Three-year college

Many students are in college more than four years—did you know that? A luxury we can’t afford, I am afraid, or most of us can’t.

Out here in AZ, they are considering 3-year degrees.

At least three private schools across the country are offering accelerated degrees this fall.

The two-semester schedule may be making this difficult. But online classes may be helping make it easier. The students take in-class and web class and the degree is just as high quality.

The summer job market sucks anyway.

DeVry does this—you take what they say, when they say, and in three yrs, it’s all over.

Still, this is not for everyone. Some people do better at a slower pace.

Talk to your adviser—some majors can be done in three, some not. See if you need to meet certain qualifications. Make sure the courses you need will be available when you need them. And have a plan—what if you have to repeat a class. Think ahead.

I mentioned this to my college-disdaining daughter and she didn’t dump all over it. Now I am trying to type with my fingers permanently crossed.

FAT bastard stay-cation, anyone?

Even if you’re thin, have a FAT bastard stay-cation

Cheap, broke—the bottom line is about the same. Why spend a ton on gas or get a disgusting virus on a ship when you could stay home and quaff a FAT bastard wine?

No, I didn’t even get a free bottle, so settle down.

Make a plan, FB says. Stay away from the computer—then don’t deviate.

Be a tourist in your own home town—don’t paint the house or fix things..

Instead of a hotel, hire a maid to slick up the old hut.

While the work is being done, sip a FB Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

Sage a film festival—DVD-style, of course.

Check out a local day spa—for a massage and annointing, followed by wine, natch.

At the end of your stay-cation, have a blowout barbecue, accompanied by a FAT bastard Shiraz or Cabernet. Check out www.fatbastardwine.com.

In the end—you will be wining, not whining. And the dining doesn’t sound bad, either.

PS It's FB's idea to italicize, upper and lower case, etc. At least, one gets to type the word "bastard" a lot. And it is memorable.

Simple minded

USA Today’s Wendy Koch thinks were are getting simpler.

We are learning to live with less (and resenting it more?).

Nearly a third of Americans are spending less (guess why). A little over a quarter say they will keep doing that (after what—is this ending?).

Nearly half of people say they have what they need? Yeah, but cars, not to mention toilet paper, get used up.

We are both forced and inspired. Well, that’s true.

One guy has issued a “100 Thing” challenge—get your possessions down to 100 or fewer things.

Break the mold of materialism!

[Tiny voice] But what if you like some entertainment or a nice cocktail? Nope! Get with the program.

Me, personally, I have not bought an SUV in let’s see…that would be FOREVER. Same for a second home.

Or even a Cosmo. I am as simple as they come. I even put leftover colored tiles in the front yard to cover up the grass so I won’t have to pay some guy to cut it. My yard is a floor.

It looks kinda nice, though, in a crafty sort of way.

Red-hot brand?

Star Lawrence, is that a brand? “Her star is rising.” “Heavenly body.” No—not the last.

Anyhow, the new in thing is to brand yourself—have a unified message that just screams YOU!

Some guy named David Mathison branded himself “Be the Media,” because that was his book name.

“Hi, I ‘Be the Media.’”

All this branding takes place on Facebook and Twitter, apparently, so someone write me and clue me in, please.

A branded person would never say “clue me in,” unless being from the Wayback was a plus, which I gather it’s not.

I used to use the tag line: “I won’t be boring no matter how much you pay me.” Maybe I should go back to that.

Is it boring?

Ack.

OK—how about: “If you pay me, I promise not to bore you. So--where’s the money?”

Hell--let's drink

Mojito—MOH-heeto!—yum. Minty, deadening.

Can you tell I have been discussing charges with the phone company—I would hook up an IV of this stuff if I had the makings—or the makings of any alcholic drink.

A place out here has Mojito-Making Classes, which sounds like a nice thing if you’re unemployed.

They teach Ernest Hemingway’s recipe.

Each person gets a muddler (search me).

There is live music.

Each person also gets rum, mint leaves, sugar and ice.

Some people don’t bruise the mint enough. Shame on them!

2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
2 oz white Bacardi rum
1 heaping tablespoon of sugar
2-3 sprigs fresh mint
2 oz club soda
Splash of bitters
Lime wedges

Put 2 wedges of line, sugar, bitters and mint in a wide cocktail glass. Muddle these (crushing stirring). Add the lime juice and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add ice, rum, and soda.

Then you know what to do. Cheers.

Getting a job--kinda sorta

Alina Dizik, WSJ, July 28, 2009, tracks eight people the WSJ found out of work last December. They blogged on their fate.

Unemployment was 7.5—now it’s 2 pts higher. There are six unemployed people for every opening.

And not every opening is appropriate.

Now the WSJ has come up with 11 people and four of the original eight and the three added ones have found jobs.

BUT—five took pay cuts as much as 80%!

Three cuts exceeded a third of their former pay.

Two relocated. Four went from big to small cos.

One guy’s mother spotted the job listing he got when she was trolling for another relative. He turned down an offer to be on a reality show about being unemployed. He moved back to Chicago and has yet to sell his Florida condo.

Another guy said basically what the heck—he’d be home at night to see his son instead of working until all hours.

Most of them said having a blog on the WSJ site did not hurt them and could have even helped.

Every little thing.

eBay roulette

I love to look up jewelry items on eBay—say, magenta necklace--then bid the rock-bottom lowest, sometimes one cent, and pay mostly postage if I get it. You get a little treat…for pocket change…nice in these grim times.

One problem, though—my sister and mother cruise my bathroom like it’s a store. "Oh, THIS is nice…can I have it?"

But I also look up my makeup items on eBay—get them new sometimes for half price. Same for lingerie pieces or tank tops.

Worth a try, people. What do you have to lose?

I also buy severely on-sale items from my Avon woman, Kim. She is trying to get by, too—you help someone you know. Hand lotion, sanitizer, night cream—can be under $5.

Don’t forget those consignment shops—great for back-to-school.

The only problem with selling at consignment stores is when they politely decline your item. Sorry—no can do. Was it the shoulder pads?

In the olden days, I even traded a nice camera for a month of after-school care. Maybe your daycare provider would take a piece of jewelry.