Devastation In The East

Our thoughts, hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by the terrible earthquake in China and the devastating cyclone in Myanmar. Our mortality can be but a fleeting moment. May we all realize that disasters can happen to anyone at anytime in any part of the world. We should live our lives accordingly and treat it as the gift that it is. Starting today please make the most of your life and of those around you as tomorrow is no guarantee. I welcome anyone to post comments that include information for relief efforts for the affected areas and ideas to help. Remember one person can make a difference even if only one person is helped. That person could someday be you.

Juvenile Detention Centers "Who is in charge?"

Talk about giving "reformed" criminals a second chance. In the great state of NJ, yes even if you have committed murder, a cushy state job may be awaiting you. For instance in one correctional facility for juveniles a position that pays $90.000 p/year is held by someone who committed murder by burning alive an elderly couple. Now he helps run a juvenile detention center. Again a prime example where in the state of NJ it pays to be a criminal. Personally I believe all murders (not including self defense), rapists and pedophiles do not deserve a 2nd chance. They are a waste and a drain to society. An automatic and swift death penalty should be met out on DNA convicted cases. Instead in NJ, if you play the system right, you may be plugged into a cushy job. Convicted murderers can inspire troubled youth by literally showing them that they too may become financially successful and on the tax payer's expense. Funny that the same juvenile system has a problem with paying out excess overtime to its employees. Hmmm. Check out 101.5 on Jim's page to follow this story. Your take on this? Don't be shy and sound off.

Reality TV (a litle too real)

Not long ago I watched a show called World's Dumbest Criminals. The clips themselves were worth watching. However when seeing the hosts and hostesses of the show it was enough to turn me off. Where else in the world can you cash in for having a criminal record? Nice to see the real side of one time Olympic hopeful Tanya Harding. What a pity. I cannot believe that Danny Bonaduce would show his face in public considering his prior record. To top it off, Amy Fisher is back. Cant we get rid of her already? she is still trying to hang on to her 15 min. of fame that she earned by sleeping with a married man while a teenager and then putting a bullet in the wife's head. Pretty sick. These people have no shame, no real self-respect. Is this what America wants? To see people,who attempted murder no less, host any type of a TV show. If that was you or me would we get a chance to do something like this if we had a record? Not without some claim to fame, no matter how it was acquired. Have thoughts on this? Post away! I want to know you opinion on this topic.

NJ Gas Crunch

With the price of gas climbing and the cost of living in NJ already high, people are doing what they can to save on gas. However it seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
How has this affected you? What are you doing to help save on your gas consumption?
For instance, I plan all my trips and combine as many stops as possible. I hunt for the cheapest gas and try to carpool when I can (which aren't many opportunities in the state of NJ).
I definitely want to hear from you and welcome your postings. Perhaps what you do may help someone else. Feel free to leave the name and address of the stations where you find the best gas price. Lets blog a list of gas stations to check out and ones to avoid. If we blog loud enough, someone may take notice. Out of state? Check the postings so you know where to go and not. Dont forget to post your thought as well. You may have a tip that can help someone out.

Prisons

Why do prison systems have luxuries available to the inmates? Weight lifting equipment is not a life staple. (Stronger criminals are realy not desired to the outside world.) Nor is cable TV, internett, cigarettes and porn. Pursuing an education on the outside world was not free last time I checked. Scholarships must be earned. So why is it in some prisons these items are available? Our lottery funds are paying for this?!

I beleive once you commit a crime you loose the rights you once enjoyed on the outside. It is suposed to be hard time but it doesn't seem that way. What constitutes it as "hard time" is the way the inmates treat each other. Lets get rid of ALL the ammentities, have them do menial labor and have access to literature and educational books as a past time. Pursue a degree? Ok as long as you work it off. Divert the lottery money to school property taxes, provided that there is a sizeable reduction to the property tax payer. Too much to bear? Too bad. They shouldn't have done the crime.