Financial Relief In Sight for College Students

From the money section over at CNN:

House panel cuts student lender subsidies

...Finally, the bill would cap student loan repayments at 15 percent of a student's post-graduation income, with students eligible to have debt forgiven under some circumstances.

Savings realized from the proposed cuts and others would be channeled into boosting college financial aid for students by $18.25 billion over the next five years.

Under the bill, the maximum value of federal Pell grants given to students would go up by $500 per grant. Also, interest rates on federally guaranteed student loans would be reduced by half over five years, a measure already passed by the House.

Read the full article here.

Quote for the Day

"Too often we get distracted by what is outside our control. You can't do anything about yesterday. The door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece. You have control over that."
-John Wooden

A Resolution for My Bad Sleeping Habit

I am really, really tired right now! I worked for five hours earlier today and, now, I am going to do some work around the house. I never sleep enough and, when I do get sleep, I never feel rested anyways. Lately, I feel as if I am always tired. What is going on? And how do I fix it?

I think the cause underlying all of this is my lacking ability to maintain a regular sleep schedule. I usually stay up until I get tired, which varies each night. I know this probably isn't good for me. (On a positive note, at least it is fun, but, anyways...) If I understand correctly, our bodies have internal "clocks" that regulate us. Well, that regulate many of us. I think I have most likely destroyed any internal clock I may have had (due to my crazy, random timing with sleep). I hear it is healthy to keep a somewhat regular sleeping schedule. So, I'm going to try and go to bed earlier than I do, which has been anytime from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. during the last week. Last night, I went to bed at 1:00 a.m., but I still felt tired this morning, and I feel the most tired I have been all day, right now. My eyes are getting heavy as I write this. To stop all of this tiredness, I am going to try going to bed by 11:00 each night. This is a future goal and, surely, it will be a gradual process. Though, once in place, I should be feeling better and more productive in no time.

Personally, I function horribly without sleep. I would say that was the number one factor holding me back at school this past year. I felt like a zombie everyday because I would only get five to seven hours of sleep per night. The problem is I am usually the most awake and productive from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. I really want to change this because it feels really unhealthy. And I will (change it). Anyone else in the same situation should, too. Enough of feeling like a zombie everyday!

To answer the first two questions I posed:

1. Nothing is wrong. Put bluntly, I am showing no self-discipline
2. A regular sleep schedule and going to bed by 11:00 at latest should be a good fix.

[Photos: waffler, dearoot]

The Most Powerful Tool on the Web

Almost anybody that uses a computer regularly knows about Wikipedia. For those of you that don't, read on. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. It is free and, along with English, is written in a multitude of languages, including German, Spanish, and French. The entries in Wikipedia are written collaboratively by volunteers, allowing virtually anyone with an internet connection and keyboard to add and/or edit entries.

Although it may sound like a haven for internet trolls, it really isn't that easy for trolls to ruin entries. Usually, within seconds of the vandalism, the entry is edited and fixed by any one of the millions of legitimate users. In many cases, administrators will restrict the offender's account, removing their ability to edit or add entries, and, in more severe cases, the offender's IP address may be banned. Also, articles may get locked, thus preventing anyone from further editing the article. Normally, this occurs with very controversial topics (abortion is a good example).

In the end, Wikipedia isn't the best source for a research paper, but it's a great way to find information quickly on over a million topics. (On a side note, Wikipedia is a good tool to use for finding sources to use in a research paper. For example, search your topic and then view the links at the bottom of page (they're in the See Also section) and the sources for the respective page.)

In short, Wikipedia is an online democracy of information. That is what I consider the most powerful tool on the web.


Wikipedia is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. In addition to Wikipedia, they have founded many other notable projects. For a complete list of all the Wikimedia Foundation's projects, check out this page. Other popular projects include Wiktionary, an online free dictionary, and Wikiquote, a library of quotes, both of which are also written collaboratively by volunteers.

Information is powerful. Use it wisely.


"Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice."
-Anton Chekhov

[Photos: dcjohn, lui lui]

Quote for the Day

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go."
-William Faulkner

The Joy of Summer

[Photos: jessi, pmorgan, endbradely]

Audio/Video Suggestions, Travel Help, and some Apple news

Personal Audio/Video

• If you've ever wanted to view videos privately, while still in a public place, the Myvu Personal Media Viewer is meant for you.

• The Phillips DCP750 is very versatile portable DVD player. Not only does it play DVDs, but it plays video from Ipods, too. The screen exceeds modest, boasting a 7 inch, 180 degree swiveling screen. Also, it's extremly portable at a mere 2.4 pounds. Other nice features include the SD video card slot and the two headphone jacks. The cost is 150$ for the 7 inch version or, for an additional $50, totaling $200, you'll have yourself an 8.5 inch screen.

• Looking for a nice pair of headphones? Tired of loud noises interrupting you audio experience? Want some headphones that aren't too bulky? Then, the Harmon Kardon EP 730 Noise Isolating Earphones are for you. To me, they look like audiophile heaven for a modest $200. I say modest in the sense that "you get what you pay for" (the $200 being for sheer quality).

Travel

• If you're looking for a quality street navigator to put in your car, look no further. Garmin has a large array of solutions, one of which will surly fit your needs.

• BargainTravel.com seems to be a useful site for satisfying airfare, car rental, and hotel needs, all while visiting one website.

• Wikipedia never fails to amaze me. The variety of useul Wiki sites that have been produced is outstanding. Their "Free Worldwide Travel Guide" is exactly that, outstanding. I searched a variety of locations and couldn't have been more pleased. WikiTravel has a wealth of information on all of the popular vacation destinations (and more).

Apple News

• Apple announced an upgrade to their Macbook Pro line of laptops. For both the 15 inch and 17 inch, the upgrades involve the processor, graphics, and memory. For the 15 inch only, the upgrade includes a newer, environment friendly LED-backlit display, which helps the laptop achieve an extra hour of battery time. More on this exciting news here.

[Photos: Mayr, janusz l]

Western Digital in the 750GB HD market

Western Digital now joins the ranks of Seagate and Hitachi in the 750GB hard drive market. Western Digital claims superiority because of a trio of technologies they implemented to boost performance and reliability.

Get the whole story here.

Ron Paul for President 2008

If the presidential election were held today, I would vote for Ron Paul. He is a conservative in favor of limited government. He doesn't like taxes, the Iraq War, or too much foreign involvement. He believes in people's privacy and personal liberty. Most of all, he believes in freedom. " Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation's capital."

Watch this video of him from Bill Maher's show.
Check out his schedule here.
He even has a Myspace page.

In the name of freedom, vote Ron Paul '08!

[Photo: ronpaul2008]

Quote for the Day

"A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world."
-John Locke