The rich get off easy

Over the last week or so, I have seen seeing Justin Bieber on the news headlines about his recent DUI and street racing arrest.  Bieber was pulled over driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, as well as prescription medicine, all awhile being underage at that with a suspended license. Sure, just as every other American resident would get, he was arrested.  But here is what gets to me.  He has had a rough recent-past when it comes to the law, including multiple car incidents as well as run-ins with his neighbor, all resulting in police being called, but nothing being done to him.  Now that one police officer has officially had him in custody, the judge sets him free on a small bail of only $2,500.  As some would say, "it's not like he killed someone".  Well, no he didn't, but he sure could have.
I am waiting to see results of his official court hearing to see if the judge sticks it to him, or if he will ease up on him because he is able to hire a big-time lawyer.  If the judge decides to give him any type of break because he is rich and famous, what will he learn?  He needs to to given some type of punishment to let him see that his money may be able to buy a lot, but not his way out of trouble, otherwise the next time he pulls a stunt like this, he could cause harm to innocent bystanders.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/showbiz/justin-bieber-arrest/

Blind Money

In an article titled "Show Us the Money", written by Cyrys Habib, she tells us how the blind get taken advantage of when using paper cash.  The blind, are upset with the Treasury that their is no way to tell the difference between the bills, but with a $75 million dollar price tag to make bills different, I would have a hard time changing the bills when the blind has other options.  Everywhere I go, I see "Debit accepted here".  In the last few years, I never never gone somewhere where credit/debit is not accepted, even with local mom and pop stores.  So for $75 million, why should they change the way bills are made?  I feel the arguments made by the blind are totally different than others.  Such as them saying its the same difference as wheelchair ramps for the handicap.  This is a bad reasoning because someone in a wheelchair can physically not get up on the curb them self, where the blind does have other options.

Credit Cards Good?

I always hear, "credit cards are bad".  I've heard it from my friends and parents, and even hear my friends parents telling them never get into the habit of using credit cards.  I always ask myself why?  Is it that credit cards are bad, or is it that the user of the card is bad?  My vote goes for the user.  I myself got my first credit card at age 18, and I personally use it like a debit card.  Why?  They paid me 1% on all purchases to use it where my checking debit card paid me nothing.  I always limit my spending.  If I do not have the money in my checking account to spend, I don't put it on my credit card.  In under a year, on that card I accumulated over $25.00 in free money just for using the card.  Now, recently I signed up for a discover card.  Just for signing up, I received a free $50.00 bonus, on top of that, I receive 5% cash back on all online purchases up to $1,500.  Since I knew I would be spending over three thousand dollars on a new motor, why wouldn't I put it on the card, and immediately pay it off when I receive the statement?  If you are responsible, I feel you should use credit card because they reward their valued customers.  If you are told not to use them, you are more than likey being told this by someone who was not responsible and build up debt.

Boring chain stores

In a recent article that I read titled "In Praise of Chain Stores", written by Virginia Postrel, she states that America is known to be a "boring" location for foreign travelers.  She says this because no matter where in America you go, you're bound to run into a walmart, mcdonalds, starbucks, and so on.  But for those traveling from other countries, may not be used to these stores.  They arn't used to a Walmart, where they can buy food, clothing, and electronics all in one mega-store.  If you were used to shopping at a mom and pop store all your life, and you walked into a giant store like walmart, wouldn't you be amazed?  I get where the author is coming from, for myself, when I travel to other states, a lot of the things I see are very similar to my home area, but many things are different.  On a recent travel to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, just on the main drag, you will find mini golf, go cart racing, Titanic museum, bungie jumping, and more restaurants than you could imagine.  I have personally never traveled to another country, but I feel that is more exciting to most then looking at an old historic building for an hour.  And if you are one to look at old historic places, America has many to view, including the statue of liberty.  So how is it that someone could call America the most boring country to travel to just because we have chain stores?

Being Watched

Recently, I have been in progress of building a motor for a Camaro which its original motor spun a bearing.  Throughout this build process, I have been taking extra time to clean, paint, and polish parts of the motor to have it show-car condition.  One night last week I was working on polishing the ends of the heads when I realized I forgot to buy aluminum polish, so I decided to make a trip to walmart.
When I arrived at walmart at roughly 10 p.m., I noticed I was one of probably only 10 customers.  I walked in and headed to the car section.  As walmart sells multiple different waxes, I was in the isle for some time doing research on my phone about what the best polish available to purchase is.  I then begin to notice this man, standing in the same isle as I was, only feet from me, well this is a store so I thought nothing much of it.  After picking out a polish, I went to look at paint gun accessories as I needed a new regulator.  Once again, I seen a man, looking in the same isle as me, but facing the other direction.  I decided to pass on the walmart regulator and headed for the check-out with my polish.  After paying, the lady at the exit door told me to have a good night.  As I was walking out the second line of doors, I heard "Excuse me", from the woman why just told me have a good night.  I turned around and heading around the corner was the same man I had seen multiple times, following me around walmart.  The woman asked to see a receipt!  Apparently, walmart has undercover security, that are not very sneaky, and he must of thought I was up to something because he had told the woman to call me back and check to see if I purchased the polish, and to check to make sure I didnt stuff anything else in my bag.  I feel as though walmart could tell there employees to watch closer, and not just assume a kid in the store is trying to steal something!.

Preparing for college?

All throughout high school I was told "the more words the better" when writing an essay for a class.  Although this never made since to me because I felt that my papers as well as my peers, drug on and on, just to meet the couple of thousand word quota for the assigned paper, of course I listened to receive a good grade.  With that being said, high school is to prepare you for college, correct?  Wrong!  Now that I get to college, fewer words arn't "better" to say, but less is more in a since in chapter ninteen that I read titled "writing with style".  Apparently the "filler" words I used in high school such as: at all times, in order to, should now be simplified to always and to.
I do understand where my high school was going when they wanted more words, which would of been to make sure we are capable to writing a lengthy paper to grade us on grammer and other aspects of a paper, why do they consider it "preparing for college" if the day I get here, writing styles change..

Overweight

As I logged onto my computer today to do my usual morning aol.com look-around, I seen a news article where a school, upset a childs mother.  At first, I thought to myself, oh great!  Another angry mother over nothing kind of story, but I figured why not read more into it.  To my surprise, she had every right to be furious at the school!  The Flordia school sent a letter home with an 11 year old girl, stating that she is "overweight".  Since when are schools health physicians?  They should be focused on learning, and only learning.  Allowing an 11 year old girl to read a note the school wrote stating she is overweight could cause the girl to have self-esteem issues.

I do not fully disagree with schools doing health check-ups on students (if the parents are fully aware), but until a certain age, results to any health related problems should be given directly to parents, not to an 11 year old girl that is able to read that the school is calling her over-weight. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/kristin-grasso-florida-school-letter-overweight_n_4058460.html?1381260343&icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl7|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D388540