned as Assistant Under the Secretary of Defense. Apparently he was responsible for a program known as the Reagan Doctrine.

In 1975 & 1976 Dr. Pillsbury was employed at the RAND Corporation and published several articles suggesting that the U.S. re-establish ties through military and intelligence with China. This initiative was supported by President Reagan and Henry Kissinger and went on to become US policy during the time when President Reagan and President Carter were in office.

By helping to increase the communications between the US and China, the US was able to gain more military knowledge in regard to China's military powers and intelligence abilities. Prior to these suggestions by Michael Pillsbury the United States remained relatively in the dark as to the military resources that China possessed. Gaps in knowledge create a detrimental situation when it comes to being able to protect ourselves against the military forces of other nations, and this is why Michael Pillsbury's contributions to this effort have been so important not only the Reagan administration but to the national security of the entire United States.

I also learned that there were two other books that cover his contributions to the US military and they are Clinton's Deputy Attorney General's book in 2008 "Living the Policy Process" and James Mann's "About Face" and in addition to that he also wrote another book called "Chinese Views of Future Warfare".

It is amazing how just one individual can change the course of history, and it is amazing that this man has done so much for the US and keeping us secure and yet I am just learning about who he is and what he has done. I am very much looking forward to reading his books and learning more about his contributions to our world. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/08/who-is-michael-pillsbury.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/08/who-is-michael-pillsbury.html Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:50:25 -0500 Home Security System. Home Security Systems can provide you with peace of mind when you are away from home, whether leaving your family to go out of town on business or traveling out of town on a family vacation, you know that there is someone looking out for your home, family and belongings when you are not there.

Home Security Systems can actually provide you with a feeling of security even when you are at home, letting you know if children open the door and go outside when you are still in bed on a Saturday morning or knowing that your family is safe from harm as they sleep at night. Knowing your family is safe from harm can relieve worries and stress from your life, especially if you are a business person who is out of town often.

The world has become a scary place, but knowing that you have a home security system in place lets you know that you will receive a phone call no matter where you are letting you know if there is a problem at your primary residence. And if you are at home and in danger, you will know that help is on the way.

I can't imagine living in today's world without a home security system. It is such a good feeling knowing that no one can get into your home without sounding off the alarm. Sometimes being home alone in the evenings you can find yourself getting a little creeped out but knowing your alarm system is activated gives you that extra feeling of security.

With the state of the world as it is purchasing a home security system is an affordable alternative to living in fear. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/07/home-security-can-provide-you.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/07/home-security-can-provide-you.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:33:18 -0500 high quality modern furniture, than you know how difficult it can be to find a good deal on such item. Recently while shopping for bedroom furniture with modern design for my room, I found it very difficult to get a good deal. I went to the outlets and stuff that were local, with no luck. Then I tried a place that was 2 hours away because people were telling me that they had some really great discounted modern furniture. Well, it was discounted, but the furniture was not modern.

Finally, thinking that I was never going to find exactly what I was looking for, I proceeded to the internet to see what kind of deals I could locate. Sometimes, when I can not find what I am looking for locally, I will look on the internet to just see what they have available. I really thought that this might be a hopeless venture when they factored in shipping, because furniture can be very heavy and expensive to ship. Well, I found a site that had some incredible deals on modern furniture, and the prices, even with shipping were quite reasonable. I found a few different websites that offered some great deals. I decided to go with a black lacquer set with a platform bed and a dresser with a mirror and two night stands. The set was beautiful and the price was even better than that. Well, I placed my order, on my credit card of course, to make sure that they didn't take me for a ride, and I waited for my new bedroom suite to arrive.

Honestly, I didn't think that I could love this set anymore than I did when I bought it online, but when it arrived it was gorgeous. The handles were even nicer than they had appeared on the web and the furniture was good quality, you could just tell by how heavy the pieces were. I was really amazed that I couldn't find a good deal locally, but instead found such a great deal online. So remember the next time you are shopping for anything, always check the internet, you may be surprised by the deals that you find. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/07/shopping-for-furniture.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/07/shopping-for-furniture.html Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:16:19 -0500 renters don't. I have a friend who can't leave his apartment empty for more than five days without paying extra so the landlord can keep up on the chores of the house. We definitely do not have anything here like that.
Now without classes and the majority of the student body being out of town for the next few months, it may seem like our lives here would get pretty boring. This of course is not true since we still have the organization of the fraternity to worry about. This inclusion is something that won't really ever go away for any of us even long after we have graduated and gone on to bigger and better things. My task for the summer has shifted from being a freshman servant for the last year of my life to being the interior decorator of the frat. I have to go around and do an inventory of all of the things which need replaced or updated to keep us up to code and to keep us functioning for as long as possible in the next year without having to buy any new supplies for house repairs or updates. These are the more technical things though because I also get to go out and find new bar stools since some were broken during the course of the year. We also need Counter Stools for the kitchen since we are getting it remodeled in July and then we'll have a full time cook as well.
This summer should be pretty fun for me here, all things considered. I'll get to lay in the sun and study code. I hit the bars and the hit the home furniture stores. I'll chill by the pool and then go home and try out my new Dining Chair which I will be having personalized for myself as part of a set for everyone. We'll see though, it might be more exhausting than I know. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/05/buying-new-bar-stools.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/05/buying-new-bar-stools.html Thu, 07 May 2009 17:46:48 -0500 deaf like them so that the child could fit into their family better.
We talked about how we felt about this and most of the class thought that is wasn't right for the parents to be able to decide that for the child. Without the child knowing he was destined for a life of hearing aids and struggles. Of course it isn't terrible to be deaf, but having to wear hearing aids and having problems causing them to frequent doctors' offices shouldn't be what parents wish upon their children.
It was really a heated discussion. Most of the class agreed that the parents were wrong to do this (it is like wishing your child had a disorder or disease) but one person thought that parents should be able to do whatever they want with their embryos.
If I was a parent who decided to do this I would definitely need some sort of sleep aid to go to bed at night. I am completely against this and feel that you should want your child to be healthy in any way possible and should love them the way that they come out.
We went on to talk about a lot of other topics as well like knowing what diseases your embryos may carry and insurance policies and testing on humans and so on, but this one topic really stood out to me and stuck in my mind. I feel like people shouldn't be able to change who you are before you are born without you having any say in it. I guess though that's an issue that I will have to deal with in the field that I am going into (pharmacy and research) and I will need to form a strong opinion on my beliefs before I enter the field. I definitely want to practice fair and impartial medicine when I'm a pharmacist one day but then at the same time I need to make sure that I stay true to everything that I believe in. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/04/ethics-discussion.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/04/ethics-discussion.html Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:02:21 -0500 how to franchise for a while now, and now that he has thoroughly investigated it he has decided that it is the right move for him now. I really wasn't sure about this buying franchise idea, so I probed him further and he told me that he has the money to invest in it, and that would allow him to be his own boss without many of the headaches. He said that he anticipates some layoffs coming at the company he is working for now anyway, so why not take the initiative and do something that he has always wanted to do, become the boss of his own place. Not only that but he told me with a franchise, you can have family come and work for you and that would allow mom and dad to work together on the business. Plus they will help cover health insurance benefits which is another big plus, especially at his age. All in all it didn't sound like such a bad idea. I asked about how mom was feeling about the whole thing and he assured me that they spoke about it a lot, until the wee hours of the morning as a matter of fact, and she is mostly on board about it now. Of course, he admits that this is going to mean big changes to their lives, but he is sure those changes will be for the best in the long run. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/04/my-father-is-franchising.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/04/my-father-is-franchising.html Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:44:34 -0500 family health insurance. He wanted to buy the COBRA insurance through his company, but even with the government supplement that they were giving him, he just couldn't afford to pay the premiums. With his unemployment check, they will barely be able to get buy, but when he went to social services to apply, they said that he had too many assets because he owns a van, which by the way they need to get their family around town, and they are counting the value of the van, even though he didn't pay for it, someone at his church gave it to him and his family as a gift. In any case, he is still looking for a family health insurance policy, and although there is insurance agent marketing all over the place telling you that they have the best prices this insurance is still out of their range.

Last week his daughter became sick, and was running a fever and he was very concerned. He said he had to wait and see how she was before deciding to take her to the doctor's office, because he really couldn't afford it. His wife told me on the side, that he has been extremely depressed and frustrated and has been out looking for a job every day, trying to take care of his family. She said that they never used their health insurance that much, but it was nice to know that if they needed it, it was there for them. She said she could take anyone in the family to the doctor for only a $5 co pay and that was worth the peace of mind of being able to get them checked out and know that they were okay. She said when she called her doctor's office and told them that they didn't have insurance any more, they told her that she would have to pay cash at the time of the visit and that the office visit alone was $70.00. She says they don't have any savings left and she is worried that if John doesn't get a job soon, that they are going to go under. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/03/family-health-insurance.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/03/family-health-insurance.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:12:12 -0500 pregnancy, because from what I hear some people start not feeling well by the end, and I had a friend who had to spend the last 3 months of her pregnancy in bed, so I really don't want to wait til the last minute.

Today, I went online and found some nursery wallpaper really cheap. It is a yellow paper with ducks, which I like because I don't want to know the sex of the baby in advance, or anything like that. Some of the nursery decor that I came across was a little too over done, and I really wanted something cute, so this duckie paper will be perfect. I also found the cutest nursery decoration. It is a duck mobile, with all different color ducks on it. It plays Brahms Lullaby, which is my absolute favorite. It is just the cutest little accessory and it must be meant to be since it plays my favorite lullaby and matches the great inexpensive wall paper that I got, then it is definitely meant to be.

I am so looking forward to becoming a mom, but there is a lot of work to be done before this baby comes, and I know that these next 7 months will fly right by.

]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/03/pregnancy.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/03/pregnancy.html Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:18:20 -0500 blog.
I know for one of my classes we have to use the schools blog host to journal and keep track of a plant that we are growing for extra credit. This way, the teacher can log onto the web site and she can keep track on when we posted and can read them and grade them at any time. I know other people in my school and at other schools as well that have assignments that are turned in this way. It is usually happening with younger teachers that have used some sort of blog before, but the older teachers are even getting in to it.
I know other people who just keep blogs for the fun of it, or to record what they have been up to, especially if they aren't around the people they love and talk to. This can be a way for people to stay in touch and know what's going on with each other's lives. One of my friends was looking through a website of hosting reviews that shows the best hosting sites and compares the top ones so that she could find a reliable and cheap one for when she studied abroad. She was able to find one and now that she is in Barcelona she can post her pictures for us to see and write about what she has been up to, and we can comment and keep in touch with her and also our other friends this way.
We really are lucky to be growing up in such a technology based atmosphere and learning environment. Some people may think that this keeps us out of touch with our friends and families because it is less personal, but really blogs and other technology are a way for us to keep in touch better. When our parents were in college they didn't get to stay in touch with their friends from high school by sending emails or writing a blog or even calling. They had to wait for breaks or write real letters or go and visit each other. This way, we are able to keep our friends and families close to us, even though we are hundreds of miles apart at times. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/02/blogs.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/02/blogs.html Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:10:42 -0500 web hosting choice is one of the most important decisions they will make for their company. If you use a web host that is unpredictable and unreliable, this can cause you to lose a lot of business. Even if you have the most amazing product at the absolute best price and give outstanding customer service, none of this will matter if people can't access your site all the time, or get unreliable and slow page loading. Many times when a customer hits on a site like this, and the pages won't load, or the service is unavailable, they will turn to your competitors out of frustration and this will cause you to lose potential business. Over the short run you may only lose a few customers, but in the long run you can wind up losing a lot of money just for making a poor web hosting choice. With the market being so fierce your competitors will be looking for any business that is out there and will be happy to take any business off your hands for you.

Researching fully your web hosting options is extremely important. Knowing exactly what you are looking for and how to tell a good web hosting service from a bad one is really the key. Things to consider are:

- Other customers feedback.
- Bandwidth available.
- Types of files, limits and sizes on the host.
- Whether they offer a trial, this way you can find out if your page is accessible at all hours and whether or not your pages download efficiently.

Considering these things when choosing a web host can save you a lot of time, money and headaches. Making wise business decisions when starting up your own web site and business can ensure that you will have a successful and profitable business and choosing the right web host that can keep up with your growing business is extremely important. ]]> http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/02/web-hosting-choices.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/gee112/blogs/thoughts_and_opinions/2009/02/web-hosting-choices.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:25:11 -0500