What's the Big Deal?

A 17 year old Sacramento girl, Christina Almanza, was freaking out because she thought she may be pregnant. Again. She already is the mother of a 2 year old child. So she did what any normal teenager in distress would do- she faked her own kidnapping. She left her family a voicemail and text messages saying she had been abducted by several men and was being held hostage in a basement with two other girls. She also claimed that she didn't know where she was, and her abductors may be murderers. Police, deputies, FBI agents, and US Marshals went into a frenzy looking for the girl, even issuing a statewide Amber Alert. The next day, she was found unharmed in the home of a man she had met online. When police questioned Almanza, she admitted she made the whole thing up because she wanted her family to feel bad for her and be sympathetic about her pregnancy. She said she had no clue that making up a story about her kidnapping and being held hostage in a basement by murderers would scare people so much. Jeeze, people are so sensitive. Thankfully, police didn't have much sympathy for Almanza and arrested her for being so stupid. Kids these days...

Rash Decisions

A fourth grade student in Gaston County, NC, was suspended for sexual harassment for calling a teacher "cute". Emanyea was suspended for three days as the school claims they have had previous problems with the boy calling other students names. I've heard kids say much worse things to teachers and not even get in trouble. The boy's mother was outraged at his suspension and contacted the local news. Soon CNN and The Huffington Post reported the story to the nation, and a hail-storm of criticism was aimed at the Brookside Elementary school and their decision to suspend the child. Not long after, school officials determined there was no sexual harassment and offered an apology to the child and his parents. OK, I understand the suspension was a harsh decision, but in an equally harsh decision the principal who suspended the child lost his job. Principal Jerry Bostic was given an hour to decide whether he was going to retire or be fired. What he did was wrong, but the man has been working in the school system for 44 years and this was his only real mistake. He has a 98 percent approval rating from parents. Give him the benefit of the doubt. Expunging the boy's record, national attention, and apologies should make his mother happy right? Apparently not, because she is threatening to sue. This whole situation has gotten completely out of hand.

A Standing Avaition

Aurthur Berkowitz is a very unsatisfied customer with US Airways. Why, you ask? He was forced to stand during an entire seven hour flight from Anchorage to Philadelphia. The seat next to him was occupied by a man weighing a staggering 400 pounds. “His size required both armrests to be raised up and allowed for his body to cover half of my seat,” Berkowitz says. Since there were no other seats on the plane, there was nothing the flight attendants could do. Usually it's standard airline policy to make morbidly obese individuals purchase two seats, but clearly it was ignored in this case. The flight attendants acknowledged the gate agent's mistake, but wouldn't allow Berrkowitz to sit in their jump seats. Standing for seven hours sounds awful, I would have at least sat on the floor or something. Not to mention the fact that making a passenger stand during a flight is extremely unsafe. This is the part that blows my mind- he wrote US Airways a letter requesting a full refund for his $800 flight, and all they offered was a measly $200. C'mon US Airways... I mean if there is ANY situation where a full refund is appropriate, this is it. And if there is any reason to boycott this airline, this is also it. If this is how they treat their customers, they don't deserve the business. US Airways has refused to offer any more money, solidifying the fact that not much value is placed on the customer. How is this not illegal or something? I hope he sues their cheap asses!

Shopping Rage

Another Walmart story. Shocking. On Black Friday, at the store located in the San Fernando Valley, a large crowd formed around a crate of Xboxes that were about to be unwrapped by store employees. To the surprise of everyone, a psychotically greedy woman sprayed as many as 20 people with pepper spray "in order to get an advantage." Over an Xbox?? Really?? Ten people were slightly injured by the pepper spray and ten others suffered bumps and bruises in the chaos. Apparently, the woman had sprayed other people in other areas of the store also. She actually got away with it! No one was able to provide a clear description because the victims' eyes were burning like hot coals and they couldn't see. Walmart is unsure if she actually bought anything and are going through receipts, but I can't imagine she would take such drastic measures just to leave the store empty handed. If the woman is found, she will face felony battery charges.
I try to avoid the mall on Black Friday, especially when stores open late at night. I feel like it attracts the craziest people. Drama is pretty much a guarantee. 

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