Me My Own Boss

http://blogactionday.org/get_involved

As many of us prepare to be the "grown ups" of the Earth; the responsible and positively contributing members of society that will continue to further our nation and planet, we are seeing what past generations' choices have resulted in. Unfortunately in some cases the effects to their decisions haven't been pleasant. While we're seeing an increase in environmentally conscious business practices (or at least an increase in publicizing them), and an increased awareness in American homes, it's going to be our responsibility as business people, technological innovators, artists, and humans to develop and implement our own standards and solutions in business as well as life.

Alternative energy, hybrid or at least fuel efficient cars, minimized waste,  knowledge about our food and where it comes from. These are just a few of the things that  we can adapt to in our first big life decisions; our first cars, our first house. Keeping tabs on the health of yourself and your future family. We have to some extent accessible tools if not solutions to some of the nation's biggest problems. While it may be hard to change your ways of living after 50 or 60 years, at 19 or 20 it's not really that difficult to set a healthier, more beneficial standard of living that includes being conscious of your environment and how you affect it. While some may argue that high school or college students either don't make the decisions or don't have enough money for the best choices to be available, I think just educating yourself and those around you will definitely have some positive influence on the choices of who knows how many people. Blog Action Day  

Rubik's Cube World Champ

What region is strange enough to hold a rubik's cube world championship? Budapest, birthplace of the colorful, frustrating block that's sold more than 300 million units since it's creation by Hungarian architect Emo Rubik.   

The nation lucky enough to boast supreme rubik's abilities is Japan, whose Yu Nakajima took first place for a 12.46 second solve of the 3x3 cube.

Nearly 300 people felt confident enough in their skills to enter the competition. Believe it or not, the battle's been going on for 25 years. That means there are thousands of people who can accomplish in half a minute what I have never been able to do (although i did once peel off all the colored stickers and arrange them in winning order. Take THAT, Hungary).

I'll leave you with a picture of Finnland's Anssi Vanhala, who won in his category with a time of 49.33
(WARNING: feet!)
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/07/01/daily.snapshot/index.html

Can We Really Have It All?

    As young women exit college and enter the workforce, most of us are confronted with the challenges our futures hold as mothers and wives. We want to be the strong, independent, Prada- business-suit-wearing editors-in-chief/ceo/marketing genius' while juggling a perfect family and never missing a thing. Now thirty years from the third wave feminist push that led many women into offices around the country not as secretaries but as essential members, these women are looking back with some regrets. Will our fate be the same?

    The last few years have seen a new group emerge among professional women; women close to retiring, unsatisfied with the return they've received for their decades of hard work. They entered the workforce as ground breakers being faced with opportunities no other generation had seen. They're leaving it as women with  gaps in  the  history of their families and ultimately unfulfilled careers.
    These women have been documented in Women Confidential: Midlife Women Explode the Myths of Having It All. Author Barbara Moses, Ph.D explains why this feeling is common among both men and women:
     "Since the mid-'90s at least, employers have demanded more for less. Competition for rewards - money, promotions, perks - has intensified, and many men also feel their hard work has been undervalued and underappreciated,"

     Should we, the budding generation of women in business, be daunted by the tales of our mothers? These women's presence and prominence in every field has paved the way for us in careers no one would've ever dreamed off just thirty years ago. They changed an entire nation's perception on what women could and couldn't do in a relatively short period of time.  Despite any feelings of inadequate success at the expense of life at home, they've changed our social situation more than we know.

    I believe women can have it all. Maybe not by the time I retire, but by the time my daughters graduate. The advice of the former generation should be heeded; we can learn as much from their failures as from their successes. There is no perfect balance between work and home for the majority of women, but a more cooperative setting in both family (should women really have to bring in half the bread and cook dinner every night? Give and take, please) and career (80-hour work week and two or three kids? Yeah right) will lead to  great strides in the quality of life for both men and women. 

"How To Invent"

A great article getting into depth about how to think about your new inventions, and what is required of them to work. Good pointers for when you're working out your ideas : How To Invent

Living in the Mall... parking lot

Always looking for a creative way to cut living expenses? I've got a great one for you.
A group of artists have spent the past four years creating a cinder block disguised apartment in a Rhode Island mall parking lot. The cozy abode had the amenities of home, including a breakfast table and video game system. Michael Townsend was getting ready for a one year stay in his makeshift apartment when he got caught up by mall security. They must've been too busy chasing shoplifting teenagers to notice people going in and out of a strange building for four years.
On the ultimate fort building scale I give this one a 9 1/2, would've been 10 if he didn't get caught.
Seriously, who doesn't want a secret hide out?

Bloggers make a quick $10

Obopay Inc. (www.obopay.com) is offering $10 for 200+ word blog posts promoting Obopay's services. Plus you get $10 from Obopay for opening up an account with them. It's a neat service, check out the website for more info. What you have to do is write up a short description of how you use Obopay, or a creative case use for it. If interested contact memyownboss@gmail.com for details. A limited number of applicants will be selected, so hurry up!! Please include a link to your blog.

Honor System for Restaurant Patrons

For many the choice between opening a business you love and helping people from all walks of life is hard, if not impossible.
Recently there has been an influx of eateries who serve and charge on a sliding scale. Confused? You decide your portion size, and you decide the price.
For many young people or students there have been many times when you would like nothing more than to be able to afford a nice meal out with some friends. For others any meal would be a blessing. Yet for others the price of a meal means nothing to their bottom line. The owners of So All May Eat in Denver and One World Cafe in Salt Lake City took these and many others into consideration when running their restaurants. Both serve yummy organic fare to all who come in.

How does it work? Well, for those who have no money to spare, it is requested that they spend an hour helping out; sweeping, doing dishes, weeding the organic garden. For those who can pay, it's recommended you consider what your budget can spare. And for those who have more than enough, well it's through their contributions that ends are met for those who can't.

A similar business plan in New York had to be changed after so many took advantage of a free meal. It seems that in smaller towns the system works better.

Hopefully we can see some more of these ground breaking and, for me at least, uplifting forms business. Maybe you could develop the next one.

17-year-old Girl Makes $70,000 a Month Via Myspace

Ashely Qualls is a regular girl. That is if you consider regular to be an internet mogul by the time you're a junior in highschool.

Ashely is indeed living the good life. Her website, whateverlife, has earned her approx. 1 million dollars. It recieves nearly 7 million unique visitors per month, resulting in 60 million page views. Ashley is true to the entrepreneurial spirit, keeping control of her company despite offers of 1.5 million and the car of her choice.

So what does Ashely sell to make all this money? Nothing. The products are absolutely free. Page designs for myspace are yours for the picking, free of charge. The money she makes is predominantly from Google Adsense and Valueclick.

Now that she's dropped out of highschool and bought her own house, Ashely is attempting to emancipate herself to gain control of her company's finances. Courts ruled to let neither Ashley nor her parents control the money made from the company, she must appeal to gain funds outside her set budget. She only has until next summer before she turns 18, so either way she will be faced with economic freedom most of us can only dream about very shortly.

It's a testament to the oppurtunity of the internet, regarless of location, size, age, or experience.

Think Your Ideas Aren't Good Enough? Pet Rock Says Otherwise

Have you been straining to come up with an idea marketable enough to make you rich (or at least upper middle class? or well ok at least enough to buy a car? maybe a moped?)? If you're constantly putting down any inventions you've come up with, think again.

This blog is aimed towards the younger crowd but perhaps a few of you will remember the phenomenon known as the Pet Rock. Gary Dahl, inventor of the Pet Rock, raked in approximately 15 MILLION in six months back in 1975 for selling a cardboard box with, yes I'm serious, a rock it in. Oh and some fake grass which I'm sure re-creates the rock's natural habitat. How much do you think it cost to produce that? I'm guessing next to nothing.

Dahl is really a testement to good marketing. He convinced the American people that we wanted pet rocks. Not puppies, not guppies, gray pebbles. He included a manual to house train your pet. You were supposed to command your rock in the same way you do a trained animal. It eludes me still how it even became popular, maybe there was something in the water in the '70s? Weird times.

Don't Get it Twisted, Frugal is Good

Does your hand quickly retract when you pretend to go for the bill? Does your breath constantly smell like chicken top ramen? Do public fountains serve both as free showers AND extra income?

If this sounds like you, you will be able to relate with Zenhabits 50 Tips for Frugal Living.

On the other hand, if your first student MasterCard is maxed out and you own more shoes than Imelda Marcos, this will be even more beneficial for you! Learn how to cut down on impulse buying, plan things you need, and eliminate everyday expenses that add up to thousands of dollars a year.

Not only do these tips help you save money, many of them will serve to better your life in many different areas, including health and social activities. With all that extra income you can invest in stocks, put it away to gain interest, or start building your own business! Check it out.