Crime Is Getting Worse: Violent Crime In America Increased By 15 Percent Last Year
 
If your neighborhood is not as safe as it used to be, then you have something in common with the rest of the country.  All over America, crime is on the rise.  According to a government survey that was just released, violent crime in the United States increased by 15 percent last year, and property crime was up by 12 percent.  If violent crime keeps increasing at this rate, it will approximately double in just six years.  But as I wrote about the other day, when the next major economic downturn strikes it will probably greatly accelerate the growth of the crime rate in this country.  Desperate people do desperate things, and as you will read about below, there are people out there that are already stealing entire truckloads of food.  In the future, when people are extremely hungry or crazy for their next drug hit, they won’t think twice about invading your home or pulling you out of your vehicle.  The rise in crime that we are witnessing right now is just the beginning.  It is going to get a lot worse than this.
Whenever I do this type of an article, inevitably someone leaves a comment insisting that I am lying because crime rates are going down.
Well, that used to be true.  It is no longer accurate.
As an ABC News article that was just released explains, the crime victimization survey shows that violent crime in America has now increased for two years in a row…
The violent crime rate went up 15 percent last year, and the property crime rate rose 12 percent, the government said Thursday, signs that the nation may be seeing the last of the substantial declines in crime of the past two decades.
Last year marked the second year in a row for increases in the crime victimization survey, a report that is based on household interviews.
This is one of the primary reasons why so many people are moving out of the big cities right now.  In the city of Chicago, police are so overwhelmed with crime that they will no longer respond in person “to 911 calls reporting vehicle theft, garage burglary or simple assault“.
Things have gotten so bad in Chicago that a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted as she was walking to a bus stop this week and it barely made a blip on the news.
But we have come to expect this kind of thing in crime-infested cities such as Chicago.  We don’t expect it to happen in “quiet communities” such as Augusta, Georgia…When we first moved out here three and a half years ago, my wife and I, it was a quiet community, it was a deal that we felt we couldn’t pass up on,” Don McIntee says.
McIntee lives in the Butler Creek Mobile Home Community, but he’s trying to change that. He recently put his home up for sale because he says the crime in his neighborhood is too much to deal with.
“I want to live in a place that I feel is secure and safe for my wife because I’m out of town a lot,” he says.And it seems like criminals are becoming more brutal than ever.  For example, one thug actually put his gun into the mouth of a 92-year-old World War II veteran in Fresno, California and threatened to kill him during one recent home invasion…“I was sound asleep at about one or two o’clock in the morning, all the lights were on and a guy shook me with a gun in my face. (I said) Hey what’s going on? (He said) Shut up and he slapped me,” he explained.
While the suspect held him at gunpoint, three others ransacked his house, taking about 200 dollars in cash and jewelry including his 1941 class ring from Woodlake High School in Tulare County.
“They were in there for almost a half hour,” said Fresno County Sheriff Department spokesperson Chris Curtice. “So they had plenty of time to search the house, it was the middle of the night.”
At one point, Joseph said one of the suspects put a gun in his mouth and threatened to kill him. While being ordered into the bedroom closet, he said he hit him in the head with a handgun, causing him to fall to the floor.
Was there any need for that?  That 92-year-old man was certainly no threat to the four home invaders.
But this is what is happening all over the nation now.  Criminals appear to be getting crazier and crazier.
In Houston recently, one team of home invaders decided to storm a house at 8 AM in the morning while people all along the street were leaving their homes to go to work and to school…
It was about 8am — daylight, with people going to work and kids going to school, yet no one apparently saw this coming. The homeowner told me four men, armed with guns, broke in through her garage and forced their way inside her house.
The woman’s daughter and son-in-law were in the home with her, along with two of their daughters, ages four and six. The homeowner says the gunmen pointed guns at all of them — even the children — and demanded money over and over. They ransacked the house and the cars- and eventually got away with some cash, at least one cell phone and the homeowner’s wallet.
Who robs a house at 8 AM in the morning?
That is either incredibly bold or incredibly stupid.
In my article yesterday, I included another example of a crime which is either incredibly bold or incredibly stupid.  One very enterprising carjacker actually decided to try to carjack the police chief of Detroit while he was sitting in a clearly marked police vehicle…
Just four months on the job, Detroit’s new police chief got an early taste of the city’s hardscrabble streets.
While in his patrol car at an intersection on Jefferson two weeks ago, Police Chief James Craig was nearly carjacked, police spokeswoman Kelly Miner confirmed today.
Craig said he was in a marked police car with mounted lights when a man quickly tried to approach the side of his car. Craig, who became police chief in June, retold the story Monday during a program designed to crack down on carjackings.
So what is going on here?
Are criminals becoming bolder or are they just becoming stupider?
I don’t have an answer for that question, but one thing seems certain – crime is definitely getting worse.
As I mentioned at the top of this article, some criminals are now actually stealing entire truckloads of food.  A recent CBS News article explained how they are doing this…
To steal huge shipments of valuable cargo, thieves are turning to a deceptively simple tactic: They pose as truckers, load the freight onto their own tractor-trailers and drive away with it.
It’s an increasingly common form of commercial identity theft that has allowed con men to make off each year with millions of dollars in merchandise, often food and beverages. And experts say the practice is growing so rapidly that it will soon become the most common way to steal freight.
And what we are talking about is not just a few isolated incidents.  This is literally happening from coast to coast and the dollar values of some of these thefts are staggering…
News reports from across the country recount just a few of the thefts: 80,000 pounds of walnuts worth $300,000 in California, $200,000 of Muenster cheese in Wisconsin, rib-eye steaks valued at $82,000 in Texas, [25,000] pounds of king crab worth $400,000 in California.
As economic conditions continue to deteriorate, I actually expect that we will start seeing armed guards on food trucks in a few years.
Desperate people do desperate things, and as food prices continue to rise I believe that food trucks will become highly prized targets.
America is rapidly changing, and not for the better.

Sean Bostrom

Pet Peeves List

January 8, 2014

1.)    Locked Computer- I find it annoying when somebody doesn’t log off of the computer so therefore it being locked. It is not that hard to move the mouse and click log off. I am just trying to log on to my account and get my work done without any problems or distractions.

2.)    Cockiness- People who think they are all that and better than everyone at everything they do is one of my biggest pet peeves. You’re not better than me or anyone else for that matter, you may be better at a sport or subject in school than I am but that doesn’t make you the best at that. We are all equal, some people are just more skilled than others in at certain things.

3.)    When you genuinely ask someone what's wrong (when there obviously is something wrong) and they respond half-heartedly, "hmmm? Oh nothing...- If something is wrong with a person you care about I don’t see why they wouldn’t open up to you. Friends share everything that’s why they are your friends, so they know when something is wrong with you so just tell them what it is. I feels better to get it off your chest then keep it bottled up inside.

4.)    When ice cream drips out of the bottom of a sugar cone- It really bothers me when you are sitting there loving a delicious ice cream and all of a sudden it starts to melt and it gets all over your close and your hands. It’s just a pain cause then you got to go get napkins but your being careful not to get any more on you or anything else.

5.)    People who don't cover their mouth while sneezing or coughing- People should learn to keep their germs to themselves. I’m not trying to get sick because somebody didn’t cover their mouth while they cough and or sneeze and neither does anybody else for that matter. Germs are not meant to be spread so don’t spread them, and if it is really bad then don’t show up at all.

6.)    People who chew with their mouth open- The food item you are eating may be delicious and that’s fine you can eat what you want but nobody around you wants to see what you’re chewing. Close your mouth! If a person is interested in what you’re eating they’re not going to stare into your mouth, they are just going to ask you what you are eating so keep your mouth closed please for everyone’s sake.

7.)    Running out of toilet paper- When you’re in a rush to go number 2 and you don’t realize you’re out of toilet paper when you’re finishing up. At this point you’re sitting on the toilet screaming for somebody to toss in some or improvise by using something that acts as toilet paper.

8.)    Gossip/Rumors- Some people don’t have anything else better to do then start rumors or gossip about others. People just need to mind their own business and worry about them and just do their own thing. Rumors and gossip can have a huge impact on someone’s relationship with a loved one, a friendship, etc.

9.)    When shirts shrink in the dryer- If you have a favorite shirt and you really want to wear it that day and you go to put it on you look like a fool because it has shrunken. Then you just have to go buy the same shirt or just another shirt in the right size.

10.) People who take forever to order food while I'm in line- You should already have a pretty good idea of what you want before you order. You’re not the only one in line so don’t take your sweet time because other people are most likely just as hungry as you or even hungrier. (Especially if you have a large order) 

Blink 182: Enema of the State

1.)    Dumpweed

2.)    Don’t Leave Me

3.)    Alien’s Exist

4.)    Going Away To College

5.)    What’s My Age Again

6.)    Dysentery Gary

7.)    Adam’s Song

8.)    All The Small Things

9.)    The Party Song

10.) Mutt

11.) Wendy Clear

12.) Anthem

In my opinion this is one of the best album ever written. This is one of those albums where not one song is bad, every song on this album is catchy and all have different meanings. Although the band broke up there songs are still remembered to this day and are still played all over. If you go any place on Earth I bet that at least one person will be bumping one of Blink-182 songs. Now I being a huge fan of this band doesn’t change my point of view, even though I grew up listening to this group I believe that their music will live on and on forever. 

Journalism: Freakonomics Reflection

3: take-aways from the journalistic film

2: pieces of data presented

1: thesis (the inference you can make from film

3: How many kids don’t care about school, the lack of effort kids put into their school work

2: Kids will be paid $50 every month if they meet the requirements, students’ grades increase due to the fact they were getting paid money

1:  The idea behind Freakonomics is to help students educationally to achieve their full potential and develop themselves for the near future.

Journalism: Data-driven Analysis Peer Review

Name: Nicole L

Subject Matter/Research Question: How do you feel about the new school lunches?

Critique: From what I have hear the new school lunches aren’t as popular as they were in the past.

Commendation: Great idea, good supporting facts with the salad bar, etc.

Name: Keenan C

Subject Matter/Research Question: What is your favorite fast food place if location didn’t matter?

Critique: Even though most guys said Wendy’s for their favorite fast food place, I am going to have to go with McDonalds for my favorite due to the fact that I always go there.

Commendation: Could have given more information such as why the guys liked Wendy’s the best or what was their favorite thing to buy there.

Name: Gabby B

Subject Matter/Research Question: What are your thoughts on IOS 7?

Critique: I do not like it because as others have most likely said it drains the battery a lot and it is not as fast as the previous update.

Commendation: Nice topic to choose, good supporting facts

Name: Sean M

Subject Matter/Research Question: Is space travel worth the time and money?

Critique: I believe that space travel is worth the time and money because we can learn so much from it.

Commendation: Like the idea of the topic, would have liked to know more about why some might think it was a waste of time and money

Journalism: Freakonomics Reflection

3: take-aways from the journalistic film

2: pieces of data presented

1: thesis (the inference you can make from film

3: How many kids don’t care about school, the lack of effort kids put into their school work

2: Kids will be paid $50 every month if they meet the requirements, students’ grades increase due to the fact they were getting paid money

1:  The idea behind Freakonomics is to help students educationally to achieve their full potential and develop themselves for the near future.

Journalism: Data-driven Analysis Peer Review

Name: Nicole L

Subject Matter/Research Question: How do you feel about the new school lunches?

Critique: From what I have hear the new school lunches aren’t as popular as they were in the past.

Commendation: Great idea, good supporting facts with the salad bar, etc.

Name: Keenan C

Subject Matter/Research Question: What is your favorite fast food place if location didn’t matter?

Critique: Even though most guys said Wendy’s for their favorite fast food place, I am going to have to go with McDonalds for my favorite due to the fact that I always go there.

Commendation: Could have given more information such as why the guys liked Wendy’s the best or what was their favorite thing to buy there.

Name: Gabby B

Subject Matter/Research Question: What are your thoughts on IOS 7?

Critique: I do not like it because as others have most likely said it drains the battery a lot and it is not as fast as the previous update.

Commendation: Nice topic to choose, good supporting facts

Name: Sean M

Subject Matter/Research Question: Is space travel worth the time and money?

Critique: I believe that space travel is worth the time and money because we can learn so much from it.

Commendation: Like the idea of the topic, would have liked to know more about why some might think it was a waste of time and money

1.            Teachers’ correcting workloads? A quantitative approach could be how many number of students’ papers a teacher corrects daily or weekly, a qualitative approach could be the way the teacher grades the workloads/they could have a more effective way than others.

2.             Student attitudes concerning Edline? A quantitative approach could be the number of students who check/use Edline to see their progress, a qualitative approach could be how often Edline gets updated.

3.             Attitudes concerning the school renovations? A qualitative approach could be interviewing students and seeing their thoughts on the new renovations, a quantitative approach could be to count the number the students who like/dislike the renovations to the school.

4.               Students’ political affiliations? A quantitative approach could be the number of students who are either Democrats or Republicans, a qualitative approach could be if your parents have any effect on your choice

5.            How students choose electives? A quantitative approach can be the number of students who choose electives because they like the teacher or they believe the elective will be easy, a qualitative approach could be if the elective challenges their skills or not.

6.             How seating charts affect academic performance? A quantitative approach could be how many students do their work when they are not seated next to their friends, a qualitative approach could be the change in a student’s grade whether it goes up or down.

7.            The style of shoes kids wear? A quantitative approach could be the number of students who wear the same brand of sneakers to those who wear different styled shoes, a qualitative approach could be which brand of shoe is more popular in today’s world. 

     Even though Rolling Stones did it for the publicity, I don't believe it was the best idea in puting Jahar on the cover of their magazine. Everyone believes that brothers Jahar and Tamerlan were responsible for the Boston Bombing, however there is evidence that says otherwise. In my opinion I believe the brothers are guilty and deserved every type of punishment possible. But some facts such as the bag containing the explosives was not the same color bag Jahar used for his everyday activities, etc. Nobody truly knows why these men did what they did, they might have been mentally ill, or just crazy all together.
     Basic facts state that the Russian brothers were responsible for the Boston Bombing do to facts from the Rolling Stones article "Jahar's World". Facts such as Jahar had rented two 9mm handguns and purchased 200 rounds of ammunition. Now people who have fire armed license's own and rent guns all the time, but Jahar was not one of those people. This shows that both brothers were planning something because you dont just purchase 200 rounds of ammunition and rent two handguns. Another interesting fact is that Jahar's brother Tamerlan drove up to New Hampshire and had purchased fourty-eight mortars containing approximatly eight pounds explosives. If these two were innocent then why would the need all this dangerous equipment? They wouldn't need it for their jobs seeing how both men were just students in college. Something was seriously wrong with these two men.
       Some of Jahar's "friends" and classmates described him and I quote "As a beautiful, tousle-haired boy with a gentle demeanor, soulful brown eyes and the kind of shy, laid-back manner that made him that dude you could always just vibe with". Nobody knew they were classmates/friends with a terrorist. Many students also shared with the FBI that Jahar had been failing a majority of his classes and wanted out of America. Tamerlan on the other hand was having problems of his own. Tamerlan, or known to everyone else as Tim, had quit his partying days and started to pray five times a day. This was strange behavior for Tim because he was always ready to party and have fun. He also wanted to join a rebellion group of people who were the same ethnicity as him. Tim later on married a women Karima and soon after Tim's death we find out that she was pregnant. After this event, the brothers didn't have a place in the world they could hide.
        In conclusion, as police found the two criminals, Tim was gunned down on the spot as he charged police with a handgun. Jahar was just wounded, arrested and the court date was set. In court witnesses say that they saw Jahar smiling and yawning as he was getting sentenced. This shows that he is a monster and has no care what so ever for anybody but himself. Even though Tim is dead and Jahar in jail, it wont bring back all those we have lost in the bombing, but it's a start.