Stunned.

This blog often focuses on linking to news stories and discussing the insanity that is occurring around us. This one takes it to a whole new level. CNN is reporting "Alumna sues college because she hasn't found a job".

Honestly, I'm not even sure where to begin with this one. But let's start here: Trina Thompson, any company that knows how to use Google should never, ever hire you now. You have proven to the world that you are an idiot. If I were looking to hire someone and came across this in their history I'd drop them faster than a mangy rat.

In my opinion, this sense of entitlement is one of the biggest problems facing our country right now. So many people seem to live under the idea that if their neighbor has something then they're entitled to have it to, regardless of any factor. Jim has a new big TV, well if he can have one then I can too, I still have a couple of credit cards that aren't maxed out, I'll pick one up on my way home from work.... I went to college and managed to not fail out, someone has to give me a job now; we'll just ignore the fact that US unemployment is at its highest in 20+ years. I woke up this morning and took a shower, why isn't someone handing me a medal and asking me to run their company?

She feels that her college is required to find her a job, because she paid them for her education. Trina seems to be suffering massive confusion over the meaning of "education", mainly in that it does not mean "guaranteed job placement services". Trina feels that she is obviously the best candidate for the jobs she's tried applying to so the failure of these companies to hire her must be the fault of her school's somehow. What with her stunningly impressive 2.7 GPA and "solid attendance record" how could she not be hired?

From the CNN report it would seem that her stance is something along the lines of "What does it matter what I did or did not learn? I paid the school money for four years, now they have to find me a job, and they haven't plopped a job offer in my lap yet, so my unemployment is their fault."

She suggests that their career placement services favor students with better GPAs. Hmmm..... perhaps companies just prefer to hire people with a higher GPA because it's one indication that perhaps they are more competent in the field?

I just find this situation insane. How can she possibly believe that this will go well for her in any way, shape, or form? She's going to lose the case, of course, and she's put a big "I'm a pain in the butt" sign on her for the entire world to see.

Not a Bomb

KSL is reporting a short blurb about a "Man accused of setting off mall bomb". I thought this would have made bigger news, someone setting off a bomb at the Provo Towne Centre Mall. But, upon reading the article, it turns out to be a stupid choice of words and rather the over reaction by police. The moron filled a water bottle with liquid nitrogen (so they claim, probably more likely to be dry ice, where would he get liquid nitrogren? you actually can't just walk into the Chemistry department and buy it willy-nilly).

A water bottled filled with something cold. That's apparently considered an "explosive device", gimme a friggin' break. We did that kind of stuff all the time when I was a kid. We didn't use dry ice, but an expanding chemical reaction from food heaters found in MREs. Guess someone better retroactively charge me with several counts of making an explosive device. The main difference being that we popped them in our yard and not in a public location filled with people.

The kid is obviously a moron to pop a bottle like that in a public location, but he probably should have been charged with criminal mischief and/or disturbing the peace. But no, we'd rather make it sound like he's a "terrorist" trying to blow people up. Being charged with "making an explosive device" is the same kind of charge you get if you make pipe bombs in your basement. I would consider this to be a wholly lesser offense.

Now I have a question though. The article says the police and fire department responded because the device set off the fire alarms. Why would it set off a fire alarm? It's just a loud noise. Are the alarms sensitive to sudden pressure changes? or have the alarms actually be redesigned to include microphones that trigger for loud sudden blasts, much like gunfire would produce? Hmmm...

That Old Saying...

So, you know that old saying, "The family that prays together, stays together"? There's another, lesser known saying along the lines of, "The family that runs a prostitution ring together, goes to jail together."[ksl.com]

LINDON -- Police have busted a Utah County prostitution ring, complete with the names of more than 1,000 clients. The investigation began last month when a man went to the house for a legitimate massage and was offered much more.

...

Detectives are reviewing an extensive client list that goes back to 2007. The list details dates, sexual acts performed and fees paid by each client -- some of whom, police say, are prominent people.

Note: If you're going to keep a detailed ledger of your illegal activities, at least have the decency to encrypt it, or follow the mafia's example and use code words. Friggin' amateur criminals.

Getting Married!

This news just in:

Curious Physics Minor and The Heartless Siren to Wed!
Details are sketchy, but this engagement has been confirmed by multiple sources. Here are our exclusive pictures of the ring:

Change. A little anyways.

CNN is reporting: U.S. reverses policy, drops 'enemy combatant' term. The big defense of the Bush Administration about indefinite detainment and arbitrary treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay was that the prisoners were "enemy combatants" and therefore not subject to the Geneva Convention nor to U.S. criminal law.

This convenient classification meant (according to the Bush Administration) that the prisoners actually had no rights or privileges of any kind and could be held with or without evidence and didn't have to be allowed to speak to an attorney or allowed a trial. From a country that claims to stand for freedom, justice, and the rule of law, this whole treatment seemed rather hypocritical to me. I wrote about it several times on my blogs.

I'm pleased to see that something is changing. These people should either be tried for their crimes or released. There is no middle ground. If they're prisoners of war, then well, honestly, you have problems with that designation because what war are they prisoners of? Iraq? We've claimed that the war in Iraq was "Mission Accomplished" therefore the prisoners should be released. Is it the "war on terror"? Because that's something that's impossible to end and designating prisoners as a prisoner of war in a war which cannot end (because it's not a real war) is really rather unfair.

So, here's to promoting the rule of law again (at least some parts of it).

Overreaction

This is what we call an "overreaction":

Man charged for firing gun at wife

A Holladay man faces charges for firing a gun at his wife multiple times during an argument. It happened Saturday around 8 p.m. at the Sandpiper Apartments at 1370 E. Spring Lane, which is about 5000 South.

Sheriff's deputies say Randolph Taylor Carley fired at least nine times at his wife as she tried to leave their home, hitting her once in the leg and grazing her side.

The woman's injuries were not life threatening.

Carley is now charged with second-degree felony attempted murder.