Maggie: Are you cleaning out your own wallet response

1) This blog post was about those people who NEED to keep everything super clean. He determines that since the 1950's housewives, we have been wasting our money on artificial cleaners that we don't necessarily need very often. He talks about his old roommate who use to do laundry after one use of clothing, almost like he was running an underground laundry mat. It talks about the crazy germ people that see a doctor for every sniffle, cough or sneeze. His doctor friend says "Yes! Exposure to bacteria and viruses in the environment educates our immune systems so they will be ready to fend off attack as we go through life and encounter real pathogens. Excessive avoidance of the normal bugs in the environment may leave you more vulnerable to infection. And, there are indications that kids who grow up in pet-loving households, likely exposed to more interesting molecules early in life, have lower rates of suffering allergies and asthma. A well educated immune system is a strong immune system–bring on the mud pies!" We should all consider not being so worried about germs, that exposing ourselves to them can actually be beneficial.

2) I think this is a reasonable post. I think some people over react at the very thought of a sneeze and rush to a doctor. Everyone gets a sniffle every now and then. I know personally from serving for a few years, that I don't get sick quite as often. I think it could be related to touching things after so many different people on a daily basis. Sure wash your hands after handling food, using the restroom, etc, but there is no need to go over board and become a crazy person about it.

Kaylah's Last Exploration

 

In the blog post Getting Rich: from Zero to Hero in One blog Post, Mr. Money Mustache explains how to save half of your income and retire early.  According to the newspapers and magazines, life is hard and therefore people need to keep working hours upon hours, clipping coupons, and doing everything possible to save money for their kids' college education.  On the other hand, Mr. Money Mustache says, "Almost all of that is nonsense."  He explains that the middle-class life is an "Exploding Volcano of Wastefulness," and by accepting that, people will be able to save a lot more.  The world teaches us that we need to have all the latest fashions, such as cell phones, purses, and 70 inch plasma TVs.  By cutting all of those extra expenses out, you will be able to save over half of your monthly income, leaving you with more money to put towards your retirement fund. 

One thing that I especially liked about this blog post is that he teaches us that we need to stop focusing on what other people think/teach are happiness and start "focusing on happiness itself."  Yes, life is fun when you have all the luxuries of new clothes, jewelry, or even video games, but none of that stuff is necessary.  I also really liked how Mr. Money Mustache basically gave his readers a checklist of things to get rid of in order to start saving.  Most people don't know where to start when trying to "clean the house" and start saving, so I thought it was cool how he walked us through it.  I think that by following the steps that Mr. Money Mustache gave us, saving half of our income per month is very possible.

Umer Haider: Luxury is just another Weakness

In Mr.Money Mustache's blog post he talks about the issues with having luxurious goods. Many of us, even me want the best things, so that we can live "comfortably". People slowly start taking out loans on there credit cards in order to get something that they cannot even pay for. "When you borrow money to buy a consumable product, you are instantly teetering atop the ultimate house of cards." It is a big financial decision to borrow money for something that you don't even need, but something that you want. By borrowing, the consumer puts their financial security at risk. What if you buy a new car you, and you can't pay a bill? What happens if the economy collapses?  All of these issues can lead to you going into debt or even worse becoming homeless and on the edge of living. In his post he describes luxury as being a drug. Like any other drug you get such a good feeling that you don't want to stop. Having a nice car, might lead you to buy another one because they are just so fun. Luxury is a dangerous drug because it can put you on the streets if you can't afford it. It also makes you become too dependent on certain luxuries that if you were to go out and try to live a regular life style you couldn't. Some people have the luxury of having air conditioning. Imagine trying to live in a place that didn't have A/C! It would be extremely difficult because you have not been accustomed to it. Luxury isn't always bad, but too much of it can change your life for the worse, especially if you can't afford luxuries. I enjoyed this blog, because I will be honest I try to get things I do not need/afford. I keep eating out when I am just a broke college student living off financial aid and his parents. This is a conflict I have with myself to spend less. If I stopped spending money like I do, I might be better off in the future and not so dependent about things that I don't need.

On the bottom is a picture of a leather car with heated seats and a nice interior. Cars are one of the biggest ways Americans waste their money. There are so many other forms of transportation that may be cheaper. I mean you could get a car that may not even be as expensive as long as it runs. By buying these expensive cars that look nice you are just wasting money for the looks. Ninety percent of Americans buy cars on loans. By doing this you are making a big financial decision that could ultimately put you in debt. I know I like nice cars, but I have slowly stopped myself for wanting a new one. Debt is a scary ordeal, and can change your outlook on life completely. 

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/08/29/luxury-is-just-another-weakness/

 

 

Picture of a leather car

Nikhil Last Exploration

How to Fix a Car

1) A lot of the time getting your car fixed at a dealership or car shop can be very over priced. Most of the time you can fix your car yourself. It all starts with research, research the problem you are having with your car and there are plenty of videos out there to show you how to fix it. Once you've gotten the steps need to repair your car and the parts you can have a friend help you fix your car and you are good to go. Just follow the steps you learned from your research.

2) "There was a scary moment where I wondered if my van would be stuck in the parking lot behind his apartment building with a missing wheel forever. Then I took a deep breath and remembered that this is not the first time this procedure had been performed on Earth, and if others had done it, I could surely do it too"

3) I liked how the blog broke the steps down easily, and the motivation it gave. Just like the quote from above things won't go perfectly, but just keep working at it and eventually it'll work out. It was nicely written for normal people that don't know much about cars. The problem with the idea is sometimes the research does not work out and you are just stuck at the beginning. Like if you don't know how to search the symptoms your car is having or you get a wrong diagnosis then there is going to be problems.

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Tyler's Global Awareness

The speech that meant the most was The Revolution of Spirit speech. What really made this stand out from the rest was the fact that she directly did so much and was still fighting for it when she got the nobel prize. Her son spoke for her at the acceptance of the award, and because she was still dealing with the issues! Even though she was not there, it felt as if she was by the speech her son gave. This woman and her family are extremely caring and can be talked about as complete humanitarians and this is for many reasons but one of which is the way they accepted the award, claiming his mom would want to accept not for her but for the people still fighting and making sacrifices. "I know that if she were free today my mother would in thank you also ask you to pray that the oppressors and oppressed throw down their weapons and join together to build a nation founded on humanity in the spirit of peace" (597). This shows how she doesnt care about self achievement but more about the well being of the people of this situation. 

A country that I am concerned for is Syria. This is because of the brutality of al-Assad along with the potential to what could happen if Russia helps them prevail. Could this lead to even more Russian and communist take overs? Right now there is not much being done besides hands off assistance and isolation. Such as cutting of economics to Syria by the U.S. and its allies. 

http://endgenocide.org/conflict-areas/burma/

Shannon Sundry- Wealth Advice that Should be Obvious

Wealth Advice that Should be Obvious is basically a list of advice that seems pretty obvious to follow but surprisingly people fail to follow this advice all the time. Some of these tips include don't gamble all your money away, don't spend money on things you don't absolutely need, save your money, don't go out to eat all the time, and stock up when things are on sale. My favorite point he made was don't spend money on things you don't need. I feel that people, including myself, do this all the time, making it very difficult for them to save their money. In order to decide if you really do need something he said to consider this- "Every material object must be looked upon as a lifelong burden. Will its benefits outweigh the lifelong burden? Consider carefully.". This is important when thinking to buy something because chances are if you ask yourself if buying this object will have a huge impact on your life, the answer will most likely be no. The advice that he gives in his blog is definitely doable and is a good way to save money. Although for most people it will take some practice to follow these rules correctly. I know for myself it would be hardest to follow the rule that says don't spend money on things you don't need because I love to go shopping and buy things that I am not in need of. I posted the picture of people gambling because most likely the people in that picture are spending tons of money that they don't have to begin with.

Maggie's Reading Response and Global Awareness writing exercise

1) The Revolution of Spirit stood out the most to me. This woman had been incarcerated for 15 years and chose to give up her family to not be exiled from her country. She stood up for peace and practiced non-violence and received the Nobel Prize while being incarcerated. She says "The quest for democracy in Burma is the struggle of a people to live whole, meaningful lives as free and equal members of the world community. It is part of the unceasing human endeavor to prove that the spirit of a man can transcend the flaws of his nature." She was released from detention in 2010 and now aims to become the president of post-reform Myanmar.

2) Malaysia airlines flight 370. The plane went missing last month after what is thought to be the pilot signed off and said good night. It then went off course and still today hasn't been found. Currently they are having planes and ships and now subs going down to the Indian Ocean floor to try and pick up pings from the box before the black box runs out of battery. Nothing has been detected yet. My hope is that they will find this plane and have some information that may help the families of the passengers get some closure. We should care because these are people we are talking about, we should care about all man kind and their well being. It is our allies out there attempting to find this missing plane. America should do it's part and aiding the victims of this tragic accident.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-nothing-found-on-submarines-first-search/