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Saturday, May 30, 2009

Money Management Tips for Students

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Let's face it, not everyone's parents are paying their way through school. There are many of us that need to come up with the money on our own. This helpful article gives some good ideas for college students to keep in mind. Whether your in debt or just tight on cash, it's important to have savings for emergencies, job loss, unexpected expenses like car repairs, and so on.

Top Money Saving Tips for College Freshmen

Save Money and Reduce Stress With These Financially Sound Strategies
by Mike Hardcastlefor About.com

Making the transition from high school student to college student can be confusing. There are a lot of changes and many new responsibilities. Adapting to college is full of life lessons and the biggest lesson involves handling money.

Living at Home Is Easy
When teens live at home there are many financial decisions that they never have to make. Parents worry about how much to spend on housing, food, bills, clothes and entertainment. These things never have to cross the high school students mind.
In college teens suddenly have to handle these things on their own. If you spend money recklessly you will quickly find yourself tapped.
Smart money saving tactics can make a major impact on your finances and your future. Here are some tips and ideas to make your financial transition that much easier.

Know Your Cost of Living
Make a list of your mandatory monthly expenses so you understand where your money has to go. Things like, rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, parking, school supplies, debt repayment, and student or activity fees fall in this category. Once you know where your money has to go each month you'll be able to set up a discretionary fund and a savings plan.

Give Yourself an Allowance
Put yourself on an allowance for things like entertainment, eating out, clothing, and special purchases. Stay on budget no matter how tight things get. It's never too early to start saving money. Even if it's only $20 a week try to put something aside in a savings account.

Become Frugal
Look for creative ways to save money. Consider carpooling, public transit or enviro-friendly biking as a means of getting around. Bring lunches and snacks from home. Buy your text books and lab supplies second hand if possible. Instead of paying a tutor set up a peer study group in classes that you need extra help with.

Understand Your Debt Load
Student loans aside there are other ways that students get in to debt. Credit card companies target cash strapped students, most of whom are inexperienced with unsecured debt.
When handled responsibly credit cards can be good things to have. If you do any shopping on the Internet you will probably need to have a credit card. Many credit card companies offer theft and fraud protection. Read the fine print of your credit card agreement to find out if you’re covered for these things.
It's a good idea to have a credit card for emergencies or for major purchases like books or a bike but avoid using plastic for day-to-day spending or for entertainment. Best Blogger Tips
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Jenga Drinking Game: Rules, Labels, and Tips

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Boardgames can be a lot of fun . . . when excessive drinking is involved. Jenga is the best game for parties. All you need is the game, a marker, 2 or more players, booze, and a little creativity. A steady hand and concentration is also required (of which toasted people find difficult to grasp). The result is a quick game with lots of laughs and an interesting after game of crawling on the floor to pick up the pieces.

Consider this site your ultimate Jenga drinking game resource. The following Jenga related links and ideas are the best the web has to offer.

Basic Instructions

What you need:
The game Jenga
A pen
Large quantities of alcohol (ie. Rev, Holy Water, Sexy Beer)

What to do:
Mark the Jenga pieces with different rules and demands that relate to the party.

Gameplay
Follow the rules of regular Jenga. Once a piece is pulled, the player must do what the piece indicates.

The Creativity Part

You can write anything you want on the pieces. Connactivity.com has a huge list of ideas. You can write on the pieces before the game or have your guests write whatever they want.

Here are some of my favourites:

  1. Give/Take 1,2,3, or 4 (drinks)
  2. Strip (take off an item of clothing)
  3. Handswitch (player must play with their other hand for the rest of the game)
  4. Impression (do an impression of someone)
  5. Down the Hatch (finish your drink)
  6. Lurch/Gary Coleman (tallest/shortest player takes a drink)
  7. Beer Wench (you have to get everyone's drinks for the rest of the game)
  8. Name Genie (give all players a new name, everyone must address each other by their new name for the rest of the game)
  9. Rainbow Warrior (Pick a color. Everyone must drink 1 for every article of clothing they have on that contains that color.)
  10. Ru Paul (Switch seats with a person of the opposite gender.)

    Please feel free to comment on your ideas/faves.
On The Side
Anyone not involved in the match can make it interesting by betting on their favourite player.

Game Over
Before the game starts think of something humiliating the loser will have to do. Or if you don't want to be cruel make them clean up the game and setup a new one or chug a beer. Click here for a visual example from Youtube.
If you are able to achieve the optimal balance of booze and Jenga the game will be a huge success! Happy Drinking!

Related Links
Holy Water. Hallelujah!
Hangover Cures the College Way
Internet Stars
Nina Conti and Monk
iPhone Helps You Find Weed Best Blogger Tips
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Amazing Cakes

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The Foodnetwork has some really cool cooking challenges. They are a lot of fun to watch if you're really bored and there's nothing else on TV. I think the things these chefs make are incredible. The focus is more on appearance and creativity than taste. In fact, most of the challenges I watch don't even involve eating anything.

Anyways, here are some photos of amazing cakes (I like the ones that look like other things). You can see more at thepinkcakebox.com.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

iCoke Prizes Are Weak

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I am loyal to Coca-Cola and decided to start entering the pins from the caps to earn points. The points are adding up quickly but there isn't anything I really want to spend them on. I keep checking the list of things I can buy but there is rarely anything new. Most of the prizes now are Olympic things and I'm not into that. So I guess it depends on your interests. Hopefully they will add new things soon.
If you haven't joined yet you can for free by clicking here.

Stuff to Chat About:
Do you collect iCoke points?
What do you think of the prizes?
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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Save on Books this Summer

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Twice a year Chapters, Indigo, and Coles bookstores have an incredible sale on paperback books. Buy 3 get the 4th free! If you buy 4 books you will get the cheapest book for free.

Tip: If you are going to buy 8 books, group the 4 cheapest together and the 4 most expensive ones together and pay for them in two purchases (you can say "i'd like to pay for these with debit and these with cash" or take several trips to buy them in 4s).

For example:

Purchase 1 : 4 books @ $10 each ---> save $10

Purchase 2 : 4 books @ $20 each ---> save $20

Total Savings = $30

If you were to buy them in one purchase you will only save on the two cheapest purchases ($2o total).

The last sale was in December and before that it was in June. So this year it may be in June as well (I'll post a comment when I know the exact time).

So if you love to read try to hold off on buying anything for now because the sale is fast approaching. Start making that list and share it with us in the comments. Best Blogger Tips
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Recommended Movie: Zoolander (2001)

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Zoolander is a hilarious comedy featuring one of the world's best comedians Ben Stiller. It's a must see if you want to laugh your ass off. It is often played on TV so check TVguide.ca for listings (It's actually playing on Showcase on May 25 at 1am and 3am).
I like the movie a lot but I wouldn't recommend buying it. It's a good movie to rent or watch on TV.

Summary

Derek Zoolander is VH1's three time male model of the year, but when Hansel wins the award instead, Zoolander's world becomes upside down. His friends disappear, his father is disappointed in him, and he feels that he's not good as a model anymore. But when evil fashion guru Mugato hires Zoolander, he thinks his life has turned back round again, that is until he finds out that Mugato has actually brainwashed him to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Can Zoolander and his new friends find out how to prevent the incident before it's too late?

Written by Film Fan UK


Chat

Has anyone seen this movie?
Do you like Ben Stiller's movies?

Source
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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Comedian Bob Marley: Pizza and Beer

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This comedian is very funny. I have seen him on the Comedy Network several times and I thought I'd share one of my favourite clips. Click the image below to watch the video on the comedynetwork.ca.

Sources: Image - cdbaby.com Video - comedynetwork.ca

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

What the Heck are Hiccups?

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I just got the hiccups all of a sudden. They were very uncomfortable and I had to stop them. I tried holding my breath (which usually works) then breathing deeply, then breathing shallowly. Nothing was working. So I looked to the all mighty Google Search Engine to find the solution.

What are Hiccups?
For years very little was known about hiccups and even less was written about them. Today that's changed. We still don't know jack, but scientists have explained this to us at length.

Here's what we know. When you hiccup, your diaphragm and nearby muscles convulse, causing you to briefly gulp air. Within 35 milliseconds the glottis (the opening at the top of the air passage) slams shut, producing the characteristic "hic."

If you're able to stifle the hiccup right away, great. But if you hiccup more than seven times you'd better settle in for the long haul. Once in hiccup mode you typically will hiccup 63 times or more. Maybe a lot more. The hiccup record, last time I checked, was 57 years.
Hiccups are commonly caused by distention of the stomach, which you get if you eat too much, drink carbonated beverages, or swallow too much air.

Is There a Cure?

Home remedies are mostly based on the idea that you have to disrupt the hiccup cycle. These include holding your breath, induced sneezing, breathing into a bag, drinking water while covering your ears, pulling your tongue, pressing on the eyeballs, sudden fright, or--this is interesting--eating dry granulated sugar. Merely drinking water, if done soon enough, may work by washing down a glob of food in your throat that's pressing against a nerve.

If the preceding are unavailing, a doctor may try drugs such as chlorpromazine, tickling the pharynx with a catheter stuck through the nose, hypnosis, or acupuncture. Still no go? Time for stern measures. In 1833 it was recommended that you blister or burn the skin above the phrenic nerve on the neck and back. This has now been supplanted by a marginally more civilized procedure in which the nerve is sliced or crushed.

Conclusion

No one knows shit about hiccups.

A Miracle

It's a miracle! As I was writing this my hiccups stopped. Sweet.

Discussion

How do you stop your hiccups?

Source
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Monday, May 4, 2009

Protect Yourself from Swine Flu

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As you may know, the human swine flu has reached Canada. As students you are more at risk. Crowded classrooms, libraries, and hallways can spread the virus fast. And school isn't the only danger zone. There are grocery stores, malls, doctor's offices, workplaces, parks, . . . you must be cautious anywhere there are people or around anything that people might have touched.
As far as I know, the swine flu is not (yet) a reason to barricade yourself in your room. But it doesn't hurt to prepare yourself. The precautions to protect yourself from this virus are the same you would take to protect yourself from any flu.

General Information

H1N1 Flu Virus (Human Swine Flu) has been reported in Canada, Mexico and the United States and several other countries in Europe and the South Pacific . The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is working collaboratively with Mexican and American officials to further investigate this situation.

Governments around the world and the World Health Organization are engaged to investigate and address this situation.
Cases of H1N1 Flu Virus (Human Swine Flu) have been reported in Canada.

PHAC continues to work with federal, provincial and international governments to address this situation, and will share more information with Canadians as it becomes available.

How to Protect Yourself
  • The Public Health Agency advises Canadians to:
  • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer

  • Cough and sneeze in your arm or sleeve

  • Get your annual flu shot

  • Keep doing what you normally do, but stay home if sick

  • Check http://www.fightflu.ca/ for more information

  • Check http://www.voyage.gc.ca/ for travel notices and advisories

  • Talk to a health professional if you experience severe flu-like symptoms

For more information visit the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Topics for Discussion

Do you think the swine flu is going to become like the SARS epidemic?

Source: publichealth.gc.ca

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Sunday, May 3, 2009

The Evolution of Pizza

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It's a known fact, all college students love pizza. I dare you to prove otherwise. The soft dough . . . melty mozza cheese . . . smooth tomato sauce . . . and classic pepperoni. Does it get better than that? This post goes to all of you pizza lovers, a chronological evolution of how pizza came to be so great. And there's a kickass pizza recipe at the end.

The History of Pizza

Circa 1000 A.D.: Pizza gets its start when peasants begin baking leftover, covered dough.

Early 1500s: Spanish conquistadors bring tomatoes to Europe from the New World.

Late 1500s: The first known recipes for the production of mozzarella cheese begin popping up in cookbooks.

Late 1600s: Although tomatoes are feared to be poisonous, peasants in Naples are the first to add them to their pizza.

1830: Port'Alba the world's first pizzeria, opens in Naples. The proprietor bakes pizzas in an oven lined with lava harvested from Mount Vesuvius.

1889: Naples chef Raffaele Esposito prepares a red, white, and green pizza of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to honor a visit by Queen Margherita Teresa Giovanna. He names the pie the margherita.

1905: Gennaro Lombardi opens the first American pizzeria: Lombardi's pizzeria, which was located at 53 ½ Spring St. in New York City. (The restaurant would later move to 32 Spring St.).

1943: Ric Riccardo Sr. and Ike Sewell invent a deep-dish pizza and begin serving it at their new Chicago restaurant, Pizzeria Uno — creating a flagship for the future chain.

1945: Buying a slice becomes increasingly popular as WWII veterans return from Italy and spread the pizza gospel.

1957: The first frozen pizza — Celentano's — appears in supermarkets.

1958: The first Pizza Hut opens in Wichita, Kansas. The first Domino's opens just two years later in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Mid-1970s: Chicago pizzerias add a top layer to their deep-dish pie, creating the miracle of stuffed pizza.

Early 1980s: Pizza goes gourmet, with upscale toppings such as duck and Gorgonzola.

1995: Kraft introduces DiGiorno pizza, the first "self-rising" frozen pie



Pizza Rolls Recipe

These cheesy little swirls certainly make their rounds at cocktail parties. Stuffed with salami, sausage, provolone and mozzarella, these pretty pizza pinwheels never last long with guests around.

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
1/4 pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, sliced
1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
Roll pizza crust dough into an approximately 10x14-inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Layer with Genoa salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese to within 1/2 inch from edges of the dough. Roll jelly roll style. Seal the edge with a fork.
Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice into 1 inch pieces to serve.

Nutrition Facts
Servings per Recipe: 5
Amount Per Serving
calories: 457cal
total fat: 27.3g
cholesterol: 63mg
sodium: 1502mg
carbohydrates: 28.2g
fiber: 0.7g
protein: 22.9g

Preparation Time:
10 min.

Cooking Time:
25 min.Ready In: 35 min.Servings: 5

Topics for Discussion:
What do you think is the best pizza topper?
What is the best pizza joint?
How often do you eat pizza?

Sources: Mensfitness.com and Recipes.kaboose.com Best Blogger Tips
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