4 Reasons Why Star Wars is the Ultimate Halloween Idea

BAH BAH BAHDAHDADADA!  That's the opening Star Wars fanfare.  You know it, your kids know it, your grandparents know it.  Everyone but absolute Grinch people loves Star Wars.  It's rich mythology and richer owners assure us that its wealth of ideas will be never ending.  With Halloween right around the corner, Star Wars is also the  perfect place to look for Halloween inspiration.  All six movies and their various spin offs are full of neat stuff that you can crib into something to call your own.  You'd be a Nerf Herder not to, and here's why:

1.  A Problem, Age is Not

How old are is someone supposed to be before they stop partaking in Halloween?  The answer is never ever.  Star Wars provides costume ideas for any and all ages.  When you or your kids are young, they can go as Ewoks or Yoda or even mini-droids.  Star Wars characters short in stature are big in power.  Regular aged people can go as Luke, Leia, Han,Vader, Lando, Mace Windu, Qui-Gon, or basically any other of the major characters in any of the movies.  Getting older?  No problem.  Go as Obi-Wan.  Getting old and bald?  Go as Vader with no mask.  You can't lose.

2.  Creativity, You Need Not Have

The best part of being inspired by Star Wars is all your work can be done for you.  Say you want to go as someone cool.  Take your pick.  You've got a space warrior wizard, a handsome smuggler, an evil space warrior wizard, and a bounty hunter to start.  Want to go as someone exotic?  Be a Wookie, or a Gungan.  Everyone's ideas are already laid out for you.  If you want to go as Han Solo, throw on a vest, a whit shirt, and some blue slacks.  Boom.  Want to go as Boba Fett?  You can buy a full replica armor set and functional jet pack.  There are characters for all levels of investment.

3.  Recognizable, You Will Be

The best part of going to a Halloween party as a Star Wars character is not having to explain who you are to everyone at the party.  Sure, you can go as James Joyce to a party, but have fun with everyone thinking you're Tom Wolfe, sucker.  You can go in a robe and be Luke, or Anakin, or whatever Jedi you feel like, because people will get it.  If anyone is even confused, all you have to say is "Star Wars" and people will just agree with it.  You might even win costume contests over people who chose some other franchise.  Star Wars makes you inherently more popular.

4.  Couples Costumes, Star Wars is Full of

You don't have to stop walking the Ewok walk once you get yourself a significant other.  Star Wars lends itself very well to couples and group costumes.  Say you've gone as Princess Leia for years.  Well, now your new beau can go as Han.  If your new beau is portly, then they can pour a can of green paint on themselves and go as Jabba the Hutt.  If you're Darth Vader, throw a cloak over your partner and suddenly they are Emperor Palpatine.  If you're an X-Wing, then go out with the Death Star.  You've made yourself a loving tradition that will last for years.

Words to the Wise: How to Write an Article

Everyone has fancied themselves a writer at one time or another.  We've had that moment where we finish putting pen to paper/words to screen and we lean back, look at it, and feel like we've really made something.  The problem is with that is that it paves the way for disappointment later on, when we find ourselves unable to recapture that magic.  The key to never giving up is not giving up.  Like any other hobby, you need to keep practicing.  A great way to keep your writing in top form is write articles.  They have a tight structure and a clean focus.  Here are some tips on how to keep the ink in your veins flowing.

1.  It's All Subjective

The start of writing an article is finding a subject.  You need a subject that justifies your length.  A 500 word article won't sum up the latest U.N. Resolution with any kind of clarity.  Likewise, you can't really write 1000 words on a fresh celebrity arrest in your town.  In addition to the brass tacks of needing a subject, it's incredibly helpful if you pick a subject you're interested in.  If you can't do that, then find an approach to the subject that you can take an interest in.  There's an infinite number of way to approach what you're writing about, so you can never be board.

2.  It's Never What You Say

Compare the way you talk to your parents and the way you talk to your friends.  A key difference is tone.  When speaking to an audience, you need to massage your words to come across the proper way.  You could be writing a glowing review of a product, and the maker will hate it if the review is crude and lacking detail.  Likewise, trying to appeal to diehard fans of something works better if you just tell them what they want to hear. Not everyone wants reasonable discourse.  By knowing how you want to say something, it makes it so much easier to arrange your words.

3.  Better Than Nothing

Self doubt and self censorship will quickly destroy your writing career.  The key is to get something written down at all.  How many people do you know who are totally gonna write that screenplay, man, because they have all the ideas?  They don't matter.  All that matters is you get something written down.  As long as you've got that done, the hard part is over.  After that, just let the words flow.  You can worry about structure, pacing, all of that later.  Editing is there to clean something up.  You need the raw material of an idea in order to do anything.

4.  Human Hat Rack

No idea is a bad idea.  Just have confidence that your skill and tenacity will elevate it to something great.  If what you're doing turns out to be going sour, take the approach of a great B-Movie director and run with it.  Make the weak parts the strongest aspect.  People remember the good and the bad far more than the mediocre.  You never know what you're going to be good at until you try some of everything.  Michael Bolton was a heavy metal singer for a while.  Harrison Ford was a carpenter.  Try out what you can do and surprise yourself.

5.  Eye on the Prize

If you find yourself enjoying writing articles, keep at it.  The modern media of the internet runs on articles.  Some people won't pay you a lot.  Some people will scoff at your efforts.  Ignore them and keep going.  You will eventually succeed based on the law of probability alone.  Even if it's never your main means of support, doing it as a side project expands your mind and cn be a secondary source of income.  It gives you something to brag about at parties and talk about on dates.  Most of all, it'll serve as something fulfilling to you.  You're the creator!

Howl-oween: Signs You (or a Loved One) Might Be a Werewolf

Ever wake up with no memory of the night before?  Do you have mysterious bruise?  Do you get unexplained murderous urges?  Maybe you find yourself a bit hairier than you'd like.  These are all classic signs of Lycanthropy, aka being a werewolf.  Also know by the less inclusive term of Wolfman, werewolves show up all over the world.  They are generally created by being bitten by another werewolf, having werewolf genetics, or being cursed by some form of spell caster.  If you're not sure if you're a werewolf, here's a handy list of symptoms.

1.  Full Moon Fever

Once a month, do you find yourself anxious and unable to rest?  Do you have animalistic urges?  Do you cook your steak extra rare?  Lycanthropy is generally brought on by the presence of a full moon.  Some magical property of the moon in ancient cultures instilled the belief that it had the power to affect mythic beings.  Ways to avoid doing any hard in werewolf form include locking yourself in a jail cell for the night, finding a way to bind your body in its transformed state, or somehow avoiding the full moon altogether.

2.  The Parent Trap

Did you grow up with parents that had a tendency of being absent?  Did they leave often?  Perhaps lash out for no good reason?  They were then most likely werewolves.  Werewolf abilities can pass along a family line, with the occasional skipping of a generation.  If your parents or grandparents were werewolves, you might be a werewolf too.  You need to sit down and have a serious talk with your kids or parents about the dangers of being a Wolfman.  It shouldn't be too difficult, since wolves tend to display a pack mentality.

3.  Silver Bells

Werewolves are notoriously weak towards all things silver.  This can manifest in a few different ways.  One version of weakness would be to suffer a feeling of faintness or illness when handling silverware.  You investment in silver bonds may suffer a hit whenever your lupine traits flare up.  You might even find that your weakness manifests as feeling the unstoppable urge to buy silver trinkets on sale at your local marketplace.  If you suffer any kind of silver weakness, make sure to consult your local shaman for some quick remedies.

4.  Mystic River

A likely cause of your new werewolf problems would be that you made the wrong people mad.  If you've recently ticked off a witch, or a wizard, or a traveling group of curse-happy troublemakers then you've likely garnered yourself a bit of an enchantment problem.  Despite not having been bit or born into it, this curse still carries the same weight.  There are a few ways to break it, luckily.  You could try apologizing to the offended party, and hoping they take mercy on you.  You could try a lawsuit, if you've got the guts for it.  The last resort is to just live with it, since it's cooler to be a werewolf than a wolfman.

5.  Reality Bites

If you've gone through this list and feel it applies to you, hold tight.  Before declaring yourself a magical furry outcast, consider the alternative that maybe you're just crazy.  You might feel like a beast inside, but come across as an aimless stray to everyone else.  As special as you would feel being an all powerful hell-beast, the much more likely option is that you're a little unstable.  So take heed, before stripping naked in a field.  Have an impartial third party observe you during a full moon to see that you're not just cuckoo.

6 Luxuries Not Worth Every Penny

We live in the future.  Every want or need is taken care of for us here in the modern wold.  The only thing left is for us to find a way to do everything bigger and better.  The solution is a life of luxury.  American life is a good life.  Almost everyone can afford to get a car.  We have enough food to eat.  We have running water, supermarkets, and televisions all over.  Your hard earned dollars can buy so many things with just access to a computer and a few minutes of online shopping or going to a warehouse store.  Knowing that, you need to spend smart in order to maximize your buying power.  Here's what to avoid.

 

1.  Homeopathic Remedies

Homeopathic remedies are the luxurious way of saying you're so healthy, you feel you can fake it until you make it.  They do absolutely nothing for your health or well being.  Studies have disproven them time and time again.  Spending money on a product that does nothing yet claims to do something is the ultimate luxury.  The most it will ever do is have a placebo effect.  you're essentially spending money for a box to tell you that you feel better and to stop asking questions.

2.  Star Tours

You know what makes for a lousy gift?  A piece of paper.  You know what's slightly more insulting?  A piece of paper that claims you own an intangible gas mass millions of miles away.  Star naming is a puzzling and elitist trend that no one should partake in.  The sheer vanity of believing once can own a piece of the sky should be satisfying enough with out the hastily printed scam sheet.

3.  Smile

What's a great way to show off your wealth?  How about bejewled teeth?  Celebrities are all about making their moths as shiny and opulent as every other facet of their lives.  Whether it's getting a golden grill to put over your real teeth, getting dazzling jeweled fillings, or straight up getting diamond teeth, no material is too gaudy to put in the center of your talk space.  Consulting any oral surgeon with this request will net you an exasperated professional and the warning that the amendments will wear out your natural teeth rapidly.  But you don't care, you're rich.

4.  Psychics

Psychics are people that profit from fear, insecurity, and a sense of righteousness.  If you want a luxury, try wasting money on an individual that claims to have comprehensive though vaguely described knowledge of your past, present, and future.  You're paying a random person to throw educated guesses at you, with the difference that they have incense and maybe a crystal ball.  Any and all luck or misfortune you've suffered can be explained with logic and reason.  If you feel like you need a psychic, just realize that the universe simply doesn't care for you.

5.  Heavy Metal, with Lite Cream

There's a new subset of the ultra luxurious: foodies with too much money for their own good.  With the Food Network and the Travel Channel both available on basic cable, inspiration for places to go and food to eat is everywhere.  The new trend is edible gold.  You can, for thousands of dollars, take the equivalent of your ground up grandmothers welling ring and put it on your ice cream sundae.  You will literally be the goose that lays the golden eggs.  Pretty soon, you can probably get sauteed platinum with side of fried diamonds to go with it.  Why not?

6.  Welcome to the Jungle

Perhaps the cruelest luxury item is the exotic pet.  Imagine the novelty of a giant, easy to kill child with the need for care and expense greater than anything else in your life.  That's what an exotic pet is.  Tiger, peacock, Tasmanian tiger, deep sea angler fish, all of them are expensive and foolhardy to try to tame.  The reason animals in zoos survive is that there are highly trained people in charge of them 24/7.  If you're a rich person with a need for novelty, you'll soon have just another dead animal on your hands.  It manages to be a wasteful luxury on quite a few fronts.

The Secrets of Growing a Beard

Manliness is a constant.  Every can think of some masculine figure in their life, and they all share a few commonalities.  In recent years, the beard has become a fashionable accessory for the male face.  Events like Mustache March and No-Shave November have seen record increases in participants and lazy guys jumping on the bandwagon.  Movies like Argo, The Lord of the Rings, and 300 have made it trendy to cultivate some fuzz on one's face.  Not everyone can grow a beard correctly, and there needs to be some guidance on that path.

1.  Know Your Limits

You know whether or not you can grow a beard.  There's a yes or no line, and you know if it's crossed.  There are those rare individuals who are in denial about their beard ability, mostly teenagers and the insecure.  Work with what you have.  If you can only grow parts of a beard, work with those parts.  Orlando Bloom has become a rich sex symbol while only growing the weakest of whisps.  If you can't grow a beard, don't.  It's ok, because it allows you to develop other aspects of yourself.  It's the beard inside  that counts.

2.  Find Your Style

Do you know what your face looks like?  What does your significant other think of your face?  As seen by Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, a beard has the power to completely reshape/fix your face.  You can use your beard as both an accent to your natural facial structure, or as a topiary tool for reshaping your weaker aspects.  A beard can act as a prosthetic chin, or reshape your neckline into something more defined.  Thor and Aquaman have both used beards to cover battle scars, so you're in good company.

3.  Cut With Care

Maintenance is a key part of beard ownership.  Unless you're specifically going for the prospector, hobo, or Scooby-Doo villain look, you need to keep your face neat and orderly.  A trimmed beard is the difference between a rugged good look and someone calling the cops on you at the bar.  The closer you look to Charles Manson, the further you are from your intended goal.  As long as you keep a maintained profile, your beard should be kept in good graces and welcomed by all.

4.  Embrace the Spirit

Beards are about a message, as well.  A message of freedom, of self determination.  Of right & wrong.  Of America.  Beards are a choice, and the living embodiment of choosing your own path.  Beards aren't just for men, either.  women can have beards.  Bearded ladies are going to be the next celebutant.  Even kids can have a beard, with parental supervision.  There will come a day soon when Big Shaving Cream will try to tell you beards are uncool, and too dangerous for the public.  They'll be wrong.  Embrace the wild side of who you are.  Be the beard in your heart.

How to Be a Modern Pirate

Pirates are as big right now as they've ever been.  In the last ten years, piracy has been all over the news.  You've got a major film franchise in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which have 4 entries, a 5th on the way, and countless millions in merchandising.  The new Assassin's Creed game even gives you the chance to assume the role of a pirate.  Then there's the real life topic of piracy, as in places like Somalia and in movies like Captain Phillips.  Then, there's online piracy, the alleged death of modern media, since it can all be stolen easily.  Even the Muppets have gotten in on the action, with their hit literary adaptation, Muppet Treasure Island.  If you have even a passing interest in pirates, we're here to help you explore your options.

1.  Dress for Success

Make sure that you dress the part of a pirate.  All pirates have a sense of grandeur and swagger, so make sure to choose loud, flamboyant outfits.  Frilly shirts, big hats, perhaps a colorful animal companion.  Your options include a parrot, a chihuahua in a purse, a ferret, and a rat, among others.  If you're the scary real life kind of pirate, this works as well.  The garish wardrobe will serve to intimidate the ships you end up raiding.  Online pirates can wear anything at home, but make sure to dress in a mocking fashion at your trial.

2.  Travel in Style

A good pirate needs a good ship.  Since we've come a long way in sea travel, your ship can take many forms.  If you're land based, choose a well decorated Cadillac, Buick, or other such large car.  Affixing a mast to the tops is optional.  If you're using a bike or a scooter, affix baseball cards to the wheels and streamers to the handles.  Bring a fog machine to replicate that eerie ocean ambiance.  Use bright glowy paint if you're going for more of a ghost pirate vibe.  Pirates are free, so go nuts with your personal style.

3.  Let Your Freak Flag Fly

A good piracy cause needs a rallying cry.  You thus need a quality flag to rally behind.  Online pirates drop anchor at claims of freedom of information and ideas, so their flag and motto might revolve around the image of a flying brain, or a burning dollar bill.  Scary real life pirates are regular people in desperate situations, so a flag with a donation hotline might send the right PR message.  If you have a family crest, feel free to use it, at the expense of being a possible black sheep at reunions.  See if you can't impress a graphic designer into your crew.

4.  Incredible Crew

A good pirate is nothing without a good crew.  A modern crew can be less about seamanship and more about support and common goals.  To make for a good pirate crew, make sure everyone has at least one stand out, defining trait, with a complimentary color scheme.  That way it's easier to sell the media rights of your tales and adventures.  Online pirates can also award themselves groovy nicknames.  Make sure that your nicknames are rough and raw, like superhacker95, or XXthiefofthereefXX.  Your reputation will make it easier to plunder.

5.  Sing Along

A good bonding experience for pirate crews is the old sea shanty.  Since no one really has need of sea shanties any more, a good playlist will suffice.  Make sure it relates to your current situation.  Scary real life pirates will likely be drawn to songs of hardship and danger, like old country ballads and Bon Jovi songs.  Online pirates seem to have an affinity for techno and European club beats.  Your pirate soundtrack is much like your flag.  Your pirate choices define it as much as its songs define you.  What's most important is that everyone knows it and sings it during work, every day.

Hoverboard Blues: 4 Crazy Side Effects of Time Travel

We're living in the future.  It's crazier than any future that was imagined by our greatest authors in the last century.  We have phones that also contain all the information ever created, ever.  Our cars are going to be self driving in a matter of a few years.  One thing we don't yet have is time travel.  Made famous in works like The Time Machine, Back to the Future, and Terminator, time travel ha been a scifi dream for a very long time.  Honestly, it's a good thing we don't have it yet.  There are so many unforeseen consequences people don't think about.  Here's a few side effects you probably didn't consider.

1.  Space

First of all, time travel would be dangerous because of the movement of the universe.  It's hard to comprehend, but we are such a very small part of the universe.  So small in fact, that we're always moving and never know it.  If you were to move in time, there's no guarantee you'd be in the same place you were when you started.  You could wind up just floating in the empty vacuum of space.  Since there have yet to be any documented successful time travel attempts, we're not sure of the physics.  So, if you intend to time travel, wear a space suit first.  You'll thank me.

2.  Messing with the Timestream

No matter how hard you try in life, you're going to make mistakes.  That's a constant.  So when you add in the power to mess up at any point in history, that becomes a danger cocktail.  Imagine you time travel to either the past or the future.  You already put everything in incredible danger.  If you mess up in the past, New Coke could have become permanent.  Seinfeld could have been canceled after its first season.  It could be disaster.  You mess up in the future, and you change it.  You could not come back, never have kids, never do anything.  Something you are supposed to do could have made the world better.  Time travel is just selfish.

3.  Aging

The thing about time travel is that even though your environment changes its age, you don't.  You're always continually aging, even if you go back in time.  Essentially, every time you time travel, you're shortening your lifespan by however long you were gone.  That also will raise questions every time you return.  Your friends and family will notice you aging at a rapid rate.  If you come back from the future, you may have contracted some crazy incurable future disease.  If you get stuck before coming back to your present, you may have wasted years of your life.  Time travel safe, people.

4.  Unknown Areas

No one knows the fabric the universe is made of.  Theories about about quantum physics, or strings, or alternate universes, among others.  As such, time travel might have an immeasurable effect that you can't comprehend.  There's a theory that every time you make a decision, you create alternate universes where you chose differently.  So, what if time travel is nothing more than cheating in a life-size "choose your own adventure" book?  What if time traveling destroys those universes?  You don't even know what you're doing!  Take the safe course, and just say no to time travel.

6 Tests for Your True Love

True love is on everyone's mind.  Some people want their royalty in shining armor to come for them.  Some want to travel the world with someone they met only a short time ago.  Some people find in the worst parts of their lives, as a light in the dark.  There are lots of big ways to know if the person your with is your soul mate, or you perfect match, or the one.  Whatever you call them, they might be that special someone.  The Nation's Journal, after countless hours of heart-break and research, has assembled a handy list of good compatibility indicators.  Grab your sweetie and see how you compare.

1.  Animal Magnetism

Cats and dogs have a long history of civil conflict, though recent talks have helped with an armistice.  & what about fish?  Or birds, or turtles, or ferrets?  It's important that your significant other (SO) feel about animals the same way you do.  Some people are animal lovers, some people love to cook animals.  If you can't see eye to eye on that, what about kids?  Or each other?  One must start small and feel out the love capacity of the other, to find the wild heart.

2.  Spice It Up

Food is the way to anyone's heart.  You feed someone, they will inevitably love you for it.  That's why knowing one another's tastes is key.  If you don't know that your sweetie prefers thyme before cumin, then you're in dire straights.  If one of you only goes for salt and the other for pepper, it's tumultuous, but there's still hope.  Serious spice rack discussions need to happen before either one of you can commit to one another.  The flavor of love is a subtle thing.

3.  Footloose

Something most couples forget to discuss is footwear.  A surprising amount of fights happen between couples that don't see toe-to-toe.  Find out if your SO needs you to remove your shoes before coming in the house.  Talk ahead of time about the perils of foot odor.  Make sure to get tested for Crocs.  For around the house:house socks or slippers?  Having a frank discussion about these issues will not only give your relationship solid footing, but you're less likely to give one another the boot.

4.  Synergy

How much do you want to be like your better half?  There comes a time when every couple has to discuss the next step: matching outfits.  Is it for you?  To some, the idea of being a romantic Tweedle-Dee to a loving Tweedle-Dum is appealing.  Wearing little love uniforms can be a great bonding experience.  Others seek to dress in clashing colors, the better to highlight their passion and vivacious spirit.  It's a deeply personal decision, but one that needs to match by nature.

5.  Theater Theatrics

Movies are a staple of American life.  They've been our entertainment backbone in the neighborhood of over a century.  There are two key schools of though when it comes to movie viewing.  Some people take the Muppet theater approach, and find joy in providing a running meta-narrative of the events on screen.  Others take the guise of a silent guardian of the cinema, watching the events on screen in a stony silence.  Learn which school your're in, or you & your SO will never enjoy a movie together.

6.  Battlefield: Bathroom

The last bastion of the peace seeker, the water closet is a safe have in a relationship.  Some key points need to be discussed.  Does the the toilet paper go over or under?  Potpourri or scent spray?  How many scented candles is too many?  Where's the line drawn on decorative towels?  These are things that will make or break even the strongest love affair.  If you can't find relief when you relieve yourself, then your love life is doomed.  Don't flush it all away without a long discussion, with room to rest.

Let the Music Play: How to Start a Band

So, you want to rock & roll all night and party every day?  Every has dreams of being a rock star hidden somewhere in their brain.  Add to that the rise of internet celebrities, and people with more obscure musical interests, like polka or revivalist gangsta rap, can also make it big in the world.  The problem for a lot of people is that before you can get big, you have to start small.  In order to build a house you need a foundation.  The Nation's Journal is here to provide a guide on just how to do that.

1.  Pick a Genre

Luckily, this is multiple choice.  Modern music can't be exclusive to one vision.  You need a crossover hit.  Look at the current biggest songs on the radio.  We have a funk number composed by French robots dominating pop culture.  There's a current hit track that's a mix of electronic dance music and country twang.  If you like a sound, go with it.  If you like two, go with them.  Don't go full Brian Williams, however, and try to match together way way too many sounds.  You need a balance of too much and not enough.  If you hit all the right notes, then all the music listeners will absolutely love you.

2.  Have "Talent"

Having some sort of musical talent is needed.  Thanks to modern technology, however, it's less necessary than ever before.  Now you mostly just need a vision.  Can't sing?  You can either autotune yourself or go the punk route and scream/shout until everyone's on their feet with you.  Can't play an instrument?  Grab a computer.  A synthesizer program can emulate almost any instrument for you, or you can go full 80s and just play wild synth tunes that could never come from anything natural.  Just keep pounding random notes together until something catchy emerges.

3.  Getting the Band Together

Assuming you either become successful or want to become successful, you're going to have to get on the road and perform at some point.  Touring with your band isn't like the days of old.  Wild parties and hotel destrution just aren't in vogue.  What you need to keep yourself going on the road is a good group of people to travel with.  Even solo acts have a manager, an agent, a caterer, and so on.  Make sure everyone in your band is someone you can stand to travel with, practice with, live with, and share a bathroom with for weeks at a time.  Talent only goes so far if the talented member sucks to be around.

4.  Creating an Image

Don't combine band and bland.  Your band has to have an edge about them.  Something cool and relatable to the kids and the rich.  Make sure to give yourself and your band mates flaws and archetypal characteristics in interviews and press releases.  It was good enough for the Beatles, and it's good enough for you.  Have a bad boy, a rebel, a sensitive guy, and so on.  Maybe invent a tragic recovery story for yourself.  You overcame a fear of music or high ticket prices.  People love an underdog and backstage drama means you can sell your movie and biography rights for huge money later on.

5.  Always Have a Backup Plan

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.  That's common wisdom.  If you have a band, even if it's all your own music, always keep a side project or two.  If you're a rock group, have a bluegrass collective on the side.  If you're a rapper, maybe consider a spoken word album.  This way, if your popularity ever fades or a key member of your band decides to leave the life behind to become an accountant in Cleveland, you have an out.  Many rock stars have proven that you can keep a career alive with just reputation and guest appearances alone.  Keep your name on the top of the game, always.

6.  Sell Out

Don't have artistic integrity.  Sell out every chance you get.  More money means more art later.  Commodify yourself.  Be the merchandise.  Your retirement will thank you.

Up In the (iPad) Air: The Reasons to Buy a Tablet

With the forthcoming launch of the iPad Air, people are turning their attention toward to the tablet market once again.  Tablet ownership has been on the rapid rise for a few years now, and it's soon to overtake the traditional desktop PC market.  Any why not?!  Tablets are new and fun and a little bit science fiction.  There are lots of perks to owning a tablet.  If you find yourself unsure of if you want one, or aren't even sure what they do, this handy article will help you out.

1.  Lightweight

One of the most convenient things about owning a tablet is their weight.  Compared to even a laptop, tablets are incredibly light and portable.  Instead of lugging a full computer on a bus ride or a to a meeting that you don't need to take extensive notes at, you can take the light, thin tablet.  Obviously weight vary between different tablet models, and some people don't actually like the super light weight ones.  Really it depends on personal choice, but who doesn't like an easier to carry computer?

2.  The Other Kind of Lightweight

Tablets are also lightweight in their usage.  Tablets, for the most part, are treated as a sort of cousin to the standard computer.  Tablets tend to have less processing power, and so all the optimized apps are lighter on features and functions.  In this way, tablets have also attracted a lot of attention based on things like games and fun apps.  The gamin market for tablets is currently a profit goldmine, with games like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope becoming cash cows.  Tablets are a breeze to have fun with.

3.  Ease of Use

Related to their reduction in power, tablets are also lacking in some customization options.  This in turn makes them easier to use.  Unlike complicated PC operation systems, tablets come in pretty standardized simple systems, mostly Google's Android software or Apple's iOS system.  Since you're interacting directly with the screen on a tablet, that eliminates the need for gadgets and accessories like a keypad or a mouse.  It really opens up their use for people who aren't tech savvy, and increases their popularity.

4. The Big Picture

The coolest thing about tablets is that they're basically a 60s scifi idea come to life.  Tablets are living screens that we can touch to get what we want.  On top of that, the most recent tablets have stunning HD definition screens.  Your HDTV and your tablet have the same resolution.  Some tablets actually have a higher resolution.  That translates to crystal clear picture in the palm of your hand.  Whether you're reading, or watching Netflix, or perusing Facebook, it's all clear as day.

5.  Words to Your Mother

Do you like to read?  Well, get a tablet.  It's a sad fact but books are on their way out.  As great as they are, they are quickly becoming replaced with cheaper and much less spacious ebooks.  Amazon has built a miniature empire out of their reading optimized Kindle tablets.  Thanks to their Matchbook program, soon most regular books are going to come with an ebook upgrade to boot.  Google and Apple also have optimized book programs.  They let you highlight passages, look up words as you read, and make book marks.  ebooks are becoming better than regular books in every way.

6.  The Harmonious Future

A running conversation point in the tech community is that, sooner rather than later, the tablet and PC market are going to fuse into one being.  The differences will cease to exist, or least will grow rather small.  If & when that day comes, you don't want to be left behind.  Imagine going from a Walkman to an iPod.  The smart thing to do is to at least invest in an inexpensive tablet, many of which are available for under $200.  That way, you can practice with the different interfaces.  If you like it, upgrade in the future.  If you don't, then you've still got all the benefits from above.  It's a win-win.

5 Best Rainy Day Activities

Rain, rain, go away!  We've all uttered that phrase one time or another.  Lots of people much prefer the beams of the sun, or even a light breeze.  Rainy days can have a dimming effect on our lives and our spirits.  But that doesn't have to be the case!  A rainy day can be utilized for a better day.  There are so many activities you can do, why limit yourself based on weather.  These helpful tips with give you some great ideas for what to do on rainy days.

1.  Netflix

You know you have some shows in your Netflix queue you haven't caught up on yet.  Whether it's a legal drama, a bridal reality TV show, or some new anime, there's always something else to watch that you just haven't had the time to catch up on.  Rainy days are perfect.  The day is naturally chilly and dark, just like a movie theater.  No one's going to call you to go out.  The warm glow of your TV is going to be all the warmth you need on a rainy day.

2.  Books

When's the last time you read a book?  With most books having credible adaptations in movies or TV, many people skip the printed word.  Don't!  Catch up on some reading on a day most cloudy.  It's the perfect temperature to wrap up in a blanket.  You can adjust your comfort level perfectly.  Find a story and lose yourself in the world.  The vivid descriptions in the text will lighten up your otherwise grey and dreary looking world.  See if you can knock out a whole book in one day.

3.  Become a Chef

You know a great way to stay warm on a cold day?  Cooking!  Use a rainy day to practice your recipes.  Make a soup, or a cake, or some delicious hot chocolate.  Whip out those old cookbooks and find something you've always wanted to try.  A bad day is no excuse for wasting a day.  You can make a seasonal dish you otherwise wouldn't have been motivated to make.  Besides, you'll score (literal) brownie points with anybody else you happen to live with.

4.  Board Games

Board games are the old rainy day standby.  Jokingly referred to as "bored" games, you'd be surprised by the amount of fun those old games contain.  A game of Monopoly, or Sorry, or Settlers of Catan can really help the days go by faster.  If you're really in it to win it, maybe consider starting to play Dungeons & Dragons.  That way, you'll always have something to go back to in times of boredom.  Board games also serve as a great bonding experience, so you can turn clouds into memories.

5.  Ignore It

Humankind has never been known for its willingness to cave to the elements.  The concept of a boat is really just a physical fight against the ocean.  So, if your day is grey & lonely, just stick out your chin and confront it head on.  Put on a raincoat, grab an umbrella, and go stomp some puddles.  Throw a barbecue on your covered patio.  Build and race paper boats.  Nothing is ever going to keep you down if you don't let it.  You're in charge of the sunshine in your life.

Things to Make You Say Boo: The Worst Things to do on Halloween

Halloween is the spookiest holiday, but some of the real monsters live in our world.  While ghosts, ghouls, goblins, gremlins, and gargoyles make for good fiction, the real world can produce things just as nasty.  So with the allowed haunted holiday right around the corner, consider these things that make you the worst kind of person on Halloween.  These tricks are no treat, and you've been fairly alerted to what makes you a vampiric fun-sucker.

1.  Floss

You're supposed to give out candy on Halloween.  That's a tradition as hallowed as apple pie and the constitution.  Some misguided individuals have elected, over the years to try to offer healthy alternatives.  These run the gamut, bu the worst offender are the houses that give out floss.  No person out for candy has ever wanted dental care instead.  Then, no one who regularly cares for their teeth likes to floss.  Floss is the biggest faux pas.  It makes wearing white after labor day look like bringing twister to a birthday party.  Please, just don't give out floss.

2.  Mean Pranks

Halloween also has a storied history of having pranks happen.  That's where the "trick" in "trick or treat" comes from.  However, pranks have escalated over time.  It's one things to rearrange jack o'lanterns, an entirely different thing to smash them.  Toilet papering a house is funny in theory, but it's a waste of paper and the next day clean up is a monster.  If it happens to rain, well then the poor house is a total mess.  The urge to cause mischief is natural and understandable, but make sure to measure yourself.  We live in an era of amazing technology.  A simple fart machine is possibly the best thing ever invented.  Use that instead.

3.  Propaganda

Since Halloween is a holiday with a tense history of a vaguely religious background, some people have sought to use it for their own purposes.  Some don't celebrate, which is fine.  Others choose to use it to push an agenda.  Whether it's a personal agenda, or a shoddy business proposal, or an attempt at political campaign, it's a dire misuse of our nation's greatest holiday.  Halloween is a free candy day for kids and a one-night reprieve from the pressures of identity for adults.  It's not to be corrupted into a being a gear in a machine.  Just celebrate!

4.  Criticize

Halloween is supposed to be fun, most of all.  The rest of the holidays in the year involve family obligations and major retail pushes.  The holidays right before Halloween are underwhelming and often forgotten.  This is a night, deep in the harvest season, to let loose and have fun.  Some of the people you'll encounter will tell you you're not doing Halloween right.  That your costume isn't scary enough, or you didn't bring the right pumpkin dish, or the leaves in your Autumn mural don't look crisp enough.  Don't listen to them.  Just slip on your mask for the night and become something else for a while.

How to Get Your Student Loan Forgiven

If you're any kind of recent graduate, chances are you're up to your neck in loans and debt.  It's ok though!  There might be some light at the end of the tunnel.  It's not perfect, but there are options.  some agencies of the government offer alternatives.  You have to meet their qualifications, but it's worth a shot.  Now, know that it isn't a get out of jail free card, but it is a chance to lessen your monetary burden.  Let's explore these forgiveness options!

1.  The School Source

Talk to your school first, especially if you went to a prestigious college.  Those schools don't want a reputation for causing their alumni to go into debt.  Chances are your college will have some sort of program, or at least information on programs to help you relieve your debt.  If you're still in school, then try to secure scholarships and grants.  Just be persistent and keep fighting the good fight.  Something will come through eventually.

2.  Check Your Eligibility

If you're pursuing other debt forgiveness alternatives, make sure that you're pursuing programs along your eligibility requirements.  If you're pulling in a fortune at your new job, you're not likely to earn debt forgiveness so easily.  Think about your finances and credit history.  It's possible you can use your degree.  Some loan programs allow you some leniency in exchange for medical service.  Make sure to explore all your options!

3.  Be the Little Engine

Tell yourself that you think you can.  The power of positive thought is what's going to get you through your rough time.  If you see a chance, shoot for it.  you fail 100% of the time if you don't put in effort.  Apply for all grants and loans, apply for all programs that can help you, just apply for everything.  Take the time to write meaningful petitions.  You need to put in the effort equal to the debt you're trying to wipe away.  It's not easy, but it's a worthy cause.

4.  Money Talks

Keep in contact with whoever is in charge of your loan.  Be it a private bank or a government institution, they basically have control of you.  Stay informed and up to date on the institutions, and any new laws passed regarding student debt.  This is a rising issue, and the spotlight is on it frequently.  By staying in contact with your lenders, you may learn of a new program or out from your situation.  Never give up hope and keep your nose to the grindstone.

The Strangest Things About Going Home Again

We're never far away from the things we love in the modern era.  Technology has made it so that even if you live on the opposite side of the world, you can reach your loved ones with a phone call or email, and you can fly to them in a matter of hours.  This is especially true of family.  People no longer have to worry as much about leaving behind parents or family since it's so easy to stay in touch.  Still, if you ever go back to your hometown, no matter how much you've stayed in contact, there's always going to be something strange and different from when you left.

1.  Proportions

Quick, think of your self image.  How do you see yourself?  If you could draw a picture, what would it look like?  That's important, because when you return home, everything seems smaller.  The shelves in your old house are lower, the hill you used to bike over is no longer a mammoth expedition, and everyone you used to know seems to have lost a couple of inches.  YOu might have gotten taller, yes, but that's not all of it.  You see yourself as something when you leave home, and when you come back, you've just grown as a person.

2.  The New Normal

How long do you think it takes for a routine to change?  When did you stop brushing your teeth 3 times a day?  When did you go from a slob to a 2 mile a day runner?  Can you pinpoint an exact day and date?  Changes happen gradually, and without constant observation of the changing processes, the changes that happen over time can seem jarring.  IT seems blink of an eye because there's always something else going on in life.  From a month to a decade, if you ever go back, it won't be the same place as when you left.

3.  Gone, Baby, Gone

As you grow up, you navigate your environment by landscapes.  Distance and street names don't matter after a while, you go entirely by milestones in your area.  The corner store, the library, the school, the pizza place.  Staples of guidance and internal cartography.  So it's a shock when you come back, and find that all your guideposts are gone or different.  The corner store is now a yoga studio.  The pool hall you loved as a kid is now a 7/11.  The town you knew is now just a memory.

4.  Here to stay

There is a shiny mirror to the absent places, however.  Some places in your life never seem to change.  We all have a store or restaurant that we love, and never seems to go out of business, despite how much or how little business it actually gets.  t may get a paint job or some new faces, but it's the same burger and fries you ate as a kid.  The catch is, even if the recipes haven't changed, or they still make great hand-carved furniture, it's not the same.  The reason lies with you.  You've changed in your time away, and you don't see the same things you used to.

5.  The Outsider

The biggest thing is it isn't you going home again; it's a new you.  The longer you're away on your own, the more you shape your world around you.  It's not the same world you built as part of your family, it's not the same world you share with your friends, it's not the same world that anyone else lives in.  It's entirely within you.  So when you take the world you've spent so much time shaping and living in and bring it to the new version of the world you used to know, there's a clash.  It causes a sort of shift in plates, and it's hard to find the same sturdy footing.

6.  Dawn of the Next Day

There's a very bright side to all of this.  Your world building never stops.  You and your world are ever-changing.  If you take the life you've built and transplant it, it's going to grow roots.  No amount of change or growing pains can ever extinguish something as exciting as a new adventure.  There's the cliche phrase of home is where the heart is, so if you believe that, take your heart with you.  It's not like you only have so much love or passion to give to a place or a way of life.  If you find yourself in a strange new version of your old home, then embrace the strange.

How to Practice Being Batman for Halloween

Superheroes are still a hit.  Since their invention, everyone has always loved them.  Batman is at the forefront, thanks to his winning media combination.  He's had at least one running series since the 1940s.  His most recent movie franchise is a bajillion dollar earner at the box office.  He's set to be played by Ben Affleck in a team up movie with Superman.  Naturally, Batman is also a popular Halloween costume.  Here are some tips for getting into character so you're dressed as Batman, and not just a nut in spandex.

1.  Be Sneaky

Batman attacks the wicked and cowardly world of crime through use of stealth.  To practice this before getting your costume, wrap yourself up in a blanket.  Then, silently stalk your friends in their homes.  If you get caught, you need to practice harder.  An explanation of simply being Batman should be enough to answer any questions concerned peers might have.  It's the best if you're able to catch someone in a bad act, like drinking milk from the container or cheating on their diet.  Soon, you will blend into the night.

2.  Be Righteous

Batman is an avatar of justice.  Before Halloween rolls around, make sure to fight crime at home.  Start small.  If you see someone littering, make sure to throw miniature boomerangs at them until they've learned their lesson.  Any arguments with your particular sense of good & evil should not matter.  Batman is unwavering in his vision, and so are you.  Some things don't translate from comics to real life, however.  Make sure not to leave tied up criminals in front of the police station, because that means their case doesn't count in real courts of law.

3.  Act Rich

Since Batman is actually billionaire orphan Bruce Wayne, he has an extravagant lifestyle beneath the mask.  To emulate this, make sure to max out your credit cards on nice suits and possibly sports cars.  Your diet leading up to Halloween should consist of caviar and white wine.  If you can, attend some galas and receptions.  Whatever you don't spend on luxuries should be given to charities to act as a tax shelter.  & of course, tell no one that you're secretly a huge vigilante hero.

4.  Have a Sidekick

This one is easy.  Find your friend who isn't ready for Halloween yet; everybody has one.  Then, adopt them into your Bat-cause and tell them that they are now your ward.  If they protest, repeatedly assure them that this is for the greater good.  Give them a costume that's brighter than yours, so that in the event of trouble, eyes are drawn to them first.  This allows you to escape and possibly stage a rescue.  Then, take the time to reform their behaviors until they act just like you.  Your sidekick will thank you later.

5.  Have Villains

Batman wouldn't be a super hero without super villains.  All it takes is a little motivation on your part to turn your enemies into villains.  Find someone you disagree with prior to Halloween.  Then, make sure to challenge them directly while calling them a nickname based on personal appearance.  If possible, give them an outfit that emphasizes their major flaw, so the new nickname you've given them is even more obvious.  Soon, the constant opposition and hate will serve to keep you in character as Batman.  You'll be in Halloween shape in no time!

Get Rich Quick: 6 Tips to Help You Save Money

Money is a vital need.  People will do anything and everything to get it.  It's intoxicating and one of those things that will make someone change their nature in order to get it.  Once you get it, the problem then becomes holding on to it.  As fun as money is to have, it's much more fun to spend it.  When you're not looking, it  will just up and vanish.  The key to being successful is being able to balance your acquisition of funding with the spending of it to get the things that you want.  The line between practical and luxury is on you don't want to cross lightly.

1.  Have a Steady Income

The most important idea is to have money coming in.  It's all well and good to pursue a passion project or to spend your days living a carefree lifestyle.  However, you need a steady income to support those lifestyles. Even if you hate it, working part time at a menial job is better than not working at all.  Even if you don't like your job, putting more time and effort into it assures you have an income source that acts as a safety cushion for your life and lets you do what you want.

2.  Budget

If you have a steady income, then you can work on a budget.  Ideally you want to be taking in more money than you're spending.  If you're spending more, having a budget will help you assess which area are costing you the most, and you can work to lower the speed my which you're running through your treasury.  You can budget on a daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly basis.  Strict money management is a good habit which has a ripple effect on other management skills in your life.

 3.  Get a Better Job

This one isn't something everyone can do.  The job market is and and has always been unfair and cut throat.  That isn't a reason you can't keep looking though.  Make sure to be performing well at your job, and always keeping an ear to the ground for opportunities.  If you have the chance to advance in the world, don't be afraid to take it.  Extra money doesn't solve every problem, but it does make it easier to deal with unforeseen circumstances.  Always go after the position you want.

4.  Food

Stop eating out so much!  Restaurants are expensive.  You're not just paying for the food, you're paying the salaries of everyone working there as well.  There are so many choices for things to eat at home, and cooking isn't as hard as it seems at first.  With just a little bit of planning, you can buy he right things when you're out shopping.  With those right things, you can prepare meals at home that can last you a few days, and save you money by keeping you from going out.

5.  Maintenance

If you own a car or any other piece of technology, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Regular maintenance on your car can prevent future wear and tear that leads to very expensive problems in the long run.  Even if you don't know the first thing about cars, the internet is full of articles and video guides on how to fix most any problem.  Computers and related items are the same way.  By doing regular scans and checks, you can stop future problems from existing.

6.  Credit

Credit cards are the great temptation.  They seem like free money, but they come back to haunt you later on.  Don't necessarily get rid of your credit cards, but do set strict parameters on when you're going to use them.  Have one for buying expensive new things like a TV or furniture.  Have one for emergency use only.  Don't use it every chance you get.  Reckless spending is guaranteed to bite you in the future.  You need to keep a close eye on your wallet and make thought-out decisions.