Credit Cards

Building up your credit history is one thing but digging up a debt is another. I'm a 20 year old student with no credit history but i'm looking to start building my credit. The only thing that is holding me back are the negative statements credit cards tend to get. A lot of people tell me that getting a credit card is a burden because of the hole it can dig you in. I've never been the type to splurge my money away, but would that change if i were using a plastic card which gave me a limit on how much i can spend? How did you all start your credit up and how did it go for you all? Should i be better safe than sorry and stick without a credit card or should i start now and hopefully make good decisions?

Student Loans

Are student loans a necessary evil or just plain evil? When you speak to other students or graduates about student loans, they will usually tell you it was their last resort. I am trying to avoid it at all costs. I have so many friends and co-workers that struggle to make their monthly payments for years. A few have defaulted and are now in “student loan bondage.” My question to you…Is a student loan worth the hassle or should you put off school until you can secure other means to pay?

Are we overdue for a female president?

With Hillary Clinton joining the 2008 election race, many are wondering if she could become our country's first female president. Many developed countries around the world have female leaders including: Ireland, New Zealand, Finland, The Phillipines, Moçambique , Norway, Liberia, Chile, the Netherlands, India and others. In 1960, Sirivamo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka became the world's first female elected Premier Minister and in 1974 Isabel Perón of Argentina became the first woman president. So having a female executive is not a new concept.

I think it's kind of funny how horrified people are at the prospect of Hillary becoming president. I think a lot of people are too proud to admit they're sexist and instead blame the Clintons' past as a reason for her supposed ineptitude.

I just think it's backwards for this country to claim it is the best and most forward thinking when we can't even vote a female or a black candidate into office. I don't necessarily agree with all of Hillary Clinton's policies. But I think she's being railroaded mainly because she is a woman. Do people assume a man could do the job better?

What do you think? Is a female president long overdue? Do you think Hillary has a shot of winning?

Fall Season

Just a quick question/informl poll. Between this past week and next, the new fall tv season is officially underway so: What are you looking forward to watching this year? Returning favorites? A new show you're gonna give a chance? Or is it just a fad and you'll stick to your books?

GENA 6

I know it is not my week to post a topic but I thought this was blog worthy.

I am sure everyone has heard about controversy going on in Gena, La. on the news.
If not, here is a (very) brief summary…

This town has been in the news because 6 black students allegedly beat up a white student. (Going a little further back, there were several events leading up to the altercation between these students in the last four months or so. One, nooses being hung from a tree outside the local high school after the black students tried to join a group of white students under this tree. Also, a white student pulled a gun on some black students outside of school. The black students fought to take the gun away from the white student. The white student was not reprimanded yet the black students were charged with theft of that firearm. Never heard if those charges stuck.)

These students were initially being charged with attempted murder in the second degree for “beating” this white student. This student (who was supposedly severely beaten) was able to attend the local football game the same night as the fight…
The charges have been reduced to battery for all but 1 black student. He was originally convicted on an aggravated second-degree battery and that could send him to prison for 15 years, it was overturned and that is the case that will be heard today.

I am baffled by the fact that these students may face YEARS in prison over a high school fight. How is that justice ? Especially since they were being taunted and discriminated against. Why wasn’t more done to reprimand the white students? It was stated the reason was because there isn’t a law on the books… There isn’t a law in the books about threatening to commit a hate crime? or death threats? Because to me, hanging nooses is a threat of bodily harm.
There should be a law for that!

When I initially heard this story, I thought to myself the news must be talking about a story from the history books because surely in 2007, this is not happening. But sadly it is.

Your thoughts?

Heart attacks waiting to happen...

A local freshman football player passed away from a heart defect that could have been prevented. He is not the only one that I know to have had this occur. One of my class mates passed out while running on the track and died later due to a tear in his heart that no one knew about. Often Ihear about these sad deaths that could have been prevented if the physicals they get only checked for these conditions. I want to start a petition to make these heart checks standard on physicals because I believe we can save these kids from heart failure before its too late. Wha t do you think the obsticles would be? My belief is that it would cost too much. I am going to research though because I strongly believe it is something that needs to be rectified now.

O.J. in the news again...

Well, I've been giving some thought as to what to post as a topic as there have been many great topics already covered. The current news seem to be focusing on O.J. Simpson and his bout with the law again, and it compelled me to thinking about justice and how justice is served (or not served) in this case and in this country. O.J. was found not guilty of murdering his wife and her acquaintance some 13 years ago. Although he had his day in court, there are many who have expressed that he was guilty of the crime. So was justice served? There were many pieces of evidence introduced that would point to his guilt: a size 12 Italian shoe (like the ones he had in his possession) that caused bloody footprints, a cut on his hand, a bloody glove, his blood mixed in with the two victims at the scene, etc. Yet, the jury found him not guilty. Perhaps the prosecution didn't do a great job of presenting the evidence. Some time after this, he was found guilty in a civil suit brought against him for several million dollars by the family of one of the victims. If he was found guilty in this trial, how could he not be found guilty of the crime of murder? It seems as if perhaps he was found not guilty due to his celebrity status. Now there's an interesting thought! Now he's back in the news: this time for armed robbery in a Las Vegas casino. There are not only witnesses that are planning to testify, there is an audio recording of him yelling obscenities and forcing the victims to stay put during the crime. Perhaps the Smiths and the Goldmans will finally have some justice. Maybe not for murder, but if found guilty, he stands to serve 35 years in prison. Or perhaps he'll yet again be able to buy his way out with high powered attorneys. Anyway, there is a saying: once a criminal, always a criminal. What do you think?

Halo 3, Advertising, and Controversy

Halo 3 comes out next Tuesday. It may be "just a videogame" but it's a huge event that's almost impossible to miss on tv and the net. Part of the marketing blitz is a series of trailers called "Believe" and they've caused a big stir lately. I'll describe them briefly, but if want to see them for yourself here's the official link: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/believe/default.htm

A war veteran walks through a memorial museum, answering questions about his experiences. He finally stops at a huge diorama, taking it in and recounting his memories of the place. We see an enormous battlefield, soldiers from both sides pack the landscape fighting still amongst ruins and their fallen brothers. The men, indeed everything see we, are made of plastic, miniatures frozen in a moment of time in the middle of a battle that's been over for decades. The looks of fear and anguish, of desperation and defeat, of grit and determination, those are real enough though, even if etched in plastic. This is what war looks like.

As moving as many, most even, have found it, there are those that say it is distasteful and disrespectful. None of it happened, the battle is set centuries in the future, the enemy are genocidal aliens, and the old man's memories like everything else are scripted fiction. To use such techniques, imitating a documentary and interviewing a "veteran" like we've all seen for World War 2, cheapens and disrespects the real wars and the real survivors. And worse, it's all for money; it's an advertising campaign for a videogame. This is what the detractors say.

So here's the question, is it in poor taste, dishonoring the memories of those who have fought and died for us? Is it, in fact more disrespectful to show the imagined aftermath of a devastating war than it is to use the memories and names of actual troops in real wars from our past? Games set in World War 2 have become so popular, with so many different ones put out a year, that has become its own sub-genre of shooting games. Real units, real battles, sometimes real names, used in games which have almost nothing to do with reality apart from their backdrop.

What do you think? Is invoking the image of old soldiers, veterans, their remembrances and memorials too sacred to be used? Would you feel differently if it was a scene in a movie?

Children and Drugs

I, like many others are concerned about the amount of drugs that are being sold to CHILDREN. I have four children and am so scared about my children growing up today. Drugs have always been a part of everyday life, but nothing like it is today. There are so many more drugs that have been introduced to the children of today. Statistics show that children are being introduced to meth. at the age of 11. My oldest son came home the other day and told me about kids at school bragging about "smoking weed". These kids are only 13. That just goes to show that our younger generations are already being exposed to this. I know some schools have drug programs in their schools to teach the kids to "just say no", but, is this really enough? How do we as parents do our very best to ensure our childrens safety against drugs? What do you think?

Saggy pants ordinance...

When I heard about this, I thought it was a joke! The city of Atlanta is trying to control saggy pants! Instead of spending money on lowering crime or helping out our valiant police force and Fire fighters, they are going to become fashion police. I don't like saggy pants, but I don't think it should be Atlanta's job to stop it. I think it should be the parents. What do you think?

Gun Control

So I was talking to one of my friends before I had to post this blog. I was all worried about what to post about but then my friend and I got into a conversation about firearms. I am a firm believer in gun control and I absolutely love firearms. To me they are very fun and there is many of things to learn about firearms. I believe that most of the people who are against firearms don't understand firearms. They believe that guns are the reason for all the murders and violence and evil in the world. Firearms are just as dangerous as cars are. More people a year die in auto accidents as compared to firearms. Firearms are used to protect everything that this country has ever stood for. Firearms do not kill people and never have the people behind the gun pulling the trigger has. I used to work in a place that sold firearms and one day some when came in that were protesting people buying guns. The owner was here on this day and he pulled out a gun at put it at on th counter. He told the women to come over and watch something. When they gathered around the gun he pointed it in there direction while still on the counter and he looked at the gun and said "kill". Nothing happened and he continued to yell "kill" many times. The women looked at him and he said "see, the gun can't kill anyone without a person behind it". Everyone in the store that appreciated and understood firearms started clapping and yelling. The group of women actually apologized for there protest and left the store. A week later 2 of the women came back and bought guns for themselves. This is an example of how knowing and understanding firearms can make a difference. When a person owns a firearm and carries out the proper safety rules of firearms then they are the safest things out there and can save many life's in the end. I myself own more than one firearm of many different types and I appreciate every one of them. I will be interested to hear what some other opinions are.

Think: What Happened?!-Where'd It All Go?!

What Happened to good movies, in-depth movies(no matter the genre)?
What Happened to individuals that care about family, that took time out for family and cared and loved for each other?
What Happened to great writers like Emerson and Thoreau, that had meaning in their words?;
What Happened to respectful people, that use words like please, thank you and excuse me?
What Happened to individuals that listen more, and talked less?
What Happened to people that want to serve and help, that put themselves last and others first?;
What Happened to sports and athletes that you could trust, that played their games with honesty?
What Happened to great speakers, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and JFK, that when they talked you could feel the passion, seriousness, and sincerity in their voices?;
What Happened to Innocence(as you look around the world)?;
What Happened to politicians trying to be for the people(the citizens), before presidential elections becomes a topic?
What Happened to the unity and together-ness that was here the days and weeks following Sept.11th(why does it take tragedy and death to unify us)?
What Happened to you being able to let your little son or daughter, or sibling play around the neighborhood with out the worry of predators and etc.?
and Again Lastly, I ask, What Happened to Respect?

In a world where rudeness is the norm and acts of kindness often make people more suspicious than grateful. In a world where you can rarely find people that are actually willing to engage in good solid thinking, where there is almost a quest for easy answers and half baked truths; nothing pains some people more, than to just think. In a world where if you don't watch the news your uninformed, but if you do watch the news your often misinformed. In a world that seems to consistently be on a moral and ethical decline. Have you ever took a step back, from school, work, and etc. and examined these things. And Ask yourself 'What Happened to it all?...Where'd it all Go?

Thoughts!?

-Nathan A. Guest

(Lots of Typos*, lol)

Bishop Weeks beats wife....

Well known televangelist Juanita Bynum has been brutally assaulted by her estranged husband. Report has it that the co founders of Global Destiny Ministries of Duluth Ga, were in the process of a divorce but was considering a reconciliation. Reports state that during a meeting of the minds things went south and Mr. Weeks attacked his wife. The following Sunday he was back in the pull pit. Should Bishop weeks be allowed to hold his place in the pull pit? I think that he is preaching one thing but living totally different, somewhat hypocritical don't you think.. Rumor has it that the divorce was initiated by Mrs. Bynum due to some questionable behavior with Mr. weeks and the males within their ministry. Again this only a rumor but also hypocritical from what he teach.

New ipod coming out!!!!

I like technology and everything that has to do with technology so I've decided to post this article that I have read about a new apple Ipod that is coming out later this month.We can all remember those big old ipods that had small screen and we could put about 1000 songs in them. Well that's over because this new ipod is totally redesigned.By redesigned I mean it is very similar to an Iphone which came out not long time a go and it was a big selling success.It's very small, thin and it has a touch screen which in my opinion is amazing. It can hold up to 40,000 songs which is pretty awesome.I don't even have that many songs.:)This puppy will cost you about 350 dollars, but there is also a cheaper 4 gb version that starts from 150 bucks.There is also a 8 gb model which they'll be selling for about 300 dollars.I think that the coolest thing about this new toy is that it is internet capable and it also has a direct browser.So don't forget to check out this new Ipod later this month in your local apple store.I will go too.:)

The Reality:Illegal Immigration: Your problem, My problem, America's Problem.

***(I WILL RESPOND TO EVERY POST)***

I wanted to bring up this controversial issue on the topic of Illegal Immigration because its something that effects everyone, if you think you're excluded you are sadly mistaken. At first let me clarify some things; because once I start bringing across my point you will see how strongly I personally feel about this issue and I don’t want anyone to get anything confused.

America is a country made up of immigrants, always has and always will be. I have great respect for legal immigrants, definitely in part due to fact that my mother is one, most my family and my closest friends are as well. The keyword in all of this is: Legal (ok to my point)

Loss of resources, overcrowded public schools, untraceable criminals, billions of dollars loss by families as well as local, state, and federal governments, jobs of valid citizens stripped away; these are just a few of the many serious threats illegal immigrations has on us and our nation. Illegal Immigration is a very serious issue that affects us all, whether you believe so or not. What influenced me to post this blog was, yesterday when I was watching the news I listened to a respected news anchor say that Illegal Immigration is “No Big Deal”. I thought to myself, tell the families that have had relatives killed, raped, and assaulted that we can't bring the criminal to justice because we have no way of tracking him/her, tell them, its "No Big Deal". Tell individuals that have to wait years and years, to wait to get into this country, going through the system and the process the legal way, that its "No Big Deal" that someone gets a easy pass in. Stand in front of someone’s face and tell them its "No Big Deal" that their job was stripped from them because someone could afford a lower wage(because they don’t have to pay taxes). Tell hard working tax paying citizens that illegal immigrants are living off your taxes and your resources that you have pay for their healthcare and living, every time you work, every time you do anything, that it's "No Big Deal". The fact of the matter is that it is a very Big Deal. Having well over 12 million people in this country, without anyway of tracking them should not only be upsetting, but it should also scare you. Not the fact that every illegal immigrant is a criminal or even bad, but the very fact that there are no ways of monitoring them through a way of identification should worry you.

I believe our country’s law makers and government have been lazy, apathetic, slow to react, and lethargic when it comes to enforcing our nations laws on illegal immigrants in our country. We hear a lot about it, however, we see little and weak attempts of action when it comes to the issue. As our schools become over crowded, our healthcare rates sore to sky high prices, as the very laws of our nation are being broken before eyes, and the jobs of our legal hard working citizens are being stripped away by illegal immigrants that can afford less wages they sit there with their hands in their pockets trying to convince us that its "No Big Deal".

The Land of Opportunity, the Melting Pot of the World, the Land of Plenty, around the world you hear many call America these very names. The future of this great nation we call the home of the brave, might seem bright, however, it will not be if we fail to act on keeping our laws on illegal immigration and many other things strictly enforced. Carl Sandburg said it quite vividly himself: “When a nation goes down, or a society perishes, one condition may always be found; they forgot where they came where they came from, they lost sight of what brought them along” Our nation was and has been instilled on our Constitiounal Laws it’s the very two feet that our nation stands on, and some of our government and nation have lost sight of that, by overlooking this very issue of illegal immigration. Nevertheless, in a land where many often risk their life to become citizens of, due to our great laws; we are not actually holding strongly to those laws. As you look around the world, you can see what happens and has happened to countries that have not strictly enforced the laws of there land and each paints an unfortunate picture of unrest, rebellion, war, and famine. We need to stand for the laws that protect us as citizens, our children and those that cannot fight for themselves and hold steadfastly to them. If we don't, Who will?

What's your take?

http://www.immigrationcounters.com/ Some Statistics on Illegal Immigration.

-Nathan A. Guest

Pluto: Planet or Icecube?

So the song I learned in elementary school is bogus now that Pluto is no longer considered a planet, although it should be. Just because it doesn't follow a orbital path that doesn't cross another planet's doesn't make it a nonplanet. It has its own moon. I think the bigwigs who decided this were just trying to draw attention to thier field. Everyone I have talked to says that Pluto will named a planet when the astronomy community meets next. What do you think? Should it be renamed a planet.

Whoopi Goldberg's comment

If any of you watch The View on abc, then you know what Whoopi said the other day. If you didn't see it or haven't heard, she said that one of the reasons Vick was involved in dogfighting was that it was part of his heritage or southern culuture. I do not in any way agree with this! As southerner myself and part of a family that has been in the south since the American Revolution I find that it is not part of my culture. There is no excuse. No one in my family dog fights. Of course maybe she meant it was part of his upbringing, but nontheless, it doesn' t give him any excuse! To say that he dogfights because of it being southern culture is complete rubbish for it isn't just in the south that you find dogfighting but also the north and the west as well. It is not fair that Whoopi palces Vick's troubles with cultral heritage. What do you think?

Are children in single parent homes more exposed ......

While having a talking with my mother, we stumbled on to the subject of single parent homes. Being that we were both raised in a single parent home we debated about the influences it had on us and children in general. I for one believe that any child with the will to succeed can do just that but my mother kindly stated that such knowledge of success had to be implanted in a child meaning to accomplish success one has to observe the procedures of becoming successful.

As our opinions were expressed and the questions began to unravel we formed the conclusion children are a reflection of their environment and what they are taught. As the depth of the conversation reach a point of ethics (morals and values) we both notice that one situation may have different meaning, value, and lessons for each person involved. Case and point, the neighborhood we lived in was filled heavily with crime. The police knew of the persistent menacing individual but assumed that any and everybody was subject to be a criminal (profiling). Even children with both parent were seen a probable criminals but the majority of those persistent criminal were from a single parent home. We thought of the reason why and probabilities of those reason occurring in a single parent home and a home with both parents.

With the research from Dr. William C. Holmes, MD, MSCE, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, children are missing the attention from their mother and/or father which results in problems involving the psychological and emotional aspects. His finding also concluded that children from single parent homes are more likely to be sexually abused due to the lack of communication and the need of more communication. This is a spiraling chain of events that effects a child outlook on life and their ability to trust which creates a barrier between this child and the rest of the world.

According to Lori Kowaleski-Jones, assistant professor at the University of Utah, children in single parent homes have lower score in math than children with both parents. I fell that there should be a program or something to give single parents a hand because that itself is a hard job. What are you thoughts on the matter?

Family Names

Not all families follow the practice of passing down names, but some do. In my family, the first born girl gets the name Judith. Yep, that's right I am a 6th generation Judith. My mother goes by Judy so when I was born I was named Judith Kelly. (THANK GOD I go by Kelly!) To me, Judith seems so old fashioned. I think it is more common for boys to receive a name from their father. But what if the child grows up and decides not to follow the tradition? Does this make them ungrateful or disrespectful against their family? For me, I feel obligated to name my first child Judith. I don't particularly like the name, but I would feel like I had disappointed my mother if I didn't follow suit. So, the question is.. Is following tradition really worth a somewhat "out of date" name?

"Fat Americans"!?

For many years now we have been hearing that obesity in the U.S. is a growing concern. In a recent article on MSN, it was reported by the majority of states that there has been significant increases in obesity for adults and for children. Schools teach about living healthy, newspapers write about it, and people talk about it. So why is obesity continuing to be a growing problem? Why are too many people still overweight?
One hundred years ago obesity was scarce. What has changed in our society that may be contributing to the problem and what can we do to fix it? I think that there are a variety of factors that can cause people to be overweight, and not all overweight people can solve the problem on their own. But I do think that “more activity, less calories” is probably the solution for many people.
Look at how life has changed. People used to walk; now we drive. Jobs were often more physically strenuous, now we have technology. Even farmers have tractors and machines to do the work. With all of the technology that our generation has available to us, we don’t even have to get out of bed. We can shop online, do school online, and socialize online. We have TV’s and game systems. I think that all of this boils down to a big, fat problem…obesity.
What makes obesity such a big concern is that it has been linked to several seriousness illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Diseases that used to only be found in the adult population, such as high blood pressure, are now showing up among children because of obesity.
If our nation is going to make any strides towards changing this trend, the government, communities, and individuals all have to acknowledge obesity as a problem worth fixing. Healthier lifestyles will have to be adopted, including making better choices in food consumption, and spending more time exercising. It is a shame that our “smart society” hasn’t figured out how to manage this problem.

So Sue Me!

This is a common phrase that many people say, but many have taken too seriously. The amount of lawsuits over unimportant things like spilled coffee are on the rise and people are looking for reasons to sue. People have broken into houses and hurt themselves in the process sue the owners for it. Health lawsuits have increased so much that doctors can't practice because the insurance is too high to do so. Emergency workers can't rescue people without worrying about being sued. It is a problem that has to be taken care of. People need to stop sueing over the unecessary things and if we don't put an end to it, people won't be able to work certain jobs anymore because they can't afford to. Lawyers who hunt for cases to fight like that spilt coffee case need to be stopped. What Do you think?