The Cost of an Education

So it has been a little while since I have felt the need to rant. Or at least, felt the need while my computer is on while I still remember what it is I want to rant about.

Today, in keeping with the Public Sector Disclosure Act, the University of Western Ontario released a list of employees whose 2008 income was $100,000 or above. It is a long list. 16 pages. Now I'm sure they are no better or worse than other universities. Look at York's strike when their support workers are one of the highest paid. But I am in no mood to get depressed by looking for the wages at other universities.

Now we all knew Profs made good money. Especially considering half the work is done by assistant professors and graduate student teaching assistants. But, when you take 10 years of post secondary and have to pay $100,000 to do that, I suppose rewarding them isn't so bad. Right? At least they're staying in Canada instead of running with their degree to another country where they can make more money. Though, with when most of them were in school, it didn't cost that much to get a good education.

And if tuition wasn't constantly going up, making it harder and harder for people to afford school, I probably wouldn't care. But UWO proposed raising tuition. Again. Yet they have coaches making $128,458.00, secretaries making $117,985.32, and librarians making $163,778.40. There was honestly a Dean that made $395,599.98 last year. While there are people who aren't going to school because they can't afford it without huge debt and poverty. The total at the bottom of the report for wages above $100,000 give last year? $105,787,584.09.

They also run around putting in flat screen televisions where cork-boards will do. New students are paying extra for a new recreation centre that was put in, because people who were graduating before having to pay for it, voted it was okay to have students paying for the building for the next 30 years. On top of the nearly $6000 in tuition per year.

Now sure, I may be jaded as I am one of those people who had to put off education due to not being able to afford it (which I find amusing since all the schools say that's not suppose to happen and they offer aid to prevent it, but that's bullshit). I doubt the people whose parents funded their education get what the issue is. They're probably just waiting until they are in those positions making that kind of money. But come on! You need a university degree to get some call centre jobs. You need one to be a receptionist. Having post secondary is far from an option these days. Everyone is expected to have it. And perhaps if we weren't paying the teachers $100,000+, everyone could have it. Perhaps we wouldn't have people with a 145 IQ having to work at gas stations and mailrooms because they couldn't get the money together.

How much money is getting an education really worth? We go from a free education in high school to paying $1000 a credit. How much debt are you willing to go into to get an education, while the people running your school drive home in their BMWs and their children get a nearly free education? Seriously, how long are we going to sit here and be sucked dry of our money in an attempt to get an education to be able to get a job that will pay enough to pay off the debt before we die.

Lowest Common Denominator

This may come off as pompous, though I assure you that is not the intent. However, I am starting to become a tad concerned about the intelligence level, or apparent lack thereof, in our society. Now, perhaps I simply do not associate with enough people, or pay attention to enough popular culture, but it seems that everything is set to appeal to the lowest common denominator of society. And the number of people in that category appears to be increasing. You could argue this goes hand and hand with the steadily increasing gap between rich and poor. Education is expensive, and education equals intelligence. Right? Bah. Poppycock. Maybe 100 years ago when if you were from a poor family you were working at the age of eight. These days it's simply that even our education is set to cater to the lowest common denominator. Money may get you a tutor to actually teach you, but other than that your income isn't the issue.

I have been concerned about this since I was a child. Now, I am no genius. I'm not a prodigy. I am however, at least when it comes to testing, smart. This certainly has nothing to do with my education or my family's income bracket. Neither have been anything close to impressive. Far from it. Neither of my parents possess post secondary diplomas/degrees; though they were very supportive and intelligent. I never had a tutor purchased for my enrichment or even the Discovery channel. In elementary school I was top of the graduating class. This was far from impressive considering I was correcting the English of my grade eight teacher while testing at a grade twelve English level. If I was correcting my teacher's English it obviously wasn't his help that made my grades high. I, and a few of my schoolmates, were actually all but ignored through the grades because we were smart. We had teachers doctoring grades so we didn't get perfect grades because you can't be perfect. Yes. The same teacher I was correcting actually refused to give a 100% on projects, etc, because it isn't possible and in high school you will never get above 90%, so he decided we shouldn't get used to it. A couple of us even compared tests where we got one question wrong. Different questions marked as wrong, but all questions answered the same. Had the wrong colours on your science fair project panel? Minus 5 marks. We were not encouraged or enriched. We were left to teach ourselves because the 12 year old students with the reading level of an eight year old needed extra attention. Though, considering they still managed to be passed repeatedly until it was the high school's problem that they were trying to teach teenagers with the intelligence of children, that extra attention was all but meaningless. Holding children back would hurt their self-esteem. Apparently no one in this touchy-feely, hippie-ish society has taken into consideration that the inability to hold a conversation as an adult may be a little detrimental to one's self-esteem. Maybe that would explain the seemingly large number of unwed, young mothers my age.

Now the issue of self-esteem comes into play in a big way in my issue with popular culture's need to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Yes, this may stem a little from that fact that I personally am not amused by Seinfeld or Survivor, but you have to look at the people who are and what about it is amusing. We are in a world of movies based on stupidity being considered funny and television shows of demeaning competition being all the rage. What sort of person laughs at someone else's stupidity and humiliation? Bullies. What breeds bullies? Low self-esteem. This is what causes people to watch soap operas and talk shows. The need to see people whose lives are worse off than our own. More people watch the auditions for reality shows to see people make asses of themselves than enjoy the rest of the competitions. How much do we hate ourselves that we need to laugh of another's pain and ignorance? We have Survivor running season after season and being the talk of the water cooler and intelligent shows such as Boston Legal being cancelled because the viewership isn't the hip and illiterate under 25 age bracket. What is it about intelligence that it seems to not appear until you're nearing your thirties?

The simple answer is, of course, life experience. Perhaps those of us who are intelligent at a young age have had more life experience. Thinking of the smart kids in high school, I would have to disagree with that. Perhaps it's that we had a life, period. This may be a little more accurate. We didn't sit watching television all free hours of the day. We weren't exposed to pop-culture demeaning women after years of us trying to be respected and equals. We didn't watch popular icons speaking in what could only be called a variation of something that resembles English of the slums. When did it become acceptable to leave out words in a sentence and letters in words when you write? Ever heard of a period? Someone please find me the Rapper-English Dictionary so I can translate what that song just said please. I find it easier to understand Rammstein (German metal/alternative band for those of you who don't know them. You may recognize them from the beginning of the movie XXX. You know how music videos used to be more than almost nude women humping some fat, sweaty man? Watch a Rammstein video and see how the idea of music and video telling a story actually still exists in the world.)

And is a lack of intelligence what makes people spend money on things just because of pretty, flashy advertisement told us to? It certainly has to be a lack of intelligence that makes Koodo believe those obnoxious advertising campaigns were a good idea. What is worse, the under 25s buy into that. It's cool. Everyone else is doing it so I have to as well. The popular girl in school is wearing a mini-skirt and push-up bra so I should too. Sound familiar? We are a society of sheep and dodos. We have television ads trying to sell us things by telling us the item is all the rage in Europe. Uh... so what? Oh wait. We must do what everyone else is doing.

We are blessed to be in a world of ever changing technology. We now have video game controllers that allow you to use your fingers to grab things in the game. You control a virtual hula-hoop by actually moving. We have HD movies. Step away from buying Something About Mary in HD and watch Planet Earth instead. Gorgeous. We have college students sending text messages to rally in front of the White House and assembling so quickly the secret service has no idea what is going on. Intelligent use of this technology. Using videogames to try and help combat the obesity they originally caused. Using text-speak to speak out against war and oppression. So, why is it, that even though we see this and have the ability to use our knowledge of the technology our parents only dreamed of, we decide instead to giggle at a gay joke and text "wat u doin 2mrw" instead of standing up and using our intelligence to speak out and change the world. We sit and are quiet and conforming. We would rather sit and watch Tom Cruise fight against war than stand up and fight against it ourselves. We don't even think of it. We're brainwashed and stupid. And we allowed it. We allowed MTV to tell us how to be. We allowed rap music to teach our twelve year olds to think there is no reason to use proper English. We allowed popular culture to encourage discrimination and intolerance. We turned our brains off to fit in.

The world is set to appeal to the lowest common denominator, so in an attempt to fit in we became that. Intelligence has gone from something desirable to a social liability.

Am I the only one scared for our future?

Remember... And learn to show some damn respect

It is once again Remembrance Day. In the majority of the provinces and territories, a statutory holiday. This is a day set aside for us to remember the men and women who over the years have given their time and their lives in service of their country and the world. Men and women who have shown great courage and died on foreign soil (as the last war on Canadian soil was the war of 1812).

I know it can be hard for those of us growing up in North America to truly understand the significance of this day. The only way most of us are touched by war is through Hollywood and the news, which often seems surreal. Most of us have not had the chance to speak to veterans or soldiers, but I find this a very poor excuse for having no respect for those who have died. I do not care what your views on war are. War is a creation of governments, not the soldiers sent into battle. Those soldiers are simply brave people who are following orders and want to make a difference, for the better. All that is asked of us in return is a few moments of silence to remember.

A moment of silence. This seems like such a small thing to ask, yet there are so many people who seem to think that taking that time out of their busy lives will somehow completely disrupt their day. Two years ago I was on the Toronto subway system at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. When the subway stopped moving and announced it was stopping for a moment to honour Nov. 11th, a man across from me began tapping his foot, checking his watch, and sighing. I wanted to break the silence to tell him to stop and show some respect. This wasn't some self-centred teenager with no clue about the world. This was a grown man with an expensive watch and polished shoes who couldn't spent one moment showing respect for the men and women who gave up their chance for a Rolex to defend the rights of others.
This video, by Terry Kelly, expresses my feelings at that time, and still.


I respect other people's views on war. I am from a military household, so have a great respect for soldiers, but no respect for war. We have the benefit, in Canada, to knowing our soldier are off, not starting a war, but spending their lives in helping end the war in other countries. I have seen people wishing to stage protests on the war in Afghanistan on Nov 11th, and believe this is extremely poor taste. Remembrance Day is not a day to glorify war or condone it. It, in fact if you listen, tells all the horrors of it. To protest on the day of honour is rude and ignorant.
The reverend in my home town has apparently previously used Remembrance Day to give a political speech on the war in Afghanistan, and this very morning had those out at the memorial having to say the Lord's Prayer. Now I respect other religious beliefs, but I found this very inconsiderate of those not Christian out showing their respect and those soldiers who fell who were no Christian. And what of the Lord's Prayer has to do with the subject at hand? At 11 am the good reverend was still talking, asking for prayer, etc. It was not until nearly 11:30 that they stopped to actually acknowledge the moment of silence. Now I am happy they were out in the cold showing their respects, but it all seems like a nice little act as opposed to something with meaning. If you do not feel it, and do not mean it, stay silent and honour. Do not open your mouth and make apparent your ignorance.

On that note. Rant done. I will leave you with this video a very good friend of mine created last year for this day. One of the photos of a soldier in Afghanistan is even a friend of his.



Watch that and tell me there is nothing to respect.

Laughing at the Liberals.

Okay, now last entry I had said I was not going to get into the election per say. I guess I lied.

This is a bit of a continuation on my last rant about the Liberals.

The other day my home phone rang. I normally do not pick it up, anyone important calls my cellphone, but the odd time it is something important or interesting so if it rings long enough I answer to make the ringing stop (sometimes I wonder if it is the phone or all in my head). This time it was, surprise surprise, John McKay's campaign office. Now apparently it wasn't intrusive enough to have some man banging on my door they had to call to double check to see if he can count on my support. Now, to be honest, what does asking if you're supporting the person do besides send you into a panic when they say no? I'll tell you what is does in my case, makes me not want to vote Liberal.

Now I was never a Liberal to begin with. I have noticed most true Liberals were pretty much born into it. Anyone else who votes Liberal is probably doing it because the Conservatives pissed them off, not because they believe in the Liberals. This constant badgering with junk mail, people at my door and on my telephone has become so annoying that even if I was undecided and leaning toward voting Liberal, now I am not. And how can you expect me to believe the Liberal's environmental policies are on par with the Green's when every couple day I am forced to recycle campaign junk mail. Interestingly enough most of that junk mail is Liberal or NDP. Probably has to do with the area I live in. Poor, uneducated and immigrants (these are seperate categories, I am not saying all immigrants in my area are uneducated or poor). Perfect fodder for the NDP and Liberal crowd.

This campaigning has actually completely turned me off voting Liberal.

Now, you may say that the example of my local candidate should not be spread to all Liberals. And I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt as I am sure there are some good Liberal candidates. There are good people in all the parties.

Thing is, Dion has proven himself to be a bit of a dweeb all on his own. I personally, as much as I am for supporting the nerds, can not imagine how he'd survive the American bullying if he was in power. He cannot even arrive in Churchill from Nunavut in time. Now if you saw the news last night while they were running campaign footage (side note: what the heck is with those children behind Jack Layton. Seriously, they're distracting and annoying. Stand still! You're on television for goodness sakes.).. if you had watched the footage you would have seen Dion in Nunavut. They did not, at least while I was watching, show him in Churchill. I have a friend up there who for days had been mentioning all the money and time going into preparing for Dion's visit. It was a big thing to the small tourist town who often sees more polar bears than it does outsiders.

So what happened when Dion arrived? Nothing. He was late. He ran from his helicopter to his vehicle and drove away to his little PR piece, leaving behind all the people who had gathered and spent so much time in preparation for him. Nice eh? Now there's a great way to get a vote.

I cannot wait for this circus to end. I would simply not vote but then I do not really have a right to complain when the whole thing doesn't work out, again.

The Elections

I am not going to go into the campaign or anything here. There is certainly enough of that going around. What has me writing today is the man who stopped by knocking on my apartment door (what ever happened to a secured building? Seriously.)

A gentleman canvassing for the Liberal party showed up this afternoon. Thinking the knock was the mailman with a package for me I answered without hesitation. I very much wish I'd used the peephole.

He handed me a card to Re-Elect John McKay. The local runner. Married to Carolyn Dartnell with five children (Five? Uhm.. Catholic? Or maybe just too much money and time on his hands). Running in the same riding he's lived in his whole life. Former Moderator of the Spring Garden Church. Chair of the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast. And contributor to the book Divorcing Marriage: Unveiling the Dangers in Canada’s New Social Experiments. A book on the effects of Gay-Marriage on society. Now I'm going to go off on a side tangent right here just on this book.

Divorcing Marriage: Unveiling the Dangers in Canada’s New Social Experiments:

From “the Foreword”
by Maggie Gallagher, co-author of The Case for Marriage and syndicated columnist

“Same-sex marriage will be, in effect, a public and legal declaration by governments that children do not need mothers and fathers. That alternative family forms are not only just as good, they are just the same as a husband and wife bringing kids up together.” pg vii

“Marriage is our most basic social institution for protecting children. Same-sex marriage amounts to a vast social experiment on children. Rewriting the basic rules of marriage puts all children, not just the children in unisex unions, at risk. Do not expect boys to become good family men in a society of [males] who believe, as they have been taught, that men are optional in family life.” pg viii-ix

Err.. uhm... Pardon me? Now, to be fair, the parts by John McKay are not that bad. However, just the fact that he contributed to the book makes me not want to vote for him.

From “Confusion on the Hill”
by John McKay, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance

“We can see now, however, that those who were ringing the alarm bells were not being paranoid. The central objective of ‘gay marriage’ advocates is to see a forced acceptance of their particular view of marriage established into law. They are no longer interested in, or satisfied with, a mere absence of discrimination against those who practice homosexual lifestyles. Rather, they are interested in moving society beyond tolerance to legally entrenched acceptance, if not approval.” Pg 32.

“The confusion on the Hill cannot be settled by the Supreme Court... It will be settled only when Parliament works together with the citizenry it represents to find a solution to the same-sex marriage debate that truly accommodates profound differences of opinion, while determining what best makes for the common good.” Pg 37-38.

Okay.. now ignoring the obvious flaws of this local candidate for which the person at my door would not realize I would see, the attitude of the canvasser left something to be desired. He asked if the Liberals could count on my vote. Now not wanting to be preached at because of saying no, I said I had yet to fully decide. I pointed out that I am generally a Green supporter (though, with Elizabeth May as the leader they also leave something to be desired). His response was to tell me if I wanted my vote to count (ouch) to vote Liberal if I didn't want Harper in power. Now I never said I didn't want Harper in power.

Now that "vote counting" thing had me very close to slamming the door in his face. The "vote to make sure the person you don't like isn't in power" fad of Canadian politics is one of the major flaws with our current governments. This is how we've been deciding who is in power. We do not vote because someone would make a great leader. No, no. That makes sense. We vote because the previous one pissed us off somehow and the only way to get rid of them is to vote for the second leading party. We vote purely in a manner so that we constantly have something to complain about (especially when you're voting NDP or Green).

I did not close the door in the man's face. I humoured him for a moment while he tried to explain that even Elizabeth May of the Green Party would want me to vote Liberal because, since there is no strong Green candidate in my riding, that would ensure someone she's all buddy-buddy with gets in if she can't. At this point I'm actually feeling a little nauseous at our political system. I decide to point out that I am moving at the end of October (a couple weeks after the voting period) so the candidate in my riding is not really of any concern to me. I will be voting purely on party, not local, politics. Apparently this is a foreign concept.

Women and Body Image

Now, I am a female so at times I have issues with how I look. I, however, realize that I'm being neurotic and just ignore it. I don't mean to say I'll let myself get fat and just ignore it because that's being neurotic. I can tell the difference between my "Does this dress make me look fat?" moment and the "The scale must be wrong, I can't possibly be 150lbs" moment. That being said, for the majority of time I am quite happy with how I look currently. I have been both ends of the spectrum. I've been very thin and I have been chubby (yes ladies and germs this cute little elfling did actually reach the 150lbs mark. For your own health never work with a bunch of motherly women who always think you don't eat enough and make it really easy to access cookies and chocolate.)

Having been on both sides I have very odd mental issues (yes. Too easy, move along now). I never think I'm eating enough (thanks to people thinking I was anorexic when I was younger) and at the same time I feel the need to check the nutritional info on the back of treats -after- I've eaten them and then tell myself I really need to work that off (which, I of course, rarely actually do.) Now again, I realize this is me being dumb. No one else even picks up on the fact that I do it. I am healthy, active, "energetic". So, why did I come home from the gym feeling fat last night?

I went in for a fitness assessment (they made me. Without it I don't get my membership card) yesterday. I haven't been to the gym in a month due to work and I wasn't feel 100% so it's not surprising my results weren't great. What stood out though was the Fat Percentage Test. She pressed this machine against my arm in two spots and pronounced that I have 32.5% body fat. According to charts, that makes me Obese. She even went as far as to tell me that, at 121lbs, I'm at risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, the works (one would think, if this were true, my doctors would be pointing this out). At this point I'm sitting there looking at her and wanting out. I'm sorry. There is no way at 121lbs with a 26inch waist I'm obese. I have a perfect hip to waist ratio, I'm moderately active and my eating habits (excuse the chocolate gelato in my freezer) are to the point where everyone comments on how healthy I am.

Yet, sitting there, knowing all this is just an attempt to make me pay for supplements and a personal trainer, I am still feeling fat. Now, thinking about it the next day, I like my fat. She wants me to lose enough fat so that if I didn't replace it with muscle I'd be 105lbs. I've been 105lbs. You know what a girl is missing at 105lbs? Breasts. I like having breasts. At my "obese" level I'm at now I'm not exactly well endowed (stop staring).

I did a Body Fat Calculator online this morning that takes into consideration my measurements, not whatever that machine took into consideration. It's, apparently, the same way the US military uses (or Navy, or something like that). It told me I have 20% body fat. Perfectly perfect for a woman. I'm not in amazing physical shape, but I'm healthy. Duh?

Now, this was a -really- long opening to the whole point here. This is not really about me but about the female condition.

The above example is why we are all so bloody neurotic. We have so many mixed messages. We need to be curvy and busty but at the same time have no body fat. How realistic is that? No wonder so many girls think they need breast implants. And you constantly (or maybe this is just me) have the boyfriends going "You are gorgeous",etc and then spend the rest of their time oggling some girl who looks -nothing- like you. You have pretty blonde bimbos trying to tell young girls it's okay to be yourself but really, how do you believe a gorgeous person who says that? Of course it's okay for -them- to be themselves. So you have all these beautiful and healthy "average" women beating themselves up all the time to be "perfect".

On the other side there are a number of unhealthily fat women who try to convince the world that it's okay to be themselves. I am sorry, yes, you have large breasts but come on. If you can't see your own toes you need to lose weight. We cannot all be a size 2 but you know, size 22 is a little much. It is not good for your body, unless of course you like not being able to take stairs and want to die at 50. Stop pretending you are happy being fat. You aren't. That's one of the reasons you're fat. (Yes. This is politically incorrect. Bite me.)

Oh and for all you size 0s out there. Eat a piece of cake already. 5'7" and 100lbs is -creepy-. You remind me of a poster in my high school fashion class with a model next to a starving African girl. Looking like a starving boy is not pretty either. If you thighs are the size of my bicep... you need help. The fashion industry is fucking with your head. Carbs are yummy...

And BOYS stop liking a girl cause you're expected too. You do not help.

Rules to Live By.

These will slowly be added too every little while... but I think it's high time this was put in writing. Now up from 25 to 40 thanks to a trip to the movies. 1480 words. Warning: May offend those it was directed to. If you are offended my apologies and I suggest you reevaluate yourself.........

1) You are not the centre of the universe. The rest of us probably don't even notice you when you're not screaming for attention.........

2) Your children are not adorable. They are not angels. The sooner you realize that the sooner you'll discipline them so they aren't tiny monsters. If you don't do it now the law will have to do it for you when they're older.

3) Headphones were invented for a reason. Use them. I have no use for your music and don't enjoy having to deafen myself to block it out.

4) It takes years to teach you the English language. It shouldn't take you a minute to butcher it. "Axed" means "To chop or fell with or as if with an ax" not "To put a question to" the word you mean to use is "Asked".

5) Just because you have the IQ of a gnat does not mean the rest of us do. We are not required to dumb ourselves down because you can't be bothered to try and understand.

6) You cannot judge a book by its cover.

7) I am not required to follow your religious doctrine. Nor are you required to follow mine. I am not less of a person purely because my holiday comes before your celebration.

8) Tolerance and patience are a must, but they can be worn out. Tread lightly and don't abuse those who are patient with you.

9) Do not expect the natives of a country to assimilate to your desires. You need to assimilate to the country you live in. If you do not want to learn the language and social etiquette of your new home, you should have stayed where you were.

10) We do not leave the "village" to raise our children. I do not want to have someone's offspring invading my privacy because the parents believe putting them in the hallway and ignoring them is parenting.

11) You cannot blame Media for how your child turns out. If you do not have the ability to raise a child and leave it up to the television and music that is no one's fault but your's.

12) The world is not here for you alone. Show some courtesy and keep it clean. We don't appreciate tramping through your garbage, stepping on your gum or kicking your discarded beer bottles

13) Driving is not a right. It's a privilege. Learn to do it or get off the road before you kill someone.

14) Just because you're pretty doesn't mean you are entitled to more than the rest of us. The fact that you think that means you are actually entitled to less.

15) We do not all pay attention to pop culture. Celebrities are simply people too. The fact that you need to delve into their lives because your's is so unfortunate is just sad.

16) The fact that you want to smoke should not impact me. I do not want to gag while walking inside a building because you don't want to walk to the designated area because you think it's your right to infringe on my right to clean air.

17) If you can smell your perfume you are wearing too much. The rest of us are being nauseated. Scent should be subtle and light. If you need that much try taking a shower.

18) We were blessed with the invention of antiperspirant and deodorant for a reason. Find some. Use it.

19) The fact that you are fat is no one's fault but your own. The world does not need to change to accommodate you. If you end up partially on my lap on the bus when you sit down, do us both a favour... eat a salad and take a nice long walk. Remember what your toes look like? No? Maybe you should rediscover what it's like to be able to tie your shoes.

20) A person's sexuality does not affect you in any way. Just because they're gay does not mean they want you. And even if they do, you're not...right? Or is that what really bothers you?

21) Lesbians and bisexual women are not there for the amusement of men. Life is not a porn movie.

22) People who work in a position that serves you deserve respect. Smile at your bus driver and say thank you to your waitress.

23) Skin colour is nothing but an excuse to segregate society by choice. What difference does the amount of brown in your make? It doesn't change your intelligence or dreams. Get over it.

24) Stupidity is not an excuse. It can be fixed. Only you can be blamed for your lack of knowledge.

25) Just because someone is pretty does not mean they deserve cat-calls and pet names. They aren't appreciated. How would you feel if you or your daughter or wife were treated like that? Yeah. That's what I thought.....

26) Just because you can ignore your bastard child's screaming does not mean the rest of us can. I decided not to have children for a reason and just because you had a child while you were still one does not mean you shouldn't act like a parent.....

27) Do not doom your child to a life of obesity because you are lazy and fat. You do not like being fat and useless. When you have a child, try feeding them right and encouraging them to get exercise so they do not turn out as disgusting as you are. Burger King is not a suitable meal for anyone, let alone a four year old.....

28) If it is crowded and you cannot take the stairs at anything more than one every minute, and there is an elevator or escalator, use the modes of transportation that are there specifically for people who can't take stairs. Do not inconvenience the rest of us who want to get somewhere within the hour.....

29) The subway station is not a huge garbage can. It is disgusting to walk up to a platform and see it covered in paper, drink containers and discarded McDonalds wrapping. I know you are self absorbed but how would you feel having to walk on someone else's discarded lunch?....

30) If there is already one or two strollers on the bus, don't try to fit your's on it as well. For every stroller on the bus you could fit three people. You've now prevented nine people from being able to get where they want to go. You chose to have a child. Deal with the consequences. ....

31) If you need to stop to ask a question when getting on a bus, going through a booth, etc, and there are twenty people behind you, get on last. Do not force your way to the front of the line and then proceed to prevent anyone else from moving forward.....

32) Get off your damn phone. ....

33) Humans have this really neat thing called peripheral vision. Use it. If you feel the need to stare at something as you walk through a public place how about you also learn to watch out for people walking in your direction. Do not act surprised when you nearly walk into someone. When you are looking anywhere but in front of you it is really hard for the rest of world to tell where you're going.....

34) Cats are house pets. If I see your feline wandering around outside repeatedly with no collar and looking scruffy, I am taking them home and showing them the love you obviously do not. Do you know what happens to cats outside in huge cities?....

35) Just because you are thin does not mean you are fit. If you do no exercise you may be as out of shape as someone who is chunky, you were just blessed with a high metabolism or you just don't eat much.....

36) My chair is not a foot rest. There is plenty of foot room. I do not feel like being rocked back and forth because you are restless.....

37) If the movie is over and everyone is clearing out, do not force your away back into the theatre. Wait until everyone has left if you have to go back in you inconsiderate git.....

38) If you are in a long line waiting to purchase something, have your damn money out before you reach the front of the line. How much thought does that actually take?....

39) Do not stand right in front of doors. If I hit you, it is your fault.

40) Do not push children. I cannot believe I have to even say that, but apparently I do.

41) You are not meant to be a blonde. If no one in your race has blonde hair naturally, you are not meant to be a blonde. It looks bad on you. Indians are not meant to be blondes, especially when it turns out more orange than blonde. Italians are not meant to be blondes. Africans are -not- meant to be blonde. Need I continue the list?

42) Bras are suppose to be worn under your clothing. Perhaps your mother failed to instruct you in the fact that a bra should not cover more of your breasts than your shirt does. If your shirt does not completely cover your breasts, you need a bigger shirt. Stop trying to convince yourself you are a size small.

43) Underwear is called that for a reason. I do not want to see your thong or boxers.