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.

The Scariest Kind of Zombie, Magic vs. Science

Source: http://www.thenationsjournal.com/uncategorized/the-scariest-kind-of-zombie-magic-vs-science/

Zombies are all the rage.  They refuse to die, in both fictional combat and in pop culture.  The Walking Dead is still a huge hit on TV and as a comic book.  The TV show is even getting a spin off show.  Nazi Zombies is still a common fixture of Call of Duty games.  They represent the fright of the masses, and mindless mob mentality.  Zombies traditionally come in two varieties.  Magic zombies are mind controlled living or recently living beings, headed by a single magic user.  Science zombies are caused by radiation or viruses, a lesson of science gone wrong.  Which one is the scariest one?

Magic Zombies:

Magic zombies are scary because they represent the strange forces of the occult and the unknown.  They tend to come from foreign nations and places the common person wouldn’t know much about.  Utilized less commonly in recent years, magic zombie tend to represent an insidious outsider gaining control of your friends and family.  Think of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or the Manchurian Candidate.  It’s the idea of loss of control to a foreign entity that’s frightening.  Thankfully, they tend not to eat you.  If they do, it’s secondary.

They can be stopped.  While invulnerable to most harm, if you destroy the body then they are incapacitated.  Being magic, stronger magic would of course overrule their chain of command.  Taking out the leader immediately frees all the zombies under his command.  The catch is, you can’t let the leader know what your plan is.  If they catch on, then boom!  You’re zombied.  Also, if you’re cornered y a magic zombie, then you pretty much have no way of fighting back.  Since they need a magic leader, that means they are a localized but powerful threat.

Science Zombies:

These are the zombies that you, and I, and your grandmother all know.  They are nasty, mean, rotting monsters.  They have no rhyme or reason.  They just need to consume.  Many times their movies & TV shows they aren’t even given a detailed explanation.  Maybe there was a flash of light in the sky, maybe a government truck crashed, who knows.  They pop up in the worst places, like sewers, closets showers, anywhere you don’t want them to be.  They represent the unstoppable minds of the masses who don’t think, only act.  All it takes is contact to turn one of us into one of them.

Science zombies tend to be weak.  Since they are undead, and not magic, they are constantly fighting a battle for survival.  They are rotting, generally shambling, and lacking in higher brain function.  Unlike magic zombies, they have no higher goals or aspirations.  They also have the ability to spread out way further than magic zombies.  They can be defeated with damage to or separation of the head.  They can be fended off one on one, but if they bite you, you’re doomed to turn into one of them.  A cure is possible, but rare.

Verdict:

In the endless struggle between magic & science, this is a case where science wins out.  The idea of a growing boundless mass of chewing nightmares edges out the fear of losing control to a foreign body.  Both are frightening in their own right, but it’s the fear of the unknown that really drives home to scary aspects of the science zombies.  While magic is unknown, it also has to abide by magical rules.  That’s a staple in all magic fiction, like Harry Potter & Cinderella.  Science is always changing, so there are no constant rules.  That’s seen in Frankenstein & 2001, among others.  Science is the knowledge that turns ideas into real fear.

How to Acquire the Power of Attorney

Source: http://www.thenationsjournal.com/personal-finance/how-to-acquire-the-power-of-attorney/

Power of Attorney is a serious issue that needs to be discussed in times of crisis.  The receiver of Power of Attorneys is granted certain rights over a person, like the control of business issues, money, or medical decisions.  This allows for coverage of decision making in the event of tragic or unforeseen circumstances.  Getting the power of attorney can be a tricky business, and needs to be taken care of thoroughly in order to have the decisions made hold up under scrutiny.

1.  Set Boundaries

Know the kind of power you need to be granted.  There is general power of attorney, which grants the recipient powers in a variety of affairs.  Then, there’s special power of attorney.  Special power grants specific parameters, for areas of control of money, health, patents, and other such affairs.  Think long & hard before making the decision.

2.  Know Local Laws

Like most matters, laws differ in different states.  You should consult a local lawyer, city hall, or state website in order to find out the specifics of granting or getting power of attorney.  Procedures and forms differ in different states.  In the event of the the person giving up the power being unable to sign for themselves, a supervisory person like a doctor or a lawyer can usually verify the transfer of power.

3.  Paperwork

Make sure to dot the “T”s & cross the “I”s!  Paperwork is absolutely key in getting power of attorney properly transferred.  If a decision made by the one in power, and it later comes under scrutiny, it needs to be supported if it is going to stand up in court.  If you can, stay in contact with attorneys or field specialists to keep everything on the proper track.

4.  Review Carefully

If you’re able, go over your paperwork with a lawyer or a notary or any associated expert.  By using the guidance of an expert, you can use the correct wording and language.  This in turn protects you from any person or institution that would seek to challenge your claim to authority.  Use caution and precision and you’ll be in the clear.

Fantasy Sports: The New Nerdy

Source: http://www.thenationsjournal.com/uncategorized/fantasy-sports-the-new-nerdy/

Sports are the ancient challenge of wills.  Sports traditionally consist of two people or teams facing off in order to complete a goal based on a certain set of rules and regulations.  Modern sports have an additional dimension with rigorous stat tracking.  Every statistic imaginable, from performance, weather, temperament, previous matches, alignment of the stars, anything is on the table.  Fantasy sports are where players act as managers of fantasy teams made up of real athletes.  By tracking these stats with every new game, fantasy managers compete and have a season winner by the end.  This practice is notable similar to table top gaming, like Dungeons & Dragons, and to strategic game playing, like the card game Magic: The Gathering.  Fantasy sports and gaming have a lot in common.

1.  The Numbers Game

Fantasy sports are all about numbers, just like building a deck or a character.  To build a character in a tabletop game, you tend to give them points in categories like strength, dexterity, intelligence, charisma, and many of the other traits that serve to make a good adventurer.  A good deck for a card game involves powerful cards, cards to grant favorable conditions, and cards the nullify your opponent.  In fantasy sports, your stats indicate things like how many yards your athlete ran, how many strikeouts they have so far, number of touchdowns, number of injuries, successful plays, failed efforts, and so on.  Various games have different levels of complexity.

2.  The Fanbase

Every activity has its hardcore fans.  If you go to an event like Comic-Con, you’ll see all kinds of people dressed up as goblins, super heroes, popular mascots, the occasional inanimate object, and sometimes even characters from popular fan fiction.  Go to a hometown football game, and you’ll see the same kind of mentality.  People with painted faces and bodies in the colors of their team, people with trucks and children adorned in their teams logo, and some people with tattoos of favorite teams or jerseys.  Everyone needs something to believe in, with nerds and sports fans expressing their love in similar ways.

3.  The Camaraderie

Sports are team ventures, but being in a fantasy league is a competition.  You have to use what you know in order to beat your friends.  That competition exists in the living room as well.  For some, it’s a Sunday in front of the big screen, watching your key fantasy athlete go neck and neck with their rivals until they pull out a miracle victory in the last ten seconds.  For others, it’s fighting through a dungeon with the same guys you’ve hung out with for years, each one trying for more treasure, and losing your mind when you roll just the right number on the dice to unlock the rarest item in the game.  The spirit of competition brings you closer together.

4.  The Randomness

It wouldn’t be a competition without a streak of unfair occurrences.  No one wins all the time, and nothing is ever as easy as it should be.  A sports team’s season can be ruined by their star athlete twisting his ankle playing with his kid.  A bad call by a ref can knock them out of the playoffs.  It’s just unfair to anyone in a fantasy league who had what looked like a sure bet.  Likewise, a champion card game player could lose their star card, or be dealt a bad hand.  A game die could always roll terrible numbers.  It’s not a game if there’s not a chance of total unfair devastating bad luck loss.

5.  The Memories

The entire reason people play these games is for fun.  No matter what, you’re building memories.  Without any effort, anyone reading this can flash back to a time when they were up late on a Friday night with their best friends, feeling like the coolest losers on the block.  For some people it’s sitting around the computer putting the final touches in their fantasy team, ribbing their friends about their picks and trying to weasel into a trade or two.  For others, it’s staying up until 3 in the morning just to finish the game, surrounded by empty soda bottles and the sense of approaching victory.  Memories get made in competition.

Fuzzy Logic: The Unexpected Side of Living With a Cat

Source: http://www.thenationsjournal.com/health/fuzzy-logic-the-unexpected-side-of-living-with-a-cat/

Cats are just about tied with dogs for pet popularity in America.  They’re everyone’s favorite troublemakers.  Their strange and mysterious ways baffle us and endear them to us.  Dogs come with a host of predictable behaviors, like loyalty and fetching.  Cats are a stranger animal for sure.  If you’ve never lived with a cat, or been away from them for a while, you’ll notice some strange things they tend to do.  It makes you wonder just how sinister the feline population actually is.

1.  Biding Their Time

Cats are predators by nature.  They hunt, have killing claws, and sharp reflexes & teeth.  They turned these traits into something more adapted for the modern world.  Instead of stalking pray through their territory, they stalk human behavior.  They know when you’re most vulnerable.  Rest assured, if you’re sitting down to eat or relax, or are anywhere near food, that is when they’ll corner you, begging for a meal.  They take time to cherry pick your moments of weakness.

2.  Obsessive Behaviors

Cats are also neurotic.  They keep track of their belongings with obscene measurement.  They have to keep up their svelte appearance at all times.  If a new object is introduced to their environment, they tend to lose their kitty cat cool.  It might stem from them being formerly big game hunters reduced to house pets.  It might just be a personality disorder that humans perpetuate.  Either way, cats love to have things their way and stress out non stop if anything what soever is out of line from what they want.

3.  Chattiness

Cats are naturally silent creatures, usually of the night.  They only meow in the way we know in the presence of humans.  Why?  Aside from the popular theory that they are mocking us, it likely stems from them adopting our method of communication.  They see everyone in their world making funny sounds, so they do the same.  You’re not crazy for meowing back at your cat.  They love to make meows whenever they want something, like food or being let through a door.  Cats aren’t shy in making their demands clear.

4.  Other Noises

Cats aren’t always so silent, besides the meowing.  They cause a lot of racket.  On their person, there’s the sounds of them licking/grooming themselves, the sounds they make purring, and the sounds they make when mad at stuff, like a rumbling hissing noise.  They also like to play with anything they find on the ground, from milk caps to tin foil balls.  There’s always the sounds of scurrying.  Plus, they knock over anything on a shelf that they want.  They push over TVs, vases, picture frames, you name it.  Cats are contained chaos.

5.  The Fake Snake

Cats have a lot of behaviors they stole from snakes.  The standing theory is that modern domesticated cats came about in ancient Egypt.  Egypt has snakes as a natural predator, and cats took notice.  Wen a cat hisses, it’s imitating the sound of a snake.  The same for when a cat flattens its ears against its head and lays close to the floor.  The snake imitation helped to drive off unknowing predators back in its wild days, and the practice continues today.  So if you have a cat and sometimes think you see a snake, it’s one and the same creature.

6.  The Emotional Roller Coaster

Cats have a love-hate relationship with everything, especially you.  They will spend hours sleeping in your lap, only to turn and claw your leg to pieces for no reason.  The family chair may get shredded without provocation.  Two fighting cats may become best friends the next day.  Cats are just hard to read.  You never know where you stand with them, and that’s part of the fun of ownership.  Never trust a cat fully.  You have to wait for a cat to come to you if you really want to show it any affection, and that’ a perplexing case.

6 Tips to Be Good at Twitter

Source: http://www.thenationsjournal.com/tech/6-tips-to-be-good-at-twitter/

If you want to be part of the modern rat race, you have to be connected and in the know.  Twitter is a tool that lets you do just that.  It’s a frequently updated, always changing space where any and every thought can be posted.  There’s a certain tactic to it, however.  There are certain ways to use Twitter that will make it a more enriching experience for the user.

1. Follow Everyone

If you like someone, follow them!  Just search for a popular actor, or musician, or movie.  Follow follow follow!  By following everyone, you establish a network of updates and information about all of your favorite things.  You feel like a closer part of the action as you get to watch every day thoughts of things you enjoy.

2. Be Followed

Get your name out there!  Get your friends to follow you on Twitter.  If you have a lot of friends on twitter, then your network expands to be even bigger.  Twitter is like a faster, more off the cuff Facebook in that regard.  You might be surprised at the insight of some of your friends, or laugh at a silly joke they make.  It’s something that’ll help you bond.

3. Tweet Often

Twitter is underutilized if all you do is read tweets.  You have the opportunity to say things on Twitter as well.  It’s called tweeting, and it’s a great way to make statements or share ideas.  By tweeting often, you make an impression and gain fans.  If your tweets are good enough, they’ll be shared and retweeted.

4. Retweeting

Retweet!  If you see a tweet you like, you can retweet it so everyone in your network can see it.  Someday, your tweets will be retweeted as well.  Eventually, people will like the retweets enough to subscribe to the original tweeter.  That’s the way that twitter superstars gain influence and friends.

5. Use Hashtags

Hashtags are a tool Twitter uses to keep track of popular topics.  A hashtag is the symbol “#”.  By putting that symbol in front of a word or mashed together phrase, you attach it to a page dedicated to that hashtag.  In that way,if you’re interested in a narrow set of topics, you can just look at tweets dedicated to them.  Likewise, more people will see your tweets.

6.  Check Often

Twitter is a living organism!  Check multiple times a day.  People use it as a source of news during times of crisis, since it’s live and frequently updated.  Companies offer contests and prizes.  You can even hold a live conversation with one of your favorite celebrities.  Twitter is a prime example of the benefits of being in the right place at the right time.

5 Spirit Animals and What They Mean

Source: http://www.thenationsjournal.com/health/5-spirit-animals-and-what-they-mean/

In this day & age, people are awash in layers and layers of technology.  With the entire globe within our reach, people are constantly finding new things about themselves.  A popular concept among soul searchers is that of a spirit animal.  The idea of a totem from nature representing your inner spirit is an appealing one, and there are many choices in the animal kingdom.  You might find yourself wondering what your animal means, and The Nation’s Journal is here to serve as your safari guide.

1. Lion

The lion has a reputation as a king, and that’s only partially correct.  The male lion is in fact a somewhat lazy animal, sitting around all day and feeling insecure about the younger cubs in the pride.  It’s the graceful lioness that actually roams the wild, hunting and gathering food.  So, if you’re a guy with a lion spirit, you have a good reputation but could do with some more activity.  A girl with a lion spirit gets stuff done.

2. Turtle

Turtle are the stand by guys of the animal kingdom.  If animals went to animal jail, turtles would be the ones to always bail them out.  But turtles are defensive creatures, and don’t like to let anyone in.  They like to take things slow, and get to know you first.  If you have a turtle spirit, you don’t like to be spontaneous.  You prefer to sit and wait, and like to avoid hard decisions.  However, if someone calls on you, you don’t hesitate to to answer them, even if you take a while.

3. Capybara

Capybaras are a South American rodent, and the largest rodents in the world.  As such, they don’t really know what to do with themselves.  They know they’re supposed to be smaller, but can’t really do anything about it.  They also eat a lot of grass, which they find palatable, though lacking.  If you have a capybara spirit, you’re one of those people that everyone notices, but never really has something to say to.  You’re often invited to parties, but no one knows who by.

4. Shark

You know exactly what a shark is.  The perfectly evolved lean, mean, killing machine.  The underwater danger spotter.  Sharks can smell blood, and they go after it in force.  They’re the only animal that had to have a movie campaign waged against them.  If you have a shark spirit, you have rough skin (literal and metaphorical both).  You take what you want, but do so far better underwater.  You sharpen your teeth on the bones of the weak.

5. Sloth

Sloths are the globally loved couch surfers of the animal kingdom.  They are everyone’s lazy buddy who is pretty sure he’s living the life working at the pizza place and playing acoustic guitar.  Sloths don’t have anything to give, but they wouldn’t mind giving it if they did.  If you have a sloth spirit, you’re a sweetheart, and that’ll get you far.  People often finish sentences about you with “Bless your heart.”  You have a fraternity with other sloth spirits and love to go to each other’s concerts.