Third grader at heart..

Girls are like

apples on trees. The best

ones are at the top of the tree.

The boys don't want to reach for

the good ones because they are afraid

of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they

just get the rotten apples from the ground

that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples

at the top think something is wrong with

them, when in reality, they're amazing.

They just have to wait for the right

boy to come along, the one

who's brave enough

to climb

all the way

to the top

of the tree.

Because we are all a third grader at heart and miss the myspace/AIM status updates. Just a reminder before the weekend, keep it classy. It will be worth it.  

carpe diem watch

I want this watch soo bad! You could definitely get away wearing this to class with some David Yurman and Swee Lo!

"Live In The Moment"

Sometimes we need to be reminded to live in the present, and not be worried by what is in the past and what lies ahead in the future. Through its clever design, the Past, Present and Future watch by Daniel Will-Harris only displays the present time thus forcing you to only focus on what is happening in the now, in this very moment. Stainless steel and water-resistant to 100 feet. Assembled in Japan and the US.

Check out Uncommon Goods for tons of unique and fun gifts.  Carpe Diem! 

Everyone has problems @Cornell

It was only a matter of time... it started with whitegirlproblems, then sororitygirlproblems, then Cornell welcomed #cornellgirlproblems earlier this semester (see my earlier cic post) to express all the problems us classy sorostitutes face daily in Ithaca.  
Since then, some more Cornell problems have been added.
#CornellGuyProblems (I'm just a typical guy at Cornell...I study in Mann, eat at CTB, and drink at JOs...basically, I'm normal.) 
#CornellSratStar (Because real Cornell Srat Stars can't stand that other bitch's grammar.)
This could get interesting....

Looks like, Cornellguyproblems and Cornellgirlproblems may have hooked up??

Now its sratstar's turn @cornellguyproblems. 

And #dartmouthgirlproblems has started some drama? (please note - created after cornellgirlproblems)

Really? #harshreality

Can't forget #ivygirlproblems or #ivykidproblems, and better yet #postgradproblems.  Another Cornell favorite #Note2Cornell.
It never ends. Is it bad that I can relate to so many of the Cornell tweets? Keep the tweets coming, please keep me occupied when I decide to go to class.  Can't wait to see what crnellgrlprblms I face – Trillium better have egg whites tomorrow. 

mary jane all the time

I know 4/20 was last week, but why not celebrate all the time with some Mary Jane soda?? A California based company is selling a new wave in drinks, anti-energy drink(click for cnn article), also known as relaxation sodas.  

What is Mary Jane Soda? 

"It's the all-natural soft drink that delivers euphoric relaxation and focus to a stress-filled life. Within minutes of drinking, a "calming" sensation can be felt throughout the body and mind. Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda is perfect for stressful, nerve-wracking situations or when you just feel like sitting back and enjoying life. Made from herbal extracts, carbonated water, and all-natural cane sugar, it's good for your body and mind."

Whatt, how does this work?? Kava extract, click the link to learn more.  Basically, it's known for mimicking THC, but it's legal in the U.S., which is surprising because many countries have banned it.  

"KAVA EXTRACT (AWA ROOT)

Kava extract is a powerful herb primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity. The active ingredients are called kavalactones. Consumers can experience noticeable effects within 10–30 minutes. These effects usually last for one to two hours. Along with relaxation, some users report pronounced mental clarity, patience, and an ease of acceptance. The positive effects of kava are said to mirror those of alcohol without the negative effects. "

I hate soda, but this all sounds amazing, especially to a stressed out, over committed college student. Soo I placed an order for a case.  It was not cheap, especially shipping from California.  I was so excited when they got here, and drank my first Mary Jane.  It tasted like typical soda, nothing different there, but it did have a good taste.  I was more relaxed, not overwhelmingly. I did notice the next day, I got out of bed especially early, had a clear mind and positive attitude - this is reported to be another one of the benefits of Kava and I would have to agree with it. 

Overall, I recommend Mary Jane's soda.  I want to experiment with other Kava based drinks.  Take one to class, the library, wherever, whenever you need it. 

Skip and ganja, order some Mary Jane's soda at http://www.relaxingsoda.com/#/home.

Wise words, Mr. Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain

Portions

Fun play on portion control. Pick your plate - diet, extra ordinary and supersize.  It's color coded for the types of food you should have on that plate.

Lessons in Social Security

In my American Welfare State course, we're discussing policy changes that can make social security more financially feasible. Our professor asked us to split into groups based on our opinions.

Out of a class of 27, this is how my class divided:

3: other
5: change benefit formula to cut spending
7: raise retirement age
12: increase revenues from payroll taxes

Although this is a crude sample of the the college-aged population, I was surprised to see that close to half of the class chose to raise their own taxes.  I might be more self-interested than the average empathetic student...but it got me wondering why do we advocate raising our own taxes?

chic noise

Every college student struggles with studying.  With so many distractions and constant overstimulation it can make it extremely difficult to study for that big exam.

Next time you cannot focus, try Simply Noise.  Many have heard of white noise, this is commonly known as the sound of static or television without a signal.  There are many types of white noise and many are believed to be beneficial for our brains, especially for focus.  Noise can be helpful for - sleep aid, privacy, block distractions, soothe migraines, increase focus, reduce stress and mask tinnitus.

Simply Noise is a free online color noise generator, that generates not only white, but brown and pink noise. Brown and pink noise are similar/forms of white noise, but known to be more calming and relaxing.

This may all sound silly, but I really recommend using brown noise for studying, I have not used pink noise enough to really comment on it.  Brown noise has worked really well for me and many of my friends, however, I would recommend using headphones.  I have noticed when I take my earphones out from using brown noise, you have a temporary high/very productive/focused period that lasts a few minutes.  It's a great feeling especially if you have to walk back from the library late at night or early in the morning before a big exam.  

Greatness.

We all aspire for some sort of greatness.Everyday I am surround by students on the business /finance track to millions.  Many of them bragging about the thousands they are making this summer or after graduation. (Meanwhile I stress about how I am going to pay for my summer with an unpaid internship in the city,yet again).  This semester, I have been fortunate to have meet a lot of seniors and have had intimate conversations with many of them.  Not surprisingly, many are headed to some big bank in NYC or Europe after graduation.  After they explain their future job and how much money they are going to make, my next question is always, so what are you passionate about and where woud you like to see yourself in 5 years?  Many stare back at me blankly, and lack an interesting or inspiring answer. 


I love talking to people about my passions and things I would like to accomplish by the time I am 25.  I am arrogant or something, no, I am passionate about many things and I love the opportunity to express my passions and possibly enlighten other people.  It amazes me that seniors at Cornell, lack passions or motivations to do other things and simply follow the linear path of banking and simply money.  Money is their passion and daily driver for success and greatness. This saddens me deeply. 


So thank you Simon Sinek for your post on your blog Re:Focus about passion. 

Passion is like bookends to process.

Passion starts things. It inspires us to start a business, take classes or take risks. But without some learning, some structure or some process, that passion can quickly run out of steam or find itself fueling a futile exercise.

Process is what helps us get good at what we're passionate about. It gives us expertise and credibility. It is what gives us the intellectual capacity to solve problems and make advancements. However, if we get stuck in the process, though we can get good at what we do, we can never be great.

Greatness always requires passion.

Advice like this reminds me not to give up and I am doing the right things in college.  Word of advice, have passions, be passionate about something.  People will respect you for it, and like Sinek says - "greatness comes with passion"

The grass is always greener...or is it bluer on Facebook?

Don't compare yourself to others, usually you only see others successes...you know ever part of your own life, but won't necessarily get hung up on others (sometimes unseen) failures.

The same principle applies to Facebook:

First of all, we hand-pick our Facebook statuses and pictures to make us into the best versions of ourselves. (Duh.) Second, looking at the similarly idealized spread of our friends' lives can make us depressed, simply because we tend to think that everyone ismore happy than us. The study's director, Alex Jordan, told Slate, "[The subjects] were convinced that everyone else was leading a perfect life." In the three-part study, participants first reported that they hid their negative emotions more than their positive ones, because they underestimated how distressed their peers were. Though acknowledging they kept their sad feelings at bay, the third study investigated the correlation between how happy a subject perceived her peers to be and how unhappy that made them. Misery, it appears, doesn't like company as much as once thought.

Get off FB. Let others envy you digitally and in real life. Be a little mysterious and not so obviously happy...That's classy.

Brands Brands Brands

Multiple experiments have shown that people are more receptive to people when wearing clothing with recognizable luxury labels. Subjects see label-wearers as wealthier and having a higher status. Check out the article at The Economist.

Boys, better whip out your Lacoste and Burberry.

Registration Woes HiItler Rant

But we know Hitler was a Business student so all this is irrelevant...

Keep Calm and Drink Coffee

Check out the full Coffee vs Tea infographic at Lifehacker, interesting stuff.

shouldnt be at charlotte russe..

if your lipstick and nails match, you probably shouldnt be at a teenager store. another disqualifier: wedding ring.

all this begs the question...wtf am i doing here? oh its friday = no rules

You are what you eat.

While listening to a presentation in class, I kept thinking this girl really sounds like a news anchor. And not in a good way. She kept using the same banal phrases relied on by most news stories. Every time she said "as the disaster unfolds" or "we'll have to wait and see," I cringed a little.

Of course using certain phrases is sometimes unavoidable, but I wondered how much CNN (or pick your poison), this student of all things cable had been watching.  Was she regurgitating what she had recently heard on the news? Or was she digging up wording that had been engrained in her?  Either way, it can't hurt to watch what you put in your ears...It just might come out your mouth.

fro yo lol

Like every other sorostitute, the mass arrival of froyo has ushered in a new line of meal philosophy: eat a big bowl of tart froyo and fruit toppings for the healthiest, tastiest (and a bit sweet) meal. Could the Special K diet become the Froyo diet. YES PLEASE.  At 39 cents an ounce and 100 calories a serving, froyo spells GET THE MEDIUM-SIZED BOWL in any girl's mind. And it has probiotics (good for UTIs)...how yup. I just sold myself. Needless to say, I've been twice in the last two days.

Added bonus: watching the high schoolers congregate and old people marvel at the self-serve setup.

Don't even bother googling calories in tart froyo...Then you'd just be a sorostitute cliche.

You should watch out for the added sugar in other flavors and sugary toppings. But who am I to talk?  I'll leave the wordsmithiness to Her Campus: Is Fro-Yo Making You Flabby?

NEWSFLASH: Too many interns in Northeast

And apparently social media interns. Surprised?

Urban Interns is declaring 2011 the year of the intern...hmmm. Cheers to traveling around Asia this summer!