So have you read the paper lately?? Or are you one of those people that say "it's too depressing"? Come on! There are all KINDS of WACKY things going on!

I was thinking about cliques this week. I have never liked cliques. I always thought that they were wierd and bizzare. That tendency some people have to stick to their own little group, being wary or even hostile to outsiders. You know, people who would rather talk to / associate with their own limited, secluded, superficial group of people instead of getting to know new people individually, and judging them on their own merit.

I think this tendency is more common in kids than adults. At least that's been my experience in life. Growing up, I went to a small private school with about 30 kids in each class. We all knew each other and our families pretty well, since we basically grew up together from 1st to 8th grade!. But even then, the class was divided into little cliques of people! By junior high, there were 4 basic groups. This was painfully obvious one day when the teacher asked the class to get into groups for a class project we were working on. The groups consisted of the "surfers"; the "preppies"; the "cholos" and the "nerdy ones". (Hey, what can I say, it was 1980). Well, I didn't know who to sit with, because I had a good frend in each group! I never associated with only one group. Some people I liked and some I ..well, tolerated. But I judged them each for who they were not necessarily the clothes they wore or how much money they had.


It was a nice experience growing up in a small group like that. A very interesting thing happened one summer ten years later, after we had all graduated high school and went our separate ways. I had hurt my leg and was on crutches, so I couldn't work and had some spare time on my hands. I started contacting some of my old buddies. I contacted friends from each of the four groups and said we were gonna get together. It was really fun because none of us had seen each other for quite a while.

And here we were together again. But this time we weren't playing baseball or going to school dances anymore. We were all becoming adults, starting careers, and hanging out in bars together! (Well, come on, we had just turned 21!) They thought it was great! One remarked that they may have never seen "so-and-so" again, since they were never really hung out together. That is the benefit of being open to all kinds of people. It is a much more beneficial and interesting experience!

Have you ever gone into a store and been at the counter waiting to be helped, when the phone rings? It seems the salesperson will inevitably answer the phone, and give the caller priority over the person standing there! Why is that?! Heck, we are the one who took the time to drive down there in person and actually buy something! Why should we have to wait for a caller, who basically took cuts in line ahead of us!?

Maybe the salesperson thinks that they can score both sales. Since we are alrady there, then we won't mind waiting! Is that why they give priority to callers? Heck, when I go to the store, I know what I want; I just want to pay for it and get out of there! I vote that phone shoppers be delegated to 2nd place!!

The other day I was at a small pool supply store. The owner was talking to me when the phone rang. He just let it ring and ring, then he said: "Hey, you were here first. Let them leave a message if it's so important!" Hahaha! I thought that was so funny. (Although not necessarily something I would do!) I would answer the phone and tell them I'd be right with them, or have them call back. But this guy has been in business 20 years, so maybe he knows best.

So I drove the a different Wal-mart, told the tire manager what a bunch of morons were at the other store, and asked if they would check my balance. I told them i was not going back to the first store to have them do it for one simple reason. Because they screwed it up to begin with!!! Only an idiot would ask an them to try again!! If they were competent, they would have done it right the first time!! Sure enough my new tire was NOT AT ALL BALANCED! The store apologized, did it corectly, and told me they would inform the 1st store of their "error". SHEEESH. Now do you understand why I don't trust mechanics?!

Or do you think it wasn't stealing? After all, the money was handed to her. What do you think about that?

The only thing I have ever stolen was when I was about five years old. I was at the supermarket with my mom and I saw one of those "Brachs" candy displays. Well, I snagged a caramel and stashed it in my pocket. But... Being the honest kid that I was, I had such a guilty look on my face (plus the fact that I would not remove my hand from my pocket), my mom quickly caught on. She asked me what I had in my pocket, then made me put it back. I don't remember what punishment I got, but I'm sure I got one (as I deserved!) because I never stole anything again.

"This comment is in regards to your statements about the welfare system something you obviously know nothing about!(like many people who complain about it)...first of all the "theory" of the "system" is to help people who need it,well that is the first lie they tell you! if you own a vehice have life ins.have a home that is held AGAINST you i know i have tried to get their so called help when my husband was injured at work and we were without a paycheck for over a month you know what they said we had too many assets because he has a life ins. policy thru his employer, and that he WOULD be getting a check (when the ins. co. decided to send it) so that is considered as income. you have to have less than $100 coming in so don't tell me about the "system" because like everything else in our gov't it is a major clusterf__k!...don't get me wrong i think that a lot of these "homeless people" are just plain cons but don't go telling every one that there is a "safety net" if you ever have to have one because there isn't UNLESS you want to sell everything you own and be prepared to live on $500 a month. the only safety net there is depends on how YOU can survive if something bad happens to you and your family because the system will not help you just hurt you! and yes i do work,my husband works, and we also have kids (2) and we have also went hungry at times due to a system that doesn't help people who trys to help themselves"

THAT is why I have the educated opiion that I HAVE about it!! I know EXACTLY what requirements must be MET in order to QUALIFY for welfare benefits. I KNOW that you can't have assets or a new car or own a home. That is the way it should BE!! If a family has assets, that is what they're FOR... To be used in emergency situations. Welfare is not for the comfortable middle class who wants some help. It is for those with NO MEANS of support.

I'm glad that the system is being reformed and these people are being forced to work, get training, etc. There are too many that take advantage of the system.

I love my sister and her kids. But my parents didn't raise us to live like that. They were very hard working, successful people who never had to receive government aid of any kind! And from what I have seen in my life firsthand, there are any more just like my sister, who came from hard-working middle class families but chose to take the LAZY way out!!

It is a shame. And it is not a good thing to teach your children. That is the end of this weeks report.

Clark Howard's Website - Very Helpful Consumer Information