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?