HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

I am not one to read a lot of motivational books, not that I am not into bettering myself, but many of them set out to whip you into shape when you are whipped quite enough from your day to day life.    We all have our own stuff to deal with, but on top of it it is hard to look at the news sometimes.   Sometimes it is the actual content of what is going on in the world, and another big part of it is the sensationalism used to portray it and the inability to unplug sometimes with all of the emerging media.   It is hard to know sometimes if the world is really going to heck in a handbasket, or we are really suffering from a case of “TMI” (too much information).

Afterall, movie stars of the silver screen partied just as much as stars today, but they listened to publicists and certain parts of their life just wasn’t printed.

Life Inspirations Volume I is a book of inspirational poetry written by writer, musician, and minister Ozell Adkins.   Although it is not a “self help” book per se, the intent of the poetry is to act as inspirational letters to meditate on, consider, and to convey a message of hope and encouragement, that God’s purpose for your life is greater than any problem you may have. Many people go through times where they just want to give up, and Mr. Adkins wrote this collection when he himself was at a turning point.  His wish is to inspire people in a gentle way to “reach beyond” into the next stage of your life.

I wish Mr. Adkins the best of luck with his book.  There certainly is a need for more support and encouragement towards eachother, and it is nice to see someone that has their heart set on encouraging others.  This book was recommended to me, and I will surely be taking a closer look at it.

Training and education (for people) is something I often cover, as it is the key sometimes to gaining skills to open the door to volunteer opportunities. Of course, it also helps us qualify for higher pay to provide for our families and pets as well.

There is a nationwide directory of student loans and schools at Premierstudentloan.com. There are many different credit unions and other sources listed that specialize in Florida student loans, so you can talk to someone in your neighborhood, or at least within a reasonable drive, rather than feeling a little unsure about who is on the other end of a national toll free number. There is also a page for schools and lenders in Orlando.   You can check out some resources while you are on vacation!

When I was considering a college for the first time, the procedure involved receiving glossing brochures, and if I had further interest, I would receive a catalog worthy of a door stopper. Alternately, I was sent a video of a mythical school where all the students sat on the lawn in groups of 3-5 at all times during the day while the camera panned around the campus. Of course, no one had their back to the camera ever.

Nowadays, Kettering University has its finger on the pulse of the social networking world and the Youtube generation by releasing the Stickman videos onto the web, where they are spreading virally. With the simple, yet hip animation, the videos are a clever hook to entice students to consider traveling to Flint, Michigan of all places. (I can joke about Flint as a native Michiganian or Michigander, whichever term you prefer.)

Little may one know when the webisodes first catch their eye, that Kettering was ranked #1 in US News Best Colleges for Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. If the videos raise an eyebrow, the hard facts close the deal.

This Stickman and Stickchick episode caught my attention. The nod to playing “Star Wars” as a kid, plus many memories of using my mitten to explain where in Michigan I used to live put me in a nostalgic mood.

I have a feeling that Stickman is not just a gimmick or fad. I remember when a particular Auto Maker that I worked for at the time sent colorful brochures of trucks to children to start imprinting them with brand awareness at an early age. After all, kids like dump trucks. I bet that there will be eight year old out there who will get Kettering stuck somewhere in their mind upon seeing the cartoon and will think about studying mechanical engineering at the school in the next decade as well.

Many times, the best investment you can make is one in yourself. I am not talking about a new pair of shoes, but putting money towards taking classes to learn a new skill or tools to help you get there. To me, it seems, whenever I take time to take a class, I never can afford everything I need because I am not working in order to make the time.

CostCaptain.com is a Microsoft Authorized Educational Reseller. Therefore, the prices are reduced. For example, you can order Microsoft Office 2007 from $129.00, and a Vista upgrade starts at $89.00. To qualify for these prices, you need to be purchasing the item for a library, school, or research lab. Teachers, full or part time students, and home school educators are also qualified.

If you are planning to go back to school, your goal may be financially obtainable knowing that you can get some of your supplies at a discounted rate.