Recently by Jeremy Ruthstein

(Photo taken via Google Images)

Gas prices are higher than ever these days. A recent article on CNN reported the new national is $3.10. A 16 cent increase from two weeks ago and a whopping 75 cents from this same time last year. Us students are getting it the worst of this. When I got my car on September 16th, 2004, my 16th birthday, my first tank of gas cost 24 dollars. Last week I filled up for 48 dollars. Unfortunately, my car requires premium fuel, so my gas totals are a little more inflated than the average person filling up on regular. Regardless, these days there is not much of a difference. This is becoming increasingly unbearable. For many students with average "college funds", this is an expensive investment. Figure you fill up your tank, from empty to full, every week (obviously this varies depending on your driving, I'm using this figure as an example). Thats 40 dollars a week, thats 160 a month, thats $2080 a year. It is amazing to think about, but that is how much the average persons gas expense is a year, and there are no signs of gas getting any cheaper. The national average has risen an average of 72 cents a year for the past 4 years. By the end of my 4 years of college, I could be filling up my tank at $4.00 a gallon. Hard to believe, but its true. As car companies look for new types of fuel, we can only hope they find a new cache of oil while their at it.

The subject of Facebook can be heard everyday, almost everywhere. "Everyone" has one. If you don't, you must not be socially "in" right? In the years since Facebook was conjured by Mark Zuckerberg, many new features have been added. It is no longer a college network, a way to keep in touch with your friends across the country, but rather, a social network, which now lets virtually anyone join. Since September 11th, 2006, anyone 13 and older can create a Facebook. It has become a social networking empire. My question is, can it be topped? I suppose most people would say it is the best, most fun way to stay in touch with friends and meet new people, but many sites have popped up in recent years, trying to become the new "Facebook". Myspace, a similar, but more open ended social network is still among the most popular networks. But many, lesser known websites are gaining more attraction lately. MyYearBook, a social network that was recently introduced already has 2 million+ users, and still attracts more. The website allows its members to create new features, a privilege normally reserved for the websites owners and management. This has contributed to MyYearBooks new success, as any member can create new fun features easily. How about Yuwie.com? Ever heard of it? Why not? They pay you to create a profile and use their site. The site follows a similar profile layout to Facebook, but pays its users to change their profile, and use the other features on their site. I have not researched what it is they pay you, though I can assume you wont make much, but why wouldn't people be signing up like crazy to get "free" money. Facebook has already established its dominance. It has taken control of its "market". Million's upon million's of people use Facebook. There are many jokes about it being addicting, and for some people, it is addicting. I know I check my profile every chance I get to my computer. In my opinion, Facebook will not be topped for a good time to come. As we enter an age of computers, it will only be a matter of time before elementary school kids are checking their Facebooks.