Sunday, July 31, 2016

Got a Summer Job? Tax Tips for your Summer Job

Summertime living is supposed to be easy, but for those who take seasonal jobs the taxes can be tricky.

Now is a good time for a checkup if you are a student with a summer job or have a young worker in the family.

“Some children’s returns are almost as complex as their parents’, even though they don’t have much income,” says Ken Rubin, a certified public accountant with RubinBrown in St. Louis.

One common complication is the need for multiple state returns if a child’s home is in one state, a college or on-campus job is in another and a summer job is in a third.

Slip-ups can mean aggravation later or lost opportunities, so here are tax tips for summer earners.


Know the basics. For many young workers who are dependents—meaning that someone else provides more than half their support—the threshold for federal income tax in 2016 will be $6,300 of earned income. That’s the amount of the standard deduction.

Employees typically owe 7.65% in Social Security and Medicare tax on all earned income, while self-employed workers generally owe 15.3% for these levies on earned income above about $430, according to Troy Lewis, a CPA who practices in Draper, Utah.

If the employee is your child. Parents who hire children under 18 to work in a sole proprietorship, a spousal partnership or a single-member limited-liability company can deduct the child’s pay, and no payroll taxes are due.

Payroll taxes are due if the child is 18 or older, but children under 21 who are employed by a parent are exempt from federal unemployment taxes and possibly state unemployment taxes as well.

Parents who plan to deduct a child’s pay should pay fair wages for real work, says Mr. Lewis, and be sure to keep careful records. Many tech-savvy teens have expertise in building or maintaining business websites or marketing via social media.

Check employment status. Young workers may not know whether they are employees or independent contractors, but there’s a big difference. Contractors don’t have income or payroll taxes withheld, so these workers could have a surprise tax bill if a 1099 form arrives next spring.

Independent contractors should also track deductible expenses for mileage, special uniforms or equipment used in their work, says Mr. Lewis, because such expenses can be hard to reconstruct.

Take care with the W-4. If an employee won’t have taxable income for 2016, the W-4 form should say “exempt” on line 7, to avoid having to file a return next spring. Payroll taxes due will still be withheld.

Consider shifting an education tax break. Last year, Congress made permanent the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which is often the best college tax break. Those claiming it can use up to $4,000 of college expenses for tuition, books and equipment to reduce their income taxes by as much as $2,500.

The catch: This benefit isn’t available to most couples who have more than $160,000 of adjusted gross income or singles with more than $80,000.

If the parents have too much income to claim the American Opportunity Credit for college costs, the young worker may be able claim it instead, says Mr. Rubin, even if the employee is still a dependent of his or her parents. Often families are unaware of this option, according to Mr. Rubin.

In this case, neither the parents nor the child claim the personal exemption for the child. This benefit may be of little value to the parents because of a phaseout for affluent taxpayers.

The student then claims the American Opportunity Credit on his or her own return, which offsets up to $2,500 of taxes. The student doesn’t have to pay the college costs to use this benefit.

Mr. Rubin adds that the credit can apply to the student’s “unearned” income (as from investments or a trust) as well as his or her earned income, even if the unearned income is taxed at the parents’ rate due to a provision known as the “kiddie tax.”

Fund an IRA. Summer workers can contribute their earned income up to $5,500 this year to either a traditional or a Roth individual retirement account. Assets in either account compound tax free.

Contributions to a traditional IRA are tax deductible, but withdrawals are taxable, whereas Roth contributions aren’t deductible, but withdrawals are often tax free. Given the low tax rates of young workers, a Roth IRA is often the better choice.

Helping a child or grandchild fund an IRA can be a terrific gift. “Often, starting the account is the hardest part,” says Mr. Lewis. “Once it’s up and going, it’s easy to put in more.”

Friday, July 29, 2016

Buda or Pest? A Tale of Two Cities

Nicole takes us to Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. She delves into the city’s history explaining how a storm sparked the building of a bridge which united two cities into what we now know as Budapest.   Nicole also tells us that despite having been conquered by the Turks, retaken by Christians, occupied by the Germans and oppressed by Russian communist rule, Budapest now takes great pride in its nickname “Capital of Freedom:..

Why the Freedom to Experiment and Fail Is Important for Every Innovator

By Thomas Oppong 

Bold innovation is one of the many reasons for human growth and development. We have come this far because a few people dared to try. Dared to dream. And dared to try. Lives get changed, markets get disrupted and sometimes people get hurt when millions of people embrace something new. We thrive on change. The only way forward is change, but change it hard. 

The only way to succeed is to try. You can't make, create, do or start anything worthwhile if you are not willing to experiment. Nobody gets it right the first time, especially when it's something groundbreaking, disruptive and life changing. According to Tim Harford, author of Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure, "success comes through rapidly fixing our mistakes rather than getting things right first time."

Failure open up other opportunities for success

If you don't operate a nuclear plant, it's safe to say that can probably infuse a bit more freedom and flexibility into your workday. Give yourself permission to fail. Failure avoidance will only lead to inaction. The hard truth though is that, acceptance of failure leads to a higher likelihood of failing but the world's leading innovators embrace it anyway. Failure is every innovation's inevitable companion. Learning what doesn't work is a necessary step to learning what can stand the test of time.

Apple III was one of Apple's worst products. It was a bold step but according to Steve Wozniak, it was a 100 percent failure rate. Every single machine that was sold had to be repaired. Apple fixed every single machine, and kept fixing the design until it worked.

Google had high hopes for Wave, one its failed products. Facebook and Twitter were too strong for it, so Google killed it. Google Wave lasted 15 months.

Microsoft's Zune was supposed to be the answer to the iPod. But it never really caught on. That didn't stop Microsoft from trying out new ideas.

Innovative companies learn from every failure and move on to continue the experiments. They don't stop. They find what doesn't work and keep pursuing other opportunities. You can't avoid failure or you'll never do anything innovative. And you can't accept failure or you'll lack grit. 

Trial and error is one of the most effective approaches for innovation

There's nothing wrong with dropping an experiment that doesn't work out as you thought it would. But most innovators often spot a failure and try to fix it early and hold on to even the smallest chance of success. They work on projects with small downsides but bigger upsides. Persistence pays off but it pays to recognise  what won't work and adjust as and when needed. 

Elon Musk is arguably one of the most respected innovators of the 21st century. He solves real world global problems. PayPal solved sending and receiving payments online. SpaceX is changing space transport services as we know it. 

Tesla focuses on electric cars and promises to bring about a transportation transformation. Solar City wants to harness the Sun's energy to provide energy for millions of people. Elon has probably experimented hundreds if not thousands of times in his career. And he is still experimenting.

Innovators embrace failure like scientists.The only way to know if your idea will work is to put it out there in the real world and find out how it works. Test them, like a scientist. Start over if you get off on the wrong foot. In the course of any significant innovative idea, there will always be logical, rational and compelling reasons to quit but innovators don't give up that easily.

Experimentation improves the process of solving problems

Experiments are the driving force behind creative innovations. Many times, companies that embrace failure often come up with a lot more new products and better ways to work. There is no innovation without the possibility of failure. Most technology giants make room for failure. Google has experimented and killed a lot more new products than most technology companies.  And guess what, they still give employees the freedom to try new ideas. Gmail was an internal product made by a Google employee. 

Encouraging employees to think outside of the box and giving them time, resources and freedom to explore new areas for innovative ideas often results in breakthrough products. Innovative companies that win face challenges like everyone else, but they have the will to persevere and adapt new ways to stay relevant in the ever-changing business world.

The only way to survive is to adapt and embrace innovation. Innovators don't win every time, but more importantly, they don't let their failures get in the way of their actions...which lets them live to innovate another day.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

How's your vocabulary? Check out our Word of The Week: Appellation, Puckish and Oblique

In this week’s WORD…you can test your knowledge of the words: puckish; appellation; and oblique.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

What is the meaning of Wyoming state flag?

Alexa teaches us the history of Wyoming’s state flag. In the middle of flag is a giant bison. Similar to a buffalo, the bison is known as the monarch of the plains and pays homage to the cattle ranchers of Wyoming. Contained within the bison is a seal which depicts a cowboy and a miner. Right above the cowboy and miner is a banner that reads, “Equal Rights.” The phrase “Equal Rights” refers to Wyoming’s history of having been the first territory to allow women to vote and hold public office.

Monday, July 25, 2016

What Happens When a Coral Reef Dies?

By Caitlin Martin Newnham

Coral reefs are being pushed to the brink. For the past two years, many of the world’s reefs have been hammered hard by “the longest and most widespread coral bleaching event on record,” according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since the 1970s, climate change, El Niño events, overfishing, pollution, and other pressures, have caused coral to decline at an unprecedented rate. As coral continue to be assailed from all sides, the question becomes: what happens to a coral reef when the coral disappear?

To get an idea, says University of Queensland ecologist Peter Mumby, look to Jamaica. In the 1970s, the Caribbean nation’s vibrant coral populations died. In their place grew seaweed forests.

Jamaica’s coral reef collapse was a complex process that started with decades of heavy fishing. In the decades leading up to the 1970s, overfishing depleted the region’s fish, including those that eat seaweed. With the fish gone, urchins gorged on the sudden abundance of algae.

“If you were to take a step on a reef in Jamaica at that time, it would be very hard to do that without stepping on a sea urchin,” says Mumby.

But in 1980s, disease struck the urchin population. The urchins died en masse, leaving too few herbivorous animals to keep the seaweed in check. Over the span of a year, the seaweed population soared and began smothering the coral, which were also declining because of disease.

“If you have lots of seaweed, the coral is expending so much energy battling away with the seaweed that it just fails to grow,” Mumby says.

Even a healthy reef will sometimes collapse because of a natural disaster such as a tropical cyclone. In such cases, an “algal turf”—a layer of small algae—begins to grow over the dead coral. In healthy environments, fish will return to the destroyed reef to feed on the algae and, after a few years, the coral will recover.

But in a recent experiment, Mumby and his team studied what happens to a damaged reef when herbivorous fish are unable to repopulate the area, which is what happened in Jamaica’s coral collapse. They found that when large, algae-eating fish such as parrotfish are prevented from recolonizing the reef, the growth of new corals is decreased by 700 percent. When all fish are excluded from returning to the reef, coral growth drops 1500 percent. And in the corals’ place: seaweed.

Seaweed forests lack the complex physical structures of coral that fish need to thrive. Without coral reefs, fish can’t hide from predators and become easy prey.

“If you were to leave the fish alone, it takes something between six and ten years for those fish who consume seaweeds to recover,” Mumby says. But overfishing continues in Jamaica, and even after 30 years the corals have yet to recover.

The transition from vibrant coral reef to seaweed forest experienced in Jamaica foreshadows the large-scale deterioration of coral reefs that could result if global and local pressures such as pollution, overfishing, and ocean warming continue. Theoretically this ecosystem transition is reversible, but only if the pressure that caused the decline goes away.

One of the prominent threats to the future of coral reefs is ocean warming caused by anthropogenic climate change, which triggers coral bleaching events and slows coral growth. With such a persistent pressure, it becomes more difficult for coral to recover. 

King Arthur

 

King Arthur

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is an upcoming British-American epic adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie and written by Joby Harold. The film stars Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur. It is scheduled to be released on March 24, 2017. Wikipedia

 
Release date: March 24, 2017 (USA)
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cinematography: John Mathieson
Budget: 102 million USD
Distributed by: Warner Bros.


 

 
 

 

 

Justice League In Theaters May 6, 2016 | © Screen Media Film

 

Justice League

In Theaters May 6, 2016 | © Screen Media Film

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot will be reprising their roles as the DC Trinity, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in Warner Bros.‘ Justice League, and joining them are Jason Mamoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, and Ezra Miller as The Flash. Amber Heard is set to play Queen Mera in the film as well before moving to the solo Aquaman movie in 2018, with Willem Dafoe appearing in a mystery role, and J.K. Simmons playing Commissioner Gordon.


 

 
 

 

 

Watch Star Tek Beyond Movie Review

 

In the video above, Jackson gives us his review of the new movie "Star Trek Beyond"

A surprise attack in outer space forces the Enterprise to crash-land on a mysterious world. The assault came from Krall (Idris Elba), a lizard-like dictator who derives his energy by sucking the life out of his victims. Krall needs an ancient and valuable artifact that's aboard the badly damaged starship. Left stranded in a rugged wilderness, Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew must now battle a deadly alien race while trying to find a way off their hostile planet.
 
Release date: July 22, 2016 (USA)
Director: Justin Lin
Film series: Star Trek
Story by: Gene Roddenberry
Screenplay: Simon Pegg, Doug Jung

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Wonder Woman In Theaters June 2, 2017 | © Warner Bros Pictures

 

Wonder Woman

In Theaters June 2, 2017 | © Warner Bros Pictures

An Amazon princess leaves her island home to explore the world, and becomes the greatest of its heroes.

Director:

 Patty Jenkins

Writers:

 William M. Marston (Wonder Woman created by),  Allan Heinberg (screenplay)  |3 more credits »

Stars:

 Gal Gadot,  Chris Pine,  Robin Wright  

 

 

 

Career Spotlight: What I Do as a Manufacturing Engineer

BY Andy Orin

When a device works well, you probably put little thought into how it was made, let alone how thousands upon thousands of them were made. There is plenty of public emphasis put on design—but figuring out how to replicate something at scale is an engineering feat unto itself.

To learn a little about the work that goes into manufacturing, we spoke with young engineer who previously worked for a commercial electronics manufacturer and now building electronics that will be sent to space. (Unsurprisingly, the quality standards for space travel are a little more stringent!)

First, tell us a little about your current position and how long you’ve been at it. Basically, what does a manufacturing engineer like you do?

I’m a manufacturing engineer in electronics manufacturing at a major government contractor within their space division. I’m pretty new to the game: I worked at a small commercial electronics manufacturer for less than a year, then I jumped on an opportunity at this current company and I’ve been here for half a year. I’m no expert, but hopefully this helps anyone interested in this field.

Manufacturing engineers support the manufacturing floor, which includes the following:

  • From the engineering drawings, manufacturing engineers create plans and instructions that detail exactly how to build hardware with the tools and machinery out on the floor. Think LEGO instructions, but a lot more complex.
  • Manufacturing engineers also work floor support. The fabricators (hourly laborers) who work on hardware (our products) come to us with any questions or problems they might have: issues with their machinery, issues with the hardware, questions on work instructions, basically anything. Manufacturing engineers solve the problems on the floor to keep product moving.
  • Manufacturing engineers program all the machinery used to work on hardware. This isn’t actual programming/coding, but simply telling the machine what to do and saving those settings and programmed actions. Most of the simpler automation equipment take in X,Y, and Z coordinates and certain actions to execute at each point (i.e. move nozzle here, spray here, move nozzle up to avoid knocking off parts, etc).
  • We also look for ways to improve processes. Automation is king in manufacturing. Machines usually don’t make mistakes (although I’ve had some conveyors drop boards...)
  • And we do a surprising amount of paperwork.
  • We find, research, and test/validate new machinery and equipment for the floor. I got the chance to fly out to a company to test a brand new machine we were interested in, for example.
  • We are responsible for finding new equipment, proving that it would benefit the company via a ROI analysis (will we get our investment back?), and validating that the machine is as good as they claim.

What drove you to choose your career path? How did you go about getting your job? What kind of education and experience did you need?

I studied industrial engineering in college. I had a hard time finding a job and accepted one related to software. I felt that I was wasting my degree, so a year and a half later I left for a commercial electronics manufacturing job. I had a friend who worked there so he submitted my resume. I found out about an opening with the government contractor through another friend and sent my resume to his friend at that company. Somehow I got the job... extremely lucky.

Connections and networking are surprisingly useful. Don’t underestimate them!

Did you need any licenses or certifications?

No, but if you’re interested I passed my Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. Not at all necessary, but I’m sure that didn’t hurt.

What are your average work hours?

The average work hours are anywhere from 9 to 12+. Manufacturing uses shifts. There are 24 hours in a day and you can be sure that most manufacturers intend to squeeze in as many hours as possible.

1st shift is 6am to 3pm, which is surprisingly great. 2nd shift is 3pm to 12am. Some companies use a third shift which is 10pm to 6am. 2nd shift and 3rd shift pay a bit more since you sacrifice your social life. Oh and there’s weekend coverage. Manufacturing can be a grind, but you gain a ton of experience.

What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession? What do they do instead?

Commercial and space are wildly different fields within electronics manufacturing. When I was in commercial we focused on quantity. We looked to increase throughput by reducing cycle times in terms of minutes or seconds, because we built hundreds of boards a day. In space electronics manufacturing, everything is slower and much more deliberate. Quality is paramount.

What’s the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?

Commercial electronics manufacturing is a tough business, especially with almost everything already moved to China. At the small commercial company, money was tight. I didn’t always have the tools required for the job. Requesting new equipment and tools involved a lot of red tape. I hate red tape.

Weekend coverage sucks, but at least it’s a chill day where you provide a bit of support and catch up on paperwork.

What’s the most enjoyable part of the job?

I’m helping build things that go into space!

At the last job, helping the fabricators and solving problems was my favorite part. I was tight with a lot of those guys. They are some of the hardest working people I’ve met.

What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?

Question the status quo, especially if the answer is “that’s how we’ve always done it.” Look for ways to automate processes. Learn IPC [a set of standardizations in electronic production and assembly] for commercial and and J-STD specifications for space; these dictate the standards on circuit boards. Six sigma and other efficiency mantras are something to keep in mind.

How the American Red Cross Works - History & Facts

The history of the American Red Cross is inseparable from the history of America itself. Since 1881, American Red Cross members and volunteers have been an essential part of our nation’s response to war, natural disaster and other human suffering. On our next report, Monika gets a tour of the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, DC, where she learns about how the Red Cross was started and some of their past and future efforts internationally and in the United States.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Dangers of Tobacco use in all of its forms

In a world where the tobacco industry is constantly adjusting their strategies to get new users hooked, it can be hard for teens to keep up with all of the dangerous forms of tobacco available. Tobacco companies market their products in several forms, and while some may look harmless, all have the potential to cause health problems. To learn more, on our next report Emily explores the dangers of all forms of tobacco…it’s not just cigarettes that can harm you.

 

Apple Oatmeal Bowl Recipe

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now you can also make it one of the tastiest meal of the day with our Apple Oatmeal recipe. 
 
Ingredients  
1 1/2 c. of oats (instant or rolled)
1/4 c. Chpped Walnuts, Blueberries or strawberries
1/2 tsp. peanute butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. honey  
1 medium-sized apples, sliced in half
 
 Directions
1.  Cut/scoop out the core of the apple and make the apple halves into little "bowls".  
2.  Sprinkle on some cinnamon and some honey.
3.  Put the apples in the microwave for like a minute and a half to two minutes unti they get tender.
2.  In a bowl, add 3/4 water and half a cup of oatmeal and put in the microwave for two minutes
3.  Then add some peanut butter to the apple bowl.
4.  Once the oatmeal is done fill each bowl with the oatmeal. 
5.  Top the oatmeal with some cinnamon and chopped walnuts, blueberries or strawberries.
 
 

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Should your political activity land on your resume?

Today’s college students are arguably the most politically active in history. The time students spend on these activities can have a tremendously positive impact as it relates to campaigns and issues. It can also build your experience base and strengthen your resume – if you choose to put it on your resume.

But should you?

I wish there was a simple black-and-white answer to this question. There isn’t. The upside of putting political activity on your resume is that if you were able to organize people to achieve a goal, it could be very powerful with a recruiter to convince him or her that you’re a leader and difference maker. That’s just the kind of thing that can land you a job.

However, if your political affiliations do not align with the person recruiting you, you could be discounted and not get beyond an interview and not even know why. You’d like to hope that people would be “bigger” than that, but in reality, that’s not always the case. The political environment today is pretty hostile. The days of civility are long gone. Given that, I would steer clear of putting political activity and affiliations on your resume under all but the following three cases, 1) the activities showcase your leadership skill and ability to get things done in such a remarkable fashion that you’re willing to alienate 50% of recruiters so that the other 50% can see what you’ve done, 2) you’re so strong in your beliefs that you wouldn’t entertain working for an organization that you felt was not in alignment with your views anyway, or 3) you want to work in politics – in which case you are going to have to pick a side.

Bottom line: Given the bitter political divide we seem to be facing as a country, I would steer clear of putting political activity on your resume, other than in a few specific cases. Give your time, effort, and money to support candidates of interest, but don’t be defined by your politics as you take steps to enter the workforce as a professional for the first time.

 

What Swimming Does To Your Brain?

A good swim can make you feel like a brand-new person! That’s because stimulates brain chemicals that foster the growth of nerve cells!

Swimming also affects neurotransmitters such as serotonin that influence mood and produces ANP, a stress-reducing hormone, which helps control the brain’s response to stress and anxiety.Northwestern Swimmers Support Awareness For Brain Tumor Awareness Month!Northwestern Swimmers Support Awareness For Brain Tumor Awareness Month

Regardless of cause, a growing number of researchers and psychologists alike have become true believers in the efficacy of swimming. “We know, for instance, that vigorous exercise like swimming can significantly decrease both anxiety and depression” says sports psychologist Aimee C. Kimball, director of mental training at the Center for Sports Medicine at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

swimming-anatomy-671x337

Besides possible biochemical changes in the brain, swimming requires the alternating stretch and relaxation of skeletal muscles while simultaneously deep-breathing in a rhythmic pattern.

Mental Clarity

Since most pools and coached masters workouts run on a consistent weekly schedule, swimmers usually find themselves settling into a weekly rhythm that becomes automatic. There’s no need to decide if you should go swim now or later.

have-fun-swim

For stressed out people, this lack of options is comforting because it removes the burden of yet another decision. All you have to do is show up at your regular time there’s a good chance you’ll end up leaving the pool feeling a little better than when you arrived.

Because of its repetitive nature, Swimming is incredibly meditative. There’s even a built-in mantra, be this the slow count of laps, or self-directed thoughts like “relax” or “stay smooth.”

Increased Blood Flow To Cerebral Artery

Researchers have made a surprising discovery: Simply steeping yourself in a pool of warm water increases blood flow in the brain.

“We found that brain blood flow is higher when subjects were immersed in water up to the level of the heart compared to on land — laying the ground work for further investigation of its effects on cerebrovascular health,” said Dr. Howard Carter of University of Western Australia, School of Sport Science, whose new study appears in the American Journal of Physiology.

brain-activity-exercise

While the participants were immersed in water, blood flow to their middle cerebral arteries increased by 14 percent while blood flow to their posterior cerebral arteries increased by nine percent.

“As with land-based exercise, different types of water-based activities, such as water aerobics and swimming, have slightly different effects on heart function and cerebral blood flow,” said Carter in a press release.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

What To Do If You Lose Your Financial Aid?

When you first started college, you might have assumed that your financial aid package would be solid for the next four years. But now spring has rolled around and you’ve been blindsided: You’ve learned you’ll be getting less money next year.

There are five major reasons why you could lose financial aid:

  1. Your parents are making more money. If they’ve been pushed into another tax bracket, it’s especially likely to affect your financial aid.
  2. Your grades didn’t requalify you for scholarships or grants.
  3. You didn’t take enough credits to requalify for federal aid.
  4. Your school’s tuition and fees increased.
  5. Your school’s financial aid offers more scholarships during freshman year and more loans during later years.

Don’t panic: You might be able to negotiate your financial aid offer, and if you can’t, there are steps you can take to fill the gaps.

TALK TO YOUR FINANCIAL AID OFFICE

Your first step should be starting a dialog with your financial aid office. The staff there can help you find out what happened and how to respond. If your grades slipped, ask what you can do to get back on track.

“I like when they call in and say, ‘I understand that my grades didn’t meet the requirements. Is there anything I can do?’ That shows some initiative,” says Brad Yeckley, assistant manager of financial literacy at the Penn State Financial Literacy Center.

APPLY FOR PRIVATE SCHOLARSHIPS

It’s a good idea to apply for scholarships throughout your college years, even if you aren’t worried about losing financial aid. Maximize your chances by playing up your accomplishments — such as a high GPA, awards, leadership roles and volunteer activities — showing that you align with the organization’s mission in your application, and focusing on lower-competition scholarships, such as local scholarships or scholarships for non-freshmen.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TUTORING PROGRAMS AND OFFICE HOURS

It’s not uncommon for students to lose scholarships because their have grades slipped. And your financial aid award letter might not have even mentioned the minimum GPA required to keep those funds, says Marguerite Dennis, who spent 40 years working in college admissions and financial aid and is the author of “The New College Guide: How to Get In, Get Out, and Get a Job.”

If that’s your situation, prove that you’re actively trying to raise your grades to regain your aid by signing up for tutoring programs and visiting your professors’ office hours.

APPEAL YOUR AWARD

Appealing your award works best if you’ve had a recent change in your financial circumstances — such as a birth or death in the family, or a parental job loss — that wasn’t reflected on your most recent FAFSA.

If you’ve lost eligibility for federal aid because you’re not making satisfactory academic progress, tell your school’s financial aid office about any extenuating circumstances that affected your grades.

MAX OUT YOUR FEDERAL AID

If you must take out loans to make up the difference, start with federal loans. They’ll most likely offer the lowest interest rates, they come with flexible repayment plans and, in some circumstances, they can be forgiven. Plus, they don’t depend on your credit.

These are the current federal loan options for undergrads:

  • Direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans: 4.29% APR; you can borrow between $5,500 and $12,500 per year.
  • Perkins loans: 5% APR; you can borrow up to $5,500 per year.
  • Parent PLUS loans: 6.84% APR; you can borrow up to the cost of attendance, minus any other aid.

Consider taking out a private loan

Private loans should be a last resort, but they can be a useful tool for some — particularly borrowers with good credit or who have a co-signer with a great credit score. Look for a private loan that offers incentives, such as cash back for good grades, and make interest-only payments while in school, if possible. That way, your accrued interest won’t be added to your principal balance after you graduate.

But be cautious: Private loans don’t come with the same borrower protections as federal loans.

 

Star Wars Rebels Season 3 Trailer: Enter Grand Admiral Thrawn

The trailer for Star Wars Rebels season 3 premiered at the ongoing Star Wars Celebration in Europe, with Rebelsshow-runner Dave Filoni (who also worked on the animated Star Wars: Clone Wars TV show) there to present the preview. Longtime Star Wars fan-favorite actor Warwick Davis (Wicket from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi) hosted the panel, as Filoni and the Rebels voice actors Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren) and Sam Witwer (Darth Maul and Emperor Palpatine) discussed what lies ahead for characters such as Sabine, Darth Maul, Ezra, and more in season 3.

Said Rebels season 3 trailer is now online and starts off by recapping events from the Rebels season 2 finale – including, Ezra’s (Taylor Gray) close encounter with Darth Maul and the Sith Holocron. The rest of the trailer contains many an exciting reveal about the episodes ahead on the Disney XD animated series, including an action scene that involves Mandalorians (one screened as an extended clip during the Rebels panel at Celebration). However, none of those reveals are quite as exciting as the confirmation that Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) will make his debut on Rebels during season 3.

You can watch the full-length trailer for Star Wars Rebels season 3 and some clips below.

 

The Rebels season 3 trailer confirms that Thrawn will serve as the primary antagonist for the Ghost and its crew this season, as far as the Imperial side of things is concerned. However, as the above Rebels poster suggests, Ezra and Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr.) – the latter now blind from his encounter with Darth Maul in the Rebels season 2 finale – will do battle with Maul in one way or another throughout Rebels season 3.

In the trailer, we see the Sith Lord attempting to make Ezra his “apprentice”, recognizing that Ezra (who looks noticeably older and more mature with his new haircut) is already being pulled towards the Dark Side. During the Star Wars Rebels panel at Star Wars Celebration, a clip was shown featuring another encounter between the show’s heroes and Maul… one that ended on a cliff-hanger where Kanan was placed in mortal danger, much to the Celebration crowd’s frustration. Filoni indicated that Kanan will become something akin to a blind samurai warrior during Rebels season 3. The trailer supports that idea, showing that Ezra’s mentor has now grown a beard and must rely on his connection to The Force (as well as his still-functioning senses) more than ever before.

There are other fun teases in the Rebels season 3 trailer, including a brief appearance by Wedge Antilles: the legendary X-Wing pilot and Rogue Squadron member, who here is shown as just a young Imperial pilot ready to defect from the Galactic Empire. Suffice it to say, Rebels season 3 is already making good on the show’s promise to continue expanding the Star Wars universe – while at the same time, bringing in other characters and connecting to key events from other Star Wars movies, TV shows, and novels alike.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Watch Ghostbusters Movie Review

 

In the video above, Jackson gives us his review of the new movie "Ghostbusters"

Paranormal researcher Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and physicist Erin Gilbert are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society. When strange apparitions appear in Manhattan, Gilbert and Yates turn to engineer Jillian Holtzmann for help. Also joining the team is Patty Tolan, a lifelong New Yorker who knows the city inside and out. Armed with proton packs and plenty of attitude, the four women prepare for an epic battle as more than 1,000 mischievous ghouls descend on Times Square.
 
Release date: July 15, 2016 (USA)
Director: Paul Feig
Executive producer: Dan Aykroyd
Producers: Ivan Reitman, Amy Pascal
Production companies: Columbia Pictures, The Montecito Picture Company, Village Roadshow Pictures, Pascal Pictures 

Sunday, July 17, 2016

‘Rogue One’: ‘Star Wars’ Film Releases New Footage, Poster

New “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” footage and an official poster were released at Star Wars Celebration Europe on Friday.

 

The video clip features snapshots of the film, with behind-the-scenes footage and voiceover. The poster shows a battle taking place on water and land with the Death Star fading into the sky.

The poster includes the tagline: “A Rebellion Built on Hope.”

Before proceedings began at the London convention, emcee Gwendoline Christie paid tribute to the victims of the Nice attacks. Akin to a moment in “Casablanca,” pockets of the audience broke out into a version of “La Marseillaise” before the 4,000-person crowd bowed their heads in quiet reflection.

“Rogue One” director Gareth Edwards, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and key cast were also on hand to give fans a first look at Darth Vader in the film’s second trailer, which premiered to fans at London’s ExCel centre on Friday evening.

An action packed trailer, exclusive to Celebration, ended on a tilt up to Vader, seemingly in front of a Death Star screen, accompanied by his trademark breathing. Edwards said, “I got a very early Christmas present. I went to New York to do a voiceover with an actor called James Earl Jones. He said the word ‘Power.’ I just had a nerdgasm.”

The trailer also plays up the idea that this iteration of the “Star Wars” universe is no longer dominated by the Jedi or the Force. This is full-on warfare, full of huge battle sequences captured in a kinetic style. Kennedy said, “Gareth just puts the camera on his shoulder. It’s going to be an incredibly immersive experience.” Mostly taking place on the new paradise planet of Scarif (shot in the Maldives), the trailer suggested the new film is more “Apocalypse Now” than “Return Of The Jedi.” 

This second trailer goes deeper into the mission by the newly formed Rebel Alliance to steal the Death Star plans, the quest that kick-starts the story in “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.” 

Felicity Jones plays Jyn Erso, a runaway whose street skills and insight into the Galactic underworld puts her on the radar of the Rebellion, which offers her a simple trade off: a shortened sentence in return for help with the daring heist. “There is one major difference between Jyn and Rey,” Jones said, comparing “Star Wars” protagonists. “She is not asking ‘who am I and where do I come from.’ Where she comes from propels Jyn’s story. She has had a full life.”

Jones was also presented with the very first Jyn Erso action figure by Christie, saying, “I feel very privileged to join the ‘Star Wars’ toy universe.”

Jyn’s wild spirit is at odds with Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the steadfast Rebel officer assigned to keep her in line. Said Luna, “The team starts being just the two of them but the team grows. There are issues but Cassian keeps them together.”

The Force-fueled crowd were also treated to a first look at Mads Mikkelsen’s Galen Erso, Jyn’s estranged father, a scientist armed with potentially dangerous knowledge. “A lot of things are revolving around him. He has invented some something so beautiful it might change the universe,” Mikkelsen said.

Representing the evil Empire this time round is Director Orson Krennic, played by Ben Mendelsohn, who is looking to crush the rebels, while trying to stay clear of the ire of his superior, one Darth Vader. Mendelsohn walked through the crowd in full costume flanked by bodyguards. Said Mendelsohn, “He’s a different kind of ‘Star Wars’ villain. He’s smarter and more inventive than most of his predecessors. He is sexier than some of his predecessors too.”

Hardcore “Star Wars” fans also got a kick from learning more about Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera, a character that first debuted in the animated series “The Clone Wars”. As Whitaker put it, “Saw Gerrera is a rebel fighter. He’s been, for years, a guerrilla fighter. By any means necessary, he will do what he needs to do to save the world.” 

Saw Gerrera was a character created by George Lucas, who swung by the set one day, much to Edwards’ panic.

“I spent the whole weekend crapping myself about it. He’d start criticizing stuff and we’d have a heart attack. You realize he just has a very dry sense of humor.”

“Rogue One” also stars martial arts icon Donnie Yen as Warrior Monk Chirrut Îmwe; Jiang Wen as Îmwe’s sidekick Baze Malbus (“He’s a thinker, I’m a doer.”); Riz Ahmed as hot-headed pilot Bodhi Rook (“He works for the Empire for a living; people work for big organizations and don’t agree with everything they do”) and Alan Tudyk as K250 aka Kaytoo, an Imperial droid rewired by Cassian for the rebellion. “I’m seven-foot-one and black. Which is really my inner person,” Tudyk quipped. “He speaks his mind. He’s honest. If you’ve known any old people, he’s like that.” 

Edwards described the film as “the most insane surreal experience you can ever have. There’s a million memorable days. Someone said ‘Do you wanna meet Luke Skywalker?’ and Mark Hamill was there. I went over to him and he was wearing a Godzilla t-shirt. All I could think of was. ‘Please lord let there be a photographer.’”

Fans were also treated to a sizzle reel that highlighted the practical nature of the production, an exhibition of props and costumes from the film including new look Stormtroopers called Imperial Death Troopers and Shoretroopers, plus a model of new AT-AT vehicles (from “The Empire Strikes Back”) named Cargo Walkers. 

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the first in a series of standalone films, hits theaters on December 16.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Good, Bad And Ugly: What can you do each day to improve your Mother-Daughter relationship?

Hurled accusations. Slamming doors. The silent treatment. So goes a classic exchange between a mother and her teenage daughter.

You can be the best of friends…or constantly fighting. Sometimes you feel no one understands you better.  Then there are times you fear that no one understands you less. No question about it, a girl’s relationship with her mother can be…complicated.  But as Katie reports, it doesn’t have to be.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Watch The Secret Life of Pets Movie Review

 

In the video above, Jackson gives us his review of the new movie "The Secret Life of Pets "

Max (Louis C.K.) is a spoiled terrier who enjoys a comfortable life in a New York building until his owner adopts Duke, a giant and unruly canine. During their walk outside, they encounter a group of ferocious alley cats and wind up in a truck that's bound for the pound. Luckily, a rebellious bunny named Snowball swoops in to save the doggy duo from captivity. In exchange, Snowball demands that Max and Duke join his gang of abandoned pets on a mission against the humans who've done them wrong.
 
Release date: July 8, 2016 (USA)
Directors: Chris Renaud, Yarrow Cheney
Production company: Illumination Entertainment
Distributed by: Universal Studios
Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy

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Meet Marvel's New Iron Man is 15-year-old Black Girl

Say goodbye to Tony Stark.

As part of Marvel Entertainment’s Marvel NOW! relaunch this fall, the inventor of the Iron Man armor will find his place taken by Riri Williams — a teenage genius who built her own version of the Iron Man suit in a dorm room at MIT.

Williams debuted in Invincible Iron Man No. 7 in March of this year, and will headline a relaunched version of the title later this year as part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. Created by series writer Brian Michael Bendis — who also co-created Miles Morales, the half-Black, half-Latino Spider-Man that debuted in 2011 — and artist Mike Deodato, Riri has been shown to be even more resourceful than Stark himself, and just as stubborn.

Williams’ ascension as Iron Man (the title of the series will remain the same, according to Marvel) continues a trend of replacing, or at least expanding, the traditional white male heroes with a more diverse cast over the last few years; in addition to the Miles Morales Spider-Man, Sam Wilson became Marvel’s second black Captain America in 2014, the same year that Jane Foster took over as Thor.

Although Marvel is keeping the fate of Tony Stark quiet for now — although the already revealed cover to October’s Civil War II No. 7 suggests that his fight with Captain Marvel isn’t going to end well for him — Williams is already at work in the Iron Man comic book; the 11th issue of the series, released today, shows her road-testing her homemade armor.

The new series of The Invincible Iron Man, by Bendis and artist Stefano Caselli, will launch at the end of the year.

What does it mean to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

In the 1997 film “As Good As It Gets,” Jack Nicholson portrays Melvin Udall, a middle-aged man with obsessive-compulsive disorder who avoids stepping on cracks, locks doors and flips light switches exactly five times, and washes his hands repeatedly, each time tossing out the new bar of soap he used. He brings wrapped plastic utensils to the diner where he eats breakfast at the same table every day.

Though the film is billed as a romantic comedy, Melvin’s disorder is nothing to laugh about. O.C.D. is often socially, emotionally and vocationally crippling.

It can even be fatal. On our next report, Scott introduces us to a teen who suffers from a very serious anxiety disorder called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD.  One in two hundred young people have it and symptoms include repetitive behavior that can interfere with your daily life. We’ll find out how Michael got help through a behavioral modification therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention. 

 

How To Make French Toast With A Twist?

Andrea, a student at the Culinary Institute of America demonstrates how to make French Toast with a Twist.  Here is the recipe for you to try yourself!

Don't forget to ask your parents before starting any cooking or blending!

French Toast With a Twist Recipe

  • Use a knife to cut a pocket inside a piece of bread that’s about an inch thick.
  • Mix 4 ounces of cream cheese, ¼ cup of strawberry jam, one spoonful of nuts and a pinch of salt.
  • Use a spoon to add the filling you just mixed into the bread pocket.
  • Whisk four eggs, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
  • Place stuffed bread into batter and coat both sides.
  • Take battered bread and place into pan.
  • Cook until both sides are golden brown.  
  • Feel free to add pecans, fruit and maple syrup to spice it up! 

Let's us know if you liked it and if you added your own twists!

Do Unpaid Internships Lead to Jobs?

By Madeline Farber / Fortune

Taking an unpaid internship may boost your resume, but it won’t do much to help you get a job. In fact, you might be better off not taking an unpaid internship at all depending on where it is, according to a new study.

Students who took paid internships were more likely to get a full-time job post-graduation, as well as make a higher salary than students who took unpaid internships, according to a survey of the graduating class of 2015 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Interns who were paid at private, for-profit companies had a 72% chance of getting a job offer, compared to just 44% of unpaid interns. Unpaid interns at state and local government agencies fared the worst, with only a 34% chance of getting a job offer after graduation. Rather surprisingly, students with no internship experience at all had a 3% higher chance of getting a job offer than students who took unpaid internships at local state and government agencies.

The gap remained true in regard to starting salary offers. Students who had paid internships with private, for-profit companies yielded a median salary of $53,521, compared to students who took unpaid internships with private, for profit companies. Those students received a median offer of $34,375, according to the survey.

The same held true across industry sectors—nonprofit ($41,876 vs. $31,443), state/local government ($42,693 vs. $32,969), and federal government sectors ($48,750 vs. $42,501).

Overall, an employer was more likely to offer a job to a student prior to graduation if he or she had a paid internship position. The gap in offer rates between students who had an internship experience compared to those who hadn’t is growing, according to the study, from 12.6% in 2011 to 20% in 2015.

In recent years there has been a wave of lawsuits that have drawn attention to unpaid internships that are popular in the current service-based economy, where work experience is essential to land a full-time job. Kickstarting the movement was a case against Fox Searchlight Pictures filed by former unpaid interns who said they deserved minimum wages in turn for their work for the company. In this case, a judge ruled in favor of the interns, and Fox Searchlight Pictures began paying their interns minimum wage.

Many lawsuits followed suit. A group of unpaid interns sued the Hearst Corporation with similar claims, but the judge ruled in favor of the Hearst Corporation. In October 2014, NBCUniversal settled a lawsuit brought by former unpaid interns of “Saturday Night Live” and other shows for $6.4 million. Former interns sued Rolling Stone magazine and CBS Corp.claiming labor violations.

Fortune previously reported that as more and more companies have been facing similar suits, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan addressed the query that many companies have been grappling with: whether or not an intern is an employee. In 2015, the Court reviewed the contradicting decisions made in both the Fox Searchlight Pictures case and the case against the Heart Corporation.

This article originally appeared on Fortune.com

Want more college aid? Here's how to get it

By Jessica Dickler

When it comes to going to college, there is only one notification more significant than being admitted: the financial aid package. But unlike getting in, it's rarely black and white.

"The reality is that a lot of colleges will negotiate, they just don't advertise this," said Eric Greenberg, president of Greenberg Educational Group, a New York-based consulting firm.

Financially, there is a lot at stake. With college costs steadily increasing, tuition is a major concern when selecting a school for this year's high school seniors.

At public four-year institutions, costs for the 2015–16 school year rose to $19,548 from $16,178 five years ago, according to the College Board. Tuition plus room and board at four-year private universities was much higher: $43,921 on average.

To ease the pain of that hefty tab, appealing for more aid "could add up to tens of thousands of dollars over four years," said Kalman Chany, a financial aid consultant and author of the Princeton Review's "Paying for College Without Going Broke." Here's how to increase that initial offer.

Consider your options

The first thing families should do is look at what kind of aid they received and from what kind of school. "What may look like the largest offer might not be the best," said Rick Castellano, a spokesman for Sallie Mae, which provides loans to students.

Families need to understand the difference between scholarships and loans. In other words, "what needs to be paid back and what is free money," he said. "It's about maximizing money that you do not have to pay back."

Also, when it comes to appealing for more aid, private schools typically have more money to spend to attract high-caliber students. "They know that if they don't come in with enough money, other schools will outbid them," Greenberg said. Those schools will have the incentive, and the means, to increase their initial offer.

Prepare your argument

Are there other financial factors that increase the need for aid? If there are issues beyond what was noted in the financial aid paperwork, like an older sibling who moved back home after college, care for elderly grandparents, increased health-related expenses or the loss of a job, those should be explained to the school and documented, if possible.

Alternatively, if the financial aid packages from other, comparable schools were better, that is also worth bringing to the school's attention. "That could incentivize the school to be more flexible," Greenberg said. Even a better school offering a lesser reward is worth noting — more so than a more generous offer from a lower-ranked school, he said.

"Be subtle," Chany said. "Many schools don't acknowledge that they meet other school's offers, even though they do."

Ask the school how to proceed

The next step is to call up the financial aid office and ask if they would prefer to set up a face-to-face meeting or correspond by mail. "It's typically better to do it in person but follow the protocol the college sets up," Greenberg said.

Whether in person or by mail, lay out the reasons for your appeal as well as any documentation you have, including copies of the other relevant financial aid offers, Chany said. Appeals mostly happen by committee, so any new information should be presented clearly, he said.

"Be succinct," Chany said.

Pick your battles

Colleges with the best bang for your buck

"Reach out to a few schools that feel like very good fits," Greenberg said. If you are already getting quite a bit of money, appealing the package can be a waste of time. But more often, it isn't.

"In some cases, a school has matched other awards or given even more money," Greenberg said of his experience with appeals. Although not that many people know about the appeals process, "it's not a 'secret,'" he said.

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