New Devices That Pry Into Your Privacy

Have you heard of the new GPS device called, Car Tracker Pro?

This device can be attached to the bottom of a persons car so if someone is trying to follow you, they can pinpoint exactly where you are at all times. What the hell! This product makes me just as nervous as the other product, where you can eavesdrop on someones conversation just being a few feet away.

Why was this device made let alone sold in stores?

Making it easier for crime to take place isn't cool. Records or some kind of registration should be obtained on every person that purchases this gadget, just in case police need to back track to figure out a crime.

Is this new technology being created to purposely harm Americans?

Pretty soon Americans will long to live in another country, especially if they don't feel safe and fear for their lives in this one. I encourage random checks on your vehicles because nowadays you just never know.

The The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Update on Salmonella Outbreaks

Did you hear about the poisoned peanut butter?

Investigators reported that after inspectors discovered traces of salmonella in batches of peanut butter, that they hid the results and allowed for the peanut butter to be shipped out to stores anyway. Shouldn't  purposely poisoning Americans be a crime?

These poisonous peanut butter plants in the state of Georgia, have had numerous violations for years in which they've never corrected them. Other hazards identified at the plants were dirty equipment, the use of dirty utensils, and a hole in the warehouse where rodents came in. 

If these plants had numerous violations why wasn't this matter ever investigated? 

Where were the authority figures whose job it is to check, that the plants are to be clean at all times? Currently all peanut plants in Georgia are still under investigation, but the culprits that allowed contaminated peanut butter to make its way into retail stores should lose their jobs, and be charged with the crime of killing the people that died as a result of being poisoned.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

Update: Four have been accused in salmonella coverup.

2009 LA

Are Minorities Conditioned by Servitude and Obedience?

If you had it your way would you choose to be an employee, or would you choose to be the boss? 

There are those that are conditioned to work for others, there are those that like working for others, and there are entrepreneurs who'd rather work for themselves.

Slavery in the United States of America, definitely taught black people about servitude and obedience to their owners, so it'd make sense that one would think that in order to survive you'd need to look to your owners for work.

How many times have your parents told you to make sure you get good grades so that you can get a good "government" job? 

Furthermore, parents reinforced getting a government job because of the benefits and unions that come along with it. But how many Black parents actually tell their children to get good grades in school, so that one day they can own their own business? 

Personally, I was never taught that I could be my own boss and now that I'm older and wiser -- I understand why.

People teach what they know about and if your parents didn't know that it was possible to be an entrepreneur, then how could they make their children aware? If parents aren't given the necessary resources to develop this knowledge or if they're not looking for the resources, it'll be difficult to teach your children about it. 

I'm sure many of us have ambition to work for ourselves but when you work 1-2 jobs just to make ends meet, by the time you get home you would have already exerted all of your energy. The last thing you'd want to do is work on a plan for your own business, because you've just dedicated 8 or 12 hours of your life to another persons company.

However, if you are determined and passionate to be your own boss than don't beat yourself up over slow progress due to having other obligations, because every bit of progress helps you get to a next level. Just don't ever give up and eventually you'll achieve your goals.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

2009 LA

Does President Obama Validate the Worthiness of Black People?

On CNN news a modeling agent stated that because we now have our first African American first family, that Black models are sure to find more work than ever before. 

Although I immediately jumped to defense when hearing what this agent had to say, the fact of the matter is that she made sense even if the truth made me angry.

It's been said that 2009 will be the year for Black people because it has never been before, almost like having a Black president suddenly validates the worthiness of Black people.

So if Senator McCain had won the presidency would Black people's worthiness still be non-existent? And why? 

The truth is that Black people have always been worthy, but have never been rightfully acknowledged for being so.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

2009 LA

Casinos and High Rise Hotels to Hit Georgia

Did you know that the state of Georgia plans to implement high rise hotels and casinos? 

People are losing jobs, funds for educational programs are being cut, and the country is on its way to a Great Depression greater than the first; but the greed continues.

Casinos and high rise hotels will soon adorn the heart of Atlanta, but how are these projects being funded?

Allegedly, one source that's helping to fund this major project is the Georgia lottery division. I guess it makes sense that the Georgia lottery would invest in more gambling opportunities, as a way of increasing their chances of higher revenues. But if the Georgia lottery can help fund a project to increase more gambling, why can't they also help to fund educational programs that are being cut due to the recession?

People need jobs, homes, food, clothes, protection from violent acts, new infrastructure etc. Does it makes sense to promote projects which will further put people in debt? And when this project is completed who ultimately reaps the benefits of all new revenue rolling in? Certainly not the residents of Georgia.

The state of Georgia has laid-off over twenty thousand employees and counting so to put money into a gambling project, instead of a project that helps to put people back to work reeks of sheer selfishness and ignorance.

Yes this project can and will create jobs within the casino/hotel industry, but gambling and domestic jobs taking the place of career type positions isn't necessarily improving economic conditions as most employers have been offering only low wage jobs lately.

I often wonder who were the people running the lottery systems. Maybe I'll do research into that and make it my next article.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Tax Fraud by Georgia Corporate Investors?

Home properties are selling for huge prices but smaller tax amounts are being paid. Why? 

In local Georgia news, this has been an ongoing investigation. Por ejemplo: a townhouse in Decatur, Georgia, was sold for $624 thousand dollars, but the tax amount being paid on the home is as if it sold for $75 thousand dollars! Of course the tax payment would be considerably lower on a $75 thousand dollar home, verses a $624 thousand dollar home. 

Another home in Georgia sold for $554 thousand dollars, but taxes are being paid on the home as if it sold for $105 thousand dollars! Does this not strike anyone as odd?

The assessors should investigate the personal investments and the living locations and/or addresses, of family and friends of the people who are in charge of making these huge "so-called" tax mistakes. 

Obviously, I don't believe these are mistakes but I do believe this situation happened due to greed and personal gain, if not directly than definitely indirectly. The value of the homes should be checked along with the actual prices paid.

Kudos to local Georgia news reporters for jumping on this matter. 

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

2009 LA

Salmonella Outbreaks in our Peanut Butter

Sudden outbreaks of salmonella keep popping up in our food supply. Why? 

A couple of weeks ago King Nut peanut butter was recalled for traces of salmonella, and then a few days later all products with peanut butter were recalled for traces of salmonella. Now the government is telling us to not buy products with peanut butter in it, but that it's safe to buy whole jars of peanut butter. What!?

This is reminiscent of when traces of salmonella were found in our tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, and then afterwards the government said it was safe to eat tomatoes and peppers again. 

Where does salmonella come from and how does it get into our food? 

Allegedly, the peanut butter products were traced back to a few Georgia peanut butter factories, but what are these factories doing to poison whole batches of peanut butter? Are they not cleaning the machines properly, are people not wearing plastic gloves and not washing their hands? Salmonella doesn't sound like something that's by accident, it sounds like something done on purpose. 

Recently there was an article on the country China, and how people were purposely tainting milk that babies drink everyday. Fortunately, these culprits were caught and locked up but not without killing off a few hundred innocent babies first. So it wouldn't surprise me if we had similar culprits of our own purposely poisoning Americans to kill us off. Can somebody say "population control?"

The peanut butter plants in Georgia should be investigated immediately, and someone needs to get to the bottom of this matter without delay. People have a right to their lives and we have the right to not have our lives taken, due to the mistakes and/or ignorance of certain individuals.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

To Cold for School?

Have you ever been told to stay home from school because it was to cold outside?

In the South whenever snow is predicted in the forecast, schools are ready to shut down. I'm a Northern girl and know all to well about bad snow days, but even during the bad snow days in the North school still remained in session. There may have been a delayed opening but we still had to go to school.

However, snow flurries and it being a bit to cold outside constitutes a school closing in Georgia. 

But isn't that why we wear jackets, sweaters, gloves, scarfs, hats and boots; the things that help us combat bad weather? You can still drive in the cold -- hell, you can still drive with snow flurries! If the heating systems in schools aren't working and the classrooms are freezing than that's a different story. But if children are bundled up outside and there's heat in the schools, then classes should proceed.

Being a child from "yankee land" it's definitely noticeable that children in the South, miss way more school than those in the North. Local parents have said that children in the South can afford to miss school, because they don't have as many snow days. But shouldn't that be more the reason to keep schools open and children learning?

This past Christmas holiday children in Southern Georgia were let out of school an entire week before the holiday, and these same children didn't return to school until almost a week after New Years Day. Should children have almost a month vacation for two holidays? 

With single parent households or a household where both parents work, I assume it'd be hard to find somewhere to keep your children. And for latchkey kids the additional time off can lead to trouble, or for trouble to find them.

Who calls the shots on whether or not to close the schools down? 

Whoever it is they must not hear the parents I hear complaining about where to put their kids, and wondering how they will feed them for the entire day.

I discovered that most struggling single parents really count on schools to give their children breakfast and lunch, so all they have to worry about is dinner. But when children are home for almost a month that's three meals a day plus snacks -- depending on how many children you have. That can take a toll on parents' pockets.

In short, unnecessary closings should be forbidden and when schools are closed, there should be free extra-curricular activities for children. It would lighten the load on parents, keep children active, learning, and out of trouble.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Graceful Aging for Barack Obama?

Have you ever noticed how rapidly presidents age?

The way in which president's age has been talked about for years. Obviously, stress is the number one contributing factor for gray hairs and wrinkles and before and after photos are usually taken to  compare and contrast a president's aging process. The photo comparisons is what shows proof that being president definitely accelerates the aging factor.

I totally believe that being president is a stressful job, but throughout the history of this country all of our president's have been Caucasian. 

It is a known fact that Caucasians age faster than African Americans due to having less melanin in their skin and the fact that President Obama is America's first Black president, it'd be hard to compare him to previous presidents because there isn't any that look like him. So it'll be interesting to see how Obama's aging process plays out as I'm sure the media will keep a watchful eye.

I'm guesstimating that Obama won't age as fast as other president's in the past, due to the black side that gives him the melanin that Caucasians lack?

When Obama's presidency is over he would have indeed gained more gray hairs -- but gray hairs come with age. I believe after Obama's presidency he'll look a lot younger than president's from the past. 

As the saying goes, "Black don't crack!"

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm...

©2009 LA