The blind faith that millions of people have put into this idiocy is mind numbing to say the least. I have long felt bad for those who follow blindly without thinking first and this Doomsday prediction is just another ruse to stir up all the lemmings into fearing their all powerful god.

Growing up and living in a very conservative and Christian town, I have been bombarded with messages about the end being near and my only question for those people standing at street corners waving signs is, “If the world is ending, why the hell aren’t you doing something fun and enjoying your last few days of existence!?” I have asked a couple of them this very question and their response is that they will be judged favorably for converting and saving lost souls in the days leading up to the apocalypse. How ridiculous.

I’m happy to say that I am not swayed by these extremist views and know that intelligence will prevail as it always does. Here’s a thought to end with:

When I asked a street corner doomsayer if he would become an atheist on May 22 he said, “No, because May 22 will not happen.” I responded, but WHAT IF, and his reply, “There is no what-if, it is god’s word and it shall be done.” I walked away laughing my ass off. I rather hope I see him on the corner tomorrow so I can say hi.

[tags]rapture, doomsday, may 21 2011, atheist, christian, god, apocalypse[/tags]

A specific point was made about retaining the American Opportunity Tax Credit which ensures that college students continue to receive up to $2500 annually toward their education. The only wish I have is that the credit be 100% refundable for the full $2500. If your tax liability is lower than $1000 in a given year, you are capped at $1000 benefit. My financial need for college this year is $20,500 and every little bit of assistance helps.

A five year government discretionary spending freeze sounds good on the surface, but will only continue to hurt the economy. Also, the two year wage freeze on government jobs will hurt the quality of talent that is able to be attracted. As a soon-to-be college graduate who is considering government work, I would like to be able to get a competitive offer.

President Obama is a very effective and engaging speaker. He is truly a remarkable orator and has an amazing ability to not only speak with authority and intelligence, but to also connect with his audience and inspire. I agree on some of his positions and disagree with others, but one thing I think everyone can agree on is how effective he is as a powerful speaker.

Great quote:

“We do big things.”

[tags]president, barack obama, state of the union, politics, united states, america[/tags]

What people continue to do in the aftermath is not see the potential ramifications of their decisions. Ending this relationship with BP will result in a loss of jobs on the UC Berkeley campus, a tremendous blow to the research of alternative fuels, and it will contribute to an ever-growing anti-BP sentiment that has swept the country and will likely only result in more economic hardship as the public and government put pressure on the oil industry.

Do the world a favor and look in the mirror and try telling yourself with a straight face that you don’t consume products derived from crude oil. If you drive, buy groceries, drink soda/bottled water, wear clothes, are reading this on the Internet right now… then guess what, you consume oil and this oil spill is a result of that demand. We all need to support programs like the one at UC Berkeley, that is solely the result of BP’s generosity, that will help relieve our insatiable appetite for crude oil from environmentally sensitive areas.

[tags]oil, bp, UC Berkeley, alternative fuels[/tags]

BP recently announced a rebate program to compensate its distributors 1-2 cents per gallon of fuel purchased going back to the date of the rig explosion. This compensation is meant to alleviate the sales declines suffered by these distributors from the nationwide BP boycotts. But the question remains, will this money trickle down to the station owners and/or consumers? I think not.

Gas station owners derive a good portion of their revenue and virtually all profit from the sale of items inside their stores and make little to no markup on the gasoline. Many BP station owners are reporting revenue declines of 10-40% because people who would ordinarily fill up (and grab a coffee or snack inside) are patronizing alternate gas stations. The solution that BP should be attempting is getting people back into the stores to purchase those convenience items that the station owners depend on to stay in business.

My solution: BP needs to begin a loyalty/rewards program for consumers that offers a rebate on every gallon of fuel purchased. This way the discount is not reflected on the price advertised at the street corner so that competitors will not just match the discount. BP could require you to signup for an account and give a membership card that will then entitle you to a 3 to 5 cent per gallon discount on fuel. This discount could be given directly at the pump in the form of a lower price after swiping your membership card, or in the form of a reward sent to you in the mail after you reach a certain rebate threshold.

By offering an incentive such as this, BP stations would see a dramatic rise in business not only at the pump but inside their convenience stores as well. In desperate economic times such as this, many people will choose a BP station to save a nickel per gallon despite what’s going on in the Gulf. This would also go a long way in repairing the PR nightmare that BP has been experiencing over the last couple months. The cost to BP would be minimal considering the larger positive impact it will have on their stations’ business, thus increasing BP’s overall franchise royalty revenue.

[tags]boycott, bp, oil spill, rebate[/tags]

The title of this post “If you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” is one of the final things Conan O’Brien said at the end of his final Tonight Show episode and really struck a chord with me. During the episode, O’Brien had Tom Hanks on the show and they reminisced about the old days when he was a young red head kid trying to impress an accomplished actor with his raw comedic talent. O’Brien expressed his hatred of cynicism and encouraged the young viewers to be kind and work hard to get what they want in life.

I’m feeling extremely motivated and inspired by his words tonight and will be keenly following his career and working really hard on my own future, and being kind along the way.

The bill will eliminate government subsidies to banks issuing Stafford Loans and will now make those loans funded directly by the government. While I don’t ordinarily like the government getting involved in private enterprise, I feel this move is needed. These banks have tremendous leverage and power over students by making Billions in profits on loans that are guaranteed to be repaid, and are even protected from bankruptcy discharge. These are the same banks that have received Billions in government bailout money because even with their massive student loan profits, they lost money on highly leveraged, risky investments. Companies like Citibank and Sallie Mae.

The cost of higher education is quickly reaching a point where many people are questioning whether the accumulation of debt is even worth the increased earning power a college degree may provide. I am in too deep to look back now and will have to finish my program in order to have something to show for my massive student loan debts.

I look forward to receiving a higher Pell Award next year and even greater savings on my Stafford Loans. I would love to see the government offer more incentives for student loan consolidation which I will be looking to take advantage of in a couple of years to make repayment easier and more cost effective.

Some of the cars given away include a Nissan Maxima and Saturn Ion. Hopefully the new wheels help those 20 people keep their jobs and make their lives a little easier. Thanks go out to Ludacris for giving back on Labor Day in a time of difficulty for most of the nation’s labor force.

I think the AP has every right to publish these photos and they should. Why is the Defense Secretary not defending the thousands of innocent bystanders whose dead bodies have been in the news countless times since the start of hostilities in the region. This double standard is bullshit and either all pictures of death should be banned in the media or freedom of the press should continue unaltered, I choose the latter.

[tags]Afghanistan, marine, war, robert gates, secretary of defense, associated press[/tags]

[tags]mega millions, shaun carter, jackpot, drawing, lotto, lottery[/tags]

[tags]michael jackson, shaun carter, propofol[/tags]