Doubling Your Summer Money

BIOBlitz Map

2012-05-30T12:04:00.001-07:00

I created this map for the BIOBlitz in June, which is taking place in Jamestown, Rhode Island.

2012-05-23T12:39:00.002-07:00

Pavement's and Entrance Way's

2012-05-20T09:59:00.001-07:00

Pavements and Entrance Ways

At Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, China!

How beautiful is that concrete arch. The Chinese truly pay attention to detail. Nothing is done without planning ahead... whats better is that they work fast!

You cannot tell me that's not amazing! Now imagine how fast they could build an arch for a garden... and a beautiful patio area.

Check out the beautiful detail in each section! The cuts of blue stone in between each shape adds great texture.

A view looking into the patio area from the outside of the arch. What beautiful craftsmanship... with the granite cuts creating the curve for the arch. How inviting is that?

Another arch entrance way in the Yuyuan Garden looking in and out...

Another inviting entrance way!

There is so much to talk about it here... whether it's that pond below the walk bridge with beautiful Koi or the beautiful window's... Can you spot the camera? Check out the detail on that roof line!

Can you get over that color?

Great detail!

It was so exciting to walk that bridge. It took me about 15 minutes to reach the end of the bridge because my attention was taken by the fish in that pond and the serenity and peacefulness that is created by the plants and views in the space.

The black doors create a bold entrance into a space which has many different pavement's going on... a little too busy if you ask me. But, if you were to walk about that space with your head down, like I did, you would be amazed at how much pride they take in the creation of their pavement's. Pavement's can make or break a space!

Sample Pavements throughout Yuyuan Garden

A little busy... but really unique!

Bold.. yet still a bit busy!

Awesome transition between two pavements... and a beautiful connection to the undulating border of rocks!

This one is my personal favorite! I love how its clean, simple and yet so bold! It's the 'freeway' of the space. When you want to pull over, slow down and take pictures, people tend to step off of the pebble style walkway, onto the blue stone area, since the garden would often be flooded with tour groups... and they WILL run you over. What's really cool is that the maintenance people use Bamboo brooms to sweep the space because the bristles effectively clean out dirt and waste in between the small pebbles... but also because its a local material, and grows wild... so it's easy to find! When the bristles break or fall out, they don't buy a new broom, they just pick some dead shoots of bamboo from around them, and secure them to their broom!

Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai China. 2011

The Hudson River- A scientific research paper

2012-05-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Hudson River Estuary, Clean Water Act and the Riverkeeper

Matthew R. Berger

Made in United States of America

Printed by Matthew R. Berger

Vol. 1, April 2012

Environmental Law of the University of Rhode Island

Dr. Gordon

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Abstract:

The Clean Water Act- 33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq. (1972) works to establish a simple plan for helping to regulate the discharge of pollutants into all waters within the United States. It also regulates and enforces quality standards for all water bodies. “Under the CWA, the EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry “(4). Responding to these issues, the Riverkeeper will steps in to enforce these laws.

The Riverkeeper is an environmental non-profit involved in protecting the Hudson River and its tributaries. It is interested as well in protecting the watersheds that provide New York City with its drinking water. Although it was the first “keeper” to be founded, it is one of over one hundred and fifty “keepers” globally, who are all members of the Waterkeeper Alliance organization.

Keywords:

Estuary; Tidal fresh-water wetland; CSO’s; Mouth of the river; Dredging; Invasive Species; Land Cover mapping; CWA; EPA; Riverkeeper; HREMA, CERCLA

Environmental Policy Act (1970)- Federal

Department of Environmental Conservation (1970)- Federal

Clean Water Act (1972)- Federal

Hudson River Fisheries Management Act (1979)- New York State

Riverkeeper (1986)- New York State

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980)- Federal

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Introduction:

The Hudson River, which meanders from the mountains of New York as just a small brook, and transforms into a wider river as it reaches New York City is an iconic water body which is considered by most to be the birthplace of the American Environmental Movement. In the 1960’s, scientists with the assistance of fishermen and involved citizens, with a determination to help revive the then polluted Hudson River by verbally protesting the wide spread pollution of the river by small and large companies. How they went about enforcing their voice was through bringing the community together to fight back using public use rights and democratic ecological governance. This movement, which was led by Robert H. Boyle, author of The Hudson River, A Natural and Unnatural History and a senior writer (2) at Sports Illustrated were determined to make headway on this important issue in the early 1960’s. The Hudson River Fishermen’s Association which was formed in 1966 changed its name to The Riverkeeper in 1986. It came about from “a blue-collar coalition of commercial and recreational fishermen” who were determined to save the Hudson River from its polluters (1).

Riverkeeper, “is an environmental non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the Hudson River and its tributaries, as well as the watersheds that provide New York City with its drinking water” (3). This organization, fueled by citizen input, is mostly interested in decreasing the influence of industry on the environment (1).

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The Hudson River wasn’t always as majestic as it is today. It was once the Hudson Valley’s sewage disposal plant. Raw sewage discharged from industrial, heavy development, as well as residential growth contributed to a drop in water quality.

The Hudson River Fishermen responded to this by raising awareness within the community. Come the 1960’s, citizens and Fishermen were now fighting back. In fact, the legal battle of saving Storm King Mountain on the Hudson led to the passing of the National Environmental Review Act. Moving forward, in 1972 when the Clean Water Act made it illegal to discharge pollutants into waterways without the proper permit, this created major change for the Hudson River as the law now enforced controlling measures on the dumping into the Hudson and its tributaries. Part of the Clean Water Act created a ‘citizen suit provision’ which provided recourse for The Riverkeeper to prevent illegal lobbying on the part of industry (5).

During the 1960s to 70s, public concern for protection of the Hudson River’s fisheries led to the founding of the New York ‘Hudson River Fisheries Management Act of 1979.’ Going forward to 1987, recognizing that protection and conservation of the Hudson’s fish, habitats and ecosystem required a much broader approach, the fisheries law was replaced by the Hudson River Estuary Management Act , found in Section 11-0306 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law. This act helped the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to develop a plan for the conservation of the estuary (the tidal portion of the river from the Troy dam south to the Verrazano Narrows in New York). The plan included providing for education and enforcement of procedures to control run-off from surrounding areas.

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Methods:

This section will address the Hudson River Estuary Management Plan, which was created to protect the Hudson River, and bring about positive change. The actions taking place to protect and re-generate the Hudson River are dredging to clean up PCB’s, stopping raw sewage runoff from entering the river and educating the community about how their efforts can positively affect the Hudson River. River Keeper and EPA collaborate to enforce the provisions of The Clean Water Act and HREMA.

“In 1996, the Hudson River Estuary Management Plan and the first Estuary Action Plan was released. The Action Plan was then updated in 1998 and 2001. The Action Plan identified priority commitments that combine scientific research, active resource protection and management, public involvement, and education in an integrated ecosystem

management approach to the resource. During every update, public input and review have been crucial to the program's evolution and maturation, (8).”

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The most recent update to HREA policy is the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2010-2014. A major priority of the Agenda was to address the growth of the Hudson River and NY metro area and the pressure it put on water resources due to increased demand for clean water (8).

Sewer infrastructure remains insufficient according to the needs of the metro area. Polluted runoff caused by changes in land use as well as contamination from fertilizers and pesticides continue to threaten the aesthetic quality, drinking quality and volume of the area’s water. Numerous aquifer recharge areas are still unprotected from contaminations(8).

PCB’s

Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCB’s are toxins which have been proven to cause cancer in laboratory animals and likely, are a cause of cancer in humans. Not only do PCB’s likely cause cancer in people, but they also cause immunological problems, reproductive issues and low birth weight. Those especially vulnerable include pregnant women and children. The EPA has recognized PCB’s as serious toxins, and backing them up are organizations such as the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization.

A common leisure activity along the Hudson River is fishing from the estuary. This poses potential health risks among a population which is largely unaware. What’s wrong with this picture? There are rules stating who can eat fish out of the Hudson River, and where it is not recommended to consume fish at all. Most people are not aware of this. All it takes is for one adult fisherman or woman to tell their kids or friends that it is perfectly fine to consume fish

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from the river because they have always done so. The New York State Department of Health states that children under the age of fifteen and women who are of childbearing age should not eat any fish from the Hudson River and that between the Federal Dam and Hudson Falls, no fish should be consumed at all. If the average person were to read that, one could imagine the fear that people would have in eating any fish at all from the River (5). The Clean Water Act prioritizes providing education to prevent these issues.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Looks can be deceiving when referring to image of the Hudson River. The changes and improvements from twenty to thirty years ago are substantial, but realistically, the PCB’s in the sediment are not clearly visible. Thanks to the actions taken by the Federal CWA and advances in treatment to raw sewage, the harmful bacteria has significantly declined, which has in turn increased the populations of fish and wildlife. What affects the fish and wildlife, as well as recreational activity along the Hudson River is the occurrence of CSO’s. Major flooding events or even simple rain storms adding as little as one-twentieth of an inch of precipitation can “overload the system”(5). This occurrence often puts a major halt on the recovery of the Hudson River.

Combined Sewage Overflow

“More than 27 billion gallons of raw sewage and polluted stormwater discharge out of 460 combined sewage overflows (“CSOs”) into New York Harbor alone each year. Although water quality in New York Harbor and throughout the Hudson River Estuary has improved significantly over the last few decades, many parts of the waterfront and its beaches are still

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unsafe for recreation after it rains. As little as one-twentieth of an inch of rain can overload the system. The main culprit is outmoded sewer systems, which combines sewage from buildings with dirty storm water from streets (5).”

PCB’s Are Going Nowhere

Although PCB’s do break down, it does not mean that they are going away. The durable quality of PCB’s which made them so valuable to industry is also the reason why they are so hazardous to the environment. Although PCB’s do degrade partially through a process called ‘natural de-chlorination,’ this does not mean that they are harmless after going through the effects of that process. No matter what their level of chlorination is, the EPA still considers PCB’s to be extremely toxic to people and wildlife (4).

Is The Hudson River Cleaning Itself?

Since 1977, PCB levels in river water and fish have significantly declined. Often, citizens living along the river, scientists and other environmental specialists will insist that the river is cleaning itself through natural processes. This is not entirely true though, since the decline is mainly due to the ban on PCB discharges in 1977. The decline in PCB levels is also largely due to the Hudson River PCB Reclamation Demonstration Project which was added as ‘Section 116’ in the Clean Water Act on October 2^nd, 1980. Congress appropriated twenty million dollars for the project and funds were available until 1983 (4).

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PCB Levels In Fish

Over the past twenty years PCB levels have declined. But it seems that the decrease has stopped, and analysts are seeing no recent change. Levels are high enough to require restrictions on eating certain fish species in the river as well as bans on commercial fishing. Due to erosion and river flow patterns, PCB’s are not safely buried. Because there is erosion to the bed of the river, sediment, which has PCB toxins in it, is available for consumption to fish and wildlife. In response, a long term and short term bans on commercial fishing and fishing for recreational purposes have been imposed (4).

As much as “1,650 parts per million, are still found at the surface of the sediment, and 90% of the sediment cores collected in 2002 and 2003 had PCBs in the top two inches, (4).

Why Dredging Is Important, And How Source Control Alone Will Not Clean Up The River

General Electric is the main reason why the Hudson River is poisoned with PCB’s. Approximately three to five ounces of PCB’s are discharged into the river per day through small fractures in bedrock underneath the General Electric Hudson Falls plant. One to two pounds of PCB’s are discharged from Thompson Island Pool into the Hudson river each day. Community members have argued that closing the plant in Hudson Falls would help PCB levels go down in fish, at least somewhat (4). In EPA’s cleanup plan, source control is an important factor in fighting the PCB discharge into the Hudson River, but alone is insufficient to control PCB levels. Dredging must be done along with source control efforts, despite its expense. In May 2009, phase one

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of General Electric’s dredging of hot spots along the Hudson River began in 2009.

Another law that was used in conjunction with fighting pollution, and encouraging cleanup of hazardous sites in the Hudson river valley is The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. It not only enforces recovery of polluted areas, provides compensation to those affected and brings about liability suits against polluters, but also fights for not only human health but a positive change for environmental health (9). It was enacted by congress to enforce recovery of those polluted sites such as General Motors plant in Tarrytown, New York. “… I had heard that people who lived along that stretch of the river knew what color General Motors was painting its cars by the color of the river” (10). Not only is this act of pollution destructive to anyone or anything using the river for recreational purposes, but this means that it wasn’t just paint leaking into the river. Until PCB’s were banned in 1976, they were being used as additives to the materials in ‘insulators, coolants, and lubricants’ (10). There were many other factories along the river creating and using these products as well. So General Electric is certainly not in this alone. In general, positive change is occurring for wildlife due to community action, General Electric and General Motors taking responsibility for their pollution, and higher standards being set for human health.

The Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda

In accordance with the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda, authorities are working towards achieving swimmable water quality for the Hudson River. Communities along the Hudson River are upgrading water and sewer facilities for community revitalization and smart growth. The

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communities are working towards protecting water quality in streams, drinking water supplies and the estuary. The towns along the Hudson are working towards reducing sewer and storm water outflows, as well as cleaning up toxic pollution along the edges, surface and bed of the river. (8).

As the community is working towards a cleaner Hudson River, towns, officials and citizens are working towards other goals, including ‘Ensuring clean water, protecting and restoring fish, wildlife and their habitats, providing water recreation and river access, adapting to climate change (solar and wind power) and conserving our world famous scenery, (8).’

A lot of the support given to the cleaning of the Hudson River has to do with ‘boosting the economic vitality of the region (8). For example, ‘The New York/New Jersey port generates $20 billion and creates 230,000 jobs annually; natural, historic & recreational destinations on the river in the valley generate millions from tourism; managed fisheries sustain small businesses, while bird watching generates millions for local economies…’ (8) and one of the most important factors is that our water resources supply New York City and support local population growth.

Noah’s Ark

The estuary is a prime breeding area for striped bass. People enjoy fishing for striped bass, and for those fishermen on Cape Cod, in Canada or in the Carolinas, their striped bass was likely born in the Hudson River. More specifically, “The Estuary is a “Noah’s Ark” for Atlantic coast migratory fish and wildlife species, (8).”

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This brings light to Action Item 2 in the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda. “The estuary and its valley support an extraordinary diversity of plants, animals, and fishes that sustain life, support outdoor recreation, define our region’s natural beauty, and attract tourists. However, many river and valley habitats have been damaged and disconnected by sprawling patterns of development and by past practices such as the filling of wetlands. Several economically valuable fisheries are currently in decline such as the shad and herring fisheries in the Hudson valley; some are restricted or closed such as the striped bass fisheries. Conserving our region’s biological diversity will provide significant benefits to the ecosystem, to human life and to our tourism, water resource and outdoor recreation economies, (8).”

Conservation

Students, children, adults and other community members alike have assisted in conserving and restoring wetlands, field forest and stream habitats. Additionally, some other community objectives remain to assist in sustaining important fishery habitats, including important species such as striped bass, sturgeon, American shad, black bass, herring and eel. Town and village committees are also assisting communities to identify and sustain natural resources for the ecosystem and economic benefits that they provide.

Connecting Nature With Recreation

The next challenge in the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda is providing water recreation and river access. “River access renews our connection with nature, sustains recreation and tourism, and stimulates waterfront revitalization. However, getting to the river in many communities is difficult due to railroad tracks, land ownership patterns and the availability of facilities. Access to the river for education and research is also needed, so that we can support informed decision-making about the river and the valley. This will enable us to create a new, vital and sustainable future, (Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda—2010-2014).”

Focusing on important aesthetic appeal and economic benefits, the plan outlined some measures in order to gain success for Action Item 3. Creating more docks, fishing, boating and

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swimming sites will help connect the community with the river. AI3 outlines new opportunities to provide facilities such as greenway trails, parks and preserves for underserved communities.

This links environmental education and river access sites in order to create recreational waterfront destinations.

Climate Change

Action Item 4 has to do with adapting to climate change. “Climate change is happening in the Hudson Valley and around the globe. Sea level in the Hudson has increased 4-6 inches since 1960 and will continue to rise. The intensity of heavy rain storms is increasing, and with it the risk of flooding in some cities, towns and villages. Winters are trending warmer, and plants and animals are moving northward. Reducing the impacts of climate change and preparing our region for its effects will take solid information, collective action and fresh ideas about how to develop new economies that take advantage of these changes, (8).”

Action Item 4 provides for communities to come together to work on the following principles: increasing the number of ‘Climate Smart’ communities that are taking local action; mapping flood prone areas and provide assistance to waterfront communities; preparing for

the impacts of storm surges and sea level rise on the estuary and stimulating the local green economy (8).

Scenic Hudson River

Action Item 5 states, “The Hudson Valley is a world famous scenic area, on par with Yosemite and the Grand Tetons. Our forests, wetlands, mountains and streams offer beauty that attracts visitors from around the world. Local land use decisions have regional impact and must be informed by an understanding of our shared assets (8). In order to accomplish this,

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communities are adopting local scenic and open space plans, and improving land use decisions so that the region’s natural assets are conserved.

Biodiversity

“Biodiversity is important to us all, because it provides the ecological services on which we depend. Healthy, naturally vegetated areas clean our drinking water, ensure our water supply, provide pollinators for crops, and buffer and reduce storm damage. These services are often provided by nature’s ‘green infrastructure’ at a lower cost than built systems. If we conserve biodiversity, we are less likely to suffer disruptions of these essential services as our climate continues to change. The Hudson River Estuary Program is partnering with communities to encourage biodiversity conservation at the local level to sustain the health and resiliency of the entire estuary watershed. By providing technical assistance, information, and training, the Estuary Program offers strategies for ‘smart planning’ which supports economic growth and equality of life, while keeping nature in mind, (The Hudson River Estuary Program NYSDEC Region 3).”

Within the estuary watershed lie some target habitats. Shoreline corridors provide important habitats along the river and its tributary streams for river otter, wood turtle, cerulean warbler,

wading birds, trout, stream salamanders and Hudson River water nymph. Unbroken forests are needed by scarlet tanager, warblers, wide-ranging mammals, hawks, owls, box turtles, and plants like fringed polygala flower. Grasslands and shrub lands shelter northern harrier, bobolink, eastern meadowlark, golden-winged warbler, short-eared owl and uncommon butterflies. Wetlands, including marshes, swamps, wet meadows, bogs and surrounding lands support American bittern, marsh wren, blanding turtle, northern leopard frog and a rich diversity of flora such as the pitcher plant. Seasonal woodland pools for animal populations that are declining throughout the Northeast which include Jefferson, marbled, and spotted salamanders, wood frog, spotted turtle, fairy shrimp and others. Caves and cliff habitats are

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used by bats, peregrine falcon, overwintering snakes, migrating hawks, and rare cliff plants like purple cliffbrake and prickly pear (8).

There are numerous steps communities can take to determine which natural areas provide the most benefits and how to conserve them. Step 1- Identifying priority habitats and important natural resources with an area. Step 2- Identifying high conservation priority habitats in the Hudson Valley including un-fragmented forests, stream corridors, wetlands, grasslands and shrub land’s, caves and cliffs, and the estuary shoreline. Of course, not all natural areas have equal biological importance. For example, migration corridors and connected habitats often have higher value than degraded or fragmented habitat. Step 3- Identifying of conservation priorities provides a foundation for smart growth and protection of biodiversity. By knowing what resources are important and where they occur, municipalities can include sound recommendations in their master plan updates, open space acquisitions, and site-plan reviews. Understanding an even broader view of the ecological landscape can contribute to watershed planning, inter-municipal agreements, and regional initiatives. Whether at the site or regional scale, considering biodiversity early in the planning process benefits an array of stakeholders, and contributes to the long-term protection of the area’s natural heritage, (The Hudson River Estuary Program NYSDEC Region 3).

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Education

As a part of the action agenda, New York hired Steve Stanne, an interpretive specialist workingin the Hudson River Estuary Program/ NYS Water Resources Institute at Cornell University to help link the Conservation Efforts for the Estuary with education. They created a website, which provides for educators pre-packaged lesson plans to incorporate into studies such as English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and other specific lesson plans for grades kindergarten through third grade. “The Estuary Program partners with other groups to develop a full range of curriculum for K-12 study of the Hudson. The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies' Changing Hudson Project features web-based curriculum designed by teachers and scientists to engage high school students in exciting, innovative science connecting them with current research about the river. Teaching the Hudson Valley offers a growing online collection of K-12 lesson plans that connect visits to sites of environmental, historical and cultural interest with classroom study of math, science, history, art and other subjects, (www.dec.ny.gov).” Educating children on policies and conservation efforts pertaining to surrounding water bodies from a young age is vital to future environmental progress (8).

Summary

In conclusion, the Hudson River Estuary Program has used a variety of methods to accomplish its goal of cleaning the Hudson River. With the notion of ‘sustaining and regenerating life in and around the Hudson River for eternity in mind’ (8), there is no reason why this goal is not reachable considering the amount of community effort and support towards cleaning up the

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Hudson. Simply put, education shall be our savior in accomplishing the overall mission of preserving the beautiful Hudson River Estuary for future generations to enjoy.

Almost three decades later, were seeing the Hudson River return to its former state of glory. It is finally regaining its strength as the regions gem. Community members, boaters, bathers and fisherman come from all over the region, and in fact the country to enjoy all the recreational aspects that the Hudson River has to offer. Beyond the stunning views that come with experiencing the joy of the Hudson River, we see that wildlife and pedestrians are co-inhabiting the coast of the River for recreational purposes. Towns are upgrading their coastal recreational possibilities by adding more bike paths, noting ‘Kodak Moment areas’ and working to stabilize the edge from which the town or city meets the Hudson River. This helps to reduce erosion, reduce pollution, and create a safer edge for pedestrians to be a part of the Hudson River. Industries and municipalities are finally thinking twice before polluting into the Hudson and have really created a respect for living and operating near this gem of a river. The Riverkeeper, CWA and EPA are all working on keeping this respect energized in order to avoid a reverse in water quality due to relaxed regulations. In doing so, as a community, we must ensure that regulations be met and or exceeded and that all laws and regulations are enforced to the fullest extent. There are still areas which are going through increased development, and are noted as spots which are still seriously threatened. With budgets dropping at the Local, State and Federal Levels, Riverkeeper seems to be our savior in the battle of keeping the Hudson River Estuary and associated shore land’s sustained and continually cleaned for the future of the Hudson River.

Works Cited

Busch, Akiko. "Swimming the Hudson." Harvard Review 32 (2007): 119-31. Print. (9)

EPA. "Cleaning Up Hudson River PCBs." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012. Web. Mar. 2012. <http://www.epa.gov/hudson/just_facts_08_04.htm>. (5)

EPA. "Summary of the Clean Water Act." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. <http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/cwa.html>. (4)

Gallay, Paul, and Robert F. Kennedy. "About Us." About Us. Riverkeeper, 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.riverkeeper.org/about-us/>. (3)

HREP. "Hudson River Estuary Program." - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. HREP, 2012. Web. Apr. 2012. <http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html>. (7)

Kennedy Jr., Robert, and Alex Matthiessen. "History of the Waterkeeper Alliance." Waterkeeper Alliance 2011. Http://www.waterkeeper.org. Web. Mar. 2012. (1)

New York Times. "Book of The Times." New York Times [New York, New York] 07 July 1983. Print. (2)

RPI. "PCB Contamination of the Hudson River: A Chronology." Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). RPI, 2012. Web. Apr. 2012. <http://www.rpi.edu/dept/environ/orgs/Clearwater/chronology.html>. (6)

Suszkowski, Dennis J., and Christopher F. D'Elia. "8. The History and Science of Managing the Hudson River." Managing the Hudson River (2002): 4. Print. (8)

Investing in Real Estate on Ebay?

2012-04-06T15:39:00.003-07:00

Just let go & Buy it now!

A story about a seventeen year old young adult who had a vision, some summer money, and the ambition to press 'Buy It Now' on Ebay...

Written by Matthew Berger

The minute I pressed 'Buy it now,' I jumped up and down and was shouting out, "I own real estate!" (I had not paid for this property yet.) I quickly shut my mouth and sat back in my chair thinking, "I am going to be in so much trouble." I did all my research on google earth, and read dozens of article about the town that I was now a citizen of (doing this after the fact is not something I recommend). Boy was I scared at this point!

I waited for my mother to come home. When she got home, I explained to her that I would be purchasing a piece of land in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania. "No," she said. So I thought to myself, what the heck am I going to do to convince her I should buy this half acre parcel of land, since I had already agreed to buy it. So I described the property to her.

Location: Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

Parcel size: 1/2 acre

Taxes: $300

'Great job.' 'Good find.' These are some things she said to me. But I knew she was not sold. YET. At this point, I was so desperate to convince her that I should be able to purchase this property (since I already had), that I pulled out my handy dandy tool, my 'Landscape salesman' personality. This tool is extremely powerful, because its how I can express my inner energy the best, and also enables me to give a great sales pitch, I must say. So I used it to my advantage, and bam, I was in business.

The next day, I found myself in a car driving to rural Pennsylvania. When entering the address into my GPS, I found that this property is ONLY two hours from New York City. I was in shock, I couldn't believe that for a summers pay, I bought a property that was so close to New York City (You can see the lack of research I put into buying this property). As I approached the property, I realized how close it was to the lake. I knew it was near a lake, but I did not realize it was basically on a lake (again showing how little research I did). So I'm standing on my street in the Poconos, thinking to myself ' those are thirty thousand dollar boats sitting at the docks. Furthermore, those are quarter of a million to half million dollar homes sitting lakefront. There's no way I just grabbed this half acre lot right next to these homes for a summers pay!" Well, I did.

So I picked up the phone, "Mom, the property is awesome. There are a ton of large homes around, its a safe, beautiful area, but the people are different." "How so?" She said. "Well, lets just say, they all drive pickup trucks and have weird accents," I said. She laughed and said, "I don't want you to be like that, so please come home."

She Was SOLD

So I went back home, called up the owner of the property. That night, we put a small down payment for the property ( I had won the auction, but had not yet paid). So I nervously waited a few weeks for the deed of the property to arrive. (This process was extremely sketchy and nerve wrecking as you could probably imagine. I made a smooth sales pitch to my mother, so to her, it seemed much more legitimate than it really was, though it was legitimate in the end). So we received the deed, it had my name on it and everything, Thank God! We had a lawyer look it over. We signed a few papers and bam, I was the owner of the property. I paid the remaining balance, which was minimal via PayPal (who pays for real estate transactions on PayPal? I do...).

Four Years Later

Recently, we received a letter in the mail from the town asking if we would like a hookup built on my parcel of land for the brand new sewage system and town water. This is phenomenal news and it means that the value of my property will likely rise in the near future. They start construction this year, and should be done by mid 2013. The whole county will now have sewage, rather than having to depend on a septic tank (which can cost the homeowner upwards of seven thousand dollars). Plus a well, which is about the same price. The savings are huge, but even more so, the value of the property will rise incredibly. The property is currently assessed at $19,900. After speaking with a real estate agent she was certain that after the sewage and town water are hooked up, the value should rise to around $34,500. I paid just under $2,000. As an irresponsible seventeen year old surfing the web, I would say that was a pretty bold 'click of the mouse' on my part. I certainly lucked out on my find. I probably would not recommend following my path, but I thought I would point out that it certainly is possible to purchase real estate on Ebay!

Happy Bidding!

The Re-Generative Generation, Not The Sustainable Generation

2011-09-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

a generation re-generating life.

Growing up in a quite urban area, approximately 45 minutes from Manhattan, I have met a lot of really interesting people. When I say really interesting, I mean anywhere from an urban ‘starbucker’ to a west coast rancher. From a horticulturist to an aspiring entrepreneur. Who did I like most? Well, I would say I liked the aspiring entrepreneur the most, and the horticulturist the least. But on a different scale, rather than like and hate. A scale which ranges from the most intriguing, open to change down to someone who always complains because the earth is not a lush native forest. Notice that both want change… also notice that I picked these two as examples to focus on. Why- because I liked both of these people the most out of my list, though one was always complaining (horticulturist), they are still trying to change the world.

Where am I going with this?

The urban ‘starbucker’ is open to change, normally a democrat, and usually drives a prius, or takes the train wherever they go. All good things, nothing wrong with any of these qualities.

The West Coast Rancher, in my creative little mind, always thought of someone who was old fashioned, certainly not open to change, and also someone who wakes up every morning at 5:30 A.M. to hop on the horse and start farm work for the day. This one west coast rancher in particular, whom I happened to meet while in New Zealand was quite different from that stereotype I had stuck in my head. Her name was Traci and she was open to change. I was a part of that change, and really appreciated her willingness to see the rest of the world, not just her ranch. She told me that quite a bit of my stereotyping was on the money, but she was different then her family. She inspired me… there’s some magic that comes with seeing a rancher who wants

to see the rest of the world. It makes you realize that you can enjoy both worlds, a relatively conservative lifestyle, stagnant on a farm for most of your life, but then if you want some change, you can get up and leave.

Of course we cannot all afford to become urban ‘starbuckers’ nor can we all capture the lifestyle of a west coast rancher… but what we can learn, is how to pull some qualities from all these people… a slice of ‘green’ from the urban ‘starbucker’, some relaxed, low maintenance (luxury wise) excitement from the west coast rancher, thinking big from the entrepreneur and caring about preserving our forests and bio diversity on earth from the horticulturist.

With the development of this recipe come’s some hard work, motivation and most importantly, commitment. Often, people will become vegetarians… for six months. Go on a diet… for eight months. Go on a budget… for two weeks or cut down on luxuries… for maybe a month at most.

This lifestyle recipe I am putting forth is necessary if we want to be on our way to not sustaining (sustainability) what we have- because its on the down slope, but rather re-generating what we used to have. We need to live our lives not only healing ourselves, but the environment and eco-system around us. We need to re-build and re-habilitate what we have, not start from scratch… it is simply too late for that.

Does this remind you of yourself?

2011-09-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

You save up a bunch of money, and then when something great comes along, you start spending all your savings. Yes?

Your not alone

In fact, many end up spending most if not all of their childhood savings between the ages of 18 and 22.

I am guilty. It's okay though... as long as you have a backup plan.

For instance, I am travelling at the moment... well studying and travelling. I am studying at Lincoln University in Canterbury, New Zealand. If I stay on campus, I barely spend any money... but as soon as I get off campus and start sightseeing, my money starts to disappear.

Before coming to New Zealand, I allocated a bank account which would (hopefully) be enough to last me the four months that I was studying for in New Zealand. No, I am not rich... I have just been organizing my money into different categories for many years. I'm twenty years old... I don't have a ton of money, but if you start early, it's amazing how much money you can save... especially if you save for a GOAL. When you save with a goal in mind, you end up focusing more on saving (in order to achieve that goal) rather than just to see numbers rise in an account that says savings account... instead, I recommend having the bank label it based on the goal you have.

I also recommend opening up bank accounts with different banks. So when you are saving for your travel budget, you go to TD Ameritrade. When you are saving for Retirement (start now!) you go to Chase. When you are saving for a car, go to Wells Fargo. This way, you have an image in your mind of which bank is for which purpose. At your age, you may want to constantly go to Wells Fargo when you gather a few extra bucks. Once in a while you may visit TD Ameritrade because it's fun to travel. But rarely, or even never will you visit Chase. Visit Chase... ask an adult!

The one's that tell you to not worry about it most likely do not have enough money to retire... and therefore, it is up to you whether you want to listen or not. But wouldn't it be great to start early, and retire early... as early as 35-40 even! I've seen it happen... these people didn't make a million dollars a year, they just started saving early... seriously. Knowing that you don't need to work would be the best feeling in the world... even better if you continued working because you can finally enjoy what you do, and not have to worry about paying the bills... bills are so stressfull! Stress kills, therefore avoid all of that by
S T A R T I N G N O W.

Your backup plan requires that you visit TD Ameritrade, Wells Fargo and Chase evenly. If you keep them close to equal... then when it comes time to travel, and if you don't have enough in that account, you can evenly distribute withdrawals from Wells Fargo and Chase (depends). If you have it all in one, you are more likely to spend it all. If you have multiple accounts, it will 'feel bad' to go broke in all your accounts, so it will force you to spend wisely... trust me, this 'secret' works!

Plus, when you return from your travels, like myself, you will come home to two accounts which have some dough in them ($10 in the Wells Fargo and $20 in the Chase. Seriously, try this out, it really works! Remember, I'm not getting paid for this... I'm doing this on my own time to help YOU out.)

MB

Top Financial Moves To Focus On In Your 20's

2011-09-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

BE RICH.

START NOW

I know you want your smart phones, Ipads, Ipods, Laptops and the latest edition of everything... or maybe you don't...

You only live once, and your only young once... I know!

You don't have to give anything up... you can still live your younger years having fun, and possibly not working your life away... since we have the rest of our lives to work, right?

BUT

Do not forget that one day, you will be saying, I should have started saving when I was younger... so why not just start now? Just do it... take your risks when your young, risk not going to a party, saving $20 and throw it into your Roth IRA. (What's this... go to your local bank and they will be more than happy to tell you all about it... seriously, they will be extremely happy that your making the best decision of your life!) You'll get bored if I explain it here. But before you go, grab a job and start making some money, you'll need a job if you want to open a Roth IRA.

Do you think it's too risky to get a job during school? Do you not really need a job... well even if you don't need the money, grab a job, not only will you be helping out your future, but you may even see your grades rise! Studies show that often, students with part-time jobs perform better in school than those who don't... this is becasue of the communication skills you gain. (Of course this is not always true, for me it is though).

Follow These Three Steps:
(Remember, I'm doing this extra work, on top of school work, for a reason! Trust me. )

1) Plan

To get where you need to be in life, it's best if you have goals. With your goals, comes a plan. If you intend to meet your goals without a plan, you can compare it to driving a car without a steering wheel.

What do you want in your future? (Write it down, and read it over 5 times)

Try short term first (3-5 years)... medium (5-15 years) and then long (20 plus years)

Dont be afraid to budget.

2) Live within your budget

If you find yourself saying, I really cannot afford it, but I only live once... just let it go. Of course this depends on the situation and whether we are talking about an Ipod or a college Text Book. Go for the Text Book.

If you live within your means (and enforce it), you will find that over the next several years, that you have saved up/saved thousands of dollars.

You've got enough stress within your life, and not to mention school. Do the hard work now, save, and when you are older, you can live your life without an added financial stress.

3) Make your budgeting and saving a permanent habit... that doesn't mean you have to be 'cheap'

Always have at least $500 in your bank... nope, no arguing (except for certain situations), it's mandatory, and certainly not impossible (for the most part).

Try and eventually have at least three months of 'emergency' cash in your bank.

Once you've got the emergency funds situation dealt with, you can start dividing you monthly savings to go towards some other goals (vacations, first home, new car). The amount of savings depends on your salary. I would say three quarters of your salary going to savings would be fantastic... though this is almost impossible at points... when your in your lower 20's, this should not be a major problem.

In the next blog post, I will discuss Investing and paying down debt. But for now, focus on these three major issues.

Stock Traders and People interested in the Stock Market!

2011-08-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

*WARNING*

During these economic down turns, those who really understand how the stock market works will normally start to buy in at this point. Perhaps waiting a couple more weeks would be sensible, thought a lot of stocks are much cheaper than they were just one month ago.

I have to put out a warning though. There's a difference between cashing in on the general public fear that the world is falling apart using your own cash versus taking out a loan to invest (unless you are taking out a loan to invest the sum in a Term Deposit/CD account which is guaranteed at a fixed rate normally... and if the rate is higher than your interest rate on the loan, then it is actually quite brilliant). I'm sure you can decipher for yourself, which one falls into either category.

Taking a loan out to invest could destroy your credit and life. If you have found an amazing deal or something that made you believe that this is your time to walk away from the bunker and jump into the war (even though your strapped for cash... but are absolutely positive that this is your calling), then I suggest you stay put for now untill you can save up a few more dollars. Stocks will rise, but they will drop again. You will have your chance... things happen for a reason. Don't make the mistake that millions of Americans have made, and that is taking a loan out to buy a home in hopes that their life and their salary would be the same for the 30 years that they signed on for their mortgage. Except for you, it would mean that your taking out a loan, and perhaps the stock drops and now you owe heaps of money to the bank, and are paying for something that you no longer have. This happens, I've seen it happen and it's not pretty.

"There is only one real sin, and that is to persuade oneself that the second-best is anything but the second-best." - Doris Lessing

International viewpoint on U.S. debt ceiling vote

2011-08-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ausgust 2, 2011

Christchurch, New Zealand

It was a historical moment in the United States yesterday. Let's start out here with a bit of examination on the whole situation.

"QUESTION: What does the deal do?
ANSWER: It allows the Obama administration to issue at least $900 billion more in government securities -- and raise enough money to pay the nation's obligations for six or seven more months. It also creates a process in which an additional $1.2 trillion, if not more, can be raised down the road."

Studying abroad in breath taking New Zealand has been a really unique experience so far. I have met people from all around the world, all sharing very different views. I have finally found something that myself, and all the other international students at Lincoln University can agree upon. The fact of the matter is, that the U.S. is digging itself deeper and deeper into an endless pit. Some say it's going to give us a boost, but I say we've had plenty of boosts, it's now time to cut down on spending.

Now I understand that according to Obama's plan, we are going to cut costs into the billions (if not into the trillions) over the next couple years. As well, the debt ceiling will eventually rise to $1.2 trillion... luckily, not all at once. My question is, "we have bailed out companies which appear to be thriving... we were there for them, why can't they be here for us? I understand the money is coming from somewhere, and most likely, elsewhere, out of the United States... specifically thinking it will be coming from China perhaps? Why can't it come locally. Wouldn't we rather have a risk of defaulting in the United States, rather than with another country!?"

What are your thoughts? As a young adult, or an adult, how do you feel this will afect our futures? Will we ever escape this habit of endless spending?

Cheers,
MB

"People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine."

- Brian Tracy

Any Parents, Educators or Students out there, you must watch this!

2011-07-24T01:55:00.000-07:00

This is reality, I couldn't agree more.
Enjoy the video.

New Zealand Bound

2011-07-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

DYSM Readers,

While abroad in New Zealand, I will be updating and focusing most of my blogosphere time on the following blog (for the next four months): www.maioha.blogspot.com

See you there!

Cheers,
Matthew Berger

Consider this career path...

2011-05-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

Landscape Architecture...

Here's what Landscape Architects do...

I'm studying Landscape Architecture at The University of Rhode Island and for a short period of time at Lincoln University in New Zealand...

If you have any questions, leave a comment. I will be more than happy to help you out on your journey to finding a major (or a minor) in a college that is best suited for you!

Cheers

Just graduated high school?

2011-05-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

Isn't this great, your off to college... four more years (or two more years) and your done with school forever (unless you plan on getting your masters or PHD!). At this point you should be prepared to step foot in the college of your choice, well hopefully! I'm sure you are, but just read through some of these pre-requisites towards entering college and make sure your all set to go!

*Time Management Tips for Students

Organizing Your Life

Managing your time well is an important element of success — especially if you’re a student. If you set priorities that fit your needs and lifestyle, you'll have a better chance of achieving your goals.
Here are some tips for taking control of your time and organizing your life.

1. Make a To-Do List Every Day.

Put things that are most important at the top and do them first. And don't forget to reward yourself for your accomplishments.

2. Use Spare Minutes Wisely.

When you’re commuting on the bus or train, use the time to get some reading done.

3. It's Okay to Say No.

If your friend asks you to go to a movie on a Thursday night and you have an exam the next morning, realize that it's okay to say no. Keep your short- and long-term priorities in mind.

4. Find the Right Time.

You'll work more efficiently if you figure out when you do your best work. For example, if your brain handles math better in the afternoon, don't wait to do it until late at night.

5. Review Your Notes Every Day.

Reviewing helps you reinforce what you've learned, so you need less time to study before a test. You'll also be ready if you get called on in class or have to take a pop quiz.

6. Get a Good Night's Sleep.

Your brain needs rest to perform at its peak. Lack of sleep makes the day seem longer and your tasks seem more difficult.

7. Communicate Your Schedule to Others.

If phone calls or text messages are proving to be a distraction, tell your friends that you are only available at certain times of day and not to expect a response at other times.

8. Become a Taskmaster.

Give yourself a time budget and plan your activities accordingly. Figure out how much free time you have each week before you add any commitments.

9. Don't Waste Time Agonizing.

Instead of agonizing and procrastinating, just do it. Wasting an entire evening worrying about something that you're supposed to be doing is not productive, and can increase your stress.

10. Determine Your Priorities.

You can’t do everything at once. Establish the importance of each item. Then set realistic goals that are attainable.

* Found on The College Board website.

Coming from someone who wasn't completely prepared for college, I can tell you personally that every single one of these checkpoints are extremely crucial towards a successful college career. Personally communication (especially with your daily schedule) to friends, family and professors is an extremely crucial task to master (preferably before) for college. I struggled and still do (ie. over booking myself, saying yes to everything, planning to be in two places at once) with communicating my time to others effectively.

Go through that list over and over again (if need be) and make sure you've mastered that list. When you find a personal issue with one of those checkpoints, write it down and give it to someone who knows you well (it would be great if that person was a teacher). Have them give you an opinion on past examples of things you've done that you could potentially work on.

Make good use of your time this summer and find all weaknesses that you may have (if you have any at all). If you can master this list, your surely prepared to succeed with honors during your college career. Cheers.

Looking into the future...

2011-05-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sitting here in Brewed Awakenings, a great Cafe in Rhode Island, sipping on an Iced coffee and doing some homework, I gathered up, what I hope to be some great ideas for the future of 'Doubling Your Summer Money.'

I imagine...

A collection of books to prove to the average college student studying away from their hometown) (on campus or off campus, that you can have fun, pay for school on your own, gain the experience that every college student desires, live on campus, do well in school, eat well and budget effectively.

So far, in addition to the original, 'Doubling Your Summer Money,' I'm also working on... The College Student's Cookbook (sections for on campus students and sections for off campus students). It will prove to you that you can make delicious meals, even if you don't know how to cook. It will show you how much money you can truly save by making your own meals rather than eating out. If you live on campus, it will show you recipes for combining college food to stay healthy and fit.

A quick preview for my idea. I want to create a cookbook specifically illustrated for the average college student, whether they are living on campus or off!

I just put that together in photoshop, I know it ain't perfect...

Let me know if you like this idea...

Enjoy the rain (if your in the Northeast region of the United States)... for those of you in elsewhere locations, please pray for some sun in our neck of the woods!

Peer Pressure...

2011-05-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

With all these companies out there trying to develop a new image for themselves, I've tried to do the same.

With the past few days of awful weather, I've had some time to catch up.

I got quite a bit done actually...

Managed to get free rent for one month (Doing a bit of power washing and painting for my landlord).
Booked a power washing job, and possibly a few more.
Figured out my summer schedule for work at Chop Mist Charlie's (the restaurant I work at).
Got just about everything set for July, when I take off for New Zealand to Study Abroad!
Got my oil changed
Fixed my bike
And cooked a great meal (Lamb Rib Chops with Butternut Squash and Spinach)!

Even with the rain, I went on a long bike ride, from my home to University of Rhode Island, it took an hour there and an hour back (yes, I was beat). But I was inspired by that bike ride to start biking more... to the supermarket, coffee shop, etc.

I re-designed the area at the top of the page, let me know how you like it, please!

I'm sincerely working on my book, hoping to have it done by the time I get back from New Zealand, in November.

Just so you know, I'm not writing this book in hopes to keep all the profits, in fact more than half of the profits will be donated to a non-profit, which I am also working on. The non-profit will award scholarships for students who show true entrepreneurial spirit.

Thank you for reading my blog. I enjoy enlightening the world with my realistic, sometimes unrealistic blog posts, but as always, I appreciate you following me on my journey through life.

Cheers,

Matthew Berger

Places I've travelled to before I turned twenty...

2011-04-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

Countries...

United States
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Canada
Italy
Vatican City State
Turks and Caicos Islands

States...

New York
California
Nevada
Florida
Mississippi
Louisianna
Illinois
Florida
North Carolina
Virginia
Pennsylvania
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Maryland
Deleware
New Jersey
Massachusetts

Thanks for visiting my blog :)

~Matthew Berger

Summer Job Experiment- Success!

2011-04-24T00:49:00.000-07:00

A Cordless Lawn Mower! ("Don't mowers use gas?")

I grew up, during the summer months, listening to the roar of engines... those forty eight inch commercial lawn mowers as they swept through the lush green lawns of my neighborhood. Since I loved the smell of fresh cut grass, I would always open my windows in the morning despite the loud pollution. As those massive lawn mowers approached the left side of my house, where my room is located, I would run to the windows to close them, because I despised the smell of gasoline!

As I grew older, to around twelve years old, I started to realize that I wanted to start cutting lawns! So, for the next two summers, I did just that. As I matured, I started to realize that I wanted to make a difference in the community. I thought "People hate the roar of a mower, despise having to go out and purchase gasoline and do not like the smell of gasoline either.

I took a trip to The Home Depot Website and saw electric lawn mowers for sale. I said, "Okay I am totally upgrading to one of these!" That was going to be my birthday gift to myself! So I took three hundred dollars of my Summer Money and without a doubt, have since Doubled My Summer Money. Anyways, so I bought a cordless Electric Lawn mower that uses a re-chargeable lithium - ion battery. It will last about five hours or so.

No Gas, No Oil, No Noise Pollution!

I was so excited that night, that I designed fliers using Microsoft Word and handed them out to all my neighbors (Some still have the fliers I handed out when I was twelve or thirteen years old) announcing my purchase and to remind them that my services are for hire.

I was blown away with the amount of responses about people wanting to hire me to maintain their properties. The 'Green' trend was only beginning at that point... I knew I was off to a good summer and a great future since I was ready to explore the contents of this global eco-friendly movement.

A Cordless Electric Lawn Mower by EARTHWISE to take a look at...

A Corded Electric Lawn Mower by EARTHWISE to take a look at...

Quote for the day- April 19, 2011

2011-04-19T09:45:00.001-07:00

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
- Henry Ford

Getting To Know Yourself...

2011-04-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

What exactly does, "Getting to know yourself" mean?

Sadly, many people do not and will not ever know themselves very well. I bring this to light because I feel it is crucial to your success in your future career as not only a professional, but as a student.

I'm currently writing this chapter of my book (this blog entry) at Fort Wetherhill park in Jamestown (an island) in Rhode Island. It's 9:50 a.m. on a Saturday and I have about an hour until work starts, which is only a 2 minute drive from here. This is the spot where I first met myself. Seriously though, I came here, to this secluded cliff side overlooking the bay. It's a great place to escape the real world for a short period of time, or a long period of time if you choose. It's so quiet and tranquil that it almost forces you to do some real deep thinking.

These are some things I thought of:

Who am I?

Why am I here?

What was I sent to do in this world?

I've always thought a lot, but here I was thinking more than ever before. I knew this was a magical spot that I would always come to if I wanted to come up with some good ideas or if I just wanted to give my mind a break. Before coming here, I always thought a lot, but not always clearly and concisely. Well, after coming here over and over again, I started to understand that my unclear and hectic thinking practices were actually clear and concise, but that I was just missing a piece from the puzzle! I wasn't writing anything down. It was formulated in one brain cell, passed to the front of the line, pondered upon, and then disappeared into thin air. Finally, I started bringing a notebook with me and I started to organize what I was going to think about, and on what days I would think about them. It was a giant experiment/plan that I was formulating to see if I could put my ideas to work, rather than just taking up some of my free time. Well to say the least, it has worked so far.

Anyways, after some serious calculations (joking, I'm awful at mathematics) I decided to start working on my book, 'Doubling Your Summer Money.'

So what's the point, I find a place to go to, relax, and I'll realize I should write a book? You may decide that, but I remembered, after some good thinking practices and organizing of my thoughts (organization is key!), a dream that I had thought of when I was much, much younger. I wanted to grow up to help make positive changes in peoples lives and eventually become an author. I never thought about becoming an author in high school, hence why am I constantly working on my writing skills. I had many thoughts when I was younger of what my dream life would be when I was a 'grown up.' Professors and teachers always say go with your intuition or your first thought, but how could you if you can't remember what your first thought was when you were younger? Sure people change their life paths and do absolutely fine for themselves. All that I am trying to say is that through my continuous process of getting to know myself(through organizing my thoughts), I was able to understand what I wanted in life and what I was sent down here to do. I remembered my dream. Life is a challenge, so getting my writing skills up to par with the credentials I need to take my book to the publishing house is a personal goal of mine.

Find a place to escape to.

Try and remember your dreams from years ago.

Don't forget to trust your intuition!

Google Magic

2011-04-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Chapter 10- Young Adult Googles His Idea For A Business

University of Rhode Island- April 13, 2011

Peter was simply walking down the quad at University of Rhode Island and like most young adult college students, he was surfing the web on his smart phone. Unlike other students, Peter has a strong interest in graphic design, particularly drawing designs on T-Shirts. Never did he think about selling his designs though. He would make T-Shirts for his family and friends. He really enjoyed this hobby, and that made him think hard about what he could possibly do to invest deeper into his passion.

After scrolling through his designs on his resume website, he came up with a great idea mixed with a dollop of entrepreneurial spirit. “How can I sell these designs imprinted on clothing to people around me on campus?”

He knew that he didn’t have time to open his own store and he did not want a life as a store owner either. He was a graphic design major. His dream was to sell his line to a major clothing retailer. He came up with a better idea. Since people always use their smart phones, he figured he could attract the largest audience by having his shop accessible online. There would be no physical storefront, but that he could run the shop out of his dorm or area at home with his parents.

After visiting a Border’s Book Store, he came across a book that discussed the idea of creating App’s to be viewed on Apple Products. He found a problem and he found a solution, both which are crucial to opening a business, whether it be a physical store front, a website, or an Apple App viewed on your hand held device.

The Problem:

Young adults do not always have a mode of transportation.

Many Young Adults would love to be able to just simply walk throughout a ‘mega-mall’ at least once a week.

Many do not have the money to buy name brand merchandise.

The Solution:

Since most young adults own a product that can access Apple’s App World or has itunes, which enables them to do just that, then they could access Peter’s genius idea.

The Idea:

An app which can be downloaded for free. You could scroll through several, if not hundreds of designs for the fronts of t-shirts search able by different styles. Once you open an account with E-Tshirt, you will be asked if you would like to add your shirt size and favorite t-shirt color. You can even opt to pre-load your account with money so that when you find a t-shirt design that you like, you can simply click and buy without having to hustle down your parents for their credit card.

As a society, we have to understand that we simply don’t have time anymore to go to a mall and spend several hours there walking endlessly hoping to find at least one item that you like and that you can afford (or not really be able to afford it, but buy it anyways). Sure we may have some time to spare, but wouldn’t you rather get a great deal on something that you know you like rather than something that everyone else is buying! Something original... What about the fact that you could find what you want and have it with the simple touch of a button... reducing your carbon footprint, and now you have saved time to exercise, play outside with friends or get homework done!

When we go to malls, we end up walking around, making our minds crazy over items we really want, but cannot afford, and then we end up going to the food concession and spending money on food that we really didn’t need. So now were training our minds to work our lives away to buy designer clothing, eat junk food and not have a true goal in mind, making a difference in our community. Sure buying lots of clothes, appliances and food at the local mall helps our economy, but it surely isn’t giving back into our community. Were creating carbon footprints by driving there, walking around in an indoor mall which uses heat, air conditioning, or oil and electricity, and of course, coal!

With the touch of E-Tshirt, you can avoid all of that, and rather than wasting time at a mall, you can play in the local park or volunteer at a local food bank, or even study for your next test. Now do you see what Peter was thinking all along?! It’s not about getting rich, it’s about creating the next name brand clothing company. The next designer clothing company will be a role model for us all.

Save Money.

Reduce Carbon Footprints.

Save time to do more proactive activities with our time.

Reduce non-sense spending to give back in other ways, not just to our economies financial end.

So why is Peter not going to be rich and make a fortune over his idea?(Well, he will be rich mentally.) Because he is a designer clothing company, and because he is a name brand company as well, that’s why! When your at the top of your league, you should be known for being the best out there. For ever t-shirt purchased, he will donate seventy five percent of his profit to non-profit organizations out there. Simply put, he will re-define what name brand means.

"Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny."
-George Dana Boardman

Retired in College

2011-04-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Are You Retired Yet?

You don't have to be 65 or older to answer yes or no...

That's a weird question for a blog titled, Doubling Your Summer Money, right? It may sound weird to ask on this website, but in my world, its a concept I like to think of translated to, "Are you happy with your studies or career? Are you in a career or aiming for a career that's not at the top of your "dream" list.

If you are not a young adult (but still young hearted) and are answering yes, than I salute you, because I have spoken to many adults who have careers that are second choice jobs, and not something that they really want to be doing. In fact I've only met a select few adults who are truly retired, since they are in a career they have always dreamed of. No I am not talking about truly retired, as in financially ready to stop working, but retired, with my concept of being happy with your current job.

If you are a young adult, and are either getting ready to go to college, or already in college, and you consider yourself not retired (remember I am not talking about financially retired), then I recommend you step back for a second and THINK about your choices in life. Although there are many of us who go to college because we want to study something that interests us, and eventually land a job in that career field, there are many of us who are studying something because either their parents want them to study (law or medicine) or because they know they will make 'bank' in a certain field. If you are one of those students, who are studying something that you love, then consider yourself retired since you can be sure of having a great retirement for the rest of your life, rather than waiting till your financial retirement to truly enjoy the simpler things in life.

For those of you who are studying in a certain field to become rich, I warn you against that decision. Although money is nice, it does not solve all problems. Study what you truly want, and if you do not know what you truly want to study, then look through the majors offered at your college again and again until you find something that strikes you.

We live in a society that depends on speed, effectiveness, and the internet. I personally want things to come to me quickly and efficiently. I do not want to sit back and wait. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has these views. With that in mind, wouldn't you want retirement now (mentally speaking, not financially), rather than waiting forty or so years to receive a check in the mail.

Study what makes you happy, not what will hopefully and eventually add large numbers to your bank account.

If you don't believe me, go speak to the closest adult to you, and ask them if they are happy with their job. Seven times out of ten (in my opinion), you will hear a negative response.

Be the minority, not the majority.

Just because we want things quick and we want things now, doesn't mean we shouldn't plan for the distant future. I recommend opening a "Roth IRA." Ask your parents or a local bank about how to go about doing so. When you hit the financial retirement age (59 and a half), you should have a nice check waiting for you at the bank.

Imagine being handed 10,000!

2011-03-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

What would you do if someone handed you

$10,000?

Say the first answer that pops in your head.

Write it down.

Re-read what you wrote.

The point of this is to personally understand what money means to you.

You can tell a lot about yourself after doing this short exercise.

I'm gonna run out and ask 10 young adults this same question.

I'll post the results tomorrow!

Feel free to use the comment section below as a place to write your answer.

Don't be afraid to press send, you can do it anonymously!

The Japanese Tsunami - March 2011

2011-03-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

24 News

"SOMA, Japan – Soldiers and officials in northeastern Japan are warning residents that the area could be hit by another tsunami and are ordering residents to higher ground.
Sirens around the town of Soma went off late Monday morning and public address systems ordered residents to higher ground.
Kyodo News Agency said the tsunami could be 10 feet (3 meters) high, citing Fukushima prefectural officials.
An Associated Press reporter stood about 100 yards (100 meters) from the coast.
The area was hit by a massive quake and tsunami on Friday.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
SENDAI, Japan (AP) — Japan began rolling blackouts to conserve power Monday as it tried desperately to stabilize nuclear reactors at risk of meltdown in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. The disasters sent Tokyo's stock market plunging as it opened, raising fears of a steep economic toll on top of the already overwhelming human suffering.
The planned blackouts of about three hours each in Tokyo and other cities are meant to help make up for the loss of power from key nuclear plants. Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said Sunday that the power utility expects a 25 percent shortfall.
Some 1.9 million households were without electricity, but many people were without even more basic necessities. At least 1.4 million households had gone without water since the quake struck, and food aid was slow in reaching many areas.
Friday's quake and tsunami, which swallowed towns and tossed large ships like game-board pieces, caused tens of billions of dollars in losses, according to preliminary estimates. And the first day of stock trading since the disasters opening underlined the challenges Japan's already fragile economy will have in bouncing back.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average shed 494 points, or 4.8 percent, to 9,760.45 just after the market opened Monday. Japan's central bank quickly responded by injecting 7 trillion yen (US$85.5 billion) into money markets.
The most urgent crisis remained at a nuclear plant along the ravaged northeastern coast, where operators worked frantically to try to lower temperatures of crippled reactors. Four nuclear plants had at least some damage, but two reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex were at the greatest risk of meltdown.
Operators dumped seawater into the two reactors in a last-ditch cooling effort. More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation.
Officials have confirmed about 1,800 deaths from the earthquake and tsunami — including 200 people whose bodies were found Sunday along the coast — and said more than 1,700 were missing and 1,900 injured.
The death toll seemed certain to get much higher after a report from Miyagi, one of the three hardest hit states. The police chief estimated that more than 10,000 people were killed there, police spokesman Go Sugawara told The Associated Press. Only about 400 people in the state of 2.3 million have been confirmed dead so far.
Rescuers pulled bodies from mud-covered jumbles of wrecked houses, shattered tree trunks, twisted cars and tangled power lines while survivors took the first difficult steps toward rebuilding their lives. Hundreds of thousands of hungry survivors huddled in darkened emergency centers that were cut off from rescuers, aid and electricity.
Hajime Watanabe, a 38-year-old construction worker, said he walked two hours Sunday to find a convenience store that was open and waited in line to buy dried ramen noodles. He also got in line in Sendai for gas, along with hundreds of other motorists. By Monday morning the station still was not open.
"I'm giving up hope," he said. An emergency worker in white helmet came over and told him if the station opens at all, the gas may be allocated for emergency teams and essential government workers.
He and his family are living in a shelter, fearful that one of the aftershocks that continue to strike will destroy their apartment building.
"I never imagined we would be in such a situation," Watanabe said. "I had a good life before. Now we have nothing."
About a third of the town of Soma was wiped out, with several hundred homes washed away. Three districts of town on the shoreline and now covered in rubble, overturned cars and trucks and waist-high, dirty green water. A landscape dotted with personal belongings: a tiny pink girl's bicycle, all twisted up, near a child's pink backpack with muddy stuff inside.
Atsushi Shishito sat in a daze on the concrete foundation of his home, now completely washed away. He sleeps at an evacuation center. The 30-year-old carried his 87-year-old grandmother to higher ground to escape the tsunami but said, "All my other relatives are all dead. Washed away."
Near-freezing temperatures compounded the misery. One rare bit of good news was Sunday's rescue of a 60-year-old man swept away by the tsunami who clung to the roof of his house for two days until a military vessel spotted him waving a red cloth about 10 miles (15 kilometers) offshore.
For Japan, one of the world's leading economies with ultramodern infrastructure, the disasters plunged ordinary life into nearly unimaginable deprivation.
While the government doubled the number of soldiers deployed in the aid effort to 100,000 and sent 120,000 blankets, 120,000 bottles of water and 29,000 gallons (110,000 liters) of gasoline plus food to the affected areas, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said electricity would take days to restore.
"This is Japan's most severe crisis since the war ended 65 years ago," Kan told reporters, adding that Japan's future would be decided by its response.
Japanese officials raised their estimate Sunday of the quake's magnitude to 9.0, a notch above the U.S. Geological Survey's reading of 8.9. Either way, it was the strongest quake ever recorded in Japan, which lies on a seismically active arc. A volcano on the southern island of Kyushu — hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the quake' epicenter — also resumed spewing ash and rock Sunday after a couple of quiet weeks, Japan's weather agency said.
Dozens of countries have offered assistance. Two U.S. aircraft carrier groups were off Japan's coast and ready to help. Helicopters were flying from one of the carriers, the USS Ronald Reagan, delivering food and water in Miyagi.
Two other U.S. rescue teams of 72 personnel each and rescue dogs arrived Sunday, as did a five-dog team from Singapore.
Still, large areas of the countryside remained surrounded by water and unreachable. Fuel stations were closed, though at some, cars waited in lines hundreds of vehicles long.
The United States and a several countries in Europe urged their citizens to avoid travel to Japan. France took the added step of suggesting people leave Tokyo in case radiation reached the city.
Community after community traced the vast extent of the devastation.
In the town of Minamisanrikucho, 10,000 people — nearly two-thirds of the population — have not been heard from since the tsunami wiped it out, a government spokesman said. Public broadcaster NHK showed only a couple concrete structures still standing, and the bottom three floors of those buildings gutted. One of the few standing was a hospital, and a worker told NHK that hospital staff rescued about a third of the patients.
In the hard-hit port city of Sendai, firefighters with wooden picks dug through a devastated neighborhood. One of them yelled: "A corpse." Inside a house, he had found the body of a gray-haired woman under a blanket.
A few minutes later, the firefighters spotted another — that of a man in black fleece jacket and pants, crumpled in a partial fetal position at the bottom of a wooden stairwell. From outside, while the top of the house seemed almost untouched, the first floor where the body was had been inundated. A minivan lay embedded in one outer wall, which had been ripped away, pulverized beside a mangled bicycle.
The man's neighbor, 24-year-old Ayumi Osuga, dug through the remains of her own house, her white mittens covered by dark mud.
Osuga said she had been practicing origami, the Japanese art of folding paper into figures, with her three children when the quake stuck. She recalled her husband's shouted warning from outside: "'GET OUT OF THERE NOW!'"
She gathered her children — aged 2 to 6 — and fled in her car to higher ground with her husband. They spent the night in a hilltop home belonging to her husband's family about 12 miles (20 kilometers) away.
"My family, my children. We are lucky to be alive," she said.
"I have come to realize what is important in life," Osuga said, nervously flicking ashes from a cigarette onto the rubble at her feet as a giant column of black smoke billowed in the distance.
As night fell and temperatures dropped to freezing in Sendai, people who had slept in underpasses or offices the past two nights gathered for warmth in community centers, schools and City Hall.
At a large refinery on the outskirts of the city, 100-foot (30-meter) -high bright orange flames rose in the air, spitting out dark plumes of smoke. The facility has been burning since Friday. The fire's roar could be heard from afar. Smoke burned the eyes and throat, and a gaseous stench hung in the air.
In the small town of Tagajo, also near Sendai, dazed residents roamed streets cluttered with smashed cars, broken homes and twisted metal.
Residents said the water surged in and quickly rose higher than the first floor of buildings. At Sengen General Hospital, the staff worked feverishly to haul bedridden patients up the stairs one at a time. With the halls now dark, those who can leave have gone to the local community center.
"There is still no water or power, and we've got some very sick people in here," said hospital official Ikuro Matsumoto.
Police cars drove slowly through the town and warned residents through loudspeakers to seek higher ground, but most simply stood by and watched them pass.
In the town of Iwaki, there was no electricity, stores were closed and residents left as food and fuel supplies dwindled. Local police took in about 90 people and gave them blankets and rice balls, but there was no sign of government or military aid trucks."
___
Todd Pitman reported from Sendai. Associated Press writers Eric Talmadge and Kelly Olsen in Koriyama and Malcolm J. Foster, Mari Yamaguchi, Tomoko A. Hosaka and Shino Yuasa in Tokyo contributed to this report.

A 19 Year old author from the University of Rhode Island

2011-03-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

At a time when creativity is at it's utmost importance, especially for today's youth in our ever changing environment, many students are gearing towards accomplishing success stories that many have to wait their whole lives to see. With jobless rates increasing, and college graduates increasing, competition in each of our individual fields is sky rocketing. Students who exceed the norm will have a better chance of getting a job than those who simply sit back and ride the wave. It's the student who over-exceed who will have the highest chances of getting a job. Let me not start off this article though by stating that the whole point to the author I am getting to is doing this for her resume. In fact, she writes as a hobby. I am almost positive in fact, that she wrote her first book "for fun."

The author I am speaking of is Rachel Salch. She is a sophomore at The University of Rhode Island. She is majoring in Landscape Architecture. Having known Rachel for the past two years, I have gotten to know her very well. Rachel doesn't do the things she accomplishes to simply impress anyone, she does it for her own well-being. 'If it ain't perfect, she isn't happy.' I can attest for that statement even though it is purely an opinionated statement. But seriously, she will sit down for hours upon hours into the morning to get what she is working on absolutely perfect. It is far fetched to find someone with an attitude such as hers.

Let's get to her book. When I first met Rachel, she had already been working on her book for quite a while. I would always be interested in hearing about what was going on with her writings. It was always coming along. Whenever she had some spare time, which I am not quite sure how she had any, she would be writing. After our winter break, I ran up to her to see how her book was coming along. Before winter break she was still reading it over and editing. Rachel said, "Yep, it's done." Simply put with not a lot of enthusiasm. I love it! She completes a book, but doesn't want to advertise it. Now that's some good self discipline! I would be telling the whole world to be completely honest. Rachel doesn't know I'm writing this, so I hope she doesn't mind that I'm telling the whole world that she just completed her book.

Here's how she got started:

"I started writing my book after experimenting with writing stories. I started writing short stories and sharing them with my friends. When my friends liked them, I was encouraged to write more.

My book, DIDO: QUEEN OF CARTHAGE, is a fictional book, written mostly from the point of view of the main character, Dido. It is based off of the Roman myth of Dido, and parts of the Aeneid, which my high school Latin teacher (Mrs. M-D!!!!!) would read in class." Rachel Salch

I'm not sure when she will be getting it published or if she will be getting it published, since she doesn't like to brag about her skills. Definitely keep an eye out for it!

Check out her blog spot:

http://writingdido.blogspot.com/