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In an article on msnbc.com economist Andrew Oswald stated, "the hippies are having
their quiet revenge," because as it turns out more money does not equate
more happiness. Oswald like many other economists have suddenly realized that
money can't buy you happiness? In case you're wondering this really is like the
squarest kid at school suddenly discovering beer, girls and music in his 30s.
The rest of the world had worked it out already.
So then which comes first, money or happiness? In every society, at any point in time, richer people are
happier; but that in itself doesn't tell you much about the relationship
between money and happiness. Richer people, after all, tend to have high-status
jobs. They tend to have more control over their lives at work .They also have
higher expectations and will be comparing themselves to wealthier people. It's
hard to say what is really driving the results: money, status or expectations.
Some results are
predictable enough: Work is miserable, and commuting is worse. Others are not
so obvious. For instance, praying is fun, but looking after the kids is not.
Spending time with your friends is one of the most enjoyable things you can do,
but spending time with your spouse is merely OK. In fact, parents or other
relatives turn out to make more enjoyable company than the supposed love of
your life.
What is perfectly clear, though, is that socializing
with anyone except your boss makes you feel good. Sex is best of all. But what
if you are having sex with your boss? Whereof economists cannot speak, they
must remain silent.
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If you haven't heard all about the social networking website myspace.com, it's a part of the latest phase in pop culture. Boasted as being the sixth largest english speaking website, myspace has taken the internet by storm; but with every good side there's also a bad. News programs have targeted the popular site as a threat to children
and a general nuisance to the public.
So what is myspace? Its logo coins it as "a place for friends”, but it is really
a site that people 14 and over can set up an online profile that other people
can view. The site connects people through forums, schools, groups and music.
It seemsed pretty harmless, but over the past few months the site has been
getting a bad rep over people who have been misusing it. The biggest problem
regards underage adolescents.
You can’t turn on the news without hearing a story about
some controversey over this site, but who should we be pointing the finger at?
Should we blame the creators for unleashing this madness on our youth or should
we blame our children for participating? It’s a little bit of both, the problem
with the site is that you have to be 14 and older to have an account, but a
person can say they’re any age and no one would be the wiser. So you have no
idea if the person you’re talking to is 12 or 42. The only advice one can give
is if you have an underage child monitor what they’re doing on the internet,
because you never know who’s out there watching.
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It's hard out there for a Girl Scout these days. Not only has the economy
forced her to peddle a 1-ounce lighter box of cookies at the same price, two of
the varieties contain peanut butter, a product that has everyone in a
salmonella tizzy. No fear, loyal consumer of Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos -Girl
Scouts USA insists that their cookies are "not sourced from Peanut Corporation
of America, the supplier recently implicated by the FDA in their ongoing
investigation of a salmonella outbreak.” As for the boxes being a little bit
lighter this year: Girl Scouts USA reports that since 2007, flour prices are up more than 30 percent;
baking oils are up 40 to187 percent; cocoa is up 20 to 30%; transportation costs are up 30 to 40 percent,
and energy prices at the factory are up more than 60 percent. Lightening the
boxes slightly – a tactic used by many food vendors, the Girl Scouts say – will
not increase the profit of Little Brownie Bakers bakery, which is
absorbing most of the increased costs.
Craving
those cookies, and don"t know were to find them? Go to the cookie locator.
With slogans such as “imagine if we could change the world” and “cookies for
change,” the girls are adopting change as their theme for this year. The
parallel was not lost on us. SS
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Mortgage
interest rates and property prices are low, and it's a good time to purchase a
home in San Antonio. In spite of the economic downturn, our local real
estate market continues to be one of the best in the nation. You may be
surprised to find out that the first step in the purchase process should be to
meet with a loan officer (mortgage
broker) to determine the loan amount the buyer qualifies for. The mortgage
broker will shop around for low rates with various lenders, select one, and submit the application package for
preliminary approval, which can be obtained within minutes using automated
underwriting. Once
you have a property under contract, the loan
processor (who works for the mortgage broker) will begin to organize the
required documents. One important piece of the package is the property
appraisal, which helps ascertain the loan amount and down payment. The buyer
pays (about $350) for an independent appraiser
to calculate the property value. When the application package is as
complete as possible, an underwriter
(who works for the lender) will look at it in detail and approve the loan,
request more information, or deny the loan. Mortgage brokers don't necessarily
lend money; if they do, they usually sell the loan soon after it's obtained. SJMS
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