Ball State

» Flights

By China at 8:41 PM

We were talking today at work about how we can afford to take a vacation this summer. I mean summer break will be here before we know it, and I really had my sights set on a trip to Spain this summer. I have been saving up and working really hard, but with gas prices on the rise again, I just don't see how I can find any cheap international flights for the summer. I just think that with gas prices skyrocketing like this more and more people will be giving up travel to save some money. I think it will be hard to find any cheap airfares for travel at home or abroad. Driving will not be a more economical solution.

I have considered looking into discount flights or some type of package deals where the prices will be all inclusive, but I am sure that they will still cost more than in the past for the same trips. I am currently trying to figure out how to find cheap airfares and which destinations will be the cheapest to vacation in.

A friend of mine told me to check out the discount airfares on her favorite travel website, however, the cheap international flights they are offering do not go to Spain. If I can't go to Spain this summer, then I want to find a cheap relatively local destination to vacation in. Maybe I will travel Charleston, SC. That would probably be a nice vacation area. Take in the beaches and sights and sun. I know it would be a fun trip, I mean it is definitely not Spain, but it would give me a break without breaking the bank.

Many of the people I have spoken with say they will just not be taking a vacation this year. It is too expensive. I think that although that may be a more economical solution and a more logical one, I need my vacation to help me get my head together. I just don't do well if I don't get a little R and R away from the home front. When I am at home, the phone is still ringing, the bills are still arriving, and there are always things to be done. I can't get a break when I am home, so I think that if the price of gas keeps rising, I may just take a room at a local hotel just to escape.

» universities

By China at 8:11 PM

I am that student that everyone hated in high school.  I really loved to study, I also loved being social, and I didn't have to try to do either one.  I was that kid that was the class clown and the class geek at the exact same time.  If you would have met me on the street at that point, and maybe still today, you never would have guessed that I was such a smart guy.  When the time came in my senior year to look for schools to go to, I didn't even think about it.  I just went on to the school's directory and did and edu search for the top schools.  I was also a very well rounded kid so I was really unsure of what I wanted to do.  I don;t think I even thought about what I wanted to study in college until I got here.  When I looked over the listing of top universities I didn't look at it as a goal, I looked at it like it was a menu for me to choose what fit my mood because there would be no problem for me to get in to any of them, I thought.  I applied to the big ones; MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cambridge, Oxford.  I didn't even consider putting in any applications to "safety" schools that my parents had recommended.  No I went straight for the cream of the crop without thinking anything of it.  While all of my close friends were worrying about when they would get notices from their schools and which ones would accept them, I just sat back and did what I always did because there was no doubt in my mind that I would get in to a great school to study, whatever.  When the first letter finally arrived from Harvard I actually let it sit on the kitchen table for a day or two until my mother noticed it and freaked out.  She brought it to me practically in a frenzy.  I decided to humor her and just open it right there in front of her.  As I had known all along the letter was the generic sentiment about how great I am and how it is an 'opportunity of a lifetime' that I have been given by such a great school.  

» hidden cameras

By China at 3:26 PM

I wonder if there are any hidden cameras in the basement of our main school building. That's where the main student theatre space is. And so that's where all of the theatre majors practically live, and some very strange things go on down there that probably should not be caught on video. Like the night that we could not get into any of the half price restaurants after one of our shows was over because every other college student in the area was there for half price and drinks, I and so instead we bought five of the cheapest pizzas in town and a few six packs and went into the theatre in the basement. We turned on the lights (there were some colorful ones hung for the show), and blasted music through the sound system from one of our iPods, and had an impromptu pizza and beer and dance party for a few hours. Bits of clothing and shoes came off. A little beer splattered the stage. The perfect view for a spy camera.

Probably if there was any spy equipment in the basement, though, the theatre spirit would mess with it, and it wouldn't even work right anyway. They say all theatres have ghosts, and ours is certainly no exception. We have heard him in the pipes late at night. He has rearranged things and turned lights on and off in dressing rooms, and almost knocked an actor down from the cat walks. Try catching him on authority-surveillance tapes. The rumor is that he is an old basketball player who hung himself in the theatre. The basement of the building used to be a fitness center or gymnasium of some kind, before it was converted into a theatre and surrounding classrooms. A friend of mine thinks he has a special connection with the ghost - he does seem to hear it and feel its effects more than anyone else. Me, I just hope the ghost will kindly keep protecting the theatre students who like to get drunk and naked in the basement at ungodly hours from the glares and stares of unfriendly eyes.

» ticket brokers

By China at 3:19 PM

The last concert that I went to was a folk singer - actually the old lead singer of the Byrds, Roger McGuinn. My boyfriend's grandparents had won some kind of contest through one of the concert ticket brokers they use regularly and got the tickets for free. They actually would have liked to go, but they were out of town on the weekend of the concert, and so they gave us the tickets. At first my boyfriend said to me that it was "Roger McGuinn, who's some country singer, I think," and neither of us was very excited about going, but when we looked him up on YouTube and the first song that came up was "Turn, Turn, Turn," we did get a little bit pumped. We both really like folk singers and folk music, and he played not only a lot of Byrds songs, but some Bob Dylan covers and other folky tunes as well. So good job, ticket brokers and your random free tickets.

The only problem with the concert, in fact (other than a crazy aging hippie or two dancing and singing loudly in corners), was entering and, especially, exiting the concert venue itself. All the entrances and exits bottlenecked into one singe entrance/exit - the skinny hallways and stairways made us claustrophobic to the point of feeling unable to breathe. Lord knows what would have happened if there had been a fire of some kind there. The bottlenecking starts the minute you try to get down the stairways of the tall, steep seating arrangements, which all funnel into one narrow staircase. That staircase eventually splits into several hallways and exits that, once again, all funnel into that single entrance and exit that I was talking about. It took us nearly a half hour to get out of the place, which would make sense for a concert attended by five hundred people, but not for one attended by a hundred.

But we did get to hear "Turn, Turn, Turn." And the tickets were free. So - worth it

» IP telephones

By China at 4:56 PM

I was surfing the Internet the other day, looking for new technology, and stumbled upon VoIP. I wondered, "what in the world is VoIP? It doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard of!". Of course, nobody else I knew at school had heard of it, either. Not wanting to waste an opportunity to be at the forefront of some new, exciting technology at my school, I researched it.

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Using this service, you can basically talk on the phone over an internet connection versus over a phone line. What are the advantages of such a service? It eliminates aggravating phone wiring, which can clutter workspace and looks tacky. You can use this service either through a compatible computer or an IP telephones.

While everyday people can use VoIP, it is ideal for businesses as it can greatly decrease the wiring and complication of intraoffice and outside communication. Each employee can have their own line, and it is possible to see who is on the IP phones and when. And if you are concerned about you or your employees becoming competent with their ip phone, you can purchase Microsoft Response Point. It allows you to work with VoIP without spending hundreds of dollars on training and gaining expertise. It also allows you to work not only with the phone service but with email as well, streamlining business operations.

Still not convinced this is the absolute best thing to happen to telephone communication since the cordless phone? Think about it this way. If you own a business, your main goal is to decrease your costs and increase your profits, right? Of course, there are certain costs you cannot avoid, such as equipment costs and human resource costs and the like. This is a simple way to not only decrease your costs but will decrease the annoying look of telephone cords around an already cluttered workspace.

Personal users, do not be discouraged by the emphasis on business...VoIP is for you too. Imagine being able to perform all calls from your computer versus having to install a phone line in your dorm room or apartment. And I know this is a plus for college students who have gone out of state for college and thus are faced with long distance charges (especially students without cell phones). And it has voice mail capabilities that sync with your email...how much better can it get than this?

If you are looking for a way to streamline operations in your business or even in your personal life, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. In addition, it's much cheaper than conventional telephone methods. VoIP is sure to take over as a service growing in popularity in the following years. Why not be at the forefront of technology and give it a try?

» payday loan

By China at 9:39 PM

The government is trying to pass a bill that will effectively eliminate the payday loan industry, leaving many people without an alternative means of borrowing money. I used to feel that payday advances were just a legalized form of loan sharking (the illegal practice of loaning money at outrageous interest rates for short periods of time), then I realized what an important service this really is.

What if you are a person struggling to make ends meet and an unexpected expense comes up, like your car breaks down? You need to get your car repaired so that you can go to work and earn some more money. You don't have time to take a loan out at a bank, and for many that is not an option anyway due to credit problems. Sure, you could call your family members, but you don't want to have to burden them, so you get a quick cash advance, and you go on.

Many Americans are living day to day and paycheck to paycheck. In this type of situation, one unexpected event could send their lives spiraling out of control, and maybe even put a family out on the street.

It is great in theory that our government wants to protect us from the high interest rates of these loans, but where will these people get money from in their times of need. Will the closing of these places possibly land some families on the street? I just am not sure why the government finds a need to close these places. Obviously, there is a need for them based on how many people are using their services. And is it really such a bad thing, I mean so what they are making money off loaning money, isn't that called free enterprise. These companies found a need and filled it and now people are using it, so really if the people using these services don't care about the interest rate, then why does the government?

I personally think that the government should leave these businesses alone and allow them to make money and help people, especially in these hard economic times. I mean with the cost of everything going up, and more and more people getting laid off, I am sure that there will be a definite need for these payday advance places. Why not allow people to borrow money for the short term at a higher interest rate?

» Umbria villas

By China at 8:05 PM

I just had the most incredible trip of lifetime. My grandparents invited me to accompany them on a trip to Italy. Well, I really thought that we were going to go to Rome and Venice and all the typical touristy places. Then to my surprise they gave me the itinerary, and I was really wondering what I had gotten into. Sure I recognized Tuscany, but I had never heard of Umbria, Cinque Terre, or Le Marche. They said that we would be staying in some Italian villas and partly, I was thinking that my grandparents had been scammed. Part of the reason I think they invited me to come along, is that although they wanted to go to Italy, they were a little skeptical of being taken advantage of. We went however, and was I amazed!

Our first stay was in the Umbria villas. An area with beautiful waterfalls, the Tiber river and lots of trees. It was almost like staying in a National Park or something. We went for walks and saw some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen. It was like a fantasy land.

After that we went to Tuscany, with its rolling hills and beautiful countryside. They had a town called Lucca there and it was by far the most interesting thing to see. A community that was completely walled in, it was a little odd, but very unique. There were lots of old churches in this area, some that dated as far back as the 8th century. My grandfather being an architecture buff really enjoyed combing over the old structures.

Next it was off to Le Marche. The Le Marche villas were very nice and I enjoyed the area. The views were incredible; however, I truly enjoyed Umbria a little more. Le Marche was still a very beautiful landscape, but a bit redundant once we had already seen Tuscany and Umbria.

Our last stay was in the Cinque Terre Apartments. This was by far the most incredible part of our trip. Cinque Terre has a coastline along a huge ridge which overlooks the water. Our villa was close to the ridge edge and we would sit on the deck in the evenings and have cocktails and watch the sunset. We enjoyed this more than any of the other places we had stayed. I am not sure if the allure was the ridge, the water, or just the beautiful villa that we stayed in, but it was very invigorating. We had a wonderful time and I am glad that we got this special time together.

» Bill consolidators

By China at 7:46 PM

Today, I have finally paid off all my debt. When I first got out of high school, I got a job, and credit card offers started pouring in. I was young and the whole idea of getting credit cards was so cool, I just had to have them all. Well, at first everything was fine. I bought things and I paid them off right away (over 2 or 3 months) and it was working perfectly. Then I got more credit cards. Again, I was still careful and made much more than I spent, so it was all working fine. Then I decided to go back to school. I got myself in over my head and couldn't work as often, because I was in classes full time and so I was only working part time. Well, I struggled with my bills and made occasional cash advances off my cards to pay them. Then I began paying for things like Christmas and birthday gifts with my cards. Then things like fast food, and some essential items for school and work and household stuff. Well, before I knew it, my phone was ringing off the hook with people asking me for money, that I didn't have. I was really scared, and was wondering how I was going to pay for anything once I ran all the cards up to the balances.

I was in sad shape borrowing off one card to pay the other, and taking a payday loan to keep afloat until the next paycheck. Things were getting pretty sad, until a friend suggested to me bill consolidation. I was a little embarrassed that I had gotten myself into such a jam, so I delayed calling for a few weeks. I kept procrastinating, thinking to myself that there must be another way out. Finally, I couldn't take it any more, so I got all my bills together and my pay stubs and called about debt consolidation. Well, let me tell you, it was the smartest thing that I ever did.

The debt consolidators helped me reduce my monthly payments to one bill that I paid monthly. The credit card companies stopped charging me extra fees and interest and I was able to pay my bill each and every month, and finally today, I just made my last payment and am thrilled to announce to world that I am debt free! And rest assured, I won't be getting myself any credit cards again anytime soon. I want to stay debt free for a while and try just paying for what I can afford.

» aluminum siding

By China at 8:52 PM

It never occurred to me when I wanted to remodel my home that there were so many things to think of. I knew that I definitely wanted to give the exterior a whole new look and I definitely wanted to get some new windows. I know it sounds a little extravagant, but look, my granddaddy left me this house and I know that all he has ever wanted was to have the house in great shape. I still had some money left from the inheritance and figured that I may as well, invest it in my home. (Secretly, I love the way that sounds "my Home")

Well, I found a great company whose specialty is residential house aluminum siding. Now, understand that as a first time home owner, I had no idea that there were so many choices to make, even once I narrowed my choices down to just vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is by far the best investment for the $$$. The price is really reasonable, and it looks great forever. All you have to do is wash it once and year and it looks great. Anyway, I didn't have any idea how many choices of vinyl log siding there are in the world. I could choose the look. Did you know that vinyl siding comes in a style that looks like cedar shakes? I really didn't want them, I was just really surprised. Anyway, not only where there many styles to choose from, there were also a ton of color choices for the siding. Not only that, but I always thought that you paint vinyl siding, but instead the color is made right into it, so it NEVER has to be repainted.

Next I had to decide on the windows. I did not know that I could get new vinyl replacement windows for my home at such a good price. Not only did they improve the energy efficiency of my home, but the new windows can all be cleaned from the inside, completely. That's right even the ones in the upstairs! Now that is a wonderful convenience.

Well, I never knew that just changing those 2 things could make such an incredible difference in the look of my home. The whole house seems brighter now, with the new windows. The old ones seemed to just have a haze all over them that just wouldn't come off. And from the exterior with the incredible new siding and new windows, it really looks like a new home. I just love it!

» VoIP phone

By China at 8:35 PM

My roommate decided since it is her job to pay for the phone bill, she wants to change our phone service. We had a long discussion about the new service before we changed, and I really thought that to save money it was worth a try to switch to a VoIP phone. She told me about the incredible savings that this type of service would offer us over our current carrier. The savings for us would be about $100.00 per month! On the average a VoIP telephone costs about $23.00 per month, I have never had to pay a phone bill that small.

I asked her about the service and she told me that one of her friends had made the switch and that the service was just as good as her landline phone. She said the phone calls were clear and without interference and that she never had trouble getting through to anyone or had a dropped call. I really thought that the service would suffer for the incredibly low price, but she assured me this was not the case.

I wanted to find out this VoIP telephone worked, and so I looked it up and apparently the VoIP phone hooks up to your computer using your broadband connection. I found that it was quite easy to hook up, just plug a device into your computer and then plug your phone into the device. It sounded pretty simple. I was worried that it would only call other VoIP phones, but found out that it can call any other type of phone, cell phone or landline. Also, I was concerned that it would effect my ability to use the internet, that wasn't the case either. You can use your VoIP phone along with your internet, even though it uses the internet to make a connection, it doesn't stop you from going online while you are on the phone.

Well, we received our new phone service about 2 weeks ago, and granted I was a little concerned, but it is all they said it was and more. Now, we don't have to worry about who we call or what time, with asterisk. We use our phone as freely and easily as we have always been able to use our landline phone, no hassles and a great deal. If you haven't already, take this opportunity to switch and you will find what we found out, this service is one of the best deals around.

» Toronto web design

By China at 2:54 PM

A specialist web design company faces a certain dilemma when creating its own web site. The site cannot be too simple (that would indicate a lack of skill) yet it must not be so elaborate that it 'scares off' potential clients. Many web design companies either neglect their own site, or spend too much time on it.

I have checked out several of these companies, and I don't think they are thinking of the average person when they create their site. Some that are too elaborate can be difficult for the average person to navigate, and thus scare them off. For most companies, the look and ease of their website is important to their business, however, in the case of a web design company, this is probably your best advertisement. You want your site to be neat and professional. Easy to navigate is an important factor, since most people who are coming to you to design their site are probably not techies, just average people looking for a relatively average site.

For instance, I checked out a Toronto web design firm that had what I thought to be the perfect design. Right on the front page they had that they were a part of the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Excellence Program. That to me said a lot. I am not really sure what the program is, however, it gave a definite air of authority. In my mind, anyone who was certified by Microsoft must be a reputable company, well versed in computers. Therefore, if I would have to choose a company for my web design, I would have definitely chosen them. Also, they had a simple, but professionally designed web site. It was easy to use and I found the information I was looking for quickly.

This particular company offered me several different options from the low end to the high end web site design packages. It seemed that they wanted to make their services accessible to everyone. I liked this. Being that I have just started up my own business, I don't have to have all the bells and whistles in my web site. I am just looking for something simple, at a reasonable cost. This company seemed willing to do this for me, without the constant up selling that you see at many other web design companies.

When looking for a web design company, be sure that they are the company that will best meet your current needs, and never go with a company that is going to sell you a package that is way above your wants and needs.

» Murder Mystery

By China at 10:22 AM

I really wanted to surprise my Mom for her birthday, so I was trying to think of something really fun to do. My mother is one of those people who has everything. I mean literally everything. If she sees something she wants, she owns it, end of story. Taking her out was really the only way to do something special for her.

We live in Santa Monica, California, so I thought it would be great if I could find something to do in Los Angeles. After all, there is always something happening in LA. Then I got a brainstorm, my mother loves to read. Whenever, I come home she is always reading the newest, latest murder mystery novel. Sometimes, she gets so wrapped up in them that she reads into the wee hours of the morning, just to finish it. I thought what a great idea, a murder mystery party. A good friend from back home told me about a place that she had attended a few mrder mystery corporate events at, and she said it was a really fun time and that the food was great. I got in touch with her and she gave me the name and number of the place. When I contacted them I thought instead of a party, murder mystery dinners sounded like the way to go. I made us a reservation and told mom to keep the date open, that I would be taking her out for her birthday.

I didn't tell her where we were going, just that I had made a reservation to take her to dinner. She was a little miffed that I wouldn't tell her where, so she could dress appropriately, so I helped her choose a suitable outfit and we were off. When we first arrived, I don't think that she really had a clue where we were, but she quickly caught on and her face lit up. She confessed to me that she had always wanted to go to a murder mystery party.

Well, we had a great time, lots of fun for both of us. At the end of the evening, I was so thrilled that I had thought of this idea; I know it made her birthday a memorable one. We both agreed that we would have to go back again sometime, and maybe bring a group of friends with us to share in the fun.

» Vinyl siding

By China at 1:21 PM

Vinyl siding is the cheapest way to refinish an old home or add luster to a new one. Vinyl is one of the most durable materials with the exception of brick or stone, and has a long lasting new look. Just keep it clean and you are set. It will stand up to the elements without a problem.

Although vinyl siding is the best way to go and is relatively easy to install, it is better done by a professional as installing it well is not an easy task. If you allow a professional to do it then you will be protected against any installation defects. This will insure that it gets up on your home correctly and that you get the best look possible on your home.

Not only can it with stand winds of up to 110 miles per hour and all the elements you can throw at it, it also looks beautiful. It used to be that vinyl only came in earth tones and pastels, however, now it comes in over 350 different colors and tons of incredible styles, like my personal favorite cedar shakes. You can get some very interesting, unique looks with vinyl that you never could before. Now it is easy to have a nice looking home that stands out from the rest, and still have all the powerful qualities of vinyl siding.

Many people think that vinyl siding is just painted into colors, but this is not true. Vinyl is produced with the color right inside of it, so it can never wear off. It never needs to be repainted, it just needs a good washing about once a year, and yes, you can pressure wash it.

I just recently purchased a home and it really needed a face lift. I looked into all the possible options and really determined the only choice was vinyl siding. Do it once and get it done. I didn't want something that I was going to have to keep painting and fixing year after year. I really was amazed at the low cost of house siding and its incredible long lasting features. I am thrilled with my decision to purchase vinyl siding, and the look of my "new" home. By the way it was worth every penny and then some, and I loved having it installed professionally. That was definitely the best way to go.