March Madness (Haiku)

March Madness has to be

the best basketball game

on television.

Living With a Co-Dependent

Most people would love to establish independence along with a good rapport and relationship with different people. But what happens when the individual goes overboard with the relationship. Is the clingy behavior intentional or possessive behavior? Who knows--it depends on the person.

This behavior is referred to as co-dependency. Co-dependency, or "relationship addiction," is a form of behavior that can be inherited from one generation to another. Individuals with this condition usually have relationships that are viewed from one perspective as opposed to many different perspectives. It can be very sabotaging on an emotional level and sometimes are abusive and possessive. In addition to having these "controlling" relationships, he/she often suffer from low self-esteem and look to other people for validation due to the fact that they feel worthless. They really do not know how to be his/her own person.

Many co-dependent individuals turn to alcohol, nicotine, or even drugs to cope with different issues that are transpiring in his/her life. Their feeling is that using a controlled substance will make their lives more bearable. They are wrong. In contrast, they will be become addicted to whatever is being used to ease the pain.

They people do not mean any harm, but in reality, the consequences can be bothersome. For example, he/she may attempt to help out an individual who is having some type of difficulty, but the attentiveness becomes a bit too possessive and becomes a nuisance. In a co-dependent's mind, they think they are doing a very sensible duty. But the individual will tend to stay very distant from the person.

Many people may be living with a co-dependent person, whether it is a parent, sibling, or whomever. It has a huge impact on everyone around people with co-dependency.

The following are some characteristic of people suffering with co-dependency:

1. He/she do not have trust in self and/or other people.

2. They will grasp on to a relationship; they are afraid of being abandoned.

3. They have a desperate need for validation and/or recognition.

4. He/she also feel the need to lie and become dishonest.

There is hope for the co-dependent people who are seeking help for their situation. There are different organizations that can provide therapy for co-dependents. Some parts of the therapy will include thinking back to early childhood issues and relationships that lead to the present-day destructive relationship problems.

Source: www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/codependency

The Sad Reality of Hunger in America

With so much happening in the world, such as the uprising in the Middle East and the Japan earthquake/tsunami, we cannot help but to ask the question, "What's happening?" We should also be asking ourselves, why does the hunger crisis exist in the United States?

To almost all of us, hunger refers to a very tragic and terrible sensation which causes individuals to go without food. Due to the rising cost of foods in chain supermarkets and certified stores, many people are resorting to reducing the quality or quantity of food that is brought home from the local supermarket. Of course, with time, a lack of food will cause the body to shut down, which cause malnutrition.

We, the United States, are always helping people with aid, such as food in other parts of the world--there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving out a helping hand. At the same time, we can also focus on what is going on in our own backyard. In reality, many individuals in this country are starving to death. This is hardly mention on the mainstream news. This is a travesty.

Guess what? There are two main descriptions that our government uses to determine the hunger levels of individuals in the United States: food security and food insecurity. With food security, every American should have access to enough food to maintain a normal, healthy and productive life. As a result, food security also means there should not be necessary to resort to emergency food sources. In opposition to food security, food insecurity is usually not having enough food to meet basic requirements. In most cases, the lack of funds are the cause for many families to suffer from the tragic circumstances.

The question that the American society should be wondering--why are there so many of our citizens suffering and dying from unnecessary malnutrition? It is obvious why this problem exists. Government greed. What is the purpose of food stamps? To reduce food insecurity. Sadly, people are still starving. There is no excuse for the American people to go hungry. Everyone, whether rich or poor, should have access to get more than enough food for the purpose of living a productive and happy life without worrying about the existence of his/her meal. Wake up and feed our people America!

Source: www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/hunger_index.html

Reality Television

We see reality everywhere,

whether it is in the general

public or on our plasma T.V.

set.

In the world of reality television,

there is the sensible stuff we

would love to indulge our brains,

and then there is that part of

reality television that is just

insanely trashy. Seen it all,

including a man making public

drunkenness look like a pretty

itchy situation.

There is also that part where

Mother is sleeping with Daughter's

boyfriend and the entire town!

Who wants to know that!

What gets me about reality T.V.

is in many cases is the instant

celebrity status that these people

receive.

Come on, most of these people

do not have any talent. The problem

is that they are seen. Take some of

MTV's top shows. The only talent that

these people have are sleeping

around, getting drunk, and jumping

in the hot tub!

That's about it as far as talent goes,

at least from most viewers' perspective!

Of course, I have a guilty pleasure

for a lot of reality T.V. I like to be

entertained, just without the

obviously smelly garbage.

Why Are These People Complaining About the Cameras?

Recently, there have been talk that some people are complaining about the number of cameras that are present on Chicago's streets. Some of the people that are willing to address this issue is the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

The ACLU of Illinois says that there are absolutely too many cameras on the streets of Chicago. According to them, there are approximately ten thousand of these lenses which are hanging on really tall buildings and utility poles.

Why having street cameras is even an issue? The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois report quotes, "Chicago's camera network invades the freedom to be anonymous in public places, a key aspect of the fundamental American right to be left alone." It is not like these cameras are located inside of public bathrooms, a doctor's office, or in a department store. They are located outside--in the general public. If these cameras are located outside, then it cannot possibly invade someone's privacy. That is a pretty not-so-smart point to debate upon.

Important locations such as city agencies and the Chicago Transit Authority, or CTA utilize these cameras. At least in the case of the Chicago Transit Authority, it serves a very good purpose. With the cameras installed in each station, the authorities are able to track down people who are wreaking havoc or with people who jump the turnstile to avoid paying the fare. As a result, the culprit gets a hot meal ticket--sitting in the jail cell.

Let's not forget there are approximately four thousand cameras installed by Chicago Public Schools and one thousand at O'Hare International Airport. With the increasing gang and drug activities present in many of the area's schools, it is imperative that these cameras be utilized. If anyone complains about the cameras present in problematic areas, then these people must not be thinking clearly, especially if he/she want these children to have a brighter future. As for the cameras installed at the O'Hare International Airport, it is also imperative. We hear on the news so much about security alerts and breaches that many people are embracing the idea for more security cameras.

How can an organization as well known as the ACLU make such a claim? The point that they are trying to debate is not making much sense.

The ACLU also goes as far as suggesting that there should be input from the general public, auditing on a regular basis, and rules and regulations on who can see public notices, or even pictures prior to setting up a camera and disclosure of abuse.

The majority of the general public have a message for ACLU--they are glad that the cameras are present on the street, especially in those neighborhoods where gang, drug and other illegal activities are prevalent. These street cameras are not meant to invade anyone's privacy; these "privacy robbing" lenses are for security purposes.

Source: http://www.policeone.com/police-products/investigation/cameras/articles/3298296-ACLU-blasts-Chicago-PDs-network-of-cameras/