speaking_my_mind

I have to be somewhere by a certain date before a certain time, so is trying to bid on a ticket from Priceline not an option?

Are they still good? I didn't refrigerate them and they are about 5 days old.

I made a presentation in Open Office Impress and saved it as a .ppt file. Now when I try to open it either on my laptop with Windows XP or my desktop with Windows 7, Open office gives this message "General Error - General Input/Output Error". I can't open the presentation with Microsoft Office 2007 either because it can't read the outline and no text converter is installed for that type of file. I even tried renaming the user folder in Open Office. I spent so much time on that presentation and I don't have enough time to start over. Please help; thank you.

I know a lot of people say horoscopes may seem accurate because they are very broad; but I've seen a few very specific predictions come true. At the end of 2008, I read my 2009 horoscope and it said I should be careful on a major purchase. Well, I paid cash for a car and now I'm going to have to get rid of it because the repairs cost more than the car is worth. I read my sister's yearly horoscope for 2010 and it said she would have gastrointestinal problems. Well, she got food poisoning and was throwing up and had diarrhea for a couple of days. My 2010 horoscope said that a lover from my past would contact me. I had two ex-boyfriends contact me so far this year and I hadn't talked to either of them for a year or two. I'm usually not a superstitious person; but now I'm afraid of the horoscope predictions of me getting sick in March and running up a high medical bill, having legal troubles in the summer, having a surprise in my sex life in the fall (i don't know what that's supposed to mean), also facing injury by car or animal in the fall, and losing a bodily function later on in the year. There are some good predictions like getting a settlement or inheritance (a lawsuit was filed a few years ago for my father's death), getting a lot of money but regretting it (i know that's not exactly good), getting promoted, and finally finishing a project I've been working on for a long time (I'm trying to put an album together). I know this sounds stupid; but has anyone else had very specific horoscope predictions come true?

I just got my first speeding ticket ever. I went to the Municipal Court and the judge told me if I pay the fine (which is basically pleading guilty) my license will be suspended. I asked him, "For one ticket?" He said yes and that I should get an attorney. I can't find the law concerning CDL drivers getting their licenses suspended for speeding tickets. I did read on two websites that it takes 2 violations within 3 years. Is there any way I can get rid of my CDL because I haven't used it in almost 2 years and don't plan on using it again. I only used it for a few months in the first place. I don't qualify for community service, defensive driving, or deferred adjudication because of my CDL.

I bought my computer with Windows Vista January this year and then I heard about the release of Windows 7 soon after. I thought since Vista was released in 2007, it would be Microsoft's latest OS for awhile; it's not like I would've been able to wait for the Windows 7 release anyway. I really want to upgrade to Windows 7 because Vista is slow and I have 3gb of RAM (3.5 is the max for 32 bit) and a dual core processor. Windows XP ran faster on the Pentium 4 processor and 512 mb of RAM I had on my previous computer. I've heard that Windows 7 is much lighter. I emailed Microsoft and they told me to call their pre-sales department. Do you think if I ***** and complain, they'll give me the software for free or for a very low price? I don't want an illegal copy.

I bought a car in April which had its transmission rebuilt December of last year. When the car was cold (been sitting for awhile), the rpm would go way up and the car would struggle to switch gears. I took the car back to the shop because the repair is still under warranty; but they said that there's nothing wrong with the transmission. They said the problem was electrical and that they needed to do a diagnostic test which would cost $189. I'm not sure if places like Auto Zone do the kind of diagnostic tests I need; but I do not want to pay $189. Is there another option or does anyone know what the problem could be? My belt and tensioner do need to be replaced. The car is now running kind of sluggish before it warms-up.

Conservatives and Republicans have criticized Barack Obama for attending Rev. Wright's church for 20 years while at the same time praising Mitt Romney. I believe I have this right, Mormons view the president of their church as a prophet and the sole spokesperson for God. Brigham Young interpreted the passages in the Book of Mormon to mean that people of African descent are the descendants of Cain and are also under the curse of Ham. Descendants of Cain have the curse of black skin, those who rebelled against God were cursed with black skin, and Ham's descendants have dark skin because they lived in a hot climate. After reading several passages from the Book of Mormon and other LDS books, those don't seem like loose interpretations while the Holy Bible makes no reference to black skin being a curse although people have interpreted Bible passages that way. Since that time, blacks were barred from the priesthood, Endowment, and celestial marriage. People of African descent were also viewed as spiritually inferior; but that the day would come when blacks would enjoy the same privileges. Instead of saying that previous interpretations were erroneous (because that would throw-off the whole belief that LDS leaders are prophets), Kimball said he had received a revelation from God to extend the priesthood to all worthy male members. This was in 1978 and Mitt Romney had to be around 36 at that time. For 18 years of his adulthood he followed a religion with racist policies and I haven't heard him say that past LDS presidents were wrong for their policies when asked, just happy that the day had come when the policy was changed. Is the difference between him and Barack Obama time?

I always see that Fox News has the highest ratings out of the major 3 cable news stations; but I saw something confusing this morning. CNN said that it has the most viewers. I didn't understand the Nielsen system, so I googled if either one of their claims is true. I found out they are both telling the truth. Fox has the highest average number of viewers per minute because Fox has personality driven programming, so people tune in for a whole show. CNN has the most viewers total on any given day because their viewers tune in for only 6 minutes or so for an update on news. I guess that's why I prefer CNN because I just want the news, I listen to enough political commentators on talk radio. So, do you think Fox and all of its viewers are misleading people when they brag about Fox's popularity? http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2005

I'm thinking about buying this older laptop with no OS. From the specs, I'm guessing it probably originally ran Windows 2000 or Windows XP when it first came out. It has a Pentium III 800 Mhz processor and 128 Mb of RAM. I have never used a linux based operating system, so I'm looking for something that would be easy for a Windows user to adjust to. I'm pretty computer savvy and I usually learn a lot pretty quickly about electronics without reading the user's manual, so I don't need something extremely simple. I know Ubuntu now requires at least 256 Mb of RAM, so what is my best option? Also, should I go with gnome or kde? I would prefer a good amount of functionality; but it's not all that important because I will mainly use my desktop.

What is the cheapest option for a portable internet device, new or used? I am just looking for something that can tether to my cell phone or connect to a wifi hotspot, be able to view web pages easily, and watch videos online; I don't need a full-sized laptop.

I live in San Antonio, Texas and I only have 3 options in my area for becoming a peace officer: San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), AACOG Peace Officer Academy, and San Antonio College Law Enforcement Academy. I just want to work at an area municipality or suburb, school district, San Antonio Park Police, or a college. In order to get training with SAPD, I would have to be employed by them and that requires good credit which I don't have. AACOG is a private academy where you have to pay money out of pocket; but the cost of attending is close to $3,000 after tuition, books, supplies, and uniforms. San Antonio College also has an academy which is only $346-480 per level depending on the level. The Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG) only pays up to 50% of the tuition. I can afford half of the tuition; but I can't afford to buy books, uniforms, and gear for training. I know that all career training loans are credit based and I have no one to co-sign. Are there any other financing options out there for career training? Should I ask for sponsorship from one of the smaller police departments in my area since they don't have their own academies? I'm pretty sure that federal government grants and student loans do not cover career training because I called San Antonio College, which is a community college, and they said TPEG was the only financial aid available through them after filling out a FAFSA.

http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/nismart/01/ns4.htm...

Think back to the past 10 or 15 years. Can you, off the top of your head, name (the child's name, not a description of their case) close to as many boys as girls whose cases got extensive coverage (more than one day coverage) on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, or any other national news show (not your local news)? I decided to ask my question this way about the disparity in coverage amongst different missing persons cases after reading similar questions. If I talked about the disparity between different races, people would say I'm playing the race card; and if boys got more coverage than girls, people would probably call me a FemiNazi because I'm female. Does the media just care more about little girls, do they THINK that America cares more about little girls, or do they KNOW that America cares more about little girls giving them a reason to believe that these stories will get higher ratings?

I'm not a car enthusiast or a mechanic; but I don't understand why people complain that certain consumer magazines are biased against American cars. I also see Korean cars ranked near the bottom along with a lot of European models. Hondas have the lowest depreciation rate in the U.S. (they hold 44% of their value) and Chrysler has the highest depreciation rate in the U.S. (they hold 25% of their value). I believe the resale value has mostly to do with how well a used car is holding up and a car dealership will price their cars accordingly; it's called the free market. I also read a report from Consumer Reports a few years ago that ranked the Buick Century as the most reliable mid-size sedan. These reports are surveys of people who own the cars and they report how many problems they have had. I also go to the KBB and Edmunds websites and read car reviews so I can make an informed decision on my next purchase. From what I see from those reviews; there is more of a consensus on the reliability of Mazdas, Hondas, and Toyotas than GM makes, Hyundais (including Kia), and Volkswagen. Also, I believe that Ford is in a better position than GM and Chrysler because their cars are overall much more reliable; Chrysler is doing the worst and they make the worst American cars in general. Every make has their good and bad models; but Ford is now ranked near Toyota in reliability. I don't really see with people's actual reviews, rants and raves from people I know, and real resale values that these reports are biased. When reading Consumer Reports' 2008 study on used luxury cars, there were hundreds of comments on AOL that the study was biased. Lincoln was the only American make listed as a reliable luxury car, how many other American luxury cars are there? The only other one I can think of is Cadillac; the others they were complaining about not being listed were near luxury or premium makes. People also confuse initial quality with long-term reliability. Why would consumer magazines rank American cars high in initial quality and turn around and rank them in the middle on reliability? Not all Japanese cars are ranked highly, Nissan and Mitsubishi also have models ranked near the bottom.

I'm on a really tight budget right now and I need a gun quickly so I can get a better paying job as an armed security officer. I can't wait for my student loans or my tax return next year. I've been to several pawn shops and all of their guns are expensive, they are even selling used Hi Point guns for $200 when you can buy them new online for $150. I really don't want to pay the $50 fee to have the gun transferred to a gun store and I'm not sure I want to buy a Hi Point; I can't have my gun jam when I need to protect myself. I also went to a few gun shops and their guns are also expensive. I have less than $200 to spend right now. If you know of a pawn shop or a gun shop that has inexpensive used guns, please let me know, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm looking for at least a 9mm caliber or higher and it doesn't matter if it's a revolver or a semi-automatic. Thank you.

... and I mean guns with real bullets meant to kill. After looking at some questions on here to see which gun would be best for security, I saw several responders who thought security officers couldn't or shouldn't carry guns. Armed or commissioned officers are required to take 30 hours of training in order to become licensed to carry a gun in Texas. Also; there are certification courses for security officers to carry batons, pepper spray, and handcuffs. Some companies require their armed guards to pass a psychological test first. Almost every security company requires an officer to have a GED or high school diploma before they are hired and they cannot have any felonies or certain misdemeanors on their record. Many security officers are former military or law enforcement and some are currently peace officers, but they are supplementing their income by working security. Many U.S. military bases started contracting out their security needs to private security companies so they can deploy more of their MPs. The military bases pay their guards $18-20 an hour which is more than what most entry level police officers make. Airport security officers aren't much different from mall security officers. Armed security officers protect federal government buildings and local government buildings. Bodyguards or personal protection officers are nothing but level IV security officers. The federal government had a huge need for private security officers after Hurricane Ike in Texas and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana because they wanted people's homes and businesses to be protected from looting. I know of one security officer who was killed recently, one who had to kill someone to protect himself, and one who was assaulted. Security officers are very much underpaid. I do admit that there are many dumb security officers; but I have also met many dumb police officers. You don't need much brains to become a police officer in my area. Security guards are not rent-a-cops, they are a form of crime deterrence. Police officers cannot be everywhere at once and they cannot respond as fast an armed officer who is already there ready to shoot any violent offender. So if you don't appreciate the use of "rent-a-cops", call your congressman or congresswoman and tell him or her that you don't want anymore of your tax dollars wasted on security officers at courts, social security buildings, other government buildings, the airport, or in your area after a natural disaster. Tell the owners of the stores you shop at that you don't mind if prices go up due to shoplifting and your bank that they don't need security either.

I'm a 22 year old African American woman, so I'm looking for a bar with a diverse crowd. I listen to almost everything except Country and Tejano (no offense to anyone who does). I don't like clubs because I don't like dancing. Thank you in advance.

Just because polls are saying that Obama will get more than 90% of the black vote, conservatives on the news and on the radio are saying that blacks are just voting for Obama because he's black. Some blacks may be voting for Obama just because he's black; but Kerry got 88%, Gore got 90%, Michael Dukakis got 90%, and Walter Mondale got 90% of the black vote. Bill Clinton got over 80% of the black vote in both of the elections he had won. So why are conservatives disturbed that Obama will get more than 90% of the black vote when the unpopular, current president is a Republican? Shouldn't this be expected? I believe that Hilary Clinton would also be polling over 90% among blacks if she were the nominee, she did have more black support than Obama at one point during the primaries.

I've heard people say that they are going to vote for Obama because it's time for a black president, he speaks so well and is so charismatic, Republicans are racist, or because McCain is a grumpy old man who probably suffers from Alzheimer's and is going to die soon. On the other side, I've heard people say that Obama is Arab, he's a Muslim, he's a terrorist, or they'll never vote for a black person. I'm sure McCain was embarrassed that he had to correct his supporters at his latest townhall meeting on their ignorant comments and I'm embarrassed as an Obama supporter that some people are just voting for him for reasons that have nothing to do with being a good president. I no longer wonder why President Bush was elected twice.

Taxpayers are going to pay over $1 trillion to bailout AIG, Fannie and Freddie, and banks. If the government decided to split that $1 trillion amongst 300 million Americans, each American would get $3,333. Each spouse would get that much and they would get that much for each dependent. People could catch-up on their mortgage payments, pay down credit card bills, make a down payment on a house, make a down payment on a car, invest the money, or do a lot of spending. I figured that would have a direct effect on the stock market since retailers, car dealerships, and the housing market would see a lot more money coming in. If the government would've started earlier, households could have the money by the holidays; an average family of 4 would see over $13,000.