Rich & Lost in Prosperia -A Simple Story of Market Economics

As a writer, I've had my fair share of reading technical articles that would bore many of us to tears. As a mom, I have been just as bored as everyone else when it comes to that sort of stuff. That's why when I was asked to review, "Rich & Lost in Prosperia", A Tropical Tale of Market Economics, it caught my interest.

With the economy still in dire need of repair, many of us have chosen to tighten our budgets and rely on the cheapest brands out there, in order to survive in this insane world. "Rich & Lost in Prosperia" by Doramas Jorge-Calderon, explains just how the economy works in the form of a story, instead of the technical (yawn) talk, so we have a better understanding of how a business works and doesn't work.

The book tells the story of how two young entrepreneurs living on a tropical island, decide to persue their dreams of running their own business and making money. Along the way, they learn the true meaning of how a business is ran, and how it can fall.

One thing I must say, while the book does make economics a little easier to understand, it is not meant to be novel rich in detail. In addition, there were still certain parts of the book that I needed to reread in order to better understand how a business venture works.

Even so, "Rich & Lost in Prosperia" is well worth the read for those of us who want a better understanding of how a business and our economy works. In addition, I'm thinking this book would be a great read for my teenage sons who want to know more about the economy.






Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter and you visit her official website at www.theinsanewriter.com.



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Economy Blogging

I've actually been busy with another blog, that I'll be posting at on a weekly if not more, basis. I started the blog due to the economy crisis. I'll be posting money saving tips, freebies and more. The blog is actually on wordpress and it's called The Anti-Depressionist's Blog. The blog can be found at: http://antidepressionist.wordpress.com/ or you can find it on my official website at: http://www.theinsanewriter.com/ under blog.

What to Talk About

At the moment I've been a little quiet because there really isn't much to talk about. There is no news despite the recent lay off and there are no real jobs here to apply for unless you want to work in fast food part time. Unfortunately that just doesn't cut it when you have a family.

On the brighter side of life, we'll be able to pay the truck in full once income tax return rolls around, so that's one less bill we have to worry about.

But, on another quick note. There is a downside to working online. The biggest being, you never know when you'll get paid and right now I'm playing the waiting game once again. Unfortunately the bills will not wait and if they don't receive a payment we don't have heat, electricity or water. Sigh

My Biggest Fear

With the economy the way it is, my biggest fear is that many of the online and even some offline companies who aren't feeling the crunch, will take advantage of the situation and pay out less to their employees just to keep more money in their pockets. Now I'm not saying that all companies will do that, but I'm very sure there are some that will do it.

Remember when the gas prices went on the rise and Bush had to threaten some gas companies who raised their prices more then necessary? I know of one gas company in the town of Coffeyville, Kansas who was threatened by other companies because he refused to take advantage of customers, so they bought their gas from him which in return pissed off the other companies. That was before Bush found out what many of those companies were doing at that time.

So I'm willing to bet many businesses will be taking advantage of the economy's situation and use the opportunity to pay as less as possible to their employees because they know that right now people are willing to work for so much less than what they're really worth. Such a sad, sad world we live in.

Losing Business Online

I've been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of noticing. With more and more people being laid off, there's also been less opportunities available for making money online.

For instance, many of the make money by blogging sites have dropped financially with their offers and some have just had less offers available. And then there are the sites like mypoints who have no points available for many of the emails they send that usually do. They still want you to click on the link, but you only get paid if your purchase something. No more points per a click.

It's not just offline jobs that are suffering, online businesses are too!!

The Economy Hits Home

I don't know about you, but this economy thing is really starting to make me wonder. I'm not worried, just wondering. We live in a very small town and already five big companies have laid off people and or are closing their doors. Now there is real talk of my husband being laid off at his job. Will it happen? There's a big chance. At first he assumed it was the bigger city laying off people, but as it turns out, it's now hit home.

We'll know within the next few weeks if he gets laid off or not. The only good news out of this is, it gives us a chance to move and I still have my job.

Win a Hybrid Car

With the economy as it is right now, it would be nice to have a vehicle that is not only reasonable on gas, but also easy on the environment. Right now Charter cable is giving away a new Honda Civic Hybrid just for registering with them or buying their services.

The only downfall to this terrific contest is, you must be in a Charter services area to win! There are no Charter services around here, so I am hoping one of my reader's wins! That would be so awesome!

Here are the Car's Details:
Polished Metal Metallic (My favorite color, damn them!)
Up to 45 mpg highway (I wish our truck would get this!)
Fabric interior (Warm in the winter and cool in the summer!)
USB Audio Interface (Nice!!!!!!)
110-hp, 8 valve, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylider engine (Guy Talk!)
Continuously variable transmission (See above!)
MP3 Auxiliary Input Jack (My hubby would find this cool!)

Okay, so to be honest I’ve never used Charter services and know nothing of what they are like. And as many places as I have lived, you would think, some freakin’ area would have Charter, but nope! I haven’t heard anything bad about them, however. Sooooo that’s good news!

Now, one thing. If you win, can you at least let me know. Leave a comment or something, please! I would love to know if you won the car!

Can You Afford a Nice Business Suit in this Economy

With the economy the way it is and companies having to shut their doors, I often wonder what will happen to my cousin who works as a loan officer in a bank. The last I knew, he was doing okay, but I also know there was a time when he was barely staying afloat. That was when he first started, however.

Back then he always needed business suits for work. He's a jeans and t-shirts kinda guy, so the man did not own a suit in his wardrobe.lol But, before the economy went downhill, I'm pretty sure he was to the point where he could pick out a suit and have it designed to his specific needs, like what MySuitNY.com allows customers to do.

I think their Made to Measure suits are great because not every guy is created equal. Some guys have broad shoulders while other guys have very long arms or a thicker middle. Plus I think it's great that you can design your own suit. You can choose the fabric, the style, everything! Now why can't they do that for women???



The great part about MySuitNY.com is that they know their stuff. They've been in the retail industry for over 40 years! So whether you work at a bank like my cousin or your a CEO if a company who has no choice, but to wear nice business suits on a daily basis, MySuitNY has you covered! HA! Pun intended!


Please Note: This is a paid post and is sponsord by MySuitNY and Payperpost.

Saving Due to the Economy

Rebates are always great, especially now that there is a serious possibility that we are facing another depression due to the economy. Gas and food prices are on the rise and even renting and buying homes have gotten downright insane.

So, when a company has a great deal to offer like, DealKing.com's $20 cash back when you purchase an AT&T prepaid no contract phone through them, it's worth it in my opinion! I mean, who couldn't use some cash back! Deal King is also great for finding coupons on your favorite stores and brands. Saving is what it's all about and we could all use the extra savings right about now. Don't you agree?
Please Note: This is a paid post and is sponsored by dealking and payperpost.

A Possibility of a Big Move

Now that things are a little more out in the open and life has calmed down a bit, I can explain my other reason for leaving my job. There is a big possibility that we are moving.

About 3 weeks ago my husband and I got a possible job offer in California. It would mean a big relocation, but it could very well be worth it. At first my husband had cold feet about the offer because it's an all new world for him and a lot more expensive. However, this job may have just came at a really good time. A few days ago Independence, Kansas announced its closing of the Cement Plant. When this happens, over 100 people will be without a job. That wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that we are a small town and several other companies here in Independence, Kansas just announced lay-offs. 3 really big companies to be exact and one of them happens to be my husband's. When that happens over 1000 people will be without jobs. That's a lot of people for a small town!

When my husband found out about the layoff, at first he thought it was a rumor and ignored it. But now that it has been confirmed my husband is in somewhat of a panic. If he's laid off we won't be able to afford this house, even if we got another job here.

So, he called his mom who lives in Kansas City, only to learn that they're dealing with the same problems up there. It's because of the economy and most people are just now starting to realize that it's real. Companies are not willing to pay decent wages and if they are, they expect you to work 3 or 4 jobs for that same pay. That's what happen to my mother-in-law and that's another reason I left my job. I was not only a guest attendant, I was also a housekeeper, lobby cleaner, laundry aid and assistant manager getting paid minimum wage. Not minimum wage per a job, minimum wage for all of the jobs.

So, it's a big reason we're considering the job in California. The area is Redondo Beach. If we don't head there, we would go to Kansas City or Nevada. My husband used to gold mine with his uncle's company, so that's another big possibility as well.

I will keep you posted on what happens. We're waiting for a call back from California.

Are Internet Prices on the Rise?

With the cost of gas prices on the rise, it really makes me wonder what's going to happen to the cost of internet. I'd imagine most people will not be able to travel to see family this summer, so for those who can't, there is always internet access.

However, I am now wondering if internet fees will go up as well. Post office stamps are already on the rise again, so rising the price of internet wouldn't really surprise me.

A few days ago someone was talking to a truck driver who told him that in order to fill up his truck, it cost him over $1000 dollars. That's a lot of money! What's even worse is gas prices are not even at it's all time high right now! I wonder what companies will do once gas prices do rise? I am sure somewhere in this insane world, there will be a riot or some form of strike.

Maybe those hybrid cars need to be a little bit less so that we can all afford one. Better yet, maybe they need to start making hybrid semi-trucks. Then again, hybrid uses electric and there goes our environment when that happens. So either we'll end up walking or riding in horse and buggy style or we're just screwed! Take your pick!!!!