Babies Having Babies

I am a frequent watcher of Maury. Even though he usually has guests wanting paternity tests but one episode really bothered me. His guests were teenage girls, none more than 16 years old. All of them wanted desperately to have a baby. Some girls were sleeping with random men, multiple times a day just to have a chance of conceiving.

This completely blows my mind. I know in my heart that one day I would like to have a family, but not for at least five more years. I think these girls are wanting that "unconditional love" that a child brings, but they are obviously not mature enough to provide for them the way a baby needs. I don't think they realize just how expensive having a baby is. Nor are they ready for the grueling sleepless nights.

It makes me think back to when I was 16 and how naive I was to so many things. I have learned so much about myself since then. Who I want to be, where I want to go with my life. Five years doesn't seem like it's that much time, but there were so many experiences, good and bad, that taught me more about myself. These experience I will be able to explain to my daughter or son one day and they will hopefully be able to learn from my mistakes. These teenagers would only be setting a bad example for their children and ultimately ruining their future.

DTE Doesn't Want to Take the Blame

The other night I was watching the news. One of the stories was about a neighborhood in Clarkston that experienced a power surge. About four or five people gave were shown that had experienced burned wires and damage to electronics, most of the costs exceeding a thousand dollars. When they contacted DTE, the energy company would not claim the damages and give the people money. Investigators concluded that it was fault of DTE that caused the power surge.

DTE should have their insurance pay for the damages done to these people's homes. The electrical wiring in their homes caught fire! What if their houses burned down because no one was home to put the fires out quickly. And most of their electronics are ruined! It just doesn't seem like companies stand behind their product anymore, whether it's an actual thing or a service. There is a certain decency that is required when working with the public. People just don't seem to have that anymore.

Have a Problem With Stripping? Then Don't Be a Stripper

This past week the Detroit City Council has been debating on whether or not to close the strip clubs in Detroit. Some members say that closing the clubs will help diminish crime and promote a better way of life for it's people. I completely disagree with this.

I watched a debate about this topic on Fox News last night. I've never been a fan of strip clubs and when I first heard of the possibility of some of them closing down, I was all for it. After listening to their discussion, I changed my mind. First of all, one of the arguments for closing the clubs is the assumption that crime rate will go down. This does not make any sense to me. There is going to be just as much crime as there was before, in my opinion. The people running the clubs, as well as the actual performers, will be out of a job and will be driven to other forms of making their money, like prostitution or drug dealing. I think crime rate would probably get worse.

If these clubs do close, it doesn't mean that people will stop attending. They will just have to travel outside of Detroit ten more minutes to get a peak.

To me, people can do what they want as long as it's not harming others. I'm sure these women working at these clubs are in dire situations, or else they wouldn't be resorting to this line of work in the first place. Just because I don't like the idea of parading myself around in front of a bunch of men, doesn't give me, or anyone the right to judge.

Snow Days Can Screw You Over

Last week, on Tuesday night, there was a snow storm and classes were canceled for the evening. Like everyone else, I was so excited!! I had a paper due for my class that night. My professor had sent us all an email telling us to submit our papers online. For some reason, I automatically thought that she would post a link on Blackboard so we could upload our papers. I waited a few days, still no link. Since there was not a submission link, I thought I would be able to just turn my paper in during the next class. I was wrong. I met with my group a few days later and they said they had all emailed the paper to her. I freaked out. It never occurred to me to just send an email, since I already had in my mind there would be a post on Blackboard. I had this professor last year and I knew for a fact she would not accept late work, so I didn't even bother bringing it up this week. Now, instead of rejoicing about that snow day, I know that if we would have had class I would have turned my paper in on time with no problems. Very frustrating.

Olympics

Since the Olympics started I've been trying to watch the games every night. The games I have been watching the most are the skating, snowboarding, and skiing. It amazes me how much these athletes have trained. They are so dedicated to their teammates, coaches, and to themselves. I love how determined they all are to represent their countries in such a positive way. I don't think anyone can imagine the joy and exuberance of receiving an Olympic medal and standing on that platform waving your country's flag.

But at what price does this great honor, to even compete at the Olympics, cost? I'm sure most of the competitors end up spending a lot of time away from their families. And this year, one man payed the ultimate price, his life, just for the sake of competition. I wonder if his family thought his dedication was worth it. They are left without a son, brother, friend.

A Quick Story of Intuition or Coincidence?

When my mother was twenty years old she was working as a secretary. She was working hard to put herself through college. On a cold November morning, she left for work just like any other day. In the middle of her day, she got the strange urge to write down the words: "I wish I could stay, but I have to go." She had a very eerie feeling, so she crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it away. My mother finished out her day, drove home with anxiety. She walked in the door to her mother and sister crying. My mother's father had passed away from a massive heart attack while at work.

This story has been told to me numerous times. It makes me wonder about a daughter's intuition and the unyielding bond between parent and child. There are always experiences that just cannot be explained, but to me this is a prime example of communication from beyond our realm of comprehension.

Good Customer Service and a Good Product Never Happen Once

I start my day with a large cup of coffee. Often times I will buy a medium Cafe Mocha from Cafe Joe's on campus right before class. I didn't have time today so I stopped there after class. Usually when I go there, there is a girl who is not very friendly. I try to be nice and polite to her but she is always snippy. But she makes the BEST Mochas EVER! There is always the perfect coffee to chocolate ratio. And nothing brightens my day more than a wonderful cup of coffee. I forget about the worker's crabbiness and go on with my day.

Today, however, there was a different girl working. When I walked up to the counter she was really nice and asked how my day was. I ordered the usual and expected it to be magnificent. I took a drink and it was horrible. It tasted like warm milk. Even though the girl was really nice, I'm really mad that I spent over three dollars for a coffee I ended up throwing away.

Now I'm wondering which is worse: having a bad product or a bad attitude??

Drama, Drama. Keep It To Your Momma... Or at Least the Person You Have Drama With

As I told you all in my last blog, I stay with my boyfriend during the week. He lives with four other guys, and three of these guys have girlfriends. Needless to say, the house is always full of people. I try to keep to myself and boyfriend and not get involved with any disputes that may happen between roommates, girlfriends and boyfriends, and girlfriends and other roommates. Last week though, we were all dragged into an awkward situation.

We were all sitting together watching a movie, laughing and having a good time. It is a known fact amongst the people in the house that one of the girls has a bone to pick with another guy that lives at the house. She made it clear to all of us this night when he came home to her complaining and picking a fight. The rest of us were just sitting there, watching and listening to this all happen. I started to feel embarrassed, even though I wasn't even the one getting involved. I felt like saying something like "Can't we all just get along?" but I didn't want to start another argument.

If you have a problem with someone, don't start picking fights in front of other people. It gets really awkward and makes others uncomfortable. The old adage "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" still applies to us, even though we're in our 20s. If you really want to start something, keep it between you and the other person, not five other people. It's just not classy.

Parking Ticket

During the semester I often stay with my boyfriend at his house in Ferndale. He lives with four other guys so there are always a lot of cars parked in front of his house. Since there is quite a short driveway and a lot of cars, I parked on the street just like any other night. Last night was the big snow storm of the winter. I heard that we were expected to get six to ten inches of snow, but usually there is never as much as the forecasters predict.

So I went to bed dreaming of snow angles and snowball fights. This afternoon, I awoke from my slumber to yelling downstairs. I asked the roommates what was happening. We had all received parking tickets for parking on the street during a snow emergency. I understand why I got a ticket, but I think the circumstances should be taken into consideration. There is a parking lot across the subdivision that is usually never full. But we are not allowed to park there because the spaces are reserved for "customers only". One of the girls (who also received a parking ticket today) got a ticket for parking in that parking lot. There's another lot right next door, but it is for the people who live in the parking complex. Getting my car towed, plus a fee, would be even worse of a penalty.

I'm thinking of fighting my ticket and explaining the situation to someone who might be able to help me. The ticket is only 50 dollars, but I would rather not pay it if I don't have to.

Help Desk Doesn't Help

I went to the help desk on campus the other day with a problem involving my computer. I've always had issues with the supervisors in that department so I was not excited about having to go. The gentleman that assisted me was very helpful and solved my problem. But while he was fixing my computer, one of the supervisors was complaining about how she did not want to be at work and just wanted the day to be over with already. This comment was very unprofessional and showed a lack of customer service. Even if you are having a bad day, do not make it known to your customers. It's just rude.

MJ and Politics

When I was little, maybe four or five, I was in love with Michael Jackson. I would listen to Thriller on record at my grandma's house and dance around the living room. Any time he would be on TV, she would record it on VHS for me, and I would watch it over and over. I had at least four of his albums on cassette and would constantly walk around with my Walkman, singing and dancing. I even named my favorite teddy bear Bubbles.

Like most kids, I grew out of my obsession. He drifted out of my mind until he passed away last July. Since then I bought the CD's of my favorite MJ albums. Listening to his music brings back many memories, but now that I am older, I can really appreciate the messages behind the lyrics. When I was little, I didn't fully get the idea of "healing the world" and that "they don't really care about us". I didn't understand that "Billie Jean" was about the consequences of a one night stand or that "Heal the World" was to promote education about AIDS in Africa. Now that I understand the true messages behind his songs and how much he strove for world peace, I have fallen in love with him all over again.