Underage Drinking in High School

Underage Drinking in High Schools
by: Brandon Mitchell

Why is it that those who are not allowed to drink actually drink the most? This is the question many school officials and government officers have tried to figure out. Underage drinking in high schools has been a problem for many years, and will continue for many more unless something is done. The United States says that a citizen is not allowed to drink until their 21st birthday, but this law is disobeyed every day. A survey from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health states, “In 2006, more than one in four persons aged 12 to 20 in the United States, or about 10.8 million persons, drank alcohol in the past month.” A Connecticut School Health Survey conducted in 2005 states “more than half of 12th graders, or 59 percent, said they had used alcohol during the month, along with 48 percent of 11th graders, 42 percent of 10th graders and 35 percent of 9th graders” (Silverman). As shown by the statistics, this problem is getting out of control. Yet, before you can solve any problem, you must be able to discern the root of the problem. Three particular motivations serve as an impetus for underage drinking: the need to act out that rebellious nature that is inherent in all teenagers, the need to escape reality, and the need to fit in socially.

When you were young and your mother said that you could not get into the cabinets, what was the first thing you did? You probably made it a point to sneak into that cabinet. You knew your actions went against what an authority figure dictated, but your curiosity outweighed any loyalty you previously had. Yearning is described as “a tender or urgent longing” (Merriam-Webster) which implies that the desired act is prohibited. In understanding this psychological precept, we may also understand why so many American high school students engage in underage drinking. In making it illegal to consume alcohol under the age of 21, we have created this forbidden aura that naturally causes those who are forbidden to drink it to want it even more. When you are told over and over again by parents, school officials, police, or anyone else that you are not allowed to have something, then you wonder why you are not allowed to have it. The student’s mentality naturally is to wonder why the substance is forbidden in the first place. The students have heard from their friends that drinking is a lot of fun and it does not harm you, but adults just make it that this is something that is life threatening and could potentially ruin their lives. The need to experiment and figure things out by oneself is endemic to the process of becoming an adult, thus entailing that alcohol consumption is naturally associated with establishing ones individuality.

While the forbidden aura associated with alcohol is one reason so many high school students engage in underage drinking, another plausible cause is the need to escape reality. Just being a student in high school can be complicated which can make it difficult mentally to handle for an inexperienced student. Learning to deal with problems as you begin entering into real life can be a difficult process, and for some, it can seem practically impossible. So how does a high school student deal with the feeling? For some, alcohol is the easiest way to cope with the problems typically associated with high school; it is an easy way out. Most teens tend to take the easy route to solve the problems when other methods should be implemented. “Alcohol use disorders have been linked to psychiatric illness such as depression and anxiety, resulting in a potential ‘self-medication’ phenomenon” (Deas, and Clark 679-680). As the quote above states, alcohol becomes the medication that the student consumes in order to temporarily maneuver around the problem(s) facing them. Instead of dealing with their problems head on, many students result to alcohol because it alters their reality by changing their perception.

So what problems can a student have that would cause them to drink alcohol? Well, a few examples of issues that high school students may face which would possibly result to the consumption of alcohol include but are not limited to: problems at home, abuse, peer pressure, low grades, and self-esteem. High school students think that when they consume alcohol they will magically escape reality when in fact alcohol only temporarily sets aside the problem at hand while simultaneously endangering the students.

Yet, while some students use alcohol to cope with stress others use it as a bonding tool. What is a party without a keg or a refrigerator full of Bud Light? Some high school students would answer this question by saying that it is not a party at all. Alcohol becomes necessary at parties as it allows for a sense of unity. Thus, many high school parties are centered on the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol creates a more relaxed environment allowing the students to have fun and bond. Who wants to go outside and play football or play the newest video game sober when you can do it even more relaxed while drunk? This is the philosophy of students who want to fit in or want to have the reputation as a “partier.” Some students only drink at parties to fit in with their peers. When you are at a party and you do not drink, people begin to questions your “coolness” or “reputation.” You start to drink because you do not want to be labeled as the chicken who is scared to drink a small sip of beer. On the other hand, the growing mind of another student may say that since everyone else is doing it, then it is okay if he or she does it. In their mind it becomes okay to drink thus allowing them to drink alcohol because everyone else is doing it. No one wants to be the individual that never gets invited to any of the parties. So what started out as a temporary aid for socialization can potentially result in becoming an alcoholic.

Some may argue that underage drinking is not the ramification of various psychological phenomena but more simply linked to taste buds. Is it so difficult to believe that some students are consuming alcohol simply because they like the taste? A student does not necessarily have to engage in underage drinking due to a psychological defect but simply because it is a pleasurable experience. In the end, this explanation does not explain why someone would result to alcohol consumption in the beginning; the need to act out, the need to escape reality, and the need to be accepted, better explain why students engage in underage drinking.

The problem of underage high school drinking can trace its roots to many motivations. For some, alcohol is the easiest way to maneuver around difficult situations. For others, drinking is more of a manifestation of their inner teen. And even still for some, drinking is merely a way of fitting in. Ultimately though, all three motivations fail to take in account the future and solely consider the present implications. What started out as a drinking game with two friends or as just one bottle to sooth the nerves before a test quickly spirals into an addiction. Underage high school drinking is a serious problem that can have serious consequences. If a high school student anticipating a scholarship gets caught drinking, everything they would have worked for have become futile. The student then sacrifices thousands of dollars and a hopeful future for a $2.50 bottle of Bud Light and an ephemeral happiness.

Work Cited

"Underage Alcohol Use: Where Do Young People Drink?." National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 28 Aug 2008. The NSDUH Report, 20 Oct 2009. .

"Yearning." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 20
October 2009

Silverman, Fran "A Different Kind of Student Exam." New York Times 30 Mar. 2008: 1.
Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 20 Oct. 2009.

Deas, Debra Dr., and Andrew Dr. Clark. "Youth Binge Drinking: Progress Made and Remaining Challenges." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 48.7 (2009): 679-680. 20 Oct 2009.

Analog Games vs. Digital Games

From the day when the computer was first invented, there have been many changes that the world that can’t be reversed. When the computer was invented it was just a new invention but it wasn’t known for a few years. My guess is that people thought that it was amazing but they most likely didn’t believe that they would become a dependant source for the future.

My opinion of analog versus digital is unbiased. I personally prefer whichever one is better or makes life easier. Not because I am lazy just because it will give me more time to do something else. When I think about the comparison of analog to digital, I think about games. I remember when I was young I always played card games like solitaire and euchre because they were fun and amusing. Well, now many people have stopped playing the “analog” version of card games and play them on the Internet with the rest of the world. I cannot say that I have not done this but I still love the social aspect of the “analog” card playing.

Video games have evolved a revolutionary amount ranging from the original Atari to the newest XBOX 360 or Playstation 3 (http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050523/console_timeline/). In today’s society, people would rather have the digital games that are played on the television or should I say, the 72” high definition, plasma television. I play the XBOX 360 all the time so I am not going to be hypocritical but I sometimes prefer the analog aspect of video games because you get more of a personal appeal compared to digital where it is more fun but you lose a lot of social interaction. I read a quote once from a Christian book that was comparing objects and it said something along the lines that when the television was first invented, people thought that it was going to fade away in six months or less. Well, they were more than just wrong in that aspect.

Early Morning SRSC Visit

I want to start off by saying I love the movie Rocky because it is a story of a man who becomes a professional boxer because he has the dedication to win and be the greatest. He had to train everyday to become the best both mentally and physically. Rocky went through vigorous exercises to gain his strength and will to survive in the boxing world. In reference to that statement, I had a flashback of my own on September 1, 2009, when I walked up the stairs to the Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC) which is about a block north of my residence hall, Ashton. I remember the scene at the end of the movie where Rocky runs up the many stairs to where the monument was located. As I was walking up the long stairs of the SRSC I felt that I was doing the exact same thing that Rocky did but without everyone following me; well there was another guy but I don’t think he was there for me though. During orientation, we were given a tour of the facility and I remember them saying it was paid for solely by parking tickets alone. To my amazement, I could see how this was possible because my first day on campus, I received a parking fine because a parking officer told me I could park somewhere that I really couldn’t.

To start off with, when I entered into the SRSC, I was once again amazed by the enormous size of the facility. I looked to my left and I saw an Olympic size swimming pool which instantly reminded me of the Michael Phelps and his eight gold medals. I began walking down the hallway where I was checked in using my student ID. Remembering my days from orientation, I proceeded up the staircase directly to the right of which the check-in counter was located. For nine months out of every year 12 years, I had to get up early for school not only because I was forced due to the educational laws, but because I wanted to. So as I was walking up the staircase at 9:00 am, I was very tired and not fully functioning to the point that I had to grab the stair railing because I almost lost my balance. You could see the treadmills from the top of the stairs so I proceeded in that direction. One thing that I had forgotten was that you had to sign-up to be able to use the treadmills but since it was pretty early in the morning, it had slipped my mind. So, I ran on the treadmill for a mile, and then a girl came and told me that she had signed-up for that half-hour block. I just didn’t understand that why she waited so long to tell me since I was about 10 minutes into her time block.

Secondly, when I was kicked off the treadmill, I decided I would go ahead and lift some weights since that is one of my favorite things to do. This is one of my favorite hobbies because I use to be overweight and as a result of my unhappiness with my body, I decided to lose 80 pounds in 6 months. I stopped regular soda pop cold turkey one day and I have not had one for a complete year now and it was probably one of the best things that I have ever done. While I was working out and losing all the weight, I joined a gym to help the weight loss process. The weight equipment at the gym I attended was very nice and made me want to work out all the time. I would go to the gym at 5:00 am in the morning and go back when I got off work around 9:00 pm. So the equipment at the SRSC reminded me of my old gym and really made it feel like home.

To sum it up, the SRSC won my heart over when I first walked up those long stairs during my two days of orientation but the fact that it is free to all students won me over the most. My walk up the long flight of stairs and the early morning tiredness was all worth it when I got the satisfaction of working out; making it feel like home away from home. I look forward to many trips to the SRSC because I love to workout but I also saw that they have a Wii that is available to be played while you relax.

Thoughts on Informatics

I think that informatics is the study of computer with the human interaction. There is not a set definition as to what truly stands for because it involves many different aspects of the computer field. Informatics deals with the relationship between the users and the creators. What does that mean? Well, if you own a dental company and the dentist says he wants a certain application to be on the On-line Registration Form, then with the knowledge of informatics, you will be able to see if it is possible or not. With the knowledge of informatics you will be able to go to the programmers and tell them what they need to do. Since you know whats possible and not, then the programmer cannot tell you something that isn't true. For instance, if the programmer says that its going to take a month to build the website, then you will know that isn't true giving you the option to negotiate it.

When the knowledge of informatics, not only will you be able to work with society in a business approach, but you will also have an understanding as to what is possible and not because you will have experience in the field. Informatics uses its resources to make everyday technology better like the medical field, biology, sports, and many other field that are growing everyday. Informatics is what combines the human interaction with the virtual reaction. This is a very essential part of the computer field because society wants things to be easy and wants it done here-and-now but a lot of times, it just isn't possible. You can say something along the lines that it can be done a certain way now, then as technology grows we can incorporate what you want at the moment.

Virus Galore

A lot of people have some knowledge to what a computer virus is but they have a very limited amount on the subject. I think this is something that many people need to know about and they should read this to better protect themselves because I am going to go in depth about them and how to prevent them as best as possible.

To start off, a computer virus is like the flu. It enters into your body without your permission and sometimes with your permission. A computer virus can enter your computer through an Internet website that you didn’t know contained it, and the flu can enter your body from walking by someone. The other method is that you may bring it on yourself when you open an attachment in your email which will load the virus into your computer. You can get the flu by going to a country that has been established of being flu-like. Viruses can spread from computer to computer in some form of an executive code. Most viruses have an extension of .exe which executes code that set several functions into motion. For instance, when someone clicks an executive file that is a malicious, the program can run for hours and even days recording every keystroke that you type which makes everything you do on the computer at risk. So if you have a virus, it has the potential to copy your passwords, bank account information, emails, and anything else that you do. A virus is also referred to as malware, adware, and spyware.

Viruses can be transferred from any removable device like a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or even the most common, a USB drive. When someone thinks of computer worms or Trojan horses, they think it is a virus and it is technically different. These are more of a computer worm infection which can exploit security vulnerabilities which spread itself to other computer without needing to be transferred as a part of a host. But a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but has a hidden agenda that can cause much damage to the computer.

A virus can attach itself to an actual software program that is legitimate. So when the program that you think is safe is run, it will start the virus. For the virus to replicate itself, it must be permitted to execute the code and write it to the memory which is done by clicking on an executable program. So how do these viruses hide themselves so we cannot just see them on our desktop or in one of our Document folders? Well the virus can attach itself the unused areas of the executive program; this is called a cavity virus. Some of the examples of cavity viruses are the CIH Virus or the Chernobyl virus. The name alone says that they cannot be a good thing. Sometimes when you go to the task manager by clicking “Ctrl + Alt + Del” you can see the process that is running on your computer at that moment. Well, a virus can avoids being detected by killing the task that is attacking. People who create viruses try to make sure that they are never found. Many viruses use stealth technology which trys to trick the anti-virus program by intercepting its request to the operating system. So it hides itself by intercepting the anti-virus software’s request to read the file and passing the request to the virus, instead of the operating system.

The best way to get rid of a virus is to do a system restore which restores the registry and critical system files to a previous checkpoint. Many people think that just because they restart the computer when a problem happens that it will fix it and this is in no manner true. The system restore feature saves the files to a separate partition on your hard drive so when you can load the operating system from a different part of the hard drive that doesn’t contain the virus. But like I have said earlier, many people develop viruses that make it difficult to get rid of like the “CiaDoor” virus. This virus will disable important tools and resources like the Task Manager and the command prompt. The only way that you can fix this problem, is just to reinstall the operating system. It reformats the operating system hard drive partition and installs everything back to the way when it was purchased. It is like a brand new computer then. This method is guaranteed to remove and viruses, spyware, and malware. But the con to this is having to reload the software programs, reconfiguring everything, and restoring the users preferences.

Here are some really good virus programs. This information is taken from here:

• Norton Internet Security 2009

Symantec's antivirus products have historically always provided excellent detection and removal of malware. On the downside, that protection came at the price of often crippling system performance. That's now a thing of the past. Performance overhauls are the hallmark of Norton Internet Security 2009, which features 'pulse updates' to deliver more frequent and thus smaller signature updates, whitelisting to streamline scan times, and a lighter, sleeker footprint that installs in mere minutes.

• Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition Premium

AntiVir is a consistent leader in independent antivirus tests. Avira's AntiVir PersonalEdition Premium is a low-impact, easy to use virus scanner that also the ability to make an antivirus rescue CD for your system. Also includes WebGuard to protect against malicious or compromised websites. Five euros of each purchase is automatically donated to the Auerbach Foundation, a non-profit that supports various charity and community-related services. AntiVir PersonalEdition Premium should be used in conjunction with a firewall.

• McAfee VirusScan Plus

McAfee VirusScan Plus is an ideal candidate for those seeking an antivirus/firewall combination without all the bloat of traditional Internet security suites. McAfee VirusScan Plus makes an easy job of removing adware and spyware, something not all antivirus products deliver. SiteAdvisor service is including, helping to guard against malicious websites.

• Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal offers excellent antivirus protection, perhaps unsurpassed in its ability to unpack and scan compressed files - something that trips up a lot of other vendors. Should be used in conjunction with a firewall.

• Panda Antivirus Pro 2009

Panda Antivirus Pro 2009 combines antivirus, antispyware, antiphishing and a firewall with its highly touted behavior-based TruPrevent Technology. License covers use on up to three computers and includes free tech support via email (telephone support options are also available).

• BitDefender Antivirus Plus

Softwin's BitDefender Professional protects against viruses, spyware, and instant messaging threats, as well as offering firewall rules to block undesirable traffic and a privacy gateway to keep your identity and preferences private while surfing the Internet

• Eset Nod32

Nod32 features a small footprint, low performance hit, and fast scan speeds, providing focused virus protection ideal for gamers or those with an older PC. Should be used in conjunction with a firewall.

• AVG Anti-Malware

AVG Anti-Malware combines traditional virus protection with adware and spyware scanning, in a low impact footprint ideal for resource-strained PCs or those who just want the best performance possible out of their computers. Free tech support is available via email and the standard license includes two years of protection. Should be used in conjunction with a firewall.

• G Data AntiVirusKit (AVK)

AntiVirusKit (AVK) provides a double layer of protection, bundling two of the best antivirus engines - Kaspersky and BitDefender - under a single, easy-to-use console. You'll want to bolster G Data's AVK with a firewall.

• F-PROT Antivirus

F-PROT Antivirus for Windows offers a feature that's increasingly harder to find - it includes a command-line scanner that can be used to create a rescue CD for scanning the system in Safe Mode. This is a particularly effective way to remove stubborn resuscitators. Firewall not included.

Those are some really good programs but I use Trend Micro PC-Cillin and I think it is the best. It finds the viruses very quickly and removes them without slowing down the computer.

If you have any questions then please send me a comment or email.

Tip of the Day: Customize Internet Explorer Title Bar

I love to personalize my computer and make it my own and this is a great way to do it.

When you go to yahoo.com you the title bar will say “Yahoo – Windows Internet Explore” You can change the text from “Windows Internet Explore” to whatever you like. Example: “Sam’s Internet.” Complete the following steps to see how you can personalize your Internet Explorer title bar:

1. Close all Internet Explore windows open
2. Click “Start”
3. Click “Run”
4. Type “regedit”
5. Expand the HKEY_CURRENT_USER” folder
6. Expand the “Software” folder
7. Expand the “Microsoft” folder
8. Expand the “Internet Explore” folder
9. Expand the “Main” folder
10. On the right hand side find the “Window Title” (if it is not there then refer to the “If file is not there” section below)
11. Right click the “Window Title” folder
12. Click “Modify”
13. In the box type what you would like to see in the Internet browser (as explained above)
14. Click “Ok”
15. Open your Internet browser. See that the name has changed from “Microsoft Internet Explorer” to what you just put.

If file is not there:

1. Do steps 1-9 from above
2. Click “Edit”
3. Click “New”
4. Click “String Value”
5. Name the file “Window Title”
6. Right click the file you just made
7. Click “Modify”
8. In the box type what you would like to see in the Internet browser (as explained above, example: Tom’s Internet)
9. Click “Ok”
10. Open your Internet browser. See that the name has changed from “Microsoft Internet Explorer” to what you just put.

If you have anu questions then please send me a message or an email. I am not responsible if you make a mistake. Just follow the directions verbatim and it will work great.

Tip of the Day: PC Shutdown Prank

Do you like to pull pranks on your family or friends? Well this prank shutdowns the conputer when they click on the shortcut that you created. Do the following steps to complete this prank:

1. On the desktop screen right click it and click “New”
2. Click “Add Shortcut”
3. You will have a pop-up box that says to enter in the location of the shortcut. In the “Type the location of the item:” box type “shutdown -s -t 0”
4. Click “Next”
5. You will have another box pop-up box that says, “Type a name for the shortcut” you can type any name that you want. (To make this a really good prank, type in something that the user uses a lot like “Internet Explore” or “Recycle Bin”. Don’t forget to hide the original file somewhere where you can find it later.)
6. The Icon goes to your desktop so right click the Icon and click “Properties”
7. Click “Change Icon”
8. Click “Ok”
9. If you are making an actual shutdown button the choose the Icon with a box around it with an “I” in the middle with a circle around it. If you are going to make it good pranks then choose the Icon that cooresponds with the application you are switching it to (either it is Internet Explore [the “e” Icon], Recycle Bin [the trashcan with the two arrows pointing at each other], etc…)
10. Click “Ok” when you have choosen the Icon that you want to use
11. Click “Apply”
12. Click “Ok”

Now you have created a shutdown button. Once you have pulled this prank off, let the person know and if you have moved any of the files please put them back. Note: Do not put this file in the start-up folder because everytime you turn on your computer it will shutdown automatically.

I have many more computer pranks if you are interested. :)

Tip of the Day: Prevent Hacking Credit Card Number And Password

How easy is to hack Credit card numbers and passwords? You may not want to hear this but it is actually very easy. A best protection may be your firewall or antivirus but they may fail to stop it. Someone will always find a way around it so the security will always have to be increased. So how can people steal my personal information if I am on Internet Explorer? Well, when you copy something by using Ctrl + C then this is copied data stored in clipboard. Clipboard is accessible from the net by JavaScript’s and ASP (Active Server Pages). Do the following to see how this is possible:

1. Open “Notepad”
2. Type something like “Credit Card Number: 1234567891234567”
3. Select the text and hit Crl+C
4. Open you Internet browser and type “http://www.sourcecodesworld.com/special/clipboard.asp”
5. Click “Install”
6. Look at the page. It shows you the text that you copied.

How to prevent your clipboard from being shared with the Internet:

1. Click “Tools”
2. Click “Internet Options”
3. Click the “Security” tab
4. Click “Custom Level”
5. If you have Internet Explorer 5 scroll down and find “Allow paste operations via script”. Click the “disable” radio button. If you have Internet Explorer 7 Click “Tools” then “Internet Options” click the “Security” tab. Click “Custom Level”. Scroll down and find “Allow Programmatic clipboard access” click the “disable” radio button under it.
6. Click “Ok”
7. Click “Yes”
8. Click “Ok”

Now anything that you copy will not be able to go on the Internet automatically.

Internet theft is a major crime in the world today and scammers make millions of dollars doing this. You can help stop them by doing the steps that I have listed above.

If you have any questions then please send me a message or an email.

Keeping Up Appearances

Today I think that more people worry about how they look clothing wise rather than how they truly feel. People worry more about how others look at them rather than how they look at themselves. It seems that more people worry about the clothing they wear on backs or the shoes on their feet than how they want their own image to be. Many people want others to see them for their looks and not there character. Society seems to have transformed from a society of inner character to physical beauty. You see all these people walking down Main Street with these $5,000 purses or these $800 pants that you buy at a shop in Florida.

I do not care what shirt I wear, or what shoes I put on that day. I buy cheap shoes because when I step outside they will get just as dirty as a $250 pair of Jordan’s. I am able to save a lot of money because I cut my own hair or have a family member do it because it’s fun and it saves a lot of money. I can but a pair of hair clippers for $10 at Wal-mart and get many haircuts out of it rather than spending $15 or so every time I go to the barbershop. I do not need the expensive haircut because my hair grows really fast and I do not care that it was not “professionally” done. If someone asks me, “Who cut your hair,” then I will gladly say, “My fiancé or my dad did it.” It does not bother me not having the latest haircut or the newest fashion. I look at it as, if you do not like me for me, then you shouldn’t like me at all. I do not want people to like me because the shirt I am wearing or the shoes I have on, but the fact that I am a good person with a great personality.

I was talking to my fiancé about a certain topic just to see what result would come out of it. I asked her if the first time I meet her I drove up a dump truck, would she still love me the same. I wanted to see if it really matters what you drive or what you wear that makes a person love someone. She replied saying that she would still love me the same way. I feel you shouldn’t mask who you really are by having clothing to make people like you. I am the type of person who puts himself out there and has a great time all the time. It does not bother me that I do not have the latest fashion sense because I know I do not need it to make a person like me. Sometimes I am against make-up because I feel you are trying to cover yourself up. I honestly feel that a person is much more beautiful without make-up because when they hide the face that God gave them.

I see a lot of girls getting their finger and toe nails painted and made all pretty because they want the guys to notice them. They spend around $30 to get their nails done then the guy that they want doesn’t notice them because they are just trying too hard. Personally, one of the reasons I am with my fiancé because to some extent she really doesn’t care what she wears or how she is looked at. Sometimes she wears make-up and I tell her that she doesn’t need it because I feel she is even more beautiful without it. When a person hides who they truly are behind some expensive fabric, then the real truth will come out later. When you are deep into the relationship, the couple tends to drift apart because the other person isn’t who they really thought they were in the beginning. The fabric was there temporary happiness but in the long run it doesn’t help.

My personal final thought:

You don’t need the expensive clothes or the fancy shoes. They will go bad just as quickly as a $5 shirt from Kmart. Don’t hide who you truly are and don’t be afraid to be yourself. You will be much happier in the long run. The reason I know this is because I am living proof. I wear what I want to wear; not because I am trying to impress anyone. You should like the person for them and not for their clothing. I know people who wear the nicest clothing but are the biggest jerks in the world. Be and wear what you really are and not what others want you to wear. Break the chain and be yourself.

Procrastination

I know that many people procrastinate and think that it's okay but in reality it just comes down to laziness. I do it a lot but more than not I am a person who gets things done now and play later. For instance, when I am in school, I hurry up and get the class work done while everyone else is there talking and playing around. Well, when I am working, they laugh at me for doing the work. But, tomorrow morning when they do not have the work done because they didn't do it for homework, then they don't feel all that smart. While I can be at home playing and doing whatever I want and not have to worry about the work.

Based on some figures, it is estimated that as much as 95 % of the people are prone to procrastination. Amongst them, 20 % of them are chronic procrastinators. These people have an increasing chance of losing their jobs, have financial problems and have serious problems with their relationship with others.

Another great instance that happened a lot in my senior year was students and college applications and scholarships. I knew so many people who could have made it to college if only they would have done an application that would have taken maybe 30 minutes away from the XBOX time. This can be a really big issue when it comes to financial aid. Many of the aid is based on a first come first serve basis. If you are at home playing video games instead of filling out forms, then you will most likely be losing thousand and thousands of dollars. I knew a guy who almost had a full-ride to college but failed to send in a couple forms that could have secured his college career but was just to lazy to do it. So his couple hours of XBOX a day cost him probably around $75,000 or so. So if you do not procrastinate and you just do what's needed, then while everyone is having fun you can actually enjoy yourself without worrying about that book report or about that extra homework assessment. Many teens have a problem whit this but when you are able to prevent it and do whats needed to get the job done, then you will be a better person which will include being more responsible, organized, and even better self-esteem.

My thoughts say that you should work now and play later. Do all your studying now and get it out of the way so that you can watch television and play games. When your parents tell you to do something, then you should do it. Otherwise, if you don't, they will be mad at you and who knows what will happen from then on out. If you get it done when they ask, then you don't have to worry about it anymore and they will be happy.

While doing some research on Procrastination I found a Creed that many people live by but shouldn't because in the long run, it will not lead you anywhere. These are some of the things that I found:

1. I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.
   
   
2. I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.
   
   
3. I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.
   
   
4. I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them.
   
   
5. I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.
   
   
6. I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given.
   
   
7. I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though infinitesimally small, is not exactly zero.
   
   
8. If at first I don't succeed, there is always next year.
   
   
9. I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to change my mind.
   
   
10. I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it.
    
    
11. I obey the law of inverse excuses which demands that the greater the task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior to beginning the greater task.
    
    
12. I know that the work cycle is not plan-start-finish, but is wait-plan-plan.
    
    
13. I will never put off until tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.
    
    
14. I will become a member of the ancient Order of Two-Headed Turtles (the Procrastinator's Society) if they ever get it organized.

Here are some great quotes that I found as well:

• Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. ~William James
• Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday. ~Don Marquis
• Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday. ~Author Unknown
• Every duty which is bidden to wait returns with seven fresh duties at its back. ~Charles Kingsley
• The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up. ~Author Unknown
• If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done. ~Author Unknown
• Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment. ~Robert Benchley
• There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back. ~Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
• It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in. ~Earl of Chesterfield
• The two rules of procrastination: 1) Do it today. 2) Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. ~Author Unknown
• One of the greatest labor-saving inventions of today is tomorrow. ~Vincent T. Foss
• You may delay, but time will not. ~Benjamin Franklin
• Someday is not a day of the week. ~Author Unknown
• To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing. ~Eva Young
• Don't fool yourself that important things can be put off till tomorrow; they can be put off forever, or not at all. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
• Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. ~C. Northcote Parkinson, 1958
• Procrastination is opportunity's assassin. ~Victor Kiam
• If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it. ~Olin Miller
• What may be done at any time will be done at no time. ~Scottish Proverb
• There's nothing to match curling up with a good book when there's a repair job to be done around the house. ~Joe Ryan
• Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow. ~Gerald Vaughan
• The best way to get something done is to begin. ~Author Unknown
• You know you are getting old when it takes too much effort to procrastinate. ~Author Unknown
• I do my work at the same time each day - the last minute. ~Author Unknown
• Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. ~Spanish Proverb
• The time to begin most things is ten years ago. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
• Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible. ~George Claude Lorimer
• Tomorrow is the day when idlers work, and fools reform. ~Edward Young
• Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. ~Mark Twain
• Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man. ~Jimmy Lyons
• A year from now you may wish you had started today. ~Karen Lamb
• One of these days is none of these days. ~Attributed to both Henri Tubach and H.G. Bohn
• Procrastination is the thief of time. ~Edward Young

Now that you have seen some quotes and you are thinking about trying to get better, then you can refer to a couple Bible verses that talk about procrastination:

• Proverbs 27:1 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring."
  
  
• Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
  
  
• 1 Thessalonians 5:2 "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."

So get off the XBOX on computer and get some work done so you will feel good about playing around later and not regretting it tomorrow.

Tip of the Day #3: Quick PC Startup

I know that I get really tired of a slow computer and if it is slow, I want to take it and throw it out of the nearest window. I expect my computers to be fast and at my disposal. It just becomes a need and a demand at times. Like when you want to get on the Internet really fast because your in a hurry but can't, then you wish it was faster.

Well, this is a quick and easy tip for a quick bootup and faster running PC. Are you tired of your computer taking so long to startup? Everyone wants to have a PC that starts up faster and runs better. This quick tip will help you get that done. In the taskbar in the right corner of your screen shows the process that start up when you load your computer. A lot of people have many things running so this slows down your computer. To help with this do the following:

1. Click “Start”
2. Click “Run”
3. Type in “msconfig”
4. Click the “Startup” tab
5. Deselect all the programs that you don’t want to automatically start up when you turn on you computer.
6. Click “Apply”
7. Click “Ok”
8. A dialog box will pop up asking if you want to “Restart” or “Exit without Restart”.
9. Click “Restart”
10. When you reboot your computer a dialog box (System Configuration Utility) will appear. Click the checkbox (the checkbox says that the dialog box will not appear upon restart anymore).
11. Click “Ok”

Now your computer should be faster now that you have stopped some of the programs from automatically starting up when you start your computer.

If you have any questions then please send me a message or an e-mail.

The Life of a Contour

What’s the difference between a guy who lies to you about a $2600 car and a car dealership who wants to charge $3000 to fix it?

To start off with, my first car was a 1993 Mercury Cougar that I purchased from a neighbor. The only thing that was wrong with it was that it had been slightly damaged by the owner. He had a DUI had hit a light pole. On a side note, I think one of the coolest things is the cars that have a breathalyzer test built-in. So for the car to start you have to breath into this device, then if you pass, the car will start. Else wise, you will not be able to start the car. Well, the Cougar was a pretty good car. One day I was working at Mike’s Car Wash and one of the guys had taken my car out to get some dinner for us. We would go out and get dinner then bring it back for everyone. Well the guy that I let drive it had gotten a ticket for going 123 miles per hour down Washington Street. This was way after he drove my car though. He had a 1992 or ’93 Chrysler Labaron which had the Turbo engine. I admit that it was a pretty fast car. He always talked about him racing other cars on the highway and him drifting a front-wheel drive car which is actually pretty hard. Well, when he got back from getting food, he said that my car drifted nicely. It had been a rainy day so I didn’t thinking it would be to hard but why was he drifting in someone else’s car. At the end of the shift, I went to my car and started it, put it into drive, and drove off. I tried to stop at the stoplight but couldn’t because I had no breaks. So, I had to slowly apply the parking brake to make the car stop. This wasn’t a shock to me because my godfather’s car had busted fuel lines once so it had happened before but my car didn’t have just busted fuel lines. It needed a new master cylinder and everything else that are required for brakes. I was so frustrated because this guy had cost me over $500. I asked him about it and he denied drifting, he said he was joking around. It worked perfectly when got to work but suddenly didn’t when I left work.

Besides that, it was a pretty good car because it was a tank almost. So for a first car, it wasn’t the worst experience as the car I purchased after that. I am not a big fan of Ford cars because they tend to break a lot. I know the acronym of Ford spelled backwards, “Drivers Return on Foot” or “Fixed or Returned Daily.” Well, I had used my Cougar to travel to work pretty much every day and one of my jobs was 15 miles away from my house. So I put a lot of wear on the car. Over about a year use of the car, the drivers’ side door was starting to sag. Like I said earlier, the car was like a tank so everything in the car was heavy. My godfather and I were pretty creative when it comes to fixing things for pretty cheap. You will see a pretty good example as you read more. We couldn’t find anything as a cheap fix because the door was not built like most doors were. Its hinges were built differently and couldn’t be replaced unless you spend $300 per door. The car was so old that it would be a dumb idea in my opinion to get it fixed. So to close the door from the outside you had to hold the bottom panel of the door and having to push up. I had to put a bolt that added more tension to it so that when I pushed up on it, it would tear off the entire door panel. This worked for maybe a week then I decided to sell it. I listed it on Craigslist and it was sold within 2 weeks which made me very happy.

I then started looking for a different car. I wanted one that was newer and had better features like gas mileage and four doors. I found a 1999 Ford Contour that was listed for $2600. I knew that I would have to come up with $1100 myself because I only got $1500 from selling the Cougar which was a really good deal for me since I only paid $1000 for it but I had put a lot of electronics and sound system in it. I love to customize my cars but putting in lights, sound systems, alarms, remote starters, lighted windshield washer fluid sprayers, and whatever else I can find that would look cool. Anyways, I had looked at a lot of cars on Craigslist but I saw the Contour and liked it because it had a great paint job, it got 29 miles per gallon according to Kelly Blue Book, and it had a very nice CD player. I decided to call the guy in which he was really weird sounding so I was suspicious but I was desperate for a car so my godfather and I decided to meet the guy on the Westside of Indianapolis. We meet at a Marsh where we saw the car with the guy driving it. We meet him and he seemed very weird and like on the tips of his toes. I took the car on a test drive and it drove very nicely and the brakes word very well, so we went ahead and purchased it from him. So the guy who sold us the car drove it to the BMV so we could get it plated so we could drive it home. He didn’t really want to do it, but we weren’t going to buy the car unless he did it. We wouldn’t be allowed to drive it on the plates that were already there because they weren’t ours. Well, we got the licensing process all taken care of then we went home. Since my godfather had been driving for many years and had a lot of experience with them, he drove the car home just to check to see if there was anything wrong with it. When we got home he said that it drove very nicely and that it seemed as if it were a very nice car.

So I the next day I was so happy that I had a new car so I took it to work. We had a Christmas party so we stayed till about midnight. Well, it was snowing and sleeting and I couldn’t get my car to start. I thought that it was the battery at first but it wasn’t. So my godfather had to come get me at midnight which was not very fun for him. Somehow, he got the car started and drove it home while I trailed behind him because I didn’t want something to happen and he be stranded and the roads were very dangerous. So we made it home safely and we slept until 7am the next day and we took it to a different mechanic that was pretty close to our house because our normal mechanic was overloaded with customers. We dropped it off so and they had it to us by the end of the day when they called us back and said it was ready to be picked up and that it would cost around $680 or so. After we picked up the car and drove it home, we thought that it was good to go after just a thermostat fix. Well, it wasn’t because the very next day it wouldn’t start. We took it back to them because it was under warranty and they had like a six month guarantee on their work. I like it when the people who are working on your car call you to let you know the status of your car and you don’t have to call them to get information. They put a lot of new parts in the car while trying to figure out what was wrong with it. Time flew by for what seemed liked weeks without having a car; actually it was 3.5 weeks until they knew exactly what was wrong with it. They said that it had been the head gasket needed replacing and that it would cost around $3200 or so to fix it and that if I wanted a new engine it was going to be around $4300 or so. Well, to have the head gasket fixed was almost like repaying for the car again. That was too much so we called our other mechanic and he said that he had time to look at it. While this had happened I regretted not taking it to him and having him do an inspection for $70. That would have saved so much money and stress on my behalf. The mechanics that we normally go to looked at the car and gave about the same estimate as the mechanics who took weeks to figure out the problem. With them, you don’t pay unless he does actual work. When we went and saw the car, he had the engine torn apart and it looked like a pile of junk. We told him not to fix it or anything and that we would probably just find a new car. Once the car got started, it ran fine. It just took about 10 minutes to get it running at times.

I called every junk yard in Indianapolis asking how much they would give me for the car and everyone said around $200 or so. I was going to do this so I wouldn’t be “skunked” over the transaction. My godfather told me not to sell it just yet because he had a plan in mind that might be a temporary fix. The next day after his fix, I went to start the car and to my amusement, it actually started. This was a total shock because I have never gotten it to start right off the bat. He is always very good at getting things to work because he was in college for 7 years and was very intelligent at electronics and life advice. Well, about 6 months of my car working perfectly, dooms day for my car had come when we were in South Bend, Indiana. My fiancé had a foreign exchange student who was going on vacation with his parents before returning to Holland after being in the United States for a year. Her parents took him to the airport which is about 50 miles away from her house. I was upstairs then I went downstairs to get a blanket or something and I saw my cell phone blinking because I was getting a call. It was my fiancés father so I answered it and he said that he needed me to do a big favor for them. His foreign exchange student had forgotten a bad of luggage and he needed me to bring it to them. So I got into my car and drove to the airport. I was about a block away from the airport and my car died. I got panicked so I turned the key again and got it running. I knew that I was very short on time before their train was departing so I rushed to where they were. I got to the airport and parked my car and ran to the train where they were departing. I got back into my car thinking what could be wrong with it. To my amazement, it wouldn’t start. I knew what the original problem had been so my fiancés parents took me to AutoZone where we purchased a liquid fix like my godfather had put into my car. We went too returned to the airport where my car was and put the liquid in it praying it would work. It needed time for it to start working so we went to breakfast at Crackle Barrel then returned once again. My car still didn’t start so my fiancés father went to the booth where you pay your dues for parking in the lot. They called a tow-truck to come get my car and they took it to their shop. They people at the booth said that they were a pretty cheap shop and did very good work.

They took it to the shop and we followed behind then. When we got to the shop they took my information and told me that they would get back to me with a quote and tell me when to pick it up. I got a call the very next day saying that the head gasket was fixed and it was going to be around $1500 to fix. This was most definitely the cheapest deal that I had seen from anyone so I told them to go ahead and do it. They had to send the head to a machine shop to get it sawed down to make it fit properly because it was so warped. So after about a week I got another call from them asking if I wanted to pay an additional $700 to get new parts so they wouldn’t have to put the old ones back on. Like they took off the timing chain and a bunch of old things and it would have been pointless to put old things on a new engine. So we decided to go ahead and get it all fixed it. They said that it should last about 96,000 miles. I hope that that’s not the car I still have but to get my money out of it, it might not be that bad of an idea.

So I have been wondering why in this world is everything about making the “quick buck?” Why do you have to take advantage of someone else especially at their own expense? If he would have told me that it didn’t work, then of course I wouldn’t have purchased the car, but why didn’t he just get it fixed. Why did he have to tell me that there was something wrong with it from the start? He knew it was bad because when I called him about it he said it did have a lot of troubles starting it but never told me that. Why does society try to do whatever it takes to make the sell even if they know that what they are selling is wrong or doesn’t function properly? I see the commercials on the television where the dealer is trying to sell the car without a CarFax report but is trying to negotiate it so that he doesn’t have to face the truth about what’s really wrong with the car. That is not a fictional thing, it happens every day, and it is not a great experience especially when it comes out of your own pocket. I have learned from this experience that you shouldn’t just jump at the first thing that you see. You should always do your research and get things checked out. I wish that I would have paid the $70 to get the car looked at rather than paying double for the car.

Question: Why doesn’t society have enough respect to say to themselves,” what I am doing or about to do is wrong?” I am not going to sell them this without telling them what really wrong, and then having them decide if they still want to proceed.

Why Is Young Marriage So Wrong?

Many of you know that I am engaged at the age of 18. I am smart enough to know that I am making a great decision. Many people fall in love at a young age and I think that it is a great thing. I feel that I am lucky because I didn't have to spend half my life looking for the one I want to spend the remaining of my life with. I have her young so we can have a long, happy life together. I feel that you know the one you want to marry after a couple years at the max. I have known my fiance' for more than 2 years. We were really good friends until we started dating. She lived 187 miles away from me but she dated one of my friends. I have been told that she talked about me more than my friend whom she was dating. We talked all the time and I knew she would be someone I would love to have as a life partner but she was dating someone and I was not going to interfere with that.

I have noticed a lot something that really offends me. Why is it that every time someone introduces me as Molly's fiance', they start questioning everything. They ask many questions like "Why are you doing it so young" and "Are you sure this is something that you want to do?" It tends to bother me that people cannot accept the fact that young people can fall in love and live a very happy life. The older generations make it seem as if when you fall in love young you will break-up and not be happy. I 100% disagree with that totally.

Just to make sure that we have made the right decision, we have decided to have a very long engagement just to make sure this is what we want to do. I have no doubt whatsoever that we are making the right decision. You know in your heart who you want to spend the rest of your life with when you meet them. I know there are going to be many hurdles and complexities but those only make the relationship stronger. We will both be in college when we fulfill our promise. I feel that getting married in college can be beneficial and does not mean that we are going to give up an education and future goals. It just means that we are going to share them with each other. We support one another in everything that we do. We both want to experience what the other does. For instance, Molly is an amazing singer and loves to be in musicals. So, I have watched some that she did in school and I joined a band with her church just so I could be close to her and to do the things that she loves.

Well, I am very good at doing many trades. I love to fix cars and install alarm system as well as many different electronics. Molly wants to watch me and learn how to do it but it is difficult for her because she has no experience and drive for this but its okay. I think its a very fun feeling being able to teach your significant other how to do things that you love and know how to do. I also love being able to try something completely new that neither one of us have done before. I think the experience is a greater one because there is no "competition" per say. I have done a lot of research on the Internet and I have read on several websites that people who are married actually ten to do better in school. I always thought that when I got to college I would live the life of a partier. I thought that I would go to the parties and try to find a girl that would match me. I know that this is a very dangerous game but I no longer have to worry about that. When you are committed to one person, I think you are a lot more healthy in your thinking and the fact that you ability to say no to a party. I do not need to party or do anything like that. I would rather spend the time that I would have wasted at a party with the girl I am spending the rest of my life with. We are building our future rather than building a beer-pong table. I am so happy that I have all I need in life now.

I have the feeling that if the point of marriage is to support each other along the journey, getting married young isn't such a bad idea. I know I am going to support her in everything and I know that she is there to support me in my dreams and passions. So pretty much you don't want to do this for yourself, but for your special someone who is rooting for you as well. In the back of my mind, I always know that having Molly by my side means she is committed to going through life with me, and having her by my side can form a very stable environment for marriage.

If any of my reasons were because to get away from parents, pregnancy, or fear of losing one another, then I would not have asked her. In my opinion, marriage should be a "want to" and not a "have to" feeling. I have the "want to" attitude without any doubts in my mind. I know that there are many responsibilities in a marriage, especially when you are young. I don't think that the older generations can accept the fact that some kids can actually take care of themselves and handle responsibilities. I know some responsibilities could include financial issues, where to live, jobs, grocery shopping, bills, cooking, cleaning, continuing our educations, and communication which is the most important to me.

I have learned that marriage is one of the most important commitments that someone can make during their lifetime especially when you are young. If you are considering making such a commitment, it is important to think about the type of commitment that you will be making with the person you plan to marry. I have made a marriage covenant rather than a marriage contract. The marriage covenant is a commitment made in the presence of God, and is valid until death. It is a commitment that is irrevocable and does not depend on the performance of either spouse. A marriage contract on the other hand is a commitment made in the presence of a legal authority, and is valid until the contract is broken. It is a commitment that is kept until one spouse, or both, fails to perform according to the contract. I feel that marriage should not be so much a legal contract but a contract with God. I hope that this is not coming across the wrong way but I feel that when I marry Molly, I am not doing it for legal purposes. I am doing it because I want to spend the rest of my life with her and I love her with every beat of my heart. We are going to have her father who is a pastor join our lives together making us one. The marriage covenant is a great principle because when the spouses' spiritual, emotional and physical relationships with each other are all strong, and each spouse's relationship with God is strong, the marriage is strong and balanced.

I have made just a few personal commitments to Molly that I will commit myself to live everyday with:

• I will never ever want to or even consider being with anyone else. I will have the commitment to you and I will never break that. There is no one else in this world that I would rather be with.
  
  
• I will never curse you out or say the phrase, "I Hate You" or "I regret this" or "If only I were single" or anything that derives the premises that I don't want to be with you. I will not even joke about it.
  
  
• I will never put you in harm's way. I will do everything in my power to make sure you are protected even if that means doing things that are drastic. If taking my own life in a situation saves yours, then I would do it in a heartbeat. I will protect you, our kids, family,
  and most importantly, I WILL PROTECT OUR RELATIONSHIP!
  
  
• I promise never to go to bed angry. If it means that I have to stay up all night then I will do it. If you are tired and I am not, and we have not come to a conclusion and I am angry then, I will not sleep until we come to a decision. Every night we go to bed mad or angry is like going to bed hating one another because they are all bad thoughts again when we wake up.
  
  
• I promises to accept the differences that we will have. We will not always agree on everything but I promise to look at all options and TOGETHER we will make the right one. I promise not to be selfish and to look at everything from your point of view as well as mine and maybe others. That together we will make a decision that may not be the right one but we made it together.
  
  
• I promise to always support your dreams and do everything in my power to help fulfill them. I want you to complete everything that you set your mind to and I promise I will be right next to your side rooting you on. I will be the one who will clap before anyone else starts to. I will be your stronghold and you support beam.
  
  
• I promise that I will not make everything my one or just one sided. I will include you in everything I do. If you have an idea on how to do something better then I will come with an open mind and an open heart. That is what a marriage is about, two people working together driven by the divine of love. That is what I believe and I want you to be as involved in something as I am in. I do not care what other people think about us or how we are perceived. My love you for is perfect and no one will ever change that. I want us to work as one and to love as one. To love one another no matter what.
  
  
• I promise when you are sick I will be right there by your beside. I will take care of you and I will make you feel better. If it means I have to do a happy dance then so be it. I will be there by your bedside until you get better. If I get the call that you're not well, then I will leave work no matter the situation and come home to take care of you. I will bring you breakfast-in-bed even if it is just McDonald's. I will take care of you no matter what the sacrifice. If we are unable to pay the bills for the hospital, then I will sell our cars or whatever is needed to make sure you and our kids are healthy.
  
  
• I promise to admit fault if I do something wrong. I promise I will man-up and make it right. I am not always right but I will make it right if I was in the wrong.

I definitely, without a doubt know what I am going to be getting into and I am ready to spend my life with the one I love. I have heard to phrase, "Age isn't anything but a number." I wish this were as real as its said. I found a good article that was adopted by D. James Kennedy that points out The Ten Commitments for Marriage. I have read through everyone of them and I agree and with commit myself to all of these. I know what Gods plans for me are and I know the include me spending my life with Molly. The Ten Commitments are:

1. "Thou shalt have no other human being before your husband or your wife." No other human being should come before your mate - no one, neither father nor mother, son nor daughter, brother nor sister, friend nor acquaintance.
   
   
2. "Thou shalt put no thing before your husband or wife." You should put no thing between each other. No house should ever come before your spouse. Whether house, car, pleasure, money, or fame - nothing."
   
   
3. "Thou shalt not belittle, criticize or faultfinding, but rather encourage your spouse in all ways." Since God's Word teaches us to make no idols, it follows that we are to honor each other's name. Honor each other and seek to put each other first above any other person on earth.
   
   
4. "Thou shalt remember her/his day, to keep it special." Set time aside for the two of you so you may not grow apart but even closer. Your spouse and your children are worthy of your time and your undivided attention.
   
   
5. "Thou shalt give honor not only to your father and mother, but to those who become your father-in-law and mother-in-law." As you two become one, you marry into another family. Wise is the husband or wife who does not take it upon himself or herself to find fault with those who are related to their spouse.
   
   
6. "Thou shalt not destroy the spirit within your spouse." Husbands, do not destroy your bride's dreams and hopes for the future which she now places in your hands. Most of man's earthly happiness depends upon his wife. Most assuredly God will bless a man in this life, yet John Wesley discovered that, regardless of a noble cause, a woman can make a man most miserable. Wife, covenant that you will not be such a person. Both of you must honor and build up the person hood of the other.
   
   
7. "Thou shalt give your passions only to each other, not to another." You should not give away your passions to another in word, in thought, or in deed. This person beside whom you stand on your wedding day is to be your lover as well as your helpmate and your best friend.
   
   
8. "Husband, steal not from your wife that which is her privilege to give. Wife, receive what he gives to you with gratitude". The spirit of gratitude can greatly can greatly bless a home. If your minds are filled with thoughts of gratitude, and if you look on that which you do have and not that which you do not have, you will be blessed.
   
   
9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness to each other." Be honest with each other. Dishonesty and an unwillingness to talk through differences build a silent wall which is not easily dismantled. The real self, then, refuses to be disclosed, and a couple may gradually begin to drift apart.
   
   
10. "Thou shalt not seek greener pastures, whether they be those things physical or material." Do no engage in selfish fantasies. Be content with the one whom God has given to you, and God will bless your lives together.

I think, well, I know that every marriage should be based on the commitments listed above. I am going to try my hardest with the help of God to fulfill these commitments and be the best husband that I can be. I hope that his has somewhat proved that a young marriage isn't a bad thing and I hope it might have proved older generations that a young person might just know what he/she is talking about. We are not as stupid as some see us.

If you have any questions or concerns, then please leave a comment or send me a message.

-Brandon

Tip of the Day #2: Blogger.com on Facebook?

Welcome to the Tip of the Day #2. Many people use Facebook or Myspace to network with there friend and family. I think that Facebook is the best networking site that I have ever seen. When I had a Myspace, I was told to get a Facebook but I was very reluctant to do it. I thought, "What could be better than Myspace?" I guess I was just to lazy to sign-up but I am very glad that I did. So whats the Tip of the Day? Well I love using blogger.com but my audience is pretty small so how could I encoporate it into Facebook so the rest of my friends and family can see them? Well, I did some research and I figured out how to do it. The only bad perk about this in my opinion is that if they post a comment from Facebook, it does not show up on blogger.com. I really wish that it did but it is still nice that it post to Facebook automatically.This is otherwise known as adding your Blog Feed to Facebook. So how do you do it? Here's how:

1. Go to the Dashboard on Blogger
2. Click "Settings" under the Manage Blog title
3. Click the "Site Feed" link that's located about half-way across the page
4. Click "FeedBurner" under the text box that sits next to the bold text saying "Post Feed Redirect URL."
5. Completing step 4 will send you to a google page to sign in, so enter your password
6. In the text box under the bold text "Burn a feed right this instant" type the name of your Blogger address. (Note: If you do not know your address it can be found by going back to the Dashboard on Blogger and clicking the "View Blog" link which is right above the Settings link that you completed in Step 2. Hit the "F6" button at the top of your keyboard then hit "Ctrl + C" which copies the address. Then when you get back to the FeedBurner web page click in the text box and hit "Ctrl + V" which will paste the address in the box.)
7. Click the "Next" button which is just right of the text box
8. Click the "Next" button again when you are redirected to the next page (Note: This page just Identifies the type of feed that you want to use because your blog contains other feeds types. Make sure that the radio box that contains "Atom" is selected
9. Click the "Next" button on the bottom left of the table
10. The top of the page should say in bold letters "Congrats! Your FeedBurner feed is now live. Want to dress it up a little?" Then under it you will see a web address in big blue letters. You need to select this text and copy it by hitting "Ctrl + C" or right-clicking and clicking "copy"
11. You can now close this window because your feed is set-up. Go back to the Dashboard on Blogger
12. Click "Settings" under the Manage Blog title
13. Click the "Site Feed" link that's located about half-way across the page
14. Click inside the text box which is right of the bold text "Post Feed Redirect URL"
15. Paste the address in this box by right-clicking and clicking "Paste" or by hitting "Ctrl + V"
16. Click the bright orange "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the page
17. Go to Facebook.com and sign into your profile
18. Click the "Applications" tab at the very bottom-left of the page
19. Click "Notes"
20. Click the "My Notes" link with is next to the bold text "My Friends' Notes" at the top-left of the page
21. Click the "Import a blog" link under the "Notes Settings" title
22. In the text box next to "web URL" paste the address of your feed. (Notes: If you haven't copied anything you can simply paste the text by right-clicking and clicking "Paste" or by hitting "Ctrl + V")
23. Click the "Check box"
24. Click the "Start Importing" button at the page
25. Your Done

Whenever you post a blog on Blogger, then it will automatically create a Note on Facebook. Sometimes it takes some time but it will post sooner or later. If you have any questions then feel free to send me a comment or message.

God Does Community Service

I feel that everyone should contribute somehow to society by donating a little of there precious time. So instead of sitting on the couch watching reruns of Cops or Most Amazing Videos all day, maybe I should be out doing something in the community. Community service is a great way to build self-esteem and just makes you feel better knowing that you have done something that's good. The earth is a beautiful place that is slowly diminishing and becoming polluted.

In Genesis One, God commands Adam to rule the earth and subdue it. God placed man in a position of responsibility over the earth. Inherent in that responsibility is the need to care for the earth. Also, in the Jewish law, God ordered that every 7th year the land be allowed to be unplowed or unplanted so that the soil could recover. I just think that through out the Bible, God speaks of the glory of creation and man should treasure the earth the way God does. The Bible has many things that say you should take care of his creations. A couple verses that relate to this are:

• Genesis 2:15 - "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
  
  
• Leviticus 18: 26, 28 - "You must keep my decrees and my laws.... And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited the nations that were before you."
  
  
• Numbers 35:33-34 - You shall not pollute the land in which you live.... You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the Israelites."
  
  
• Genesis 1:28 - "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves the ground.""

So I feel that everyone, not just Christians, should be going on and doing their part to keep the greatest planet in the universe clean. If we do not take an effort to get out and help our community and our environment, then we will do exactly what God doesn't want done. We will destroy the greatest invention of all, the Earth.

What if you out in my community and help when you are able but you have talents to help in other means? What does that mean? Well, when you are not out in the community volunteering, you could be doing more acts from your own home? So you are probably wondering what I mean. Here is an example, I am really good at building websites because I do it as a business and it is a passion of mine. So, I decided to build a website for my future father-in-law who is a pastor of two churches. Doing this benefits in many ways, some for myself and a lot for others. I am able to expand my knowledge and gain practice all while doing something for the church/community.

I feel that society now days require payment for everything. When you go into a store and you see a sign saying: "FREE Books" or "Buy 1 Get 1 FREE" you think to yourself, "What's the catch?" You wonder if the books are in very bad condition or you wonder how much the first item will be before you get the free one. You wonder if you will have to fill out a mail-in rebate and if you will actually get it. I have had several occasions where I filled out the mail-in rebate and never for the money so I even have my own doubts. You just doubt that it is truly free because money is everything and for some reason its not so you just wonder whats going on because its not something you see everyday making it new to you. When you see the words "Free" on a sign then you should be able to say "They are great people and I want to see what they have to offer" rather than "I wonder what's the catch. How am I going to get screwed over on this deal." I think a very bad part of society is that we are not doing enough to help non-profit agencies. There are many agencies who cannot get enough donations so they are forced to close.

This means that many people are without food, clothing, shelter,counseling, medical help, and many other services that are a necessity to people. If you can help an organization rather it be a church food pantry or The Red Cross then DO IT! You will be helping a lot of people who will be very grateful for it. If you were homeless, wouldn't you want some food or a shelter? The non-profit organizations want to succeed and do great things to help society but most require the help of volunteers and donations. An article from ezarticles.com says there there are over 43,000 Christian organizations and 25,000 of them are hiring. I know everyone needs to make money to survive but you should still find the time and be able to accept that you don't need to get paid for everything. You should volunteer for a non-profit agency. If you feel compelled and you feel God is talking to you, then start your own organization. That is a great way to please God.

So do they mention anything about helping people in the Bible? Yes! There are several verses that talk about volunteering:

• Exodus 23:5 - "If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help."
  
  
• Proverbs 19:17 - "If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord and He will repay you!"
  
  
• Romans 12:13 - "When Gods people are in need, be ready to help them."
  
  
• Galatians 6:1 - "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sun,
  you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path."

So I have given you a few verses to prove that God does talk about volunteering and helping other even if no one is looking. Even if you don't get any personal gain; which shouldn't happen because you should have gained self-esteem due to the fact that you are doing something good and God is watching. You are reaping great rewards but it may not be in a materialistic manner.

I love to help people because I know if I needed help I would want to be helped. So my words of advice is to take a hour or so out of your week and do something for the community. Rather it be picking up trash, creating a piece of artwork for the town hall, or even building a website for a non-profit organization. Do what you can when you can. You will be fullfilling God's word and he has a reward for you that will last for eternity.

Tip of the Day #1: Escaping the Slowness

There are many people who want to know more about computers but don't know where to start. I am going to start posting a tip of the day so I can help with that. If you have any questions about these tips then please leave a comment or send an e-mail.

Today's tip deals with the slowness of a computer when it comes to opening many programs. Sometimes when you open many programs like Internet Explorer with Outlook, then it will slow your computer down if you don't have enough RAM (Random Access Memory) for the OS (operaing system; Windows XP, Vista, Mac, etc...). So when your computer is freezing what do you do? By default and by nature, you just want to push the power button down until it turns off.

Well, thats an option but there its a better one than that. What you do is hit Control + Alt + Delete at the same time. This will bring up the Task Manager dialog box. This is the box that shows everything that is going on with the computer at the moment. So if something is slowing the computer down, you can end it here.

These are the steps to undue a freeze or slowness:

1. Open the Task Manager dialog box but hitting the Ctrl + Alt + Delete
   
   
2. Click the "Process" tab
   
   
3. Click the "Memory" bar which is located next to the "User Name" tab
   
   
4. Click the scroll bar and go all the way to the bottom
   
   
5. At the bottom of the box check the "Memory" column to see if there is a number that is frozen. For instance it may say this (going from right to left):
   
   > explorer.exe John 03 12,976K Windows Explorer
   > dwn.exe John 02 14,096K Desktop Window Manager
   > chrome.exe John 01 42,144K Google Chrome
   
   
6. If you know that you have Google Chrome open then look at the Chrome section. If the Memory column isn't fluxuating, then click the "End Process" button at the bottom right hand of the screen.
   
   
7. Click the "End Process" button again as a confirmation that you want to do it

You should have to do this if you have many programs open at the same time and it is really slow. Now make sure you know that if you end a process like Word, Excel, Internet, then anything you may have typed already will be lost.

Additional Tip #1: I have learned that it is a great idea to save all the time. If I am typing a document, then I always save about every few sentences. It becomes a habit to hit two buttons: Ctrl + S.

Additional Tip #2: I have had my Internet windows close when I am typing something important like this blog or an e-mail and the Internet window will close losing everything I had typed already. So to help with this I usually select all (Ctrl + A) then I copy it all (Ctrl + C). This was if something does happen, then you are protected. Always copy your text before you submit it. I have had times where I have typed something really long and when I go to send it, the server will time-out or something goes wrong with the website and I lose everything.

That concludes Tip of the Day #1: Escaping the Slowness.

Any questions? Send me a comment or e-mail.