Ju$tice

Normally I don't really care much about celebrity news, but when I went to check my e-mail, this headline caught my attention...

Lindsay Lohan spends less than a day in LA jail

The well-known actress Lindsay Lohan was arrested for illegal drug abuse, but she was released from jail by posting a $300,000 bail. Originally she was supposed to stay in jail for 30 days, but she got out within a day. Her problems were all solved by money.
I don't like how rich people just use money to solve their problems, but here what disgusts me even more is the "justice" system of the court. "Um yeah, we can totally let you go if you'd give us tons of money". Isn't that basically bribing?

So it means that whatever the criminal did, if he's/she's just rich and have the ability to post a bail, then everything's okay. If he/she posts a bail, he/she is not a true criminal. Is this what they call "justice"? Or maybe "ju$tice" is the better term. In the world there aren't just one kind of criminals. Not all criminals are poor and can't afford to post a bail. Rich criminals do exist, and they probably have done even more cruel and inhumane things with all the power they've got out from their money.

With a "ju$tice" system like this, rich criminals are easily released and continue to wander around in society. With a "ju$tice" system like this, rich criminals aren't afraid of anything. They can exploit as much they want. "Arrest? Who cares? I can continue my juicy exploits after feeding them money!"
Makes me feel that the current "ju$tice" system there is money-driven.

Lifeguards Texting.

Texting by Lifeguards Is Raising Safety Concerns

This article says that lifeguards at public swimming pools are text messaging during their sessions, and that by this lives are endangered by their actions.

I have to agree. Being a lifeguard at a swimming pool is a tedious job, basically just sitting in the corner under the burning sun, and looking around what's going on. There's really nothing to do when nothing happens at the pool. Since there is nothing happening, it may seem like there's a lot of "free time" in your hands. So you slip out your cell phone to kill the boredom.

"Lifeguarding positions are commonly filled by college students who may not want to feel disconnected from their gadgets, even if their job is to devote full attention to watching for signs of trouble."

Yes, indeed you need to keep an eye at what's going on. We never know when will, and what might happen. A lifeguard is responsible for any prevention of trouble that is likely to happen. Two years ago a young boy did drown in pool that was guarded by lifeguard who text messaged during his/her session.

The problem isn't merely because of text messaging: there was is a small snowball effect that has resulted this. It is also mentioned in the article that organizations have cut lifeguard wages, which made pools prefer to hire younger employees (mostly college students), who do can't live being excluded away from electronic devices or telecommunication. But the thing that backs up this small snowball's journey, is that lifeguards have written acknowledgements that they can be fired for having electronic devices during work.

In conclusion I think that the young lifeguards were indeed wrong for their lack of responsibility at work, but there are causes for everything.
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Walking young.

Walking helps keep body and brain young

"Everyone knows that walking limbers the aging body, but did you know it keeps the mind supple as well?" 

Well, to be honest, I did NOT know that walking benefits the aging body--I knew it benefits the body, I did not know it could benefit particularly the AGING body. Also, ofcourse I knew that walking benefits the mind, since exercising relieves stress and all, but I did not know that it would help maintain a young mind as well.

A number of elders were experimented by walking regularly and results came out that as their bodies became more fit, their memory improved as well. Younger body and younger minds!

Most of the time when we talk about aging, what people are concerned about the most is probably the loss of memory, or only being able to have short term memory. But now there is a solution that everyone capable to do. Therefore, less worries!

However, the research says that there must be consistency. The elders who only maintained the routine of walking for six months had no significant trends, but others who maintained for twelve months show visible changes.

Then I began to think of myself. I do like to walk, but I only walk occasionally. This might sound like an excuse, but in Taiwan I don't have much opportunity. In Hsinchu you can't walk to subway stations--because there is none! I can't even walk to school since it is too far away and it will take too much time in a busy daily  schedule. Well, I think I should make more excuses for going out and walk, instead of making excuses of why I can't.

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Satanic Rapists.

(I apologize for the blunt, shocking title.)

In Russia, a medical student has lead an organization, named the "Noble Order of the Devil", worshipping Satan for about seven years, and finally in February he was arrested and put to trials.

The "rituals" of the organization were decadent and involved sexual abuse and violence against minors.

Then in July, the head of the organization received a 20-month prison term.

Now here is what I am not so content about. I think 20 months is not enough. First of all, the worshipping was done for seven years. Imagine how many women he violated during those seven years? And most of the women were still minors, which adds oil to the flames. I also read an article describing a similar incident--except that the act of murder was involved instead of rape, and the victimizer was charged a sentence ten times heavier. The head of the "Noble Order of the Devil" and his assistants might not have murdered anyone, but the crime of raping minors shouldn't be taken "too easily".

This might lead to a slightly different topic. What I'm deeply concerned about are the continuing lives of the victims. When a person murders someone, a life is gone, it is stolen. I think the same thing goes for rape. Though the victim is still alive, he/she might suffer trauma for the rest of his/her life. His/her life is stained and damaged, but he/she still has to continue wander around society with her soul-less flesh, diabolic memories attached to it and haunting him/her.

However, since the victims in this incident ARE still alive biologically, and are still young, there are chances that they can heal their seemingly permanent scars, and get back to their peaceful lives. Therefore, what I really want to say, is NOT that rape=murder,and  is NOT that the sentences for murder and rape should be eqaul. What I really want to say is that rape should be taken seriously as murder and should be charged with a more appropriate penalty.

Original Article [1] [2]
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