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.