Skinny and the City is a Web site that I rely on for the latest and greatest diet, beauty and fashion tips. They even have a nurition site now, and their daily digest newsletter is always filled with great tips and tricks. One trick in particular that raised my eyebrows was the tip about Diet Coke. In a newsletter from last week, the gals at Skinny and the City promoted an old topic: Diet Coke and Weight Loss.

In an article from last year, they cited a study done by the University of Texas which stated that “for every can of diet soda consumed a day, a person’s risk of obesity increased by 41%.” The researchers also found that people generally order diet soda to compensate for the additional calories that they are eating at the point in time–like ordering a Big Mac, small fry and Diet Coke. These meals end up actually having more calories, which the soda choice really has nothing to do with, but it makes you feel better so you are more likely to actually over eat with diet soda rather than under-eat.

Artificial sweeteners also contribute to a lack of weight loss and lower the amount of calcium in your body. It doesn’t sound like a good quality, now does it?

So how do you get off your Diet Coke kick? Well you can try to simply stop drinking it, but I know that’s quite difficult mainly because of the caffeine. Skinny and the City suggests that you try Virgil’s Diet Root Beer and other colas. These colas come in a variety of flavors, are stevia-sweetened (which is not an artificial flavor) and are gluten free!! I’m definitely going to order some of these and try to kick my Diet Coke habit. It’s all about what’s in your food, as I said in my high fructose corn syrup post.

Will you try to kick your habit? Do you think this research is correct? Let me know below!

There are also some Web sites specifically designed to send you job descriptions, showcase your resume on the Web, and also help you connect with Human Resources of your favorite companies. No matter what career you are interested in, job sites have the resources to help you get hired.

Before you begin “friending” every high ranking executive on Facebook, sit back and read these quick words of caution.

1. Clean it up! Clean up your Facebook wall, profile pictures, and of course tagged photos. The best way to do this, particularly if you have had your profile for a long time, is to make your tagged photos visible by ONLY ME. The way to do this is to login to your Facebook, click on the privacy settings and then go through the options presented. You can even hide your status and photos from specific friends or groups of friends. Now this is not a cure all, you still need to be cautious of what you do and how you present yourself online, but I like having this particular setting on in order to avoid any unwanted surprises.

2. What sites to use: There are so many sites to use in order to find a job online, but the best ones are the ones tailored to your major or desired career. For example, journalism students should check out ED2010 or MediaBistro to find jobs, internships and Freelance opportunities. MonsterCollege, a new division of Monster.com is perfect for almost any recent or soon-to-be graduate. Mashable (http://mashable.com/2009/02/24/top-10-social-sites-for-finding-a-job/) has the top ten sites and from my experience they actually work really well. Twitter, which will be covered in another post, is one of the better tools for doing this.

3. To be LinkedIn or not to be: LinkedIn, HireVine and several other Web sites link ordinary people (aka job hunters) with companies (aka employers). These sites allow you to upload a resume, professional photograph, examples of your work, and also allows you to request recommendations from other people you have worked with in the past. The best part of LinkedIn is that the site will email you when someone views your profile or downloads your resume–which is always a nice thing to see.

If you plan to work online in the next few years the most important thing is to develop professional profiles on all of these networks. You need to be “google-able.” People should be able to search your name and find only good things about you. That is most definitely the key to being hired in today’s global world–that and a little social networking expertise.

YahooJobs has a great post on whether all this is worth it–and they post jobs too.

Are you laptop obsessed?

Laptops – they are a quick means to taking notes, looking up information, and even playing a game of solitaire or IM-ing with buddies in the middle of a teacher’s lecture. Let’s face it, when students pop open their laptops in class, very few, if any, actually use their personal computers for academic’s sake.  So why are laptops allowed in the classroom?

Teachers get offended when they know students are not paying attention to their lectures. I have heard many of them become disgruntled and scold students who pull out their phones in the middle of class to text or check a voicemail, but I never see any professors give any kind of objection to seeing a laptop in class.

From what I understand, most teachers assume that the laptops are being used for educational purposes; that the students are just taking notes on their computers rather than writing them longhand, or maybe the students are getting started on a class assignment.

Seriously, has anyone ever seen an open laptop with information on the screen that actually pertained to the classroom? Interestingly, no-one seems to get caught. With as many times as I have seen students sitting in front of me with a game going on their screen, the teacher always remains oblivious to what the student is really doing. I have never seen a teacher flinch at the sight of a laptop opening in the middle of a lecture, and I have never heard of a teacher complain to a student about bringing a laptop to class.

I’ll admit that I personally do not find laptop usage a distraction because it only distracts the user. If anyone thinks otherwise, I would gladly like to hear that opinion.

Were I a student, I would be one who forces myself to listen to lectures respectfully, and watching  some other student get away with playing computer games in the middle of a lecture seems unfair. Also, it is very rude to the professor. But these students probably figure what  teachers don’t know won’t hurt them.  I am just baffled that teachers actually allow students to continue with this.

I remember seeing a student open up a newspaper in the middle of class, which obviously caused some paper ruffling sounds, as well as blocked the student’s entire visibility from the teacher. The instructor immediately called the student’s attention in front of the whole class and proclaimed her actions as rude. An open newspaper is considered bad-mannered, but an open laptop isn’t?

It would almost seem that using a laptop in class is the perfect crime for students. The teachers don’t complain, and the students can go on being rude and ignoring the lecture. But, where is the sense of being mature and respectful in the classroom?

If a student has paid for the class, shouldn’t they get their money’s worth by actually paying attention and learning from the class? And, if the teacher is trying to do his or job by helping students with the material, shouldn’t students give the teacher enough respect to listen? Perhaps this is more a matter of maturity and classroom ethics than anything else.

I recently read an article on the Washington Examiner about how college grads are having a tough time finding work in this economy. Yada yada yada we’ve covered that before. However, there was another point being made in the article that I never really considered. As a generation (you know assuming your my age of around 23-ish) we’ve had a pretty rosy life. There was always work to be had and we were always told if we get a college degree we’ll have a great job and a great life. That’s just the way it’s been.

Unfortunately, that’s just not the way the world is now. We can’t simply log onto Monster.com, browse the site for an hour, pick a handful of jobs, and land one of them. While those tools are still there for us to use, we’ve got to take lessons from our parents and actually work to earn our jobs beyond just getting a degree. This means networking, face-to-face conversations, and really showing your commitment to the company your looking to work for.

Get ready for a reality check… it’s gonna be rough couple of years.

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Did you ever wake up one day and get completely sick at the idea of being just another cog at a big faceless corporation? It can be pretty daunting to start a career that way. I mean, sure, those corporations are able to supply job security (most of the time), insurance, 401k plans, and scheduled raises/promotions, but for some of us out there that’s just not where all the fun is. Working at a start-up may not give you all the benefits, but they can certainly be a lot more fun and, at a start up, you’ll feel like your actually doing something.

Alex over at the CollegeMogul.com put together this great list of college websites that are dedicated to helping start-ups find great employees… like you:

1. VentureLoop – A jobs listing service where start-ups that have investment can actively recruit.
2. Startuply – Smaller than VentureLoop but also a bit more… dangerous. Some of the start-ups here may have investment money and some may not. If your looking to ride the edge, so to speak, look here.
3. PartnerUp – If you are looking to be something more than just an employee at a start up, then this website will actually get you on the road to being a serious part of the business.
4. HotStartupJobs – Well the name kinda says it all… start up jobs. That’s what they do.
5. StartupZone – Similar to VentureLoop (start up jobs with venture capital) but they are specifically located in and around Silicon Valley.

Additionally you can check out: RubyNow and StartupHire, although both look a little less professional than the five listed above. Still worth the effort though!

Enjoy!

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Wheatgrass has always been one of those health-food nut standbys that I have shrugged off as being just too holistic. But it’s everywhere these days – Whole Foods, every smoothie station. I’m surprised McDonald’s or Starbucks hasn’t started liquifying it, or that Costco isn’t offering pallets of wheatgrass at wholesale prices. So I started doing some research.

Apparently, wheatgrass is claimed to be a kind of a superfood. Big wheatgrass supporters suggest a tiny shot of is like wolfing down a cow’s belly of leafy greens. In theory, wheatgrass purifies your liver, keeps your colin smooth, helps with skin irritations, energizes your mind and body, and just makes you feel good. It can pretty much do everything except leap tall buildings in a single bound. Those claims are not yet scientifically proven, though no one is doubting the ability of leafy greens to be good for you.

But if wheatgrass does detox your liver, I’d say students should be running to the store to get some – imagine a hangover cure that is all natural and actually helps you get out of bed!

So how did I feel post wheatgrass? Maybe it was the placebo effect, but honestly, I felt good; almost like I had just done something really nice for my body. And it tasted the way I always imagined grass would taste…not too sweet, not too bitter, and really healthy.

Twitter is a “privately funded startup with offices in the SoMA neighborhood of San Francisco, CA. Started as a side project in March of 2006, Twitter has grown into a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices.” When asked why people seem to like twittering, the company replied “twitter asks one question, “What’s happening?” Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web.” Their Web site is chock full of questions and answers that deal with almost every issue of Twitter.

The simpler explanation is that it is a 140 character short message service used to share news, feelings, professional work, or even Web sites and articles that you find interesting with the entire world. As long as your tweets are public, they can be seen by anyone at any time.

In addition you can view the tweets (which is what these short messages are called) of any member you follow. Some interesting companies/people to follow include, the New York Times, Time Magazine, Good Morning America and Barack Obama. All of these update with breaking news constantly and also include links to articles you may have missed on their site had you gone directly to the parent site.

Twitter’s newsfeed is so much easier to read than Facebook’s and often allows students to pick out the most important news and read it in a moment. Lists, a new feature, also allow you to collect the type of data you like in one place – so that you can get up to date even faster.

Twitter is an amazing tool and it’s free, so you should try it out this year; even if you ultimately end up deleting it, it might be cool to see how many people actually follow you.

As college students, most of us are pretty poor. Sure we may get some assistance from our parents every once in a while, or maybe we have a part time job. Sure enough, however, that money will soon be gone. You’d be surprised, actually, at how much money goes to stupid little things that you don’t even really need. Check it out (courtesy of OnlineCollegeDegree.org):

Food & Shopping

Stretch a buck when you’re eating or buying with these college kid tips.

1. Buy used books: College students often buy used textbooks, at great savings off of list prices.
2. Shop discount stores: Use discount stores like Wal-Mart and Costco to get items on a budget-just be careful not to load up your cart unnecessarily.
3. Get on a meal plan: If your office has a cafeteria with a meal plan, consider signing up for savings.
4. Dumpster dive: Check out curbs and dumpsters to score free furniture and other items.
5. Shop the dollar store: Stock up on cheap staples by paying a visit to your local dollar store.
6. Don’t do delivery: Never pay for delivery unless it’s cheaper than getting it yourself-and even look for carryout specials, often found at pizza places.
7. Avoid brand names: Most of the time, you won’t be able to tell the difference between name brands and store brands.
8. Buy in bulk: Students know to buy large bottles of alcohol for savings-and you can do the same with other items as well.
9. Learn to cook: Put your kitchen to good use and whip up something at home.
10. All you can eat: Visit buffets to make your meals as big as you want them to be.
11. Don’t buy books unless you have to: Wait until you’re sure you need a book, then see if you can find a free ebook, or a cheaper version before you commit to paying full price.
12. Eat cheap: In a pinch, Ramen and Kraft can feed you cheaply-although produce often offers more nutrition for the money.
13. Shop around: Find the best deals and bang for your buck.
14. Buy used whenever possible: Books, baby strollers, or tools, are just a few examples of things you can buy used.
15. Find specials: College students seek out happy hours-you can look for coupons, special purchase days, and more.
16. Freeze food: Make extra food and freeze it for easy meals later.
17. Eat out less: By eating at home, you can save money and live healthier.
18. Share books with friends: Exchange books among your group of friends, and you’ll all save money.
19. Make your own coffee: Don’t stop by the coffeehouse every morning-invest in a good French press and quality beans for your home.
20. Plan for leftovers: Get an almost free lunch every day by making a little extra every night.
21. Buy in bulk: Buy your items in bulk, sharing and splitting the cost with friends.
22. Shop online: If you can’t find products at a discount in retail stores, check out online retailers.
23. Stay away from fast food: Invest in food that gives you more nutrients for your buck.
24. Eat nonperishable food: Avoid wasting money on rotted food-buy groceries with a long shelf life.
25. Buy and sell used clothing: Create a unique style with used clothing-and make some cash by selling your old stuff.

Entertainment & Travel

Use these lessons to keep yourself entertained and having fun without spending a lot of money.

1. Look for discounts: Even though you may not get a student discount, you can cash in on early bird specials, and discounts for seniors and the military.
2. Stay with friends: Avoid hotels, and travel where you can stay with friends.
3. Stay busy: Keep yourself busy with work, family, and hobbies, and you’ll have less time to spend money.
4. Cut out vices: Cut down or avoid vices like beer, cigarettes, and drugs.
5. Take a road trip: Stay close to home and drive somewhere to save some money.
6. Seek out free drinks: Frat parties are out, but you can get free wine at art openings.
7. Take advantage of free and cheap activities: Go to free concerts in the park and other activities to save money.
8. Go on cheap dates: Go outdoors, out to coffee, or free events for a date.
9. Go to cheap shows: Arena concert prices can be obscene-but club shows often only cost a small cover charge, and you’ll save on drinks.
10. Take group trips: Get together and save with friends by taking trips as a group.
11. Plan for fun: Know that you’re going to want to get out and have some fun-so set aside a little cash to play with.
12. Use free communication: Call family, friends and colleagues using free long distance on your cell phone, or using services like Skype.
13. Go to happy hours: Find cheap drinks and appetizers by visiting at the right time.
14. Entertain yourself at home: Students often stay at home to study instead of going out-you can read or educate yourself instead.
15. Don’t bother with a landline: If you have a cell phone, avoid getting a landline to save on communication costs.
16. See obscure films: Stay out of blockbuster movie theaters, and watch independent, foreign, and old films for a fraction of the cost.
17. Avoid big spenders: Don’t hang out with people who like to spend significantly more than you do, or arrange to do inexpensive things with them.
18. Use free 411: Call 1-800-GOOG-411 pr 1-800-Free411 to save money.
19. Get together at peoples’ homes: Avoid meeting friends and family at bars or restaurants-entertain each other in your homes instead.
20. Drink cheap: Although you may not want to start drinking trashcan punch again, picking up a budget bottle of wine can help you save some cash.

Financial Management

These tips can help you keep your money under control.

1. Track your spending: Don’t let your budget get out of control-keep a close eye on what you’re spending.
2. Get help: Although your days of scholarships are over, grants and government assistance are often available to those who need them.
3. Take advantage of government programs: If you qualify, use food stamps, Medicare, and other money saving programs-your taxes pay for them.
4. Pace yourself: Slow down your spending to make your money last.
5. Only use credit cards for emergencies: If possible avoid using credit cards for anything but emergencies.
6. Don’t sign up for useless credit card offers: Avoid signing up for obscene credit card offers in exchange for t-shirts and gifts.
7. Build a good history: Use credit cards to build a good credit history so you can save money on financially sensible products in the future.
8. Pay off your cards each month: Only use credit cards if you’re going to pay off your balance each month.
9. Keep a low credit limit: Avoid the temptation to spend up your credit card by keeping it at a low credit limit.
10. Stay away from fees: Do everything you can to avoid fees from your financial accounts.
11. Don’t max out loans: Smart students avoid maxing out student loans-and you should do the same, avoiding maxing out loans or credit cards you may have.
12. Avoid unnecessary debt: Students have student loans-you may have a mortgage, but stay away from debt beyond the basics.
13. Stay on top of your accounts: Avoid insufficient funds fees by making sure you stop spending before your money runs out.
14. Get good grades: Although you won’t get a good student discount, keeping your credit score up to a high grade will save you money.
15. Take it easy on loans: Just because you qualify for a loan, you don’t have to take it-pay cash whenever possible.
16. Pay bills on time: Stay away from late fees on credit cards, utilities, and more.
17. Shop around for loans: Don’t blindly take the first offer you get-look at others to make sure you’re getting the best deal available.
18. Plan ahead for ATMs: Avoid costly ATM fees by planning ahead and using your bank’s branch or ATM.
19. Plan ahead: Often, students have loans that have to last them a whole semester, so they have to plan accordingly. You can plan ahead like this by forecasting your income for a certain period of time.
20. Use a convenient bank: Set up accounts with a bank that’s close to you and easy to access, and you’ll avoid transportation hassles, and often ATM fees.

Making Money

Follow these college student tips to learn how to make more money.

1. Consider a part time job: Make a little extra money on the side with a part time job.
2. Tutor: If you’re good at math, English, or science, offer to tutor students for money.
3. Save time: Save time to have more free time to work a part time job and earn cash.
4. Be a good employee: Stand out at work, and you’ll have better opportunities for the future.
5. Sell your old stuff: Get rid of old and unnecessary items by selling them in classifieds or online.
6. Donate plasma: Make money from getting your blood drawn.
7. Do seasonal work: Take on a Christmas rush job, or lifeguard in the summertime.
8. Work for free: Internships can open doors for students, as volunteering can do for adults.
9. Actually go to work: College students know they have to go to class-you have to go to work to continue making money.
10. Start your own business: Take advantage of your special skills and start a business of your own.
11. Take off jobs: Accumulate a little money here and there by doing small jobs for people.

Housing & Transportation

With these tips, you can live and get around just a little bit cheaper.

1. Use public transportation: Save money on car expenses by opting to take public transportation instead.
2. Get a roommate: Cut down on your living expenses by sharing your housing with someone else.
3. Live near a bus line: Living close to town can be expensive-so consider living close to public transportation.
4. Stay in a hostel: When traveling, spend your money on experiences and thoughtful mementos, not an expensive hotel room.
5. Drive a clunker: Put off buying a new car as long as you possibly can.
6. Get insurance discounts: Although you won’t get a good student discount, avoiding accidents and keeping a good credit score can lower your car insurance.
7. Carpool: Whether it’s across town or across the country, ride with friends and it will be cheaper.
8. Live small: Dorms and college apartments are not known for their huge amounts of space-save money by living in a smaller apartment or home.
9. Share: Instead of borrowing your college roommate’s clothes, you can borrow your neighbor’s power tools.
10. Buy used furniture: Check out classified and garage sales to find furniture on the cheap.
11. Accept offers: If someone you know has a spare refrigerator, couch, or toaster oven, and you need one, don’t be too proud to accept it.
12. Live close: Many students save on transportation costs by living on campus or close to it, so they can walk or bike to where they need to go on a regular basis.

Miscellaneous

These are just a few more college saving tips.

1. Determine your own spending: Don’t try to keep up with friends and family who seem to have more money than you.
2. Have a financial plan: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail-map out your goals and needs, then stick to them as close as you can.
3. Use free gyms: College campuses often have free gyms, while there are often free or low cost gyms and classes available at community parks.
4. Stay active: Stay healthy and active, and your health costs will decrease.
5. Get health insurance from somebody else: Whether it’s your spouse, employer, or parents, anything is cheaper that getting individual health insurance.
6. Visit libraries: You may not have access to university libraries, but you can save lots of money by using your local library.
7. Take advantage of free services: Use free services available in your community, like libraries, parks, and free classes.
8. Join groups: Fraternities help save college students money on room, board, and food-pool your resources in a group to save money similarly.
9. Take a multivitamin: Multivitamins can help make up for deficiencies in your college student diet.
10. Quit when you’re ahead: Students know to drop classes that are more trouble than they are worth before they hit the deadline-learn to get out of bad situations similarly to save money and more.
11. Do things right the first time: Students who fail classes pay dearly to retake them-save your money by planning carefully for DIY projects, travel, and more.
12. DIY: Avoid hiring professionals whenever possible.

Sure most of this stuff seems kind of “common sense-ish” when you really think about it, but how many of you actually do these things? There’s a lot of money to be saved out there, you just gotta actually attempt to save.

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I sat with an American businessman in the home of a Palestinian friend in East Jerusalem. We talked about the excitement and adventure of travel, encountering remarkable people and brilliant topographical tapestries stitched together to form a broad and diverse world. We concurred that travel is the best way to combat ignorance, but I expressed dismay at the fact that some people who have traversed this wide world over still seem oblivious to the fact that others exist besides themselves. The businessman sat quietly for a moment, nodding his head.

“Yeah,” he began in his cautious monotone, “we call those people Americans.”

Unfortunately, this stereotype is all too often confirmed by ethnocentric tourists who refuse to pop the confining bubbles that prevent them from experiencing the breadth and depth of the world. Many people apply thick veneers to protect themselves from the abrasiveness of a globe that tastes both sweet and bitter. The Beatles were right: “Living [and traveling] is easier with eyes closed.” Strawberry Fields will forever be more delicious without thinking about the underpaid farmers who harvest them.

The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer provides a reconstructive foundation for a renewed worldview that can be applied to travel. Bonhoeffer believes that we must learn to see the world “from below,” from the point of view of the suffering and the marginalized, those whose voices have been drowned out by the raging discordant noise of oppression. This, Bonhoeffer says, is “an experience of incomparable value.” We now see the “great events of world history”–and experience travel–with new eyes. Instead of looking through lenses of comfort and affluence, we see the planet as most of humanity sees it: beauty and repulsiveness, hope and despair, joy and pain. We see magnificent monuments honoring ancient kings but we also see sweltering trash dumps housing the present poor. It is possible to marvel at the architectural majesty of the cathedrals of Europe and still be disturbed by the exploitation of the workers who slaved away building them. It is possible to be moved by the magnificence of the earth while also being discomforted by the destruction of the ecosystem. The world looks different when we stand in the AIDS-stricken jungles of Africa, a refugee camp in Palestine, the deeply impoverished streets of India, the racially-segregated ghettos of inner-cities, or the war-ravaged lands of Sudan. We cannot ignore the disturbing underbelly of existence while we enjoy the attractive face.

Once this transformation occurs and the lens changes through which we see this earth, we can never travel the same way again. To be a traveler is to have the ability, or perhaps the responsibility, to wonder and wander. The word wonder can mean “to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe,” and when I travel and immerse myself in the wild beauty of nature and the intricate traditions of culture, I am filled with a sense of wonder. But wonder can also mean “to doubt,” and when I travel I doubt that the present state of the earth is the only way it has to be. To wander is “to travel about, on, or through,” but we now do so with a purpose as we wander away from the framework of a tourist that only sees life from a comfortably safe distance.  As we wonder and wander we appreciate and embrace the awesome spectacles of earth while at the same time learning to experience the raw intensity felt by so many people in the past and right now. We become travelers when we see the world from below.

May we wonder and wander deliberately.