Gearing up for College....YES ALREADY!

You may be thinking, "Gosh, fall semester doesn't get here for a looong time!" so why should I start now? Well, my friends, the answer is very simple: M*O*N*E*Y!

February is national FAFSA month. FAFSA.gov is the website now for the all-inclusive petition for educational grants.  Yep, it takes them (the govy) this long to process all the requests and get you your cheese before the next academic year begins. 

You're going to need your tax information, your social security number, and all the other routine personal info in order to completely fill out this on-line form.  So, gather all that first, then log on. 

Some financial options to consider:
1-LOANS are available to ALL who ask...they have to approve you for education.  Loans (the college's Financial Aid office will help you with the details) do NOT have to be paid back until you finish your degree, unless you drop out...then you must start repaying after 6 months of inactivity.
2-SCHOLARSHIPS are there for anyone who has the gumption to apply.  If you are particularly good at one field, e.g., photography, make a portfolio (a fantastic one of your work) and go directly to the Art Department of the college you intend to attend. Get an appointment with the Dept. Head and SELL YOURSELF. This attitude and plan works well no matter what you're good at doing....computers, writing, performing.  These Heads have power to grant departmental scholarships.  If you're good at nothing, then make sure you at least earn a 3.75 your first semester of college. Once you secure that GPA, you can apply for the "academic scholarship" at most institutions and receive at least half-tuition!

It's so easy to put off college with the normal excuses. [I don't have money. I'm too old. I'm happy with my job at McDonalds.]  The truth is you're not getting any younger, and certainly not getting any smarter. 

Finally, if you're in real crisis--single parent-types, etc., you can always seek out your state's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.  This little-known, little-used government outlet can pay for your day care, gas to commute to school, even tutors! You only need call and set up an appointment. They are very helpful--that, and they need customers to keep their jobs.

If you have any more suggestions on getting money for college (besides illegal means) please post a comment. Helping others is always encouraged!

LOSE YOURSELF! –A Lesson from Jesus

What do you really have if you’ve gained the whole world, but lost your soul? Jesus put it more smoothly; He said it so we’d never forget. [See Mark, chapter 8]  However, remembering is not enough.

Stay with me, please.

In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was made flesh. The Word became somethingTAN-GI-BLE. It breathed, it moved, mostly it worked. There’s no escaping this: knowing what do to is not enough. Just knowing is NOT power. Acting on the knowledge is power. [Note: after the 4 Gospels in the New Testament is the “Acts” of the apostles.]

When I teach Academic Seminar (skills) to the students, I hear all the time, “This stuff is amazing! This changes everything; college ain’t gonna (hey, I work in the South) be so heavy this semester!” After most classes, students even come up to say “thank-you!”  Although that’s pretty nice to hear, I’ve lived too long to believe many of them will put the knowledge to practice…even though they’ve had a ‘revelation’ from the lesson.  

Think about how you feel after each of these experiences:

--Your kid’s been struggling in school. You finally go in and get things straightened out.

--Someone you know is suffering. You finally act on that feeling to share with them that you know “prayer really does help.”

--You feel like crap. You finally do some honest, hard exercise for a few days.

The possible scenarios are endless.  YOU FEEL EMPOWERED after you act, and while you are DOING.  So, how do we get there? How do we change from “knowing” what we’re supposed to be doing, to actually “doing” those things? Here’s something that’s helping me:

Choose a habit that you have every day. Maybe it’s making your bed, taking a shower, getting a Coke. Before you take part in that routine, DO what you KNOW you’re supposed to be doing FIRST.  If that’s exercise, DO IT before the other. If it’s reading the scriptures, DO IT first. If it’s paying more loving attention to your kids or spouse, DO IT first.

Extra power comes by also DOING what you’re supposed to be AFTER your regular routines as well. So, DO IT before your regular routine; DO IT after your regular routine!

 Then, here’s the one I’d love to master: start DOING what you know to be right instead of the routinely BAD habits.

At first, only delay your regularly scheduled habits by a few minutes. Even a short stint of exercise BEFORE you shower/make bed/drink your caffeine gives you power.

Those of you, who are already having success and found your own ways of DOING, please post below. Helping others is encouraged!

George Martin Must Finish...we can make him!

Like so, SO many of you, I’ve cruised the bookstores and the inter-webs looking for any scrap, any clue as to when George R R Martin is going to have his latest book finished. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS is a carrot gone putrid—dangling before his fans these last 5 ½ years.  For those starving for decent fantasy literature, that amount of time approaches the obscene. 

True fans know that George sold rights to HBO so they could create a mini-series based on his series of Fire and Ice.  [We also know that he likes to travel to nerd-raves and sign autographs, bask in his achievements, have his butt kissed, and watch sports.]  If you know of his “not a blog” site, you have probably harvested enough anger and frustration to re-burn Chicago.  Luckily, I am here to offer a solution…one fostered from reading your myriad complaints.

If, like me you are tired of reading that smug, OBLIVIOUS, fat-ass’s excuses, then it’s time we did something, right? Honestly, if you copy/pasted all his blogs since FEAST, you’d have more than a novel-length book! If George had cut out even one superfluous activity a week—and instead did his job—DANCE WITH DRAGONS would be sitting comfortably by your bedside. 

Here’s what I’m going to do (and you should too—I know you; you don’t screw around!):

I’m sending the (below) email to Bantam Books (George’s publisher)….yeah, EVERY contact possible. I am also sending it to HBO.  Please read it. If you agree (even in theory) I give you permission to copy and send this message to them as well. Or better yet, if you feel particularly saucy, write your own. I’ve done the work of gathering contact information for you!

Attention:          Bantam            

                        Randomhouse              

                        HBO

Dear Ranking Leaders of Current Media-

You employ the service of George R R Martin, author of the series FIRE AND ICE.  Assuming you have contracted with Mr. Martin because of his success in the literary field, it would only stand to reason that you have a VESTED INTEREST in his continued success. 

As producers of books and film, it would behoove you to keep the “FANS” happy.  Perhaps you are unaware of the rising vitriol throughout the internet and blogs regarding George R R Martin’s despicable slow pace in turning out A DANCE WITH DRAGONS.  Simply Google the phrase “George R R Martin sucks” to find a veritable bevy of scorn. 

Your media has paid MILLIONS to advertise George R R Martin.  You’re investing truck-loads of money on a man who is quite old, quite over-weight, and quite uninterested in spending time finishing the series he started. 

When you back an author who has continually lied and stepped on the hopes of his readers, YOU sirs are backing a charlatan. You fund fraud!

Your consumers are of the most intelligent base.  They realize which companies back lazy and contemptuous authors. Your consumers will go elsewhere. Whether on TV or in print, most fans have resigned themselves to not expecting this series to be completed before Martin dies.  If they know this of the books, then why invest time in a TV series….to be disappointed twice?

This is a request to you, as Mr. Martin’s employers: STOP PAYMENT until he produces!

Sincerely Hopeful,

C.S. Maxwell M.Ed.

BBPublicity@randomhouse.com

bdpublicity@randomhouse.com

I have decided to ALSO send a hard copy of this letter DIRECTLY to them at the below address---I encourage you to do the same!

Publisher’s Publicity Department

1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 USA