Uh-Oh... Caught Ya!

I was checking up on the LA Times today and found this article about how cheating and stealing has gotten progressively worse in high school students. The Josephson Institute ran a survey for 29,760 students from 100 public and private schools and found:

• 30% of them have stolen from a store in the past year
• 64% cheated on a test in the past year
  
• 36% used the Internet to plagiarize
• 42% lie to save money
  

And yet, the superiors quoted in the article were often defending the students and noted that the students are busy, they still work hard, and often have no choice but to cut corners. The rise in cheating and stealing is only because this generation is forced into a moral corner by their elders (aka, us). It's like they invented social deviation or something! Sorry kiddies, but you're no more original than the first caveman who peeked at his neighbor's cave drawings.

When I was in high school, albeit almost four years ago, stealing, cheating, using the Internet to write papers, and lying in all of its forms were everyday occurrences and done with the indifference of CEO's. I've done my fair share of all of those, and nobody has ever defended me or patted me on the back for it. Lifting a lip gloss or pack of hair elastics or soda from a pharmacy in high school was how you got that stuff. Before you were 16, not everybody was privileged enough to get an allowance- I know I wasn't. I will agree that it seems to be easier for high school kids to cheat now, everybody has a cellphone or PDA and a more evolved sense of sneakiness. The only way we could get away with cheating on a test was writing on ourselves and risking ink poisoning. Ah, the good old days... And people lie to save money? I still do that! For instance, when somebody walks up to me and asks to bum a cigarette I usually say I don't have anymore (even if I do) because they're expensive and my thought is if you're going to have a bad habit at least be able to afford it. And the Internet is still tricky business when it comes to plagiarizing, even in college. Who can't say that they've Wikipedia-ed some random fact for a class or still use their highschool login for Sparknotes once in awhile? We're old pros at that by now.

It's just confusing to me what writer David Crary is looking to do here- even though he points out that morality is going down the tubes, he ends with a quote from Michael Josephson, "What we need to learn from these survey results is that our moral infrastructure is unsound and in serious need of repair. This is not a time to lament and whine but to take thoughtful, positive actions."

Looks like they're picking out a very small part of a cheating, stealing lineage but hopefully those "thoughtful, positive actions" will work out for them. Whatever that means.

Black FridayTragedy

For our class assignment due this week I wrote Twas the Night Before Black Friday poem joking about how crazy people get about the after turkey shopping day. I was astonished to hear about two tragedies that occurred yesterday at two popular stores: WALMART and TOYS R US. People were so eager to rush into a Walmart near the Green Acres Mall that they literally bent the frames on the doors and trampled a worker to death. The store says they had ample security on hand for the busy morning rush of consumers, but is the issue really the security available or the over eager greedy american consumers who will literally walk over a body to get to the nearest Tickle me Elmo?
That wasn't the only incident of violence yesterday, two gunmen killed eachother in the electronics department of a Toys R Us in Palm Desert California. Police and the store believe the shootings occured due to a personal dispute that had nothing to do with Black Friday. Honestly though how could you choose a toy store where children are abundant to take out a feud? Black Friday is getting too out of control. Mothers were fleeing with their infants and children were exposed to violence on a day that should have been about peace and the spirit of giving, not killing.
I don't beileve stores take into account the safety percautions that need to be put in place for a day when so many shoppers pile into stores for great deals. In our society you never know what can take place in a crowded group of people are eager for a deal. Things are not sugar and spice and everything nice like they used to be. More and more stores now open early to offer blow out sales and that means there are even more oppurtunities for people to get hurt in the process.
People should just start their shopping in August or at least avoid the big sales crowds. Shop online if you have to.

Local Convenient Stores Sell Out of Newspapers?

Today something very ironic happened in my area and I am wondering if this happened or affected any of you? My mother called me when I was on my way to her house for our Thanksgiving “dinner,” and she asked me if I wouldn’t mind picking her up either a Hartford Courant or a New Haven Register. She and my little sister were unsuccessful in purchasing one around 11:00 a.m. after the town powder puff game. “Don’t go crazy,” she said. “If you can, you can.”

Well, much to my surprise, I too had no luck in purchasing a copy of either at the Yalesville Corner Shoppe. I was amazed to see that USA Today and the Boston Herald were the only papers left. A man and I both entered the convenient store to inquire about this, and the man at the counter said that they were all out. I was shocked! The other man was as well. I then called my mom who told me that where she went they were sold out, too.

I then drove up the street to a Citgo gas station. Under a pile of USA Todays I found the mother load. Both The Courant and The Register! About six copies each. I chose The Register, because that is “closer to home.” I went up to the cash register to pay and before the cashier rang me up, he said, “You know that is not today’s paper. It was Tuesdays.” Of course, only this would happen to me, I thought.

I could not believe it! I was shocked to learn that he had sold out of both papers as well.

The only paper that was in stock for Connecticut was The Connecticut Post. For 75 cents, I did not care that this was not the one that my mother wanted, as I figured that she was interested in the ads. So, even if she was unhappy, I found myself thinking, “Gee it costs way more than 75 cents to print this paper and put all of these fliers in it. I got a bargain.”

That’s when it dawned on me! Here we are, in an economic crisis and in a newspaper whirlpool downward. People want to read on the internet, but, yet I had the first hand experience of finding out that the newspapers were actually sold out! (This may be one of the last times that local convenient stores sell out of the papers.) I was blown away. Sold out!

Why do you think that they were sold out? Was it the ad factor? If so, is this the key to newspaper success? Was anyone else unsuccessful in locating a newspaper?

I think that this is something worth mentioning. I looked hard to find links relating to this topic, but there are none. There might be some tomorrow morning; I will check back. This Thanksgiving, I can honestly say that I am thankful for the newspapers’ survival of one more holiday.

Gift Cards = Lump of Coal?—What do you think?


Yesterday, I received a startling e-mail from a dear friend mentioning that Clark Howard, a consumer reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, very much opposed purchasing gift cards this holiday season. He said that “more and more retailers and restaurants are going to face extinction in a tight economy.”

After reading the e-mail, of course I immediately forwarded it to every family member on my contact list. It’s not that I wouldn’t mind getting a gift card for Christmas, it’s that I want others to be aware of these reports.

In fact, a woman who I work with that I also sent the e-mail to, informed me that last night she heard a similar report on the WFSB news.

This morning, I checked my e-mail and found an article from USA Today in my inbox, from my uncle, who had received my message. This immediately prompted me to further investigate.

Many news providers, such as Business Week are mocking the worth of gift cards. Once considered an ideal stocking stuffer, consumers are warned to be ware this Christmas season when choosing where to purchase one.


Is this going to make you think twice about purchasing gift cards for the holiday season?

Personally, for me, my mother and I went out to Chili’s last night for dinner and as she was asking me what I wanted for Christmas, I immediately replied that I wanted a Chili’s gift card, especially because for every $25 gift card you buy, you get a $5 one. (It’s like I will be getting $30, because she will give the bonus one to me.) Do you think that small incentives such as this will prompt consumers to buy gift cards?

I believe that gift cards to large chains are pretty safe, even if they are closing some of the chains. I think that national chains should be just fine. Even if they do go out of business, chances are it won’t be three days after Christmas. I say that it depends on where you are purchasing the gift card. What do you think?

Not as much an animal rights statement as it is college hijinks.

And welcome back to Not Asking For Permission, alternately titled "Documenting The Over-The-Top Insanity That is PETA."

Our good buddies from last week's lecture are at it again. We chronicled their exploits in an earlier entry about their request for Ben and Jerry's to use human breast milk in their ice cream. Tell me you wouldn't at least be interested in the names of those flavors.

Then, Chris posted yesterday about their plan to raise the health care rates of people who ate meat.

But now? Well, now they have gone just... too... far. They've taken aim at one of our celebrities. WHY, GOD, WHYYY?!

We talked in class about wearing fur and the actions that PETA takes and so on. This weekend, Lindsay Lohan was the object of their ire, as they threw flour at her on a red carpet. First of all, let's all call it for what it is. Lindsay got "antiqued." Any guy who's lived in a dorm can respect the prank aspect of this. However, as a political/animal rights statement? Give me a break.

It is extremely difficult to make me feel sorry for celebrities, but this almost gets me to that point. Lindsay Lohan is a person who is in the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons and seemingly has minimal redeeming qualities. Yet she was minding her own business on the red carpet and PETA more or less assaulted her for her wardrobe choice. You know you have problems when your actions force me to align myself with the coked out star of "I Know Who Killed Me."

This is a group whose leader, Ingrid Newkirk, is on the record openly admitting the group she helped found is a bunch of "press sluts." She stated in a 2003 New Yorker article, that without question, the world would be a better place without humans in it.

Memo to Ingrid and the rest of the PETA nutjobs: Just as you each have reasons you're vegetarians, we each have reasons we eat meat. For many of us, it's just cause animals are so gosh darn tasty. The point is, it's one thing to encourage others to adopt your beliefs in a manner not so socially inept. Just because you have different values than other people doesn't mean it's your job to force them to adapt to them.

I'm a Catholic, I refuse to drink Alcohol, and I hate the Red Sox. Having those specific characteristics does not mean it should be my mission to convert everyone into prohibition-supporting, Yankee-loving, Jesus freaks. That's not how the world works. Maybe in your warped mind in which a rat is more valuable than a human, sure.

There's a reason there's a food chain, and there's a reason we're on top of it. When lions build guns (god have mercy on our souls), then we'll talk. Until then, I respect the fact you believe animals should not be needlessly killed or eaten, but don't impose those values on me against my will.

Love,

Kyle

This is why people hate PETA

So we were talking about in class ways for PETA to reach carnivores and turn them over to the leafy green side. The idea came up to hit them in them in the wallet and make it more economically feasible to be a vegetarian or at the very least treat our chickens like kittens. Well, I guess PETA was listening, although I think they missed the point.

Making it more expensive to provide healthcare for meat-eaters is not making any new fans of PETA, especially not me. Thankfully the Blue Cross basically told PETA to "stfu" and that there is no direct link between being healthier and not eating meat.

Now to get back to my meatloaf.

Tour group '08

A Boston Globe article this morning talks about how Bush led Obama on a tour of the Oval Office, taking his first step in assuming the role as president of the United States.
Unlike pass tours that were drama-stricken by heated political rivalries, this tour seemed docile and almost routine. The president took the new guy around to discuss presidential duties and the first wife brought Mrs. Obama around to discuss her respective duties.
Even though this marks the first transfusion of power between Bush and Obama, the real story here is this is the first time an African American assumed the presidency in the house originally built by slaves.
Journalist Les Payne writes about this transition as " a nation that fancies itself the leader of the free world unshackling one of its remaining leg irons of hypocrisy."
In no way is this the cure-all for racism and indifference... but its a good start.

Beam Me Up, Wolf

So what's your take on the CNN hologram, which debuted on Election Night? Is this useful to journalism or a major waste of money?

What Will Happen to Obama?

Let's face it, people have been whispering speculations about Obama's fate if he were to take the presidency since the beginning of the campaign. Now that it has happened, should we expect the worst? I got an awful chain-letter/joke Wednesday morning that said, "What do Obama, John Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln have in common? Nothing yet but wait a week." This joke refers to their assassinations, and the possibility or likelihood of Obama receiving the same. As pessimistic and horrible it sounds, I am worried.

People are crazy, we all know that. Obama has made a breakthrough in American history- no one is going to allow him to forget it. Even though he is only half black, his skin is still dark enough to enrage all of the racists in America (and we've got plenty). If you think that the worry is out of place and unneccesary, Israel has even expressed concern about the possibility of assassination (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1034287.html)! Although Obama himself and his campaign has pushed the fact that the competition for presidency was 'not about race,' the truth is is that for some people it was.

When talking about the election earlier, many people pointed out that there was a strong influence due to the VPs because what if Obama got assassinated or McCain had a heart attack and died? Whether this succeeded in swaying people towards Obama, I'm not sure. But I do know that aside from my disagreements with McCain's policies, there was no way in hell I was going to live under Palin's rule.

I know that we like to keep things positive, but being scared for Obama's safety is something that many people are feeling right now. It's hard, but the relief and celebration of his win is tainted with chance of assassination. There are some skinheads, neo-nazis, and plain ol' racists that I'm sure would be willing to go to jail for life or die just so that Obama would not be able to govern America.

Keep your fingers crossed...

Newspapers Make a Comeback on November 4th

According to cnn.com, newspapers have been selling rapidly across the entire United States since Wednesday when Barack Obama was declared the first black president. People have purchased at least two copies of Wednesday’s issue. There have also been three to 30 copies of all different newspapers sold throughout America as keepsakes for the historical day.
The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune restarted their printing presses to make hundreds of thousands more copies to distribute. Even entrepreneurs were willing to pay $600 for Wednesday’s Times issue on eBay.

The Times printed 75,000 more copies just for New York City, while The Washington Post printed 350,000 more in the middle of the afternoon. In Evanston, Illinois, a newsstand sold 100 copies in 10 minutes, not to mention the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times who sold thousands more that day.

Newspapers like USA Today had front pages devoted to a large picture of President Obama or a piece of his acceptance speech such as, “Change has come to America."

November 4, 2008 was a day that newspapers could not be replaced by the Internet. This special day in history proves that print newspapers are unique and offer people the privilege to touch history. The historical day may have given many newspapers hope that journalism may be able to maintain its original form without print becoming completely extinct.

Yes we can

"Yes we can" was what millions of people were shouting last night after the announcement of our new President Barack Obama!

Whether they were in their homes in front of the TV, outside on the streets, across the other side of the globe or in Chicago; everyone one of them had something in common and that something was a sense of hope.

It cannot go unsaid that this is a historical moment for many blacks not only in this country, but in the world. The amazing part is that Barack Obama, a black man, was a able to touch the hearts and souls of so many people. He has made it possible for all minorities: blacks, gays, Asians, Latinos and everyone under the umbrella to feel as if they have a place in this country and that they have an advocate and most importantly a leader who will fight for one common cause and that is a better America.

It's great that everyone wants to celebrate, but don't think that the work is done. Obama cannot do it all alone. The change we want to come will take time and there will be pitt falls along the way, so as much as people want to believe that America has come a long way let us not forget that a new journey has just begun.

As for those of you who are disappointed , I suggest you join the rest because we're all in this together. It's better to make the best of the situation and maybe you'll see that the feeling of hope isn't so bad after all.

No one knows what the next four years will bring, but as long as most or better yet, all Americans fight for equal opportunities there is no reason why we can't move forward; especially with a President who has proven to break so many barriers.