Looking Back

When I was told at the beginning of the year that I was going to be blogging, I freaked out. I was less mature at that point, and more than a little stressed out. I didn't even really know what a blog was, and I had to do one. Standing where I am at the end of the year, however, I'm really glad that I was require to make and maintain a blog. It really did help me as a writer to have to write about stuff on a weekly basis. I'm sure that I picked up some bad habits along the way, but they don't transfer into my formal writing. There is a line for me, between blogging and writing papers for school. I know when I have to stop doing one and start doing the other.There are just thing you can do in a blog that you can't in a paper, and the other way around.

More than all of that too, is how I've changed because of blogging. I bet Mr. Ayers didn't expect this, but blogging has made me into a fuller person. I'm always watching for thing to blog about, and as a result of that, I guess you could call it a happy accident, I've learned so much more about the world, life , and myself. Blogging has helped me to shape the person I want to become. Helped me find where I want to fit in the world.

Blogging was always there if I needed to reflect on something that happened in my life, to kind of be my online guidance counselor. This whole year I've slowly become more aware of things that I was previously unconcerned about. World affairs used to not pertain to me, because they didn't affect me personally. Now I have opinions of my own, instead of listening to the news or my parents and having their opinions.

Some problems with blogging though, and some of these might be unavoidable, but deadlines. I now it's three a week, but sometimes things just come up, and you don't have the time or resources to get in that weeks blogs, and then they pile up, not a fun thing to have to deal with. Just tell us when you're going to check them in. Word count. Now I realize that you have to have a word count for all of the people who wouldn't do the blogs, but it's just hard sometimes to fill the word requirement, and let's face it, the people who don't want to do the blogs, won't. Just think about that, because, I always tried to get as many words as possible, but sometimes what you have to say doesn't take a lot of words. I actually think you should do it the same way you did it this year.

All that's left to say now is, thanks Mr. Ayers, you're a great teacher and your class helped me a lot. Have a great summer.

Life in Slow Motion

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if some people lived in slow motion, and others lived in fast forward. It would be crazy! the slow motion and fast forwards would have to live in different societies, because the fast forwards wouldn't have any patients at all. But putting a twist on it, the slow motions are more advanced, because they think things trough and have made many more technological advances that the fast forwards.

So we have the fast forwards living on the ground in theirs formula one fast cars, while the slow motions live up in the sky on their state of the art hover crafts and their cities in the clouds. The fast forwards are jealous too. Whenever a slow motion lands on the ground. Fast forwards attack him and steal his hovercraft.

After doing this for several years they finally have enough hovercrafts to take their people up to the cities in the sky. But the slow motions had seen what they were doing, and they're ready. They've built guns that slow the fast motions down to their speed.

An epic slow motion battle ensues. The fast forwards, not being accustomed to moving in slow motion, get dominated by the slow motions. Then the slow motions who had been missing solid ground, move back down to land, and fill the planet with their slow motion-ness. The End.

Wow that was super random, but it's just supposed to be a stupid story to maybe make some people laugh. So if you laughed thank you, if not, your name is probably Mr. Ayers, and no I'm not high. Just really bored...

Looking Forward

With all of the grad parties, and all of my friends leaving for college or the military, I've really started to think of my own venture out in to the real world. It's a scary thing to think about for me. Everything that has held me down, and more or less controlled my life will be gone in a year. Sometimes I try to picture myself after college, and I can't do it. Who knows what I'll go through, and what kind of person I'll be because of it.

I don't know how I'll handle not having all of the rules to follow that I do now. What if I can't handle it? What if I get into bad stuff? So many what ifs fill my head that it's hard to think straight anymore. I'm reasoning with myself that I'll do fine. I'll have plenty of studying to do to fill my time. Also I know that I won't get in with the wrong crowd, because I've never been one to try to fit in by doing the wrong thing, or changing who I am to make others like me. I'm morally opposed to drugs and alcohol so I don't think that that will be a problem either.

After all of the things that worry me make way for the more positive things, I'm really excited for college. It's a new chapter in my life. The beginning of me becoming a contributing member of society. I don't know for sure what I want to be yet, but I have time. I was talking to my cousin in law the other day, and he told me that he changed his major three times while he was in college. So when I hear things like that I know that I'll be fine.

Thanks for reading this if you did. It was more for me to put all of it down somewhere to better understand it, so sorry if it's confusing.

A Very Hectic Weekend

So much stuff to do so little time. Memorial Day weekend is supposed to be the weekend when you kick back and just go with the flow. Unfortunately I had a different direction to go then where the flow was taking me. I had a ton of grad parties to go to, and all of my end of the year homework that still isn't done. This is when time management really comes in handy.

With all of this stuff going on I can't seem to shake the feeling that I'm missing something. I go through every day with this constant nagging at the back of my mind. I really can't figure it out. When I'm doing stuff actually I'm fine, but when I'm just sitting at a grad party or at home, my mind fills with this feeling.

I really can't even describe it. It's a feeling of being overwhelmed and a feeling of total helplessness. That's another reason school needs to get over, because I think school is somehow at the bottom of this feeling I have. If I have to deal with this much longer I think I might go insane. I'm afraid that this week I'm just going to have a meltdown, and it's not going to be pretty.

So I'm done complaining now. I'll just continue to bottle it up. No, just kidding, I think the technical term for it is Senioritis, and I have it bad.

End of Year Drag

It's the end of the school year. You know it's funny, I thought that the end of the year meant less stuff to do. Just a coast into summer, but it seems my teachers have a different idea about what the end of the year is supposed to be about. End of the school year to them means teach more in the last two weeks of school then they have all year. To them it's let's try to make the kids' heads explode, so that their summers suck ass.

Okay so maybe that's not what they're thinking, but it sure seems like it. I have more homework now at the very end of the year than I've had all year at one time. It really sucks, because I have all of this homework, but absolutely no motivation to do it. Take these blog for instance, sorry Ayers, but that's why I waited until last minute to do them, is because I don't want to sit in my stuffy old basement when I could be outside enjoying a beautiful day.

I just don't get it. Do teachers not understand that kids' focus goes out the window this time of year? I'll probably never understand will I? Whatever I don't even care then. Peace out sukkas.

Heroes

Why do we love heroes so much? I think the most obvious answer is envy. We envy the things they can do. We wish we were them and that's why we love them. I do not think that this is the real reason we love them so much. Sure it might be a big part of it, but there has to be something else.

With all of the superhero movies coming out it started me thinking. What is it about them that so intrigues the human race? What I started to think of when I thought superheroes were not the heroes themselves, but rather the bad guys. Every superhero has one. Without and arch enemy, what is a hero besides someone that can fly or punch things?

We all know that the bad guys in the movies never win, but sometimes I find myself rooting for them just a little. They really are the underdog, and people like an underdog to root for, even if that same underdog happens to be doing things that we are morally against.

It's a human addiction to danger that drives us to love them so much. We love to put ourselves in the spot of the hero and ask: what would I do in that situation? You can argue and say all you want about why we love them, but I'm saying it's all about the bad guys and the danger. We really are a twisted race of beings.

Wallowing in Our Own Filth

Everyone knows that there is no escaping death or taxes in their lives, but there is something else they can't escape, waste. Waste is the byproduct of life, you can't live without producing waste. The problem comes when the waste starts to pile up and we run out of clever ways to dispose of it. Landfills were a good idea back when everything we threw out was decomposable, but now that we have all of these artificial products that take years and years to decompose they're becoming a problem.

Who wants to live next to that? They smell and they aren't fun to look at. I wouldn't want to look out my window everyday and see someone else's trash in my backyard.

And how do we know that these landfills are safe? How do we know that chemicals from our trash aren't seeping into the soil of the plot of land nest to the landfill, which just happens to be a farmers land that he grows his crops on. He harvest those crops and sends them to the store to be consumed by all of us. Sounds appetizing doesn't it? I mean you don't know what kinds of chemicals there are in the colorful wrappers of junk foods, but you might be consuming them on a daily basis.

We can't burn trash either. That harms the atmosphere. Sure it's an effective way to get rid of it, but it turns out it's also an effective way to get rid of us. We need an answer soon.

We have so much trash that it spills over into other places. People don't even care anymore they just throw there trash anywhere they want, just chuck it on the ground someone will get it, or not, whatever. It's ridiculous we're ruining our planet. Where the hell are we going to go when this one is gone? People you're bringing your own end. We're all going to drown in waste.

Scamdemic

Swine flu. Is it really something to be feared?

The big thing with swine flu is just that it is another form of the flu, only this strain has killed people. It has killed people in areas where there is insufficient medical care for the residents, and that is why they are dying. Not because this particular flu is more deadly than other kinds.

Every year a quarter of a million people die of the flu. And how many people have died of swine flu so far? Well give or take a few, there are about a hundred. I'm starting to get a little suspicious of this whole thing.

In Egypt they started killing every pig in the country, places with a large pig population have been cut off from the world, Mexico, where it all started is quarantined. There isn't even any proof that people can get it from pigs, I know stupid right? We should have just called it rainbow flu or flower flu, because then people would be a lot less afraid of this flu that has only killed a fraction of what the flu does every year.

This is just another example of the media looking for ratings. If they scare you into believing that you're going to get swine flu and die, you'll watch their news cast to get all of the updates. Hope you don't die from swine flu America. Peace out.

Friends

I have to think of the right way to say this so that it doesn't sound weird and get me into trouble.

Recently my friend had his first experience with drugs, pot to be specific. Everyone tries these things in their life I get it, but I also understand that drugs are illegal for a reason. Him and I have been going through some rough patches lately, and I don't think that he understands that I really do care about what he thinks of me and that I care about his well being. And no if he happens to be reading this, I'm not gay, and I'm not going to pull a MF (you know who that is lol).

Anyways I get that you want to try new things, expand your boundaries, whatever, but can you please try to do it in another way. These things are illegal for a reason you know, and I'm sure your counter argument is that you won't get hooked, or it's just once, but how do you think junkies started out? Do you think they planned on getting hooked on their respective drugs? I bet they didn't, and I bet you don't either.

You have a good life, why would you jeopardize that just so you can trip out for a few hours? You want to be a doctor. That's a competitive field you know. You have to keep your grades up. I'm sure you remember the stoner kid you always used to tell me about, who never tried and didn't care. Do you want to turn out like that?

I'm just scared for you is all. I'm being 120% genuine here. We've been friends since the crib for God's sake. I know it seems like we always have these arguments were we don't seem to talk for a while, and I know most of the time it's my fault. You put up with my shit, and for that I thank you. Now try to take my advice. Much love...

Why Do We Do It?

When you think about it, life is a lot like golf. Most of the time you suck at it, and you convince yourself that you'll never play again, because of this intense hate you've found for the game. But then you hit a shot that make the whole day of bad golf worth it. There is a saying: Those are the shots that keep you coming back to the game.

I think that this quote can be applied to life as well. If you really think about it, and are completely honest with yourself, you spend most of your life troubled. I mean let's face it the bad things are what make the whole experience. Would you want to spend your whole life having everything you every wanted? No, of course you don't, because then you would have nothing to be proud of, nothing that you accomplished, nothing you could look at and say to the guy next to you, "Do you see that? Well I made that." The struggles believe it or not are the selling points of life.

With all of the bad going on in life it's the good things that keep you going. They're the shots that keep ya comin' back for more. When life has got you down and you think that things will never look up, life tends to find a way to break the mean steak. It hand you something and says: "Here you go, you deserve this more than anyone else." Those are the moments we witness, when a grown man has faced adversity his whole life to the point of being emotionally immune. But when the nurse brings in his new born son he's brought to tears by the shear joy of this new life.

Now I do believe in a divine spirit, and I know a lot of people don't, but when you witness something like this it's hard to believe that there isn't something or someone up there smiling down on us.

My uncle who was in Vietnam, recently professed his love for his wife in front of an entire congregation at his church. I was lucky enough to have been there to see it. They say that the young men who were in Vietnam are now incapable of showing emotion, but they didn't see my uncle pouring his heart out in front of all of these people, weeping tears of joy. That day he brought all of the people there watching to tears with him, it was truly a spiritually eye opening event for me.

That's why we live our lives, for moments like that.

Find a Place With No Windows

I'm blogging right now during the most intense thunderstorm this year, and it's so cool!!!

I love thunderstorms so much. Ever since I was a kid, my family and I went out onto our porch when the sirens went off instead of heading for the basement like sane people do. I was scared a little when I was a kid, but I've grown to love them. On some occasions I even take walks in them. I almost always go drive in them, and it's always being a dream of mine to see a tornado in real life. I think they're fascinating, and I hope to see a lot of them in my life time, or just one, depending on how the first encounter goes.

I don't know what it is about them I like so much. I think it goes with the whole adrenaline thing, I get such a rush being in the middle of a storm that I've become addicted to them.

I'm seriously having a hard time finishing this one because the storm is being so distracting , every lighting strike is another reason for me to stop blogging and to start watching the storm again. this is truly the meaning of getting high on life.

Where Will Earth Be?

Where will Earth be when humans all die off? Or when we all decide to up and leave the planet? Scientists are always talking about the ecosystem and how it can be severely damaged if one element is removed, but what about humans? Where do we fit in the delicate balance of nature? We just seem to be messing things up. We're guests on this beautiful planet and we're trashing it. All of these things that are happening, all the natural disasters, are because of us. Scientists are talking about how human technology in the twentieth century sped up the natural cycle so much that now the planet is in chaos.

Some people say that all of these things happening are just part of the natural cycle that has been going on since the Earth took its present shape, and maybe they're right too, who knows? All I know is, humans aren't going to be around forever. Species die out everyday, it's the way of life, and we spend so much of our time trying to save all of the dying species, but what about us? Our population may be growing, but for how much longer. The Earth is only so big. You can only fill a balloon with so much air before it bursts. Well that's what we're doing right now, filling the Earth with so many humans and the other animals that we're saving that it's bound to burst.

It's not a question of if, it's a question of when, seriously you guys, the planet can only take so much and when we die, things will go back to normal again. The Earth will grow over our structures and paved roads, hiding them as if in shame. The Earth is ashamed of us. We've over stayed our welcome and now it's time to leave or be fumigated. The choice is ours, but seeing as how we're a stubborn race, I'm going to go with the latter.

Happy doomsday everyone=)

What's Wrong With Us?

You can't go a week without hearing about one, I'm talking about lawsuits. These days it's our answer to everything. My little girl was made fun of on the playground, I'll sue the school for not being strict enough on bullies. I put my kid on the back of my motorcycle and he fell off and died, since there wasn't a warning on the bike saying he could fall off I'll sue the dealership. People think that money somehow fills all voids, but it doesn't. I'm sorry, but if your kid dies because you were stupid enough to take him out on it in the first place, and you sue the dealership, it's not for "damages," it's you trying to drown your guilt in money, because you know that you shouldn't have taken him out on the damn thing in the first place, he was too young!!!

I'm sure I'm offending a ton of people by writing this but come on, it has to be said. It's our answer to absolutely everything, sue, sue, sue. We're trigger happy, money lovers. I understand that you're sad or mad or whatever it is when you sue, but what you don't think about is that you could be potentially ruining someone else's life. Is that really what you want? Your life temporarily inconvenienced, so you want to ruin someone else's life to make up for that?

All I'm saying is that it's getting ridiculous. For the stupidest things too. I heard one where a woman sued a furniture store because she broke her ankle when she tripped over her own son who was running through the store. She was awarded $780,000.

Get a life. People like that deserve to be shot.

One Giant Puzzle

Society is one giant puzzle, and all of the people are the pieces. I always thought that I was lucky because I knew what I wanted to do when I got older. You see, when I was in seventh grade I broke my neck, and because of that and because of all the things I went through during that time I decided to become a physical therapist. Until recently I had no reason to waver from the path I was on.

Things began to change for me, all of my ideals were being challenged and I didn't know what to think any more. I starting reading, but not the kind of reading I was used to. I was reading magazine articles, books and and other things about current events so that I could begin to shape the person I'm going to become.

I guess you could trace it back to the election. I wasn't old enough to vote, but I was taking an interest in the campaigns of all the major candidates. My parents disagree on the political playing field. My mom is a right wing conservative, while my dad is an independent who tends to side with the liberal agenda. Now before this election I really had no reason to be interested in politics, because, well let's face it when you're that young you have better things to do. Well this election was different, i wanted to have an opinion, I wanted to get involved, but where could I get one? I could go with my dad I thought, but that just didn't appeal to me so I decided to form my own opinion completely free of both parents.

That's when it happened I guess. I would read an article about what one candidate thought on an issue, and I would click on the various links and read those articles as well. It turned into one giant mold that I was trying to fill with all of my ideals and to eventually become my own person.

It sounds like a cliché, that everyone wants to know where they fit in the world, but I've come to realize that it's a big question you have to ask yourself when you're ready to experience the world. Who am I and where do I fit in the world?

I'm still searching for my future self, I'm going to take it one book, article, and lecture at a time until I meet the man I will become. It's something that I feel very strongly about, and I want to know if any one else is going through what I am, comment if you are.

One Bullet Away

Nathaniel Fick was in the Marine Corps, during which time he was stationed in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In his book, One Bullet Away, Fick tells us about all of the things he experienced as a Marine officer.

Fick went to college before joining the Corps, a situation that people don't really consider. People think that the military is a way for young punks to straighten out their troubled lives, they rarely if ever consider the possibility of a college graduate student being in the military. Well Fick tells us that his decision wasn't all that hard to make. He remembered a time when his house was broken into when he was standing right there, and the burglars just looked at him and laughed when he tried to stop them. He says that he'll never forget the look his dad gave him. He joined the Marines to become a man,to discover who he was.

He takes us through the training he had to do to become an officer. To become an officer is a little different than becoming an enlisted Marine. First off the requirements are a lot more strict, the military doesn't want it's enlisted men to be in the hands of a bunch of dumbasses. Second the training is different. They learn how to lead men. Enlisted men spend their training being taught to follow orders and obey their seniors, not so with the officers. Yes they are taught to follow the orders of their seniors, but they are also taught to give orders, how to get the respect of their men, and to stay calm in the face of danger to give them confidence.

After completing training Fick was deployed on what was basically a practice tour. He sails with a company of men to get accumulated to commanding. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 happened during his deployment in the South Pacific, and his company was used as the first troops into Afghanistan so America could extract her revenge. He describes being proud that he was the one who got to retaliate against these men in the place of every American. He spent the remainder of his deployment on the ground in Afghanistan and when he returned home he transferred to First Recon.

The majority of his book is based on his experiences while commanding in First Reconnaissance division. He conveys the stupidity of the way things were handled, the incompetence of the senior officers, and the overall experience of combat. Most of the problem lay in that the senior officers were there. Normally in Recon the highest ranking man on the ground are the sergeants, these teams within the platoons are trained and able to function as independent killing machines, and when you throw the seniors in there with them it inhibits the ability of the team.

Fick gives us all of the details of combat and of his experiences in Iraq, good and bad. It's an excellent book and I recommend it to all who want to learn more about what we're doing over there. He lays out the military hierarchy in a way that is easily understood by even those who are completely ignorant of the military. Have fun reading it!

Calm Before The Storm

The storm is coming people. Relatively speaking this is a quiet time historically. Forget that there is a war going on (get used to it, the U.S. will be in a war until she dies), and think for a moment. In the past the nation has always been more or less a constant progressive position. Not a decade went by where there wasn't something the public was willing to fight and die for, but for the past twenty years or so all has been quiet. Do not be fooled, I believe the fire of change is simmering beneath the surface of the youth waiting to break free and change the world.

Things are going to change believe me, and I plan on playing a key part in whatever it is. Maybe it'll be the war. People will get absolutely tired of our soldiers dying and fight the government with every last breath to end it. Maybe it'll be the economy. Picture the entire nation boycotting big corporations, not spending a dime of their money at monopoly stores, and instead buying from the little guy.

Somewhere, someone has a new idea on the way the country needs to be run. I mean you can't even comprehend what this person is thinking because it's just so revolutionary that it's going to shake the country all the way down to the foundation. Capitalism will be utterly destroyed by this new form of government designed to give everyone a fair chance or whatever it's going to do.

The school system too. What are we going to do about it? It can't stay the way it is. Today's school system was established back during the industrial revolution. Well we as a nation are far more than an industrial society today, so the schools will catch up or be forced by change to catch up. What do our schools do? They teach us how to take tests. Having book smarts is good and all, but what are we gonna do when out in the real world everything our books told us when we were in school is wrong? We'll be totally screwed. Because very rarely is anything that is taught in a book what ends up translating into reality.

Whatever it is I hope it's big, and shakes up the establishment. The baby boomer generation that dug the grave we're now sitting in needs to be dethroned, and it's not even a question of if, it's a question of when. We've been calm and quiet for long enough, it's time for a progressive revolution.

Why Americans Fail

Americans love to eat. McDonald's hamburgers have taken the place of the bald eagle as the nation's mascot. When I was in New York, I couldn't walk four blocks without seeing a McDonald's. We have created a system of excess. A system so large that even our lower classes have sunken into obesity. We eat our to our hearts content while an ocean away we have children dying everyday do to malnourishment. I know, change the record right. Everyone has heard this so many times they've become numb to it, and that's unfortunate. Even more unfortunate is that the problem is not likely to be fixed.

The population is growing, while food production is staying at a constant rate, in some places even being downsized. Does anyone else see a problem with this? If we don't do something, and fast the problem will just spread to include, not only third world countries, but the leading nations as well. When people are finally starving in America do you think we'll notice it then? No, because here's a news flash: PEOPLE ARE STARVING IN AMERICA!!!

Our system of excess creates problems at home as well. Do you think that in third world countries they have teens with eating disorders? Hell no they don't because kids over there would give almost anything to eat as much as we do. We have all of these disorders and diseases that are only found in countries where luxuries are easy to come by. So while we're over here wallowing in our money and food thinking we have it made, we don't really. Our country is just as bad as some of those third world countries, we just have different problems that need fixing. But do we fix them? Of course not we just keep feeding our problems so they get bigger and bigger until eventually they'll become uncontrollable, and wreak havoc on our society. I just hope I'm not around when that day comes.

What a country we live in huh?

Why Our Government Fails

Why do people work? You could argue for any number of reasons, but bottom line is, people work for money. I work for money, my parents work for money, and most of my friends work for money. Now when you work for money it's not unreasonable to think its yours, right? Wrong. The money that you have in your possession at the moment is considered the governments, you're just borrowing it for the time being. I don't know about you but this is starting to sound a little like Communism. You don't think so? Well what is Communism? A communist government owns everything in the country, from the cars to the businesses.

In America we're under the false notion that we lead lives that belong to us. The government controls everything we do whether you want to believe it or not. The penalty for defacing money in the U.S. can range from a fine to a lengthy term in prison. Defacing government property it's called. Sure the money is yours until you damage it, and then the government can send you to prison for five years. Yea, I know, ridiculous right? Isn't freedom wonderful.

Another example. The house you live in. Is technically yours, until the government decides it needs to build a highway through your bedroom, and then all they have to do is pay you the minimum market worth and it's all theirs. Picture waking up one day, and there's a government official at your door with a check. Sure they'll give you time to "think" about it, but the house is theirs don't fight it.

Communism and Capitalism are cousins. They might not be very close cousins, but don't let the checks and balances fool you. All forms of governments are related in some way. What the world needs is a totally new idea on how to run things, because let's face it things aren't really working out. However, no need to worry, we're all the property of the U.S. government for the moment. Have fun living your "free" lives.

Have You Ever Noticed?

Have you ever stayed awake all night? I assume if you have that it was with a friend. Well when you were staying up with that friend did you just sit down and talk? Because I've noticed that when I'm sleep deprived I turn into a philosopher. I don't know why, whenever I try to be after a good nights sleep I end up feeling stupid. Why?!?!

I think the answer lies in the way our brains work. I don't pretend to be an expert on the workings of the human brain, but seeing how I have one, I think I'm allowed to speculate. I think that when you're tired your brain actually thinks more clearly because it isn't overloaded with all of the activity of the day. Your brain and your body are at ease. When you're tired I think that your brain is closer to the dream world than it is to reality, and this translates into seeing into the "great mysterious beyond," where all of the secrets of the universe are revealed.

It's not just while you're talking with your friends either. I've found that I write better blogs while I'm tired. Some of them plain suck but others have a sort of mysterious quality to them, like, what was I thinking about when I wrote this blog? It truly is a mystery that's worth studying. Maybe my boy Fred could add his input on the matter.

Plastic

It caused the Great Depression and it's causing the same problems today. Over extension of credit always leads to problems. In times of prosperity credit is handed out like it's going out of style, but when the people who get that credit fail to pay it back it causes problems.

Isn't the point of studying history so that we can learn from our mistakes? The answer apparently is no. I guess we know better now so it's going to be different. It won't happen like it did back then. WRONG! It is happening, okay so maybe not as severe but it's happening. The credit crunch. What do you think that is? It's from the banks over extending credit to people who were unable to pay it back, and when it happened in mass, we were screwed.

The idea of credit is a good one, in theory, but when put into practice it will cause nothing but problems. People get carried away with money, it's a certain feeling of pride when you can buy anything you like. It's when people forget that they'll eventually have to pay for that huge screen TV or that new hot tub that the problems start.

Another problem is in the way our country works, the way capitalism works. People's homes can be foreclosed, while the government owes them more than enough money than is there debt. Absolutely ridiculous the way the little guy gets screwed. What people owe the government is interested, so they end up paying more than the initial amount. But what the government owes is taxed and is not interested, so the people more or less end up getting less than what is owed to them. Just add it to the list of things wrong with society.