50 Of Life’s Little Pleasures

1. The scrumptious residue left on your fingers after eating Doritos or Cheetos products.

2. Completing a form on the internet without missing a required field, on the first attempt.

3. The smell of rain.

4. Months with three paydays. Those who get paid bi-weekly know what I’m talking about, three checks in a month is always splendid.

5. Lying in bed with freshly-washed sheets.

6. Getting cutoff by an overanxious driver, then pulling up right next to them moments later at a red light.

7. Having the exact change to pay for something.

8. Sticking that leg out from underneath the blanket and feeling just right.

9. Happy hour at bars and restaurants.

10. Movie previews full of trailers you’ve never seen.

11. Removing all of the shell off of a boiled egg in one try.

12. Dancing in the mirror.


13. The moment the credits hit when someone forced you to watch a boring movie for the past hour and a half.

14. Dancing in the car and reciting entire songs, making noises to recreate instrument solos.

15. That first intense body stretch after waking up.

16. Funnel cakes and churros.

17. Making babies and little kids laugh.

18. Correctly choosing the quickest check-out line at the grocery store, or the fastest moving lane on the road.

19. The smell of bacon. The taste of bacon. Not to beat a dead pig, but everything about bacon.

20. Getting wrapped snugly in blankets when it’s freezing cold.

21. Spontaneous adventures. Plans are good; spur of the moment is better.

22. Waking up, checking the clock and seeing that you have plenty of sleep time left.

23. Laughing at something so hard that you cry. Or, laughing so hard that no noise comes out. If one of these two things happen, you’re having a ball.

24. Driving over little hills in the car and getting the mini roller coaster feeling.

25. Having someone exiting the bathroom directly in front of you, so you don’t have to touch the unsanitary door handle.

26. Talking in a fake accent. e.g. ‘Ello luff = Hello, love.

27. Clocking out of work when you’re off for the weekend.

28. When plans you didn’t want to attend get canceled.

29. Finding money you didn’t know you had in your pocket.

30. The anticipation and hype on days before a big vacation or trip somewhere.

31. Finishing a Chap-Stick.

32. Night time drives.

33. Catching a song you enjoy on the radio, right as it starts.

34. Putting in two-weeks notice at a job you hate.

35. Finally lying in bed after an exhausting day.

36. Waking up, feeling extremely thirsty, and having water nearby to quench it.

37. Getting home so late that the sun is coming up.

38. Landing the gas pump on the precise amount you wanted. Not 10 cents over, but directly on it.

39. The additional French-fries at the bottom of the bag.

40. The other side of the pillow.

41. The relief of taking your bra off after a long day of wearing it. (I’ve never worn one, this is based off of speculation and hearing it numerous times.)

42. The relief of taking your shoes and socks off, after a long day of wearing them. (This I can relate to.)

43. Opening presents. The gift doesn’t necessarily have to be amazing if you’ve wrapped it, being that tearing off the paper in anticipation is 75% of the pleasure.

44. The bond shared by two people over a mutual disdain for another individual.

45. The smell of gasoline.

46. The various bottles of booze and beer left in your refrigerator after hosting a party.

47. Making a witty comment that draws a lot of laughs and even surprises you.

48. Asking a question on Google and seeing it finish your words, meaning there are others out there wondering the same thing as you.

49. Doing something for hours, then returning to a phone full of text messages and missed calls.

50. Late night/early morning conversations with good friends.

21 Things To Look For In A Best Friend

1. Calls you out on your bullshit. A best friend does not hesitate to tell you when you’re acting insane or behaving like an asshole. Although you’ll initially act offended by their candor, you should actually be touched. The people who love you the most are also the ones who won’t let you get away with anything. Don’t forget that.

2. Acts as a great wingman/woman. They will go to the bars with you when you’re single and not sabotage a potential love connection. In fact, they’ll help push it along until their services are no longer needed and then they’ll conveniently disappear. Just like a mother dropping their kids off at school! Or something.

3. Understands all of your weird pop culture references. You don’t even need to speak proper English in front of them. Your friendship is so close that it will give birth to an entirely new way of speaking.

4. Will never make you feel guilty for needing them. You’re never putting them out with your issues. They want to help you. They don’t see you as a burden.

5. Is actually happy for you when good things happen in your life. And not phony “OMG, SOOOO GREAT/kill me now!” They want to see you happy, even if it means that you’ll see each other less because of a new relationship or job or whatever.

6. Will put up with you even when you’re dating a total jerk. You can say your peace about the relationship once so they know how you feel but you can’t pull a Lauren Conrad and constantly interfere. They’ll realize that their significant other is a total tool on their own time.

7. A best friend should never make you feel any different than who you really are. You know how certain friends can subtly alter your personality? A true BFF doesn’t do that. They just enhance all of the great parts of you. Hanging out with them should feel like the most comfortable thing ever, like a Snuggie.

8. A best friend is the first person to start cleaning up the mess when you throw a house party.

9. Will always be down to  gossip with you and shit talk. They won’t make you feel like a bad person for wanting to do so either. Please. A best friend who doesn’t talk crap? Someone press the snooze button.

10. Will never make you feel dumb for the things you want to do. In fact, they should be there by your side doing the dumb thing right with you. No judgment!

11. Will always hold your hair back when you vomit. That is friendship 101, you guys.

12. Will challenge you. Sometimes it’s not easy to be around someone who knows you so well. Sometimes all you want is to be with someone you don’t know very well and get fed lies. When you’re going through a hard time/self-destructing especially, a best friend can be the last person you want to be around because they know when something is up with you. They won’t give you the luxury of living in denial, which might be annoying at the time, but it’s obviously a good thing ultimately. Best friends don’t enable, they inspire. (I think I read that on a bumper sticker once.)

13.  Is easily adaptable. You can take them to an intimidating, chic soiree or a disgusting house party and you won’t have to worry about entertaining them or making sure that they’re having a good time. They’re cool.

14. Will answer honestly when you ask if an outfit makes them look… less than their ideal self.

15. Will be loyal to you but not to a psycho degree. For example, I’ve never understood the mentality of “If this person is your enemy, then they’re my enemy.” Um, no? I don’t think that’s how it should work. Hating someone is an exhausting full-time job. Why should you be adding people to the list at random?

16. Will let you fart in front of them. Duh.

17. Can sit in silence with you for hours at a time without feeling any pressure to talk. Ah, what a gift! With so many friends, you feel such anxiety about keeping the conversation going so it’s such a pleasure when you can invite someone over and just be like, “Hi, I want to watch TV today but not alone. Can you just come over and hang out without actually talking to me that much? Love ya.”

18. Best friends pick you up from the motherfucking airport.

19. Should have no qualms with seeing you naked whenever/wherever.

20. Can make anything fun. It doesn’t matter if it’s at a party or on an overnight train to Nowheresville. You can make any situation a blast.
21. Will always make you feel loved and safe. Best friends just get “it”.

17 Signs You Need More Sleep

1. Your under-eye circles are often mistaken for a chic, new make-up choice. Or people ask if you’ve joined a roller derby team.

2. You saw the sun when you “went to bed” and then the picture outside your window did not change much when you “had to get up.”

3. You’ve started seeing Brad Pitt. Everywhere.

4. You don’t remember things that happened five minutes ago and/or you confuse them with things that happened in dreams six months ago.

5. Your skin feels dryer than an overworked camel’s hoof. Your hair is a bird’s nest. You look like the girl from The Ring even if you’re a guy.

6. Your eyelids feel like they weigh 700 lbs with little comical cartoon weights on them holding them down.

7. Your yawns are so loud and cavernous you wouldn’t be surprised if a train came barreling out of your throat.

8. Your boss comes back at you with your most recent work but it’s just sheets of paper where you typed the letter “Z” six billion times and then signed it “ZZ top.”

9. You tell someone you think people will evolve away from sleep soon and that you’re the first step in that evolution. Like the X-Men.

10. Your pillow hasn’t had a head-sized dent in it in weeks and your bed looks perfectly made. But you know you’re not making that shiz every morning.

11. You’re clumsy and whenever you bump into inanimate objects like lamps or desks you apologize like they’re tiny people.

12. You cry over small things like biting your tongue or missing a train because you’re so exhausted and frustrated.

13. Your vision gets blurry sometimes and you’ve just started referring to it as your “Monet periods.”

14. Your nastiest sexual fantasy involves lying down on clean white sheets with white fluffy pillows in a quiet, soundproof room and passing out for uninterrupted hours. Oh yeah, baby.

15. The word “sleep” now sounds weird to you. You repeat it over and over in your head and wonder if it’s even English. You can’t recognize it anymore.

16. You swear you’ve seen a mouse zipping around your room out of the corner of your eye but it’s just vision spots.

17. Every conversation you have is full of non sequiturs. When your friend asks you how you’re doing, you say, “Good! The sheep are coming along nicely and I might visit Mars soon.” Then, you smile like what you just said was normal.

Go to sleep!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LETOYA LUCKETT !

25 Signs You’re A Hot Mess !!

1. You’re over the age of, say, 16.5 and you still shop at Rainbow.

2. You wear flip flops to the club and get mad if somebody steps on your feet.

3. There are a number of photos of you on the Internet doing “sexy” poses in skimpy outfits that are perhaps two to three sizes too small. In the photos you pose on top cars, in kitchens, bathrooms, door frames, etc.

4. You go on dates always expecting the other person to pay.

5. You’re sweating profusely in a situation where you are not supposed to be sweating. Like job interviews. You look very dapper in that suit and everything, it’s just too bad your back is so wet from all the running you did to get here on time.

6. Every text message you send includes a dizzying array of emoticons.

7. You think you’re above taking a job at ________, even though you don’t have any money and the rent’s due soon.

8. SPRAY TANS!!!

9. Your jeans contain an array of superfluous materials such as fringe, crystals, hearts, or other such complex embroidery.

10. You have a public meltdown, induced perhaps by a combination of prescription pills, brown liquor, and/or Four Loko.

11. You never make it anywhere on time, even after the mutual “I’m going to be 10 minutes late” text.

12. You wear makeup from the night before.

13. Your wig is on backwards but baby you just don’t care.

14. You unironically drink wine out of a box.

15. You take a first date to the combination Taco Bell/Pizza Hut.

16. You have a bedazzled cellphone. Actually, if you have a bedazzled anything.

17. You rent a stretch party bus/hummer/limo for a night out on the town, making sure the driver brings a red bath mat ready to throw at your feet when you get out. Obviously you’ll be wearing sunglasses.

18. You have a “business weave.”

19. YOU WEAR SOCKS WITH SANDALS.

20. You have appeared in public wearing bed clothes such as rollers, pajama pants or house slippers.

21. You use duct tape on the back of the TV remote when you misplace the real back.

22. You wear A LOT of make up even though you’re not a drag queen.

23. You only go out in packs of at least seven but up to 12 people and you are all basically wearing the same black dress and/or plaid bro shirt.

24. You send all your friends this chain text you received that says to forward it to 50 people you know for your chance to win $1000.

25. You have taken an online profile pic with an iPad. It’s not even a cellphone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMELI SANDE !

Adele Emeli Gouraguine was born on the 10th of March in 1987. She's better known as Emeli Sandé and is an English-born Scottish recording artist and songwriter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOW WOW !

Shad Gregory Moss (born March 9, 1987), better known by his stage name Bow Wow (formerly Lil' Bow Wow), is an American rapper, actor and television host.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY K MICHELLE !

College Advice: 101 Tips for Survival

Study Tips

1. Take advantage of office hours. They are there for a reason. It's your chance to get one-on-one help from a highly qualified teacher. If you are struggling in class, there is no reason why you shouldn't be going to your teacher's office hours.
2. Don't fall behind. Don't procrastinate. College school work is very fast paced and it's very difficult to catch back up.
3. Use a study group rather than a late night cram session.
4. Make sure you find yourself a nice study environment. Dorm rooms are not an ideal place to clearly focus on your studies.
5. If things get loud, use ear plugs.
6. Learn the material the very first time it’s presented rather than having to cram every time there is a test.
7. Finals week will be hell, make sure you are prepared.
8. The best test preparation is a good night of sleep and a good breakfast.
9. Stay organized and manage your time efficiently.
10. Keep good class notes. Use web 2.0 note taking tools if you need to.
11. Actually read the textbook. You bought and paid for it, so read it. This is usually the material that is on the exams.
12. Don't cheat on your exams. This is a very serious offense in college.
13. Have a good laptop. It's pretty much a necessity in college nowadays.
14. Set clear goals for each class.
15. Keep a to-do list of assignments and other projects.
16. Prepare for college-level work. The amount of writing and reading required can be overbearing.
17. Sit towards the front of the class. It will improve your grade, encourage interaction and your standing/recognition with the professor.
18. Ask questions in class. Or, provide input in ongoing class lectures.
19. Use the library. It's full of useful resources.
20. Don't cite Wikipedia in your research papers.

Student Finance

21. Student Discounts - Shop at stores and restaurants that give a student discount w/student ID.
22. Shop around for textbooks. Buy used or from a cheaper online textbook store.
23. Consider renting textbooks or buying in digital form to save money.
24. Check the library for your required books. You may get lucky!
25. Ride the bus. Some buses let you ride for free as a student.
26. Sell back your textbooks.
27. Apply for financial aid early.
28. Take advantage of things that are already paid for, such as on-campus meals and library services.
29. Use school resources - Colleges have video equipment, computers, movies, books, etc for your use.
30. Don't use a credit card unless you know what you're getting yourself into.
31. Don't be afraid to take out student loans. If you work hard in college you will be able to pay them back.
32. Learn to survive on a college budget by penny pinching.
33. Don't drive. You'll have pretty much everything you need within walking distance.
34. If you're an overachiever, take the maximum allowed credits per quarter and get most out of your tuition.
35. Take advantage of free stuff, just be careful when it comes to things like signing up for a credit card.
36. Apply for college scholarships. Many scholarships are fairly easy to obtain and only require a written essay.
37. File your FAFSA on time.

Social Life/College Life

38. Make a real effort to get to know more people. This is a new beginning for everybody and a great place to make new friends. Be outgoing and ready and willing to meet new people. These people are in the same boat as you.
39. Spend your first year of college in a dorm/residence hall. While it may be crowded, it's a great place to easily make new friends.
40. Get involved on campus and join organizations that interest you. Another great way to meet people and give you student leadership experience.
41. Befriend upperclassmen. They're pretty good at giving advice and getting you into good parties.
42. Make friends with your RA. It might keep you out of trouble.
43. Be able to handle alcohol and know your limits (if you do decide to drink).
44. Thursday is the new Friday.
45. Maintain. For many college students, it's their first time away from parents. This formula can lead to some wild times.
46. Don’t give in to peer pressure. Whatever you may think, you are not in college to drink and party.
47. Learn how to say NO. When it comes to drugs, partying on a study night, etc. Have the courage to tell your friends no.
48. Try and get along with your roommate. You don't want any awkwardness between you two.
49. If you don't like your roommate, get a new one.
50. Expect to deal with all kinds of people. There is a greater diversity of people in college than there was in high school.
51. Your friends will change a lot over the next four years. Let them.
52. Make your housing plan for next year well in advance so you have plenty of time to look if you choose to live off-campus.
53. Don't wear pajamas to class. I still don't know why some people walk out of their houses looking like that.
54. Balance work, school and social life - A schedule that doesn't leave time for sleep.
55. Go to college football games. Even if you don't like football, you'll have fun.
56. Join an intramural team. It's fun, competitive and another great place to meet new people.
57. Unless you two are really serious, lose the long distance relationship.
58. Keep in touch with parents. They'll miss you and can comfort you in this time of change.
59. Rush the fraternities/sororities. It's not for everybody, but at least check it out.
60. If you decide to go Greek, don’t pledge during your first semester. Most students find that their GPAs go down during the semester they pledge, so if you do, take an easier load of classes.
61. Make friends with students, professors, and other influential offices on campus. It can really help you when networking later.
62. Use facebook, just not all the time.
63. Be careful to what you post publicly on social networking websites.

Selecting Classes/Majors

64. Before selecting your major, consider taking a few related classes or even doing an early internship to make sure it's actually something you want to do.
65. If you can't decide on a major, take classes that will interest you.
66. Take a wide variety of classes your first two years, that's your experimental phase. Take the courses that interest you and some that don't. Give your mind and soul opportunities to be bent in directions you would not ordinarily choose. You may just find something you love that you didn't even know existed or that you thought you hated.
67. Select classes carefully - Read the syllabus, check out the teacher and maybe even sit in on a class session or two to see if it's fit for your liking.
68. Check out prospective teachers through online professor rating services.
69. Don't schedule early morning classes if you're not a morning person. It becomes very tempting to skip that 8am class in the lecture hall.
70. Take a few classes on subjects that you enjoy!
71. Register for your classes as soon as possible, because classes fill up fast.
72. Take a few classes outside your major. It'll open you up to new ideas/people.
73. If you don't want to continue on for a master's, make sure you pick a degree where a masters isn't needed to be competitive in the workforce.

Health/Personal Safety Tips

74. Learn how to cope with stress. College can be very demanding.
75. Maintain a healthy diet. Don't be a victim of the Freshman 15.
76. Learn how to relax and take breaks. Your time at college goes by quickly.
77. Take advantage of your school's fitness center. Fight off that freshman 15!
78. Wear sunscreen.
79. Wear sandals in the showers.
80. Wear comfortable shoes. Prepare to do a lot of walking around campus.
81. Familiarize yourself with the rules/policies of the university. Every campus has its own set of rules and regulations, and they are usually pretty good at letting you know what they are. Guidelines, restrictions, rules and regulations of all kinds can usually be found in your student handbook.

General College Tips

82. Top Ramen - Learn to love it. It's the perfect food for the college student who's strapped for time and cash.
83. Be on time for each class. Don't be known as the one who always comes in late.
84. College is living in a small cramped room with tons of work, not getting enough sleep, not getting good healthy food, and having to deal with various stresses and negative externalities.
85. Learn to love teamwork. It is the new frontier in most college classes.
86. Get to know your professors. Getting to know them on a more personal level may increase your standing in class and always helps come grading time.
87. Going to class is important. College is expensive, so better get what you pay for.
88. If you do buy your textbooks at the bookstore, wait a couple of days into the term to avoid the long lines.
89. Wait to buy your books until after you go to class and get the syllabus. The bookstore has a list of the books you will need for each class, but that list is not definitive.
90. Sit towards the front of large lecture halls. Sitting in front makes it easier to pay attention and see whatever is on the overhead projector. It is also easier to understand the point the professor is trying to make if you can see him or her. The people who sit in the back tend to fool around more and do worse in the course.
91. Take college serious from the start, it's not high school anymore.
92. Become familiar with PowerPoint. I used it a lot in college.
93. Be open-minded. Self-explanatory.
94. Ask yourself, why are you going to college?
95. Carry your student ID with you.
96. Set goals on what you want to achieve from going to college.
97. If you are driving to campus, get there early (before 8am) so you won't have problems trying to find a parking spot.
98. Parking is always a problem and you will get parking tickets.
99. Practice parallel parking. Prepare for a tough parking situation where you'll have to squeeze into tight spots.
100. Take advantage of free help on campus from professors, career counselors, Ombudsman office, etc.
101. Go to class!

Info provided from http://www.campusgrotto.com/college-advice-100-tips-for-survival.html

The 10 Things you Need to Start doing for Guaranteed Success in College

Know any recent college grads having trouble finding work? Any who are still living at home or working an hourly job in food or retail? It's more common than you might think. This is the reality nowadays as the job market is a tough one and getting a degree alone just isn't enough anymore.

You have to do more if you want to succeed in college and beyond.

The good news is doing more is actually fun and will make your college experience memorable, exciting, and worthwhile.

The choices you make in college really can have a tremendous effect on the course of your life. College is the one investment you have the most control over. It is up to you how much you choose to be involved in it and how engaging you make the whole experience. You have control as to how much you want to get out of it, and if you do this right, you will reap the benefits for years to come.

Success in college is more than just going to class and getting good grades. To get ahead, you need to get more out of the experience. The energy level required for a successful college experience is intense, but with the proper dedication you can take advantage of all that is available to you on a college campus.

If you are currently in college, you need an action plan for success. You need to separate yourself from your peers by making the most of your time there. Print this list out and check it against what you’re doing right now. Fulfilling each task will solidify your college experience and set you up for post-college success.

Your time in college is limited, so it is imperative you make the right choices. Follow these 10 steps to guide yourself towards a successful college experience.


1. Make new friends in class

The key word here is new. It’s easy and comfortable to stick to the same crowd – and in many ways it’s wonderful to have that solid group of support. However, it is important that you expand your social horizons in college.

Up until college, most of us have lived our entire lives in our small bubble of high school, interacting with people who, though they may have seemed wildly different, were generally very similar (e.g. lived in the same place, often of similar socio-economic status, etc.).

It’s vital to step outside your comfort zone and get to know new people. They will open your mind and help you become a more well-rounded student who is able to understand a variety of perspectives. (Making new friends is also important if you find yourself currently surrounded by negative people. The friends you have rub off on you more than you realize.)


2. Sit in the front row of every class

I once heard that if you didn’t change anything about your study habits but simply started sitting in the front row, your grades would improve. I believe it. The best way to know? Try it out. In short, the professor will notice you, it will be much more difficult to zone out, and you might just find yourself being much more engaged.


3. Visit the career center often

It’s vital to figure out what major and career interests you the most as soon as possible. Having direction will give new life to your college experience. The best way to find this out is through your college’s career center. Take all the career tests they have. Read at least three books about career discovery. Do a resume review. The career center is one of the most underutilized resources in college and yet it is one of the most valuable.


4. Get a professorial mentor

Professors know the college landscape better than anyone, and getting to know one very well will help you manage the college world and possibly get nominated for awards and opportunities you would never have known about otherwise.

Get to know all of your professors and ask them for help in class; then, meet more often with and ask advice of the one you feel you connect with the most. My professorial mentor helped me win over $5,000 in awards, helped me get free trips to New Orleans and England, and nominated me to be the commencement speaker. Professors you know well will also be able to write you killer recommendation letters.


5. Be a leader in a club

Being a part of clubs is crucial to expand your social network and your professional skills. However, being a leader is where the real magic happens. When you’re a leader, you have an important stake in something. It feels great to see how much others rely on you, and what you can accomplish as a team. Club leadership positions are also very important to helping you win scholarships – and they look great on resumes for internships and jobs. Leaders in clubs also often get to travel to amazing conferences.


6. Do something you never thought you could do

College offers many opportunities that often only a handful of students take advantage of because the others are too scared, too apathetic, or too wrapped up in the day-to-day to make a big leap.

Study abroad. Join a club that scares you. Go on a road trip with friends. Start a small business. Go on a service trip. Skydive. Speak publicly. Be the president of a large club.

Whatever it is that you don’t actually think you could do because you couldn’t afford it or don’t have the skills – just do it! These are the experiences that make college incredible, and offer astounding personal growth. For me, those experiences included joining a college dance team, traveling to England, being president of a club, and presenting a research paper in New Orleans. I was scared of every single one, and yet they changed me for the better.


7. Get a professional mentor

The entire third section of Community College Success is dedicated to teaching you how to find professional mentors that will change your life. As the first in my family to graduate college, the professional world was daunting. Professional mentors helped ease me into the transition, gave me invaluable advice, and led me to job opportunities. Ask professionals who have jobs that interest you for their advice. You’d be amazed at who will talk to you, and where it will lead.


8. Get a fascinating internship

Internships can open doors and help you learn about the professional world more than anything else. Whether it is paid or unpaid, in a large company you’d die to work for or a small start-up, find one that fascinates you. Get an internship doing something or being very close to something you really, really want to do with your life. This is where internships have the most benefit, because you’ll have the opportunity to see if it’s something you actually want to do. It will either show you the career is not what you expected it to be, or it will give you a great experience and contacts in the career you want to go into.


9. Write down your goals

Writing down your goals changes everything. It feels like magic. That magical feeling comes from the incredible results of being focused. The most common thread in all successful college students I’ve ever met is the ability to focus.

When you write down your goals and read them every day, your mind is suddenly focused on what you need to do that day and what opportunities to seize in order to make those goals a reality. Write down your goals today and put them all over your room. Trust me.


10. Develop a morning routine

One of the most transformative things I did when I had to manage writing a book, having a full-time job, and getting a Master’s degree was developing a morning routine that helped me focus every single day. When we start the day rushed, we will have a hurried, seemingly unproductive day. Develop a morning routine that works for you, doing things such as journaling, reading your goals, eating a healthy breakfast, reading a non-fiction book, etc. You can read more about my current morning routine on my blog.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN BIEBER !

Justin Drew Bieber (born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian pop musician, actor, and singer-songwriter. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by American talent manager Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with entertainer Usher Raymond in Atlanta, Georgia. Bieber was signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), and then to an Island Records recording contract offered by record executive L.A. Reid.

SKIN CONDITIONS

What causes warts? Are they contagious?

A virus causes warts. They can appear anywhere on the body, but are often found on the hands, feet, and face. Warts are contagious at a very low level.

Warts are skin conditions that will often disappear by themselves within two years. Treatment for warts includes over-the-counter medicine that is applied directly to the warts. More persistent warts may require a prescription medicine or a doctor's removal by freezing, burning, or laser treatment. Warts, even treated, can recur.

What is athlete's foot?

Athlete's foot is a contagious skin condition that results in scales and dead skin on the feet and between the toes. A common fungus causes it, and the infected area can be inflamed and very itchy. You can get athlete's foot in locker rooms or by sharing a shower with an infected person.

Remedies for the skin condition include using a powder two times a day, anti-fungus creams, and wearing cotton socks. To help prevent athlete's foot, wear flip-flops in public showers and locker rooms, and on swimming pool decks.

What causes dandruff?

Dandruff is a skin condition that results in greasy or dry white "flakes," often in your hair or eyebrows, that can itch. Although its cause is unknown, dandruff is associated with oily hair. Stress and hormonal and seasonal changes can aggravate it.

To manage dandruff, shampoo daily with a dandruff shampoo. Leave the shampoo on your head for 5 minutes to let the ingredients work. Scrub vigorously, letting your fingers loosen the scales and rinse thoroughly.

What are cold sores? Are they contagious?

Cold Sores are caused most often by a Herpes simplex virus 1. The result is mouth sores that can be itchy or painful. An outbreak can last from a few days to two weeks. Herpes is very contagious. It can be transmitted through touching a sore, sharing eating utensils or toothbrushes with an infected person, and kissing.

Avoiding certain food, wearing sunscreen, and reducing stress can help control this skin condition. Although sores will heal on their own, medications can speed up the process. There is no cure for the virus.