american opportunities

This could be the easiest time to get into a top American university. It may also be the cheapest, if they lower their rates. But forget about getting financial aid.

Paying for College Without the Home Equity Option
By M. P. DUNLEAVEY
Published: April 19, 2008
NYTimes

While the questions are not new, they are particularly difficult to answer in this economically tumultuous year. Traditional and even nontraditional sources of college financing are suddenly in question. Dozens of companies that once provided billions of dollars in student loans have left the market. Other banks are tightening their standards, making student loans harder to get.

On top of which, the continued turmoil in real estate has meant that home equity — a source of security for many families and a fallback for college funds for some of them — is not as easy, or in some cases impossible, to tap.

malacca music

During our courtship days, my wife and I made two trips up north to eat Malacca food. This weekend, we finally fulfilled a longstanding wish and brought two other couples up with us. More people means more food!

Along the way, we also had some great conversations, as two newlywed couples and one maybe soon to be couple shared their thoughts, struggles, gripes and praise for their partners. Perhaps my new chillibuddy says it best. Anyway, we had a great time.

But one thing went wrong. Dreadfully wrong. For the drive up, I had burned a compilation CD of music to keep us awake and alive for the road. But throughout the ride, I found myself constantly having to adjust the volume control, because the songs were all playing at different levels! My mp3 collection pre-dates Napster, so there is quite a wide range of music, and consequently a great variance in how loud they play.

The solution to this problem is actually very simple, in a nifty little free software I had gotten for my wedding. Mp3Gain is a freeware that uses statistical analysis to normalise the volume on all the selected mp3s. Obviously I would't let such a problem occur at my wedding, so why should I let it bug me in the car? So even as I speak, my computer is processing my collection ... goodbye to changing the volume ever again!

Now if there was only a way to normalise my waistline after all the binging...

And just some random info ... this was supposed to be an entry on its own but like many other ideas it died along the way. Guess how many softwares I used to make one wedding slideshow?
1) Microsoft Powerpoint
2) Cool Edit 2000 (now known as Adobe Audition)
3) DVD Photo Slideshow
4) Windows Movie Maker
5) Mp3Gain
That's the problem when you're too cheap to pay for software ... you have to combine all the free features from a whole collection of sharewares.