Thursday, February 21, 2013

Quick update: School and lost phone

So it turns out that univerisity courses are harder than I had originally thought! I am currently about a full unit behind on my coursework, and that includes writing a full 1000-1200 word essay on something.

Good lord.

So you may not hear much from me for the next little while, except occasional blips when I think of something witty. I will also be continually transferring posts from my old blog on an ad-hoc basis. I have been doing this here and there over the past while, but I foresee a lot more tranferral over the next few weeks, just to keep things fresh here.

I appreciate your patience, and hope that you will comment on the posts that are of interest to you!

Also, I lost my phone, so that's upsetting. I get a new one tomorrow, but it won't have any of my settings, documents, photos, or anything on it so... F$#*K!

Stay classy.

Peace, love and STUDY!

Money Stress: Part 2 - Use what you have

Yeah, remember this whole thing? Money stress? Right now, I may not be overly stressed about money personally, but there are always things that I want that I need to save up for. You too?

Maybe you are living paycheck to paycheck, and maybe you aren't. Maybe you are trying to save up for a house, or a vacation, or even just a new computer/music player/phone. If there is ever something that you are trying to accumulate more money for, there is always a way to save up that money.

Not only are there always ways, but there are also almost always ways to change so slightly that you don't sacrifice much in terms of your day-to-day life. Which is really what we're all after, right?

The main things that people, like you and me, tend to hear about when it comes to saving money are the clichés. Bring your coffee, don't buy your coffee. Bring your lunch, don't buy your lunch. And yeah, these tips are effective... but they don't apply to everyone. Each person has their own priorities and preferences for how they live their lives. I love coffee, and am lucky enough to have access to coffee at work, as much as I want, for only 10$ a month. Not everyone has this luxury. Not everyone drinks coffee.

My second big tip (my first can be found here) is to use up what you already have. If you have, like many people, extra food sitting in your freezer that you bought while it was on sale, but it isn't what you usually use... try it! Try something new, find a new recipe, and use it up. Not only do you now have more space for the usual stuff in your freezer, but you also got to try something new, and the food that you used up will not go to waste.

If you already have mascara (that isn't clumpy), why buy a new one just because it's on sale? Use up what you have first, so that less (or ideally, nothing) goes to waste. I don't know about you guys, but I HATE throwing out things I have purchased. Whether it's food, cosmetics, clothing, etc... I just hate throwing it out. Drives me crazy. Because that is, effectively, throwing your hard-earned money in the garbage.

Ew.

Use up what you already have. If you need to organize a bit, do that! It's a great way to spend your time without buying anything (I don't know about you, but I spend money when I'm bored). Then you will be able to see your things more easily, which makes it easier to use them up!

Do you have any tips or tricks for finding ways to stretch your cash? Please share them! I am always looking for new ideas and things to try!

Peace, love, and save your nickels! (Pennies are gone!)

Friday, February 1, 2013

Book Review: Neutrino by Frank Close

The first non-fiction book I've read willingly in quite some time, I went to the library in search of knowledge and specifically knowledge of science. I came across this nice little book, which was short, and was recently published (therefore has more updated information, theoretically).

The book was Neutrino, by Frank Close. A nice little book on a particle so small, it is barely bigger than a photon (light), and very difficult to detect.

Here's what the book cover looks like

Through each chapter, the explanation of where the discovery began and each of the participatory scientists was touched on and explained. The language was presented so well, so eloquently, that despite not having done any real learning in the science department in around eight years, I was able to keep up and understand the termiology and science behind the words.

It was a quick read, pulling you in through each stage of near-discovery, near-capture of the particle, and each step around the globe that this pesky little particle evaded just barely. Eighty years of research and experiments and theory was put into this particle, and it was summarized so beautifully in this book that I recommend that anyone who is interested in particles, chemistry, physics, and the discovery of new sciency things, should read the heck out of this book.

Have you read a non-fiction book willingly? Which book was it, and what did you think of it?

Share your thoughts below!

Peace, love, and neutrino!