There are many roofing materials that you might use for your home, but one of the newest options is the use of metal shingles. These shingles work well in many parts of the country, but they may be somewhat controversial in the southern states. Before you hire contractors to install metal roofing, you may want to review the list below. It will show you the advantages and disadvantages of using this material so you can determine if it is right for you. Here are some pros and cons regarding the use of metal roofing. Hopefully they will help you spend your LPN salary appropriately.

The Pros of Using Metal Roofing
Metal roofing is highly durable, so it can withstand strong winds, debris, hail, and anything else Mother Nature decides to throw your way. This roofing material is also fire resistant, which means it can stand up to the dry summer heat in America. If you hire qualified contractors to install metal roofing in your home, you should not need any repair work or replacement materials for many years after the initial installation. That saves you money in the end.

Metal roofing also has powerful insulation qualities, which makes it great for keeping down your energy bills. If you install other energy efficient systems in your home, you should be able to cut your monthly bills considerably. This helps your bank account and the environment at the same time. Metal roofing is typically more affordable than slate or cedar roofing, so you may be able to save on materials as well. There’s just a ton of savings that comes with this construction option.

The Cons of Metal Roofing
It takes a team of very specialized contractors to install metal roofing. Thus you may have to pay a little more to get this material put in. Some homeowners complain that the metal roofing has a metallic look to it, which can be an eye sore for your home’s façade. Over time, that sheen may fade. You just have to wait for that to happen.

It is hard to get good cell phone reception under metal roofing. Some homeowners can only use their cell phones by a window in their home, and others have to install signal boosters in their homes to pick up reception. This may not be a big deal for you, but it is for many homeowners who rely on their cell phones to make a living. You will have more of a problem with this if you use metal roofing and metal siding on your home. If you don’t do that, you may be able to get some decent reception inside.

Should You Buy Metal Roofing?
You are ultimately the only person who can determine if metal roofing is right for you. Speak with some contractors in your area to see what the risks and rewards will be for your home, and then you can decide what you want to do. Either way, you should be able to get a wonderful roof if you hire the right people to do the job. If you don’t think you want metal on your roof, you can look for other materials that may suit your location and budget a bit better. There are tons of options out there. All you have to do is explore them and hope for the best.

By the title of this article, you can probably tell that I have been watching a little too much Lion King lately. Hakuna matata anyone?

Yeah, now you remember That’s not what this article is all about though. Today, we’re talking about homemade vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is one of the most common forms of vinegar on the market. It may not be used in a lot of modern day recipes, but it can be a good substitute for other vinegars if you just don’t have them on hand. The flavoring will be a bit different, but the overall recipe should still work out in the end. If you want to make your own cider vinegar to use in a recipe you’re planning in the future, the process may be easier than you think. Here is a basic guide that you can follow.

Step 1 – Prepare the Mixture

Mix apple cider with beer yeast to allow the product to ferment. If you do not have apple cider on hand, you can make it by pressing fresh apples and straining out the juice.

Step 2 – Ferment the Vinegar

Leave the liquid in a room that will stay between 60 and 80 degrees. This is the ideal temperature for fermentation. It would be wise to leave the container uncovered if you can, but you may want to put a porous towel on top to prevent bugs and dirt from getting in. Do not cover the dish completely as it will need air to form the bacteria that make’s vinegar acidic. You can use mother of vinegar to speed up the bacteria forming process, but the mixture will create its own in time.

Wait three to four weeks for the fermentation process to complete. The mixture will start to smell like vinegar at this point, so just taste it until it reaches a flavor you like.

Step 3 – Strain the Solution

Use a coffee filter to strain the vinegar several times to get out all the mother of vinegar. If you do not do this, the fermentation will continue and ruin your batch. Once all of this is complete, you can pour the vinegar in jars and refrigerate it.

Note that the recipe above may not be suited for preservation. Homemade vinegar does not always have the right pH balance to preserve food, and it can actually cause food poisoning in some cases. You can use this in dressings or marinades, but don’t use it to preserve your food. Store it in the refrigerator between uses to preserve the flavor. This will make the vinegar last as long as it possibly can.

Conclusion

Well kids, that about wraps up this discussion about how to make your own apple cider vinegar right at home. Is this going to save you money? Probably not. Is it going to teach you how to become a chef? Nope, probably not that either. Will it give you a fun way to pass the time this weekend? Possibly. It just depends on how much of a dork you are. Follow the recipe above step by step, and you should be able to make some apple cider vinegar right at home whenever you want to. Worse comes to worse, buy some from the store and put it in your own jars. Then convince yourself that you made the stuff and pat yourself on the back.

I have always dreamed of getting a PhD from one of the best online colleges in the world, but I recently changed my mind completely. I always thought that having a PhD would lead to some huge salary that I could call my own, but really, it leads to the same pay rate that everyone else sees. I would never want to undermine the value of an advanced education, but I can’t help but feel that the lack of income means that getting a PhD would be a waste of time. Are there PhD grads that make a lot of money? Of course. They just don’t make as much as I would have liked them to.

Here are some salary stats I got from PayScale.com that can explain my frustration a little better for you.

Salary by Employer

There are some employers that pay doctoral grads good money. The chart below shows that. I am just a little surprised by the pay they provide overall. That’s all. Here is a look at how PhD pay rates vary by employer:

• University: $61,329 per year
• Team: $75,000 per year
• State & Local Government: $76,716 per year
• Self-Employed: $80,728 per year
• School District: $62,986 per year
• Private Practice: $72,356 per year
• Non-Profit Organization: $69,197 per year
• Hospital: $78,622 per year
• Franchise: $100,734 per year
• Foundation: $75,995 per year
• Fellowship: $43,187 per year
• Federal Government – $93,260 per year
• Contract: $81,295 per year
• Company: $98,895 per year

Salary by Profession

As you may expect, there is a big difference in pay rates from one profession to the next. That is why there are some positions that are worth going through a long educational program for. Here is a look at how PhD pay rates vary by occupation:

• Veterinarian: $47,137 – $98,999 per year
• Research Scientist: $44,573 – $114,887 per year
• Postdoctoral Research Associate: $33,154 – $61,403 per year
• Physical Therapist (PT): $50,203 – $75,810 per year
• Higher Education Professor: $51,442 – $151,510 per year
• Higher Education Associate Professor: $49,551 – $103,811 per year

Salary by Years of Experience

A person’s experience in a field of study seems to have a big impact on his or her pay throughout the year. If you want to make a lot of money after you get out of school, you will need to stick with whatever you are doing. Here is a look at how PhD pay rates vary by experience:

• Less than 1 year of experience: $62,470 per year
• 1-4 years of experience: $70,148 per year
• 5-9 years of experience: $79,863 per year
• 10-19 years of experience: $97,999 per year
• 20 years or more of experience: $108,671 per year

Salary by Industry

The industry you work in may also have an impact on the money that you make. Some industries just make more money than others, and they are willing to pay their workers more money as a result of that. Here is a look at how PhD pay rates vary by industry:

• Physical Therapy: $62,178 per year
• Pharmaceuticals: $109,543 per year
• Higher Education: $66,328 per year
• Healthcare: $83,468 per year
• Education: $66,092 per year
• College/University Education: $61,917 per year
• Biotechnology Research & Development: $77,036 per year

As you can see, there is a potential to make $100,000+ with a PhD. I just wish that was a little more consistent across the board. Use this information to determine if you should get a doctorate, and then you can start looking for a program to help you out.

When you buy or finance a car, you will have several options to cover the vehicle in the event of damage or an accident. You can get a warranty to cover repair costs and full coverage to cover damage to the car in an accident. You can also get GAP insurance to pay off the balance of a financed car if it happens to be totaled in a wreck. All of these polices seem great, but are they really worth the money? Do you really need to put forth part of your forensic science salary to pay for them? Yes and no.

Deciding What You Do and Don’t Need

If you have a crappy car that is only work a grand or two, you may not want to invest any more money than what you have to for it. If you drive something that would cost a lot to repair or replace in the event of an accident, then having full coverage insurance is definitely worth considering. You’ll have to do this anyway if you have the car financed. A warranty is only useful if the car’s repair costs are expected to exceed the cost of the warranty. If the car parts only cost $1,000 and the warranty is $7,000, it would not make any sense to pay for the warranty.

In terms of GAP insurance, you mainly need this if the value of your loan is greater than the value of your car. If you have a car that is worth $16,000 and you only owe $10,000 on it, you won’t need to worry about GAP insurance. This is only necessary if you have a vehicle that will not be worth what you owe on it if it gets totaled. If you owe $24,000 on a $18,000 car (yikes!), you may look into a GAP policy to help you out in the future.

Getting Minimal Coverage

No matter what kind of car you drive, you will have to at least get liability insurance for it. This will change from state to state, and so will the prices associated with it. The chart below shows exactly what the minimums are in each state at this time.

You can always add to your policy in the future, so at least get the minimums for now. If you think you need more, add it. There’s really nothing more you can do.

If you are a college student living in the dorms, you probably rely on your microwave to do the bulk of your cooking. The same applies to people who can’t leave work to go to lunch, or stay at home moms that just don’t have time to cook much. The microwave is fine for Ramen Noodles and hot dogs, but eventually you will probably want something more to eat. Believe it or not, there are a number of great tasting meals that you can make in the microwave. They may not taste exactly like home cooking, but they will taste better than the stale Saltine crackers that you have under your bed right now.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a decent meal out of the microwave. You just have to know what to buy. Here are some of my favorite microwave meals to make from time to time.

Red Barons Feast for One Pizza

I recently bought a couple Red Barons Feast for One pizza and decided to give it a try in the microwave. I never do this with pizza or anything that is pizza related. Hot Pockets, Totino’s Pizza Rolls, Babel Bites, and other dishes always go in the oven for me because I can’t stand the softness and squishiness that the microwave causes food to taste like. Nevertheless, I gave these new Red Barons pizzas a try in the microwave, and I was pleasantly surprised. The pepperonis were relatively crispy, and the dough tasted like it came right out of the oven. If I had received that dish in a restaurant, I don’t think I would have questioned it.

Anything from Michelina’s

Michelina’s makes a high line of microwave meals, and I think they all taste great. My personal favorite is the lasagna Alfredo, but I also really like this one meal that has broccoli, rice, cheese, and chicken in it. It heats up really nicely, and it tastes divine. You can buy a lot of these meals for less than a buck at Walmart, so you won’t have to worry about sacrificing your entire paralegal salary to feed your face. I like the pizza rolls from this company too, but only if I can eat them in the oven. Still, they’re cheap enough to try if you are in the mood for something new.

Anything from Chef Boyardee

I have developed a recent love affair with Chef Boyardee (don’t tell my husband ), so I figured I would give this little guy a shoutout too. If you like ravioli, lasagna, spaghetti, or anything along those lines, you can find some great food from this company for next to nothing in terms of price. They recently launched a whole grain pasta line that I think tastes really great, especially if you put a little mozzarella cheese along with it. Just pop it into the microwave and enjoy in minutes.

Anything from Progresso

I always get Progresso confused with Progressive, so don’t assume that I am asking you to nuke up a car insurance policy. In this case, I’m referring to the home-made taste of Progressive soup. I like turkey noodle soup and cheesy potato-broccoli, but you may like something else. This may be a little pricey compared to other microwave meals, but the yumminess is well worth the extra money.

You can have an enjoyable meal from the microwave if you think outside the box. Browse the aisles of the grocery store and see if you can find anything to throw in the nuke-a-later (as my mother calls it). You might be surprised by what you find.

Is it just me, or have drivers seriously gotten dumber over the years? Every day that I go out, I see a near accident or a person doing what I think to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen. That thought soon passes though as I see someone doing something even dumber the next day. I honestly can’t take it anymore. I think I’m just going to stop driving or something. It is utterly ridiculous, don’t you think. In lieu of the dangerous road conditions that we are all forced to face now, I thought it may be appropriate to write an article about road safety, just to help you avoid accidents in the near future. Here are a few ways you can ensure your safety while out on the road.

Watch the Horizon

Most drivers only pay attention to what is happening with the car in front of them. They do not take the time to look over all of their surroundings, and that eventually leads them to trouble. My husband has taught me to watch the horizon, not the car in front of me. That way if someone slams on his brakes five cars in front of me, I am prepared long before the person I am driving behind. If you can assess your area thoroughly while you are on the road, you will have a much better chance at avoiding an accident.

Check the Side Roads

A lot of drivers seem to have a problem stopping on side roads nowadays. They just glance at the road quickly and merge on, without even thinking about how fast the cars are going behind them/ You have to watch for cars like this because they could literally kill you if you are not careful. I know it is not your responsibility to make sure that they stop at stop signs, but it is something you just have to do. If you have to slow down to avoid getting T-boned by an idiotic driver, so be it.

Drive the Speed Limit

As cool as it may be to speed on the road, you have to think about the safety concerns of speeding. The speed limit is there for a reason. It is the speed at which you could logically brake if something happened on the road. I never go more than five mph over the speed limit, and I drive really fast cars. I have learned that it is better to be slow and safe than fast and flying off the edge of a cliff. Most cities time their street lights around the speed limit, so you will have a better chance of catching green lights if you drive responsibly. Hopefully that gives you a little extra incentive.

Keep Your Emotions in Check

If you start driving out of anger, you are inevitably going to get someone hurt. Emotions take brain power away from the road, and you need all the brain power you can get to stay safe. If you lose focus of what is going on, you run the risk of getting into an accident – all because you couldn’t keep your emotions in check. No matter how angry you may be at the guy that cut you off, you have to remember that you are driving a 4,000 pound vehicle that could kill someone if used incorrectly.

Driving is a serious responsibility, and it needs to be treated as such. Take the time to practice your driving skills so you can stay safe on the road. A little practice could go a long way for you in the end.

Is it just me, or have hoarding shows on TV gotten a little out of control? They seem to be taking over public television, and I’m not really sure how that happened. We have Hoarders on A&E, Hoarding: Buried Alive on TLC, Confessions: Animal Hoarding on Animal Planet, Extreme Clutter on OWN, Clean House on Style, and tons of other shows that I probably haven’t come across yet. Hell, we even have American Pickers on History, even though that show praises hoarding if anything. Why do we have all of these shows, and why do they continue to draw in new audiences? It just doesn’t make any sense.

Sadly, I know about the existence of all of these shows because I watch them – all of them. I really don’t know what is so fascinating about them to me, but something compels me to put them on my DVR every time I come across one. I think the shock factor is a big reason why these shows do so well. Most viewers, like me, cannot fathom how people could possibly live in certain conditions. That is why we all have our eyes glued to the TV.

The Extremities of Hoarding

It seems like every episode of a hoarding show gets progressively worse as the season progresses. It starts off with a person’s house that just looks overrun with boxes, and it ends up with someone whose floor is made of cockroach carcasses and bottles of urine. Here are some of the extreme things I have seen on various hoarding shows:

• A family who had a cockroach problem so bad that there was a soup can full of dead bugs from top to bottom
• Women who do not have running water in their bathrooms, so they just have bags of poop or piles of adult diapers stacked sky high in the bathroom
• A woman who could not control her bladder at night, so she just put newspapers on the bed and peed (rather than buying the diapers she couldn’t afford)
• A man who had hundreds of “pet” rats living in his house, so many that he had to move out because they had eaten through all of his furniture
• A woman whose house was so hoarded that she did not notice three dead cats that she had buried in the home
• A man who had an inheritance check and his own apartment but lived on a bench in the street because he hoarded himself out of house and home – literally. He couldn’t even get into his own apartment, and he continued to bring in more crap as he slept on the park bench outside
• A man who was evicted from a homeless shelter because he was bringing too much junk in
• A man whose fiancé died in his house because paramedics could not get past the hoard in time to help her out

There are over 3 million hoarders in the world, and we have probably only seen about 100 of them on all of those different TV shows. I’m pretty sure the programs are going to be around for a while. Anyone, from a CIA agent to a factory worker, can be a hoarder under the right circumstances, or I guess I should say the wrong circumstances. That may be the most compelling aspect of this show. Check out some of the ones on TV and see so for yourself. You may be surprised by what you discover.

My husband and I have had a love affair with Ford Mustangs for a few years now, and I have seen all of the good and bad they have to offer. We’ve owned a ’99 GT, an ’05 GT, an ’04 Cobra, and an ’07 Shelby GT500, all within a matter of four years. If you have been thinking about buying a Mustang in the near future, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. It may be the perfect car for you, but it may also be a terrible fit for your lifestyle. Hopefully the information below will help you determine if this is a good car for your situation.

The Popularity

Mustangs have been around for decades, and they have become some of the most popular American muscle cars in existence. For some people, that popularity is a good thing because they like having a car that everyone can recognize. For others, the popularity is a bit frustrating. I’m the type of person that likes to have a standout car. I want people to question what they are looking at and really take an interest in it. Mustangs don’t allow me to do that. Most people already know what those cars are because they are everywhere. Evvverrrrryyyywheeerrrreee. If you’re looking for something that is one-of-a-kind, this is definitely not the car for you.

The Modifications

Mustangs are really easy to mod, and it doesn’t cost much to make them look or perform better with minimal effort. My husband and I modified the exhaust on all of our Mustangs, and the most we ever spent was about $2,000 on our Terminator Cobra. That thing sounded like a beast though. Basani X pipe, Borla stingers, SLP tips. Ah, it was beautiful. Whether you want to beef up the performance or rice out the exterior, you can do that pretty easily with a Mustang. This is the type of car that is fun to work on at home, and it’s hard to f*ck up something major on it. That I will say is a big plus with Mustangs.

The Performance

To a lot of people, upper-level Mustangs are pretty darn fast. The V6 models don’t have a lot of giddy up prior to 2010, but the GTs, Cobras, Mach 1s, etc. have enough umph to keep the average person entertained. My GT500 had 500 hp stock, and my husband and I upgraded it to 650. It didn’t catch traction through first or second gear as a result. I have a unique opinion on what is considered a lot of power because I’ve been driving 400+ hp cars for more than two years now. Anything lower than that just seems slow to me. If your face peels back in a 300 hp car, you may love what Mustangs have to offer.

The Look

Mustangs inherently look sexy. They just look like they’re going to eat whatever is driving in front of them on the road. Hubby and I like to murder out all of our cars, so they get blacked out lights, blacked out badges, dark tint, etc. You can see that in the picture on this post (it’s my GT500). Mustangs are definitely head-turners, especially if you live in a younger community. You could get a lot of attention with one.

Only you can determine if a Mustang would be a good car for you. There are many different models to choose from, so just focus on the one that would best suit your lifestyle and finances. Give it a test drive and see what you think. You’ll either love it or hate it from the start.

I am a huge fan of American Idol, and I have been since season two. I missed out on all but the finale of the first season, but that is because I didn’t know that the show existed back then. Nevertheless, I have been with AI through the good and the bad, including the loss of everyone’s favorite judge…Simon Cowell. Now that we have the newbies in place, I have to wonder if they are fitting replacements for the judges the show lost. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler both have their redeeming qualities, but they also lack a lot of qualities the show used to have. Here is my take on the new American Idol judges.

Steven Tyler

I like the fact that Steven Tyler really does know the business. He has been a performer, a song writer, a band member, and everything else the contestants may strive to be in the future. Some people also like the fact that Steven is “hot,” but he’s not really my cup of tea. I’d rather have Ryan on a silver platter any day, but that is another article entirely.

The problem I have with Steven Tyler is that he doesn’t really provide any constructive criticism. He either tells people that they’re doing well or he hits on the women to make them feel sexier than they really are. I thought he was supposed to replace Simon Cowell, both in knowledge and in attitude. By the way Steven blabbers though, I think he is more of a replacement for Paula Abdul than anything. I just wished he made a little more sense when he spoke, rather than rambling about nothing like John Madden after a football game. Hopefully that is something that will improve over time.

Jennifer Lopez

I don’t think J Lo is that great of a singer, even if she has had a successful career. I’m not saying she’s terrible by any means. I just don’t think her singing is all it is cracked up to be. Nevertheless, I do think she plays a decent role on Idol because she offers a woman’s opinion and a nicer way of putting criticism than the other judges. She’s not the best judge on the panel, but I think she holds her own. I guess I just miss the awkward flirting between Simon and Paula.

The New Randy Jackson

Randy Jackson has been on American Idol from the start, but I think his attitude has changed with the new judges. He has basically taken on the role of Simon at this point because he offers the rudest opinions and most honest advice. I kind of like the new Randy because I think that someone has to be that character on a talent show. He is the veteran, so he holds the title nicely. Do I think he’s better than Simon? Nope. I just like this version of Randy better than the one before season 10.

The Judges in General

As a whole, I think the American Idol judges are almost decent. They have their good qualities, but they just don’t hit all the marks for me. Ideally, I would love to see Simon, Randy, Paula, and Cara all together again. I know that cannot be the case though. Since America is the ultimate judge of the show, I don’t think the people in the seats matter that much. There could be a supply chain manager up there and it wouldn’t make a difference. Hopefully good decisions and criticisms will prevail in the end. Until then, we just have to watch and see what happens.

Am I the only person that remembers Chuck Norris jokes? They were huge back when I was in high school. They have seemingly faded in popularity over the years, but I wanted to pay homage to their awesomeness. Are they the funniest jokes in the world? Nope. Will they make you laugh? You bet your roundhouse kick to the face they will. Here are some of my personal favorites, courtesy of ChuckNorrisFacts.com.

1. Chuck Norris and Superman once fought each other on a bet. The loser had to start wearing his underwear on the outside of his pants.
2. Chuck Norris can “Connect Four” in his first move
3. Chuck Norris can cut through a hot knife with butter.
4. Chuck Norris can do a wheelie on a unicycle.
5. Chuck Norris can finish Mario Bros without using the jump button.
6. Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.
7. Chuck Norris can put the batteries in backwards and still make it work.
8. Chuck Norris can unscramble eggs.
9. Chuck Norris counted to infinity – twice.
10. Chuck Norris died 20 years ago, Death just hasn’t built up the courage to tell him yet.
11. Chuck Norris doesn’t breathe, he holds air hostage.
12. Chuck Norris doesn’t call the wrong number. You answer the wrong phone.
13. Chuck Norris doesn’t flush the toilet, he scares the sh*t out of it
14. Chuck Norris doesn’t need a GPS. Chuck Norris decides where he is.
15. Chuck Norris has a grizzly bear carpet in his room. The bear isn’t dead it is just afraid to move.
16. Chuck Norris has already been to Mars; that’s why there are no signs of life.
17. Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
18. Chuck Norris once donated blood to one man. He’s now known as Superman.
19. Chuck Norris once got bit by a rattle snake. After three days of pain and agony…the rattle snake died
20. Chuck Norris once kicked a horse in the chin. Its descendants are known today as Giraffes.
21. Chuck Norris once scared a baby. To this day that baby is still screaming in fear. His name is Justin Bieber.
22. Chuck Norris once urinated in a semi truck’s gas tank as a joke….that truck is now known as Optimus Prime.
23. Chuck Norris once visited the Bermuda Triangle. No one has heard from the Triangle since.
24. Chuck Norris was to star in “Mission Impossible” but they recasted because they would’ve had to change the name of the movie to “Mission Accomplished”
25. Chuck Norris wasn’t born. He just got tired of wearing his mother.
26. Chuck Norris will never have a heart attack. His heart isn’t nearly foolish enough to attack him.
27. Chuck Norris won American Idol using only sign language.
28. Chuck Norris won the World Series of Poker using Pokémon cards.
29. Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience
30. Ghosts sit around the campfire and tell Chuck Norris stories.
31. Google won’t search for Chuck Norris because it knows you don’t find Chuck Norris, he finds you.
32. Once the cop pulled over Chuck Norris….the cop was lucky to leave with a warning.
33. Some magicians can walk on water. Chuck Norris can swim through land.
34. There used to be a street named after Chuck Norris, but it was changed because nobody crosses Chuck Norris and lives.
35. When Alexander Bell invented the telephone he had 3 missed calls from Chuck Norris.
36. When Chuck Norris sends you a poke on Facebook, it kills you.
37. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
38. Willy Wonka gave an everlasting gobstopper to Chuck Norris. The flavor lasted 2.3 seconds.

Police officers are responsible for protecting the country, so you’d think that they would get paid well to do what they do. I had to write an article recently about the amount of money police officers make in a year, and I was a little surprised by what I found. I get to sit on my butt all day writing articles, and I make as much money as some of the highest paid officers out there. That, in my opinion, doesn’t make any sense at all. Shouldn’t we be paying these men and women for all the work they do for our country? Don’t they deserve to make more than $10 an hour? Maybe I’m crazy, but the numbers just don’t add up to me. Take a look at some of the stats from PayScale.com and see that for yourself.

Salary by Years of Experience

• <1 year: $24,470 - $58,803 per year
• 1-4 years: $27,811 – $65,016 per year
• 5-9 years: $30,669 – $79,143 per year
• 10-19 years: $34,181 – $89,225 per year
• 20 years or more: $39,633 – $105,823 per year

Salary by Company Size

• 1-9: $26,014 – $75,250 per year
• 10-49: $26,000 – $76,557 per year
• 50-199: $30,723 – $79,381 per year
• 200-599: $32,428 – $75,941 per year
• 600-1999: $33,696 – $87,088 per year
• 2000-4999: $38,167 – $86,414 per year
• 5000-19999: $38,389 – $100,496 per year
• 20000-49999: $49,610 – $97,699 per year
• 50000+: $23,700 – $73,826 per year

Salary by Employer Type

• College or University: $19,866 – $56,171 per year
• Company: $30,408 – $86,304 per year
• Federal Government: $29,845 – $77,987 per year
• Hospital: $32,000 – $57,530 per year
• School District: $27,148 – $61,833 per year
• State and Local Government: $29,877 – $79,901 per year
• Other Organization: $8,109 – $295,898 per year

Salary by Degree

• Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts: $28,861 – $90,072 per year
• Associate of Science in Criminal Justice: $36,315 – $92,450 per year
• Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement: $39,500 – $72,986 per year
• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice: $28,161 – $69,955 per year
• Bachelor of Arts in Criminology: $41,000 – $60,000 per year
• Bachelor of Arts in History: $45,781 – $98,264 per year
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology: $39,227 – $77,738 per year
• Bachelor of Business Administration: $40,695 – $100,229 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: $30,703 – $77,071 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Psychology: $32,236 – $62,464 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Sociology: $35,375 – $56,972 per year
• GED or High School Diploma: $50,000 – $77,511 per year
• Master of Business Administration: $31,531 – $95,121 per year
• Master of Science in Criminal Justice: $36,425 – $46,901 per year

Salary by State

• California: $36,116 – $98,785 per year
• Florida: $30,173 – $76,582 per year
• Illinois: $38,100 – $87,437 per year
• New York: $36,392 – $99,587 per year
• North Carolina: $29,258 – $53,343 per year
• Texas: $29,792 – $68,065 per year
• Virginia: $30,190 – $62,602 per year

I’m not saying that police officers make minimum wage, but I think they should earn a lot more than what they do. They have to risk their lives every day for the protection of others, and they do so without complaint. The least we could do is provide them with a high police officer salary to look forward to. Some areas of the country pay more money than others though, so there are probably some policemen out there that make a lot of money. The statistics just don’t indicate that as a whole. Maybe that will change in the future, but for now, police officers are severely underpaid. We just have to hope their salaries increase over time.

It seems like the only way to attract sales nowadays is to make the most ridiculous product in the world and hope that people buy it as a gag gift. We all laughed at the idea of the Snuggie, until it became one of the bestselling As Seen on TV products of all times. I doubt any of the products below make that list, but you never know. Regardless of what happens though, you are guaranteed to laugh at a few of these if you watch the commercials. Here is a list of 10 absolutely ridiculous As Seen on TV products that you may not even know about.

Pocket Chair

The pocket chair is supposed to be a chair that can fit in your pocket, but only if you’re 400 pounds and wearing cargo pants. This thing can hardly be considered a chair, and the commercial tries to make it seem like the most comfortable and convenient thing in the world. You might as well carry around a toddler potty in a backpack if you get desperate enough to use this thing in public.

Kush Support

The Kush support is basically a pillow you can put in between your boobs. It is supposed to provide support for the neck, back and shoulders, but I think it is just a ploy to get soft core porn on mainstream TV. You with me?

Tiddy Bear

The tiddy bear is a stuffed bear with a strap on the back you can hook around a seatbelt. It is used to prevent seatbelts from cutting into people’s shoulders, but who wants to drive around with a bear on their neck? Plus, the name sounds a little too close to titty for my liking. Just saying.

Hawaii Chair

The Hawaii chair is a chair with a moving bottom that is supposed to help you lose weight while you sit around at work. Just watch this clip from Ellen and you’ll see how stupid that idea is.

Potty Putter

The potty putter is a mini golf course that you can put around the toilet while you take a poo. Just watch. No words necessary…

UroClub

The UroClub is a golf club that you can use when you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of a golf game. Just pee in the handle away from the crowd, and no one will ever know…right?

Potty Patch

The potty patch is basically a piece of AstroTurf on a plastic tray that people try to pass off as a potty for pooches. I tried one of these myself, and my dog just ate the grass on it. Good job there potty patch. Good job.

Aspray

Aspray is an allover body deodorant that you can use to spray your butt, armpits, feet, and anything in between. I can’t seem to find a place to buy this stuff anymore, but if you find it, let me know.

PooTrap

The pootrap is a plastic bag that you can put on your dog’s butt for when he has to go to the bathroom. Rather than cleaning the crap up with a bag on your own, you can suffocate your pet’s ass hole and still touch a bag of dookie at the end of the session. Sounds brilliant.

TV Hat

The TV hat is a giant hat that you can put your iPod or other Apple device into when you want to “discreetly” watch movies. I don’t know what’s discreet about a huge duck bill cap with a table cloth on top of it, but okay…

(more…)

What do you see when you turn on the television for the latest news on the upcoming election? If you live in the United States what you see is a President with a lousy approval rating (40%), Republican candidates so extreme that it would make even the most conservative of voters cringe, and a legislature who can’t seem to agree on a damn thing. What has become of politics in the United States? Is there something in the water or are all these politicians just losing their minds?

For starters many Republicans jumped on the grassroots Tea Party movement, an organization seeking to decrease the size of government and take out government influence from business. Ron Paul, the Libertarian candidate from Texas can be seen as one of the founders of this movement. Paul has taken an unwavering stance on small government and has opposed foreign action by the United States, never once changing these stances. This can be seen as part of the reason the Republican candidates as well as legislators have been very extreme in their views, refusing to compromise just about anything with Democrats in Congress or the President.

This all or nothing attitude was at first an effective strategy for the Republicans. Indeed such a stance helped Republicans win the House of Representatives back from Democrats and helped Democrats lose their filibuster proof majority in the Senate. Now it appears the tide is turning. As more people become unemployed, the inaction of their elected officials is becoming irritating. This recently showed when Republicans decided to agree to extend unemployment benefits and a payroll tax cut. Still there are areas where Republicans are showing no sign of backing down. Many would like to see the economy fixed by cutting spending without raising taxes, a move that is argued would hurt the poor while favoring the rich. Of the programs looking to be hit are Financial Aid, meaning that students who cannot afford to go to college would have to rely on loans and scholarships. We can only hope that after the election is finished, regardless of who and what party comes out on top, Congress will finally begin to get things done.

What makes a law a law?Since the beginning of humanity, people have lived in communities. The reason for this is the realization by people that communal living was more advantageous than single living. Being a member of a community was and in many was still is essential for a persons survival. Being amongst other human beings allows us to share thoughts and skills, develop new ideas and technologies, better protect themselves and their families from predators, the elements, other people, and allows for the weaker, such as children, the elderly and the ill to be protected within the community. Soon after the realization that communal living was essential for survival another realization dawned on people, promises made to each other on issues of who is entitled to what and what should and should not be done were too fragile without having some type of governing body in place to enforce rules made by members of the community. In order to maintain peace within a community it was realized a governing body was needed. This gave birth to what is today known as positive law.

Positive law can be put into three different categories which evolved over time. The first is known as primitive law. Primitive law was born with the realization by human beings that, though communal living was favorable to single living, there was a lack of civil order. In order to fix this, people instituted a set of principles which were used to resolve civil disputes. One of the earliest sets of rules we have as an example of primitive law today are Hammurabi’s code. Following primitive law came archaic law which dominated civil society from about the time of Rome. Archaic law can be put into two categories: the first are codes of substance. This sets forth penalties for violations of the laws put in place in the society. The second category is known as codes of procedure. This set forth how a person was to be dealt with upon violating the law. Archaic law is responsible for the institution of administration and order in the court system. The third version of positive law is matured law. Matured law is seen as the father of Modern law, the system of law making we use today. There are three prongs of positive law: the first is the law of is. This describes the social phenomenon, which is what actually exists, such as crime. What follows the law of is is that of ought, or what should be. This is the law of man and proscribes laws against certain conduct such as rape and murder. The third prong is law as form. This is the law we put in effect through legal statutes. These statutes do not eliminate the conduct in which we believe should be prohibited; these statutes indicate we believe the conduct will occur but hope the statute will act as a deterrent from the behavior by putting into place punishments for the breach of the statute. This also grants legal officials the power to enforce the laws put on the book.

So where does positive law come from? Positive law as I have just discussed is a set of legal rules that are binding on all people living in a state. The laws are made by the governing body through socially accepted norms and morals. But who is to say what ought to be and what conduct should be prohibited and how are these conclusions reached? This has been debated for as long as civil society existed. From this debate came the theory of natural law. Natural law is the belief that a higher being, such as God or nature has built into the world a set of principles which human beings are to obey. These laws are to be found through human reasoning. This discussion though brief should be of particular interest to those seeking to obtain law degrees, however, I think it is important for all of you reading this to reflect upon what has here been written. After all as a member of civil society you too are bound by the rules put on the books. Haven’t you ever stopped and wondered why you have to obey them and who decided these practices are restricted?

January third is fast approaching, no not the second recovery day for those holiday hangovers, the day when the primary votes begin for the Republican candidate who will go on to run against President Obama. Anyone who has been following the debates and campaign trail of the Republican candidates has seen it’s been an almost circus like spectacle, and the final weeks before the election are proving to be no different. With the deadline drawing near candidates such as Mit Romney and Newt Gingrich are trying desperately to come out on top whereas candidates such as Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann are desperately trying to rekindle the fire they once had in the early days of the campaign trail. Anyone who has been following the campaign can see the humor and sadness in what has become modern day politics.

For starters, Rick Perry attacked Mr. Romney about a passage on health care in a book recently published by Mr. Romney. To defend himself Mr. Romney made a mock bet with Mr. Perry for $10,000. Mr. Perry quickly declined saying he was not “the betting type”. Such a move has potentially backfired on Mr. Romney and could hurt him in the eyes of middle and working class Americans. As a matter of fact many Democrats have seized the opportunity to use Mr. Romney’s comment against him, pointing out that what may seem a miniscule amount to the Massachusetts governor comprises a rather large amount of the average Americans salary. Other comments from Romney would seem to be distancing him from the average American. Democrats have gone as far as launching a website titled “10kbet.com”. The website lists things that can be bought with $10,000. For many of us college students $10,000 dollars would be a blessing, considering the high costs of one of those top colleges which many of us would love to attend in order to gain the position of our dreams, perhaps a software engineer. Another move that has left Mr. Romney appearing out of touch with the American public and more on par with millionaires was a response he gave to a heckler during a debate in Iowa. Mr. Romney responded by saying “Corporations are people too”.

Another strategy being incorporated by the Republican candidates is to label the two frontrunners Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Romney as one person. Where Mr. Romney has shown his distance from the average Gingrich has been criticized for his marital track. Many of the candidates haven’t hesitated to point out Gingrich’s past infidelities in an attempt to challenge his character. Mr. Gingrich has made some surprising moves to counter this strategy from his opponents. When moderators at a debate threw Gingrich a challenge about his personal life, Mr. Gingrich made a very surprising move; he humbly responded to the question stating that “he has had to ask god for forgiveness” for his tattered past. Perhaps Mr. Gingrich’s eyes have been opened due to the realization that the end of the race is fast approaching and the Republicans may be looking at a photo finish. By keeping face Mr. Gingrich may hold his lead and find himself as the candidate for the 2012 Presidential Election.

However you feel and whoever comes to be the candidate do yourself a favor, don’t give into slapstick politics. Decide on the candidate who will best help our country. Look deeper into what the issues are and who is willing to make some serious change through responsible policy making and compromise.

Higher education is something many of us seek upon graduating high school. In today’s job market a BA or better is needed in order to gain employment in some of the most prestigious jobs on the job market. Recently there has been a lot of talk on Capital Hill about how best to cut the national debt and unfortunately for many of us one area on the chopping block is education.

Though it is true that given the option many of us would love to attend Ivy League universities such as Yale or Harvard the sad truth is that for many of us this is not an option. Not only are such schools highly competitive, they are also very costly. Even after receiving scholarships and grants a student must take out a good amount in loans to cover the rest of his or her expenses. For this reason many of us look for affordable alternatives when considering where we want to get our college education. One of the best and most affordable of these options is the City University of New York (CUNY).

CUNY houses many quality and notable colleges such as Baruch and Hunter. CUNY is also the home of the only university in the country that specializes in criminal justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice. One of the biggest draws to CUNY schools has been it’s low tuition costs. CUNY is subsidized by the state of New York making it one of the most affordable college systems in the country. CUNY schools also house a wide array of different disciplines and quality professors making it an excellent choice for students who wish to continue their education after high school but are afraid private universities will prove to be too costly. But unfortunately a CUNY Board of Trustees approved a measure to increase tuition costs 15% or 300 dollars per year.

This move has seen some backlash by students and faculty alike. Many students attending CUNY schools do so because it is affordable. Students from underprivileged groups and poorer backgrounds are afraid that by hiking tuition other underprivileged students will lose out an opportunity to attend college. Many students also receive federal assistance such as PELL grants and Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants from the state, two programs which may lose government funding as a way to cut the deficit. While the CUNY system will still be less costly than other state university systems, the raise in tuition may prove to be too costly for students, depriving them an opportunity for higher education.

Though the tuition increases approved by the Board of Trustees may seem to be an obstacle for those wishing to get a college degree at an affordable price, students should not get too discouraged. Another affordable option is available for those who seek a college degree are online universities. A list of the top online colleges will help potential students explore which colleges offer what type of online degrees and courses. Taking online classes are advantageous for two reasons: For one they allow students who need to work take classes at a comfortable pace and access all needed material right from home, and online courses are affordable. For those who can’t afford heightening tuition’s or the fees it takes to commute, considering an online college may be an excellent alternative.

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