New Morning, A New Day

Comparison of the Criminal Justice System | United Kingdom or United States | Who has the better one?

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 15:39:00 +0000

This is a paper I wrote for a sociology of crime and justice class recently. I'm quite proud of it, if I'm being honest. No one has the perfect criminal justice system, but there are countries that have a much more effective one than the United States. This paper goes into that, with sources cited at the end (credit where credit is due).

The purpose of this paper is to distinguish the differences between how the United States criminal justice system (CJS) compares to that of England. Considering the United States based a few things on where we emigrated from, it comes as no surprise that there are similarities. In this paper, I want to explore the differences in how criminal justice is exacted as well as attempt to investigate the crime rate of each country. There will also be comparisons of how television has portrayed the criminal justice system in both countries to see which is more accurate. The question for the reader will be this: Which country has the better criminal justice system (CJS)?

While researching this paper, similarities were found between both the United States and the English Criminal Justice Systems. For example, they both have branches/departments of the CJS, though that’s where some similarities end. Both countries have a police force, courts, and corrections departments, however the initial research shows that, the English seem to go more in depth. The United States has a police force, courts, corrections; England has police, the Crown Prosecution Service, courts, National Offender Management Services (prisons and probations), and Youth Justice Boards (Youth Offending Teams). At first, there was no evidence of a Juvenile Justice System; at this point, more research is needed.

The Ministry of Justice encompasses the Crown Court, Appeals Courts, Legal Services Commission, and the National Offenders Management Services. The Ministry of Justice oversees the court process from start to finish and it is responsible for a plethora of divisions, as well as prisons and probation.

The Home Office oversees the police force and Attorney General’s Office which, in turn, oversees the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, and the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office. The Home Office is also responsible for protecting the public from an assortment of happenings, ranging from terror to anti-social behavior. In an ideal society, this helps to build trust and security with the people and allows the people to flourish. This division is additionally answerable for wrongdoing and wrongdoing decrease, implementing the law, and forestalling illegal intimidation. The Home Office seems to be a unified police force which, upon further reading, the United States is not.

The Attorney General is assisted by the Solicitor General, the chief legal advisor to the government. Their purpose is to make certain the law is upheld by the people. They also have public interest functions like acting in appealing unduly lenient sentences.

In short, the Criminal Justice System in England is to convey equity for all by indicting and rebuffing the liable and aiding those seen as liable not to offend once more. They additionally serve to secure the honest, just as are answerable for wrongdoing recognition, dealing with that wrongdoing, and doing court orders.

The United States has three separate branches in their Criminal Justice System: a police force, the courts, and the corrections system. It does not have the unified system of the United Kingdom.

The American police force is a civil position that enforces the laws and attempts to maintain public order at three individual levels: federal, state, and community. Examples of federal police forces include, but are not limited to, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). These organizations have a director to answer to who, in turn, answers to a higher government official. Federal police organizations are the departments who investigate drugs and firearms trafficking.

The U.S. has smaller police forces, as well. Each state has a state police department and highway patrol. Within each state are counties, which also have their own police department. Within most counties, are cities and towns that have their own police department. Based on initial research, the United States seems to take their policing very seriously if they have so many different police departments to join.

The Courts system has the position to settle on choices dependent on the law. The U.S. legal framework is separated into government courts and state courts. Federal courts (which include the Supreme Court) handle federal cases that have issues like exchange debates, military equity, and government claims. Federal court judges are chosen by the President with consent from Congress. If both entities are unable to agree, they work together to find a candidate until they can.

State courts differ from federal courts in that they handle trial courts, appellate courts, and state supreme courts. Most non-criminal cases are tried in trial courts sans jury: the judge presides over the trial and provides the sentence. Think of the programming on Court TV where there is the judge, the plaintiff and defendant in front of the judge, and the bailiff and that would be a close comparison to how a non-criminal case would go. Another phrase for this type of case is a civil case. Additionally, one could cite the police procedural, Law & Order. Each episode runs the same as previous episodes in that a crime is committed, the investigated police officers track down the perpetrator, and then the perpetrator is taken to court. They’re usually provided a public defender, unless the defendant has the funds to procure their own legal representation. Evidence is provided to the judge and jury by the prosecutor and defense attorney and the jury deliberates in private on the findings and whether or not the defendant is guilty or not guilty.

The Department of Corrections (DOC) also has two individual areas to their department: the prisons and the jails. The main difference between the two is that jail is a temporary situation whereas prison is more permanent. When someone is sentenced or placed in jail, it’s typically for something minor like running a stop sign or being intoxicated in public. Prison is the sentence given to those found guilty of criminal offenses such as drug trafficking and murder. According to a graphic by Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C., the United States has the largest incarceration rate – 655 per 100,000.

Furthermore, similar to courts in the U.K., the courts in the U.S. depend mostly on past legal sentiments as definitive points of reference when settling prosecution. In the U.S., these are frequently referred to as "opinions" or essentially "cases," while the expression "law report" has gotten to some degree ancient. For legalization, the U.S. has two incorporated government bodies, the House of Representatives, and the Senate (together, known as the Congress), which are like the Places of Parliament. Every one of the 50 states in the U.S. can have two senators, while representatives are apportioned relatively dependent on each state's populace. To turn into a law in the U.S., a bill being talked about should be endorsed by a larger part of both legislative bodies, and afterward endorsed into law by the President.

Lawyers are also somewhat similar. “Barrister” and “solicitor” aren’t normally used in the United States; they are however, used “across the pond.” Once an attorney has passed the bar exam in and for the state of their choosing, they have free reign over the type of law they choose to practice. Court-going barristers are what the U.S. would refer to as “litigators” and solicitors are known as “corporate” or “transactional” attorneys; this means they are spoken to and about by their specialization (like health care, real estate, etc.).

The U.K. is very particular about the education of their lawyers and attorneys in that law students are required to take additional courses as well as apprenticeships post law school. In the U.S., law students attend classes from a three-year course from an accredited college or university and, once all course are completed satisfactorily, they are awarded a Juris Doctor degree. As previously stated, once they’ve graduated from law school, they can take the bar exam in any state they choose as well as practice whichever type of law they prefer.

The more interesting differences occur in public law. The United Kingdom doesn’t have a written constitution, but they do have an “unwritten constitution” that are put down as Acts of Parliament or law reports of the court’s judgements. It’s more of an abstract idea which contains various laws, practices, and conventions and their evolution over centuries. A substantial one is their Bill of Rights (ratified in 1689) which cemented that Parliament was over the Crown; this came into existence the year King James II was replaced as King by William III and Mary in the Glorious Revolution.

There’s the Magna Carta from 1215, which is also known as the “Great Charter of the Liberties of England.” This document set up that their rulers, during the time of their king, couldn’t do as they liked; they were confined to obey the laws as well. This put down the base for the constitutional government and freedom under the new law. They also restrict judicial review, which is the “power of the courts of a country to examine the actions of the legislative, executive, and administrative arms of the government and to determine whether such actions are consistent with the constitution.”₁

In the United States, part of our country’s historical separation from England involved the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Anyone who’s watched Hamilton can get a good idea of what happened during the early years of our country and then, hopefully, become inspired to learn more. During the 20^th century, most areas of law were “constitutionalized” by multiplying the act of judicial power. The U.S. also has that complex system of government, both at the federal level and the presidential level; the U.K. only has the parliamentary level of government. It’s somewhat understandable why the United States wouldn’t want to adopt the exact doctrine of policing that the United Kingdom does. If it does that, then why even distance and separate us from England in the 1770s? The American colonies wanted to be a new, independent nation, and none can deny the thrill of that emancipation from matriarchal rule. However, there are plenty of ideals and procedures to take note from.

One can understand why the early colonists decided to separate from England, but what England had in place as far as government organization as well as the judiciary level, seemed a good enough idea to base our own ideals. This is why there are so many similarities between the two criminal justice systems and why, for some, it’s difficult to come to a solid conclusion as to which one is best. It may come down to the crime rate of each country and basing one’s opinion solely on that.

The year 2020 was an off year worldwide, so going solely based off crime levels from 2014, the U.S. rank 16% more than the U.K. People’s fear of violent hate crimes in the U.S. are 20% higher than those people in the U.K. The fear related to the worry about one’s car being stolen, and items being stolen from one’s vehicle are 32% and 41%, respectively. When it comes to feeling safe walking alone at night, the U.K. ranks 21% above the U.S.; this is the highest “out-ranking” the U.K. has. ₂

In the early stages of law, order, and punishment in the American colonies, there was a lack of knowledge. There weren’t many judges or lawyers, but as time went on, colonists elected officials to keep the peace. They would pass their own laws per colony and their governors acted as their judges. At this time, civil and criminal cases occurred in each other’s courts, which kept juries very busy in handing out the result of their deliberations. By the 1790s, there were more lawyers using British rules and procedures. After dealing with the British during the American Revolution, some Americans wanted to create a new legal system they could call their own. This was the start of the current legal system practiced by Americans today.

One of the most obvious differences of the criminal justice system between the two countries is their police force. As previously mentioned, the U.K. has a country police force whereas the U.S. has several levels of police force just within each state. It has been learning while researching this paper that the American police force tend to use – maybe even overuse – militarized tactics. When compared to how it’s done “across the pond,” one finds that they don’t use as much excessive force and allow time and space to resolve an issue. While aggressive tactics have seemed to be a part of normal policing in the United States to completely remove a threat, the U.K. attempts to first speak and communicate with those at the center of an altercation or situation. They believe it’s better to reduce a threat instead of intimidating or assert dominance.

The events of June 2020 sparked a debate worldwide concerning the police in the U.S. The American people were questioning their police force and government for allowing their police to use deadly force; it was stated by The Washington Post that other countries “including may in Europe, the police practices that are causing outrage in the United States are either entirely banned or are far more strictly regulated.”

According to Paul Hirschfield, an associate professor at New Jersey Rutgers University, crisis intervention and de-escalation “tends to be an afterthought” when it comes to training the police force. Other nations have more training in how to de-escalate a situation without having casualties or fatalities. The military tactics of the American police force does the opposite of making its people feel safe; the American people are petrified.

Having mentioned what transpired during the summer of 2020, it’s good to note that there are plenty of countries that have a fantastic police force that the United States could learn a thing or two from. For instance, while this research paper isn’t about Europe as a whole, there is a level of restraint that is a standard for all of Europe. There are countries where police officers are required to request permission to use their weapon to shoot anyone. In another country, police officers must provide verbal warnings and warning shots before succumbing to the act of using deadly force. Using deadly force is against the law in most of Europe; it’s only been recently that a small fraction of states outlawed it.

It’s been shown in other countries when recruits have more time allotted for training (say, two and a half to four years), more time can be spent training recruits how to not use deadly force and, instead, focus on crisis intervention and the de-escalation of a bad situation. If part of new police training involved how to properly respond to domestic violence and how to disarm a potentially deadly situation, the cases against police officers abusing their power may drop. The U.K. police aren’t permitted firearms when investigating cases or “walking the beat.” In this case, it’s emphasizing how we use our words instead of our hands. Parents and teachers are constantly teaching children to use their words and not their fists: when did this stop being important as adults?

There seems to be a lack in empathy is partly why the police-related deaths in the U.S. is so much higher than other countries. Other countries, for the most part, seem to have an overall proper and good criminal justice system when it comes to their police force. Not all countries have a perfect police force however, if the U.S. used the good ideas from other countries, the police force would then be better. In 2019, the United States recorded 1,000 deaths caused by law enforcement; in the United Kingdom in 2018, there were three: THREE police-related deaths.

Another difference between the police force of the United States versus the United Kingdom is that the United States has a law enforcement system that vastly decentralized. This means that most of the roughly 18,000 law enforcement departments across the country are run at either the city or county level without any federal authority overseeing the action taken by these 30,000 police officers. The police force in the U.K. (England and Wales) have only 43 departments and are under the thumb of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, which is an independent department.

There has been some debate over whether putting in place an Inspector General of Police at the state level would solve any problems. This suggestion was provided to former President Obama in 2014 after a police shooting of a black teen in Ferguson, Missouri; unfortunately, Michael Brown died after being shot. The way this position would work would be the same as it does in England; they observe police powers to guarantee they are maintaining a specific arrangement of rules and guidelines and cutting the financing of those that don’t. Additional recommendations were made included setting up a National College of Policing and a database of dismissed officers. This database would assist future police departments in not hiring offending officers. Unfortunately, all of these remained as recommendations and were never put into action.

In conclusion, when it comes to which country has the better criminal justice system, it seems to be a draw. There are aspects of the U.K. system that seem very ideal and the same can be said for the U.S. This paper has touched on the few differences and the many similarities of the criminal justice system (CJS) of both countries. In this researcher’s opinion, the CJS in the U.K. may seem the fairer route. When it comes to the United States and the United Kingdom attempting to work together to create a better, more just and fair system, it seems the U.K. is frequently let down. The U.S. is like a spoiled, entitled child who would rather watch the world burn with policies and procedures that used to work than take into consideration other options of what’s already been established to work.

At this rate, the U.S., still a relatively young country, will slowly go down the drain as one of the worst policed countries worldwide. The resistance the U.S. has for change may have to do with the age of the United States and the size of the overall population of the country. Countries in the United Kingdom are smaller and easier to manage because they don’t cover as much territory; they also have fewer political personalities to worry about. Countries in the U.K. have older, bloodier histories, whereas the colonized United States doesn’t. The U.S. has only had one civil war (North vs South) however, Europe has had countless battles and wars over land and property.

Lumen Learning (n.d.). Introduction to sociology. Retrieved February 04, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-introductiontosociology/chapter/the-criminal-justice-system/

C N Trueman "The Criminal Justice System." Retrieved February 04, 2021, from historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 25 May 2015.

Syam, P. (2014, April 07). Major differences between the US and UK legal systems. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://onlinelaw.wustl.edu/blog/differences-between-us-and-uk-legal-systems/

Blackburn, R. (2015, February 09). Britain's unwritten constitution. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/britains-unwritten-constitution#

The Week Staff (2020, June 08). The differences between British and US police tactics. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://www.theweek.co.uk/107187/american-british-police-tactics-difference

Serhan, Y. (2020, June 10). What the world could teach America about policing. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/06/america-police-violence-germany-georgia-britain/612820/

Glendon, M., Lewis, A. D., & Kiralfy, A. R. (1998, July 23). Comparisons of modern English, American, and Commonwealth law. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/common-law/Comparisons-of-modern-English-American-and-Commonwealth-law

Tidal Wave of Emotions

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 17:19:00 +0000

I was doing just fine this morning. It was business as usual. I was releasing some photo orders this morning when, out of nowhere, a tidal wave of emotions hit me.

I have no idea where it came from. The sea was calm, nothing dusturbing it. The next thing I know, I want to break down and cry. I'm still kind of feeling that way as I type this.

Chester popped into my head. He's been gone 6 weeks. I've stopped crying as well as listening to the title track of One More Light. It must be hitting me harder than I thought because I have no explanation for the high emotions from earlier this morning.

I need to get an LP tattoo. I've always wanted one (since the late 90's when their first album dropped) and I think it will help with some closure. I've never been affected to this degree when a celebrity passed away. I thought I was okay, but I guess I'm not.

Six more hours of work to go. I can put on that customer service smile and none will be the wiser of how I'm really feeling inside.

I miss you, Chester.

.
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Gah, why is this still affecting me?

The Mom Your Children Need

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 20:40:00 +0000

I feel terrible that we can't do all the extra things that other parents and kids do. On numerous occasions, Bella has brought home flyers for stuff that she'd like to do. Most of the time, we can't do any of them due to work schedules.

I work two jobs to make sure that we can have the things we need be it new glasses, clothes to replace the ratty stuff, new shoes because our feet are growing at an alarming rate. I just want to make sure that the kids are happy with what they have. I hope they're never want for anything.

So, I'm trying to get a beauty YouTube channel started. I pick up things to test and review and create content with. This does not go in front of my children's needs. You ask either kid if they're happy. I'm 98% sure both will tell you, "Yes." You ask either kid if there are things they wish we could do more often or things they'd like to have. They'll both tell you, "Absolutely." Wanna know what else they'll tell you? They'll tell you that they understand that we can't always do the awesome and fun things. They understand that we don't always have the money to do stuff all the time. They UNDERSTAND that so long as we're together, everything is perfect.

My family is wonderful. My kids are fantastic. My daughter is creative. My bonus son is passionate. My husband is amazingly supportive of me, his son, and our daughter. I couldn't ask for anything more, really. A lot of the other things will come in time and when it's right. We'll get a break one day and we'll be appreciative of the experiences that we've had to get to that point.

Terrible Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:30:00 +0000

I wrote this awhile ago on my Phelan page on Facebook.

I had a terrible dream the other night--- this is what became of it

by Phelan W. Moon on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 1:18pm

"I wasn't running my mouth again, I swear!"

He raised his hand to strike her again. She shielded her face, but wasn't able to protet her back. He knew she didn't like to wear clothing revealing her back, so it was his favorite place to hit her. He brought his hand down only to stop just before making contact; quickly he moved and picked up a rolling pin, bringing it down on the middle of her back. He could see her fat rolls jiggle and the sight delighted him.

Amanda screamed. Tears stained her face through streaming eye make-up, her face looking like a morbid mime.

"What have I told you about running your mouth off?!" screamed Nathan.

"But, I didn't! I was having a conversation with my friends!" These two statements took several pained breaths to get out; he'd beaten her pretty badly already and that last one was still in the single digits.

"A conversation about me," he replied.

He'd gotten her there. She had been complaining to her friends, Mayra and Victoria, about the n ature of her marriage and where it had gone wrong. She had no idea when the regular beatings started but they'd always been there it seemed. What she found odd was that very few of them were alcohol induced; he just liked to beat the hell out of her. Mai and Tori were trying to help her leave when Nathan arrived home early from work.

Now, it seemed he was going to kill her before she'd have the chance to walk out the door.

"I can't leave you out of my sight!" he screamed, as he continued beating her. "Looks like I need to have you looked in on while I'm at work."

Nathan cornered his slightly overweight (okay, pudgy) wife into a corner and again raised his hand to strike her. He suddently felt a need that out-weighed his desire to follow through. He walked to the bathroom, closed the door while keeping it cracked to keep an eye on her, and took a piss.

He enjoyed seeing her on the floor, broken and beaten, writhing in the pain that he'd just delivered to her. 'That should teach her,' he thought to himself.

He decided that Kory and Jesse would be good candidates to drop by during the day to make sure Amanda wasn't doing anything stupid to get her in trouble again. Though, part of him would keep wishing that she would fuck up and then he could beat her again. He made the decision to talk to the guys about visiting arrangements later.

Amanda noticed a smirk of satisfaction on his face and, when he wasn't looking, attempted to bolt for the door. Her plan was to get out of the house and to the third house down: Victoria.

"Ugh, it stinks in here!"

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:55:00 +0000

I overhead this in a public restroom at a local retail grocery store. If you think it stinks that badly, then don't use it and wait until you get home. If you really have to go and can't wait, then shut the fuck up and real with it. You're only in there for maybe two minutes.

Bah, humbug

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:41:00 +0000

I despise Valentine's Day. I don't like how it's celebrated. I think that people shouldn't spend all of this money on that special person on just one day. Why not take the entire year to celebrate that person? Sure, it's nice to receive flowers or something for Valentine's Day, but, c'mon people! Why give in to this?

Last year, retailers made something like $16.3 BILLION on Valentine's Day sales. We're in a recession, too, so it's hard for me to wrap my head around this. Are men spending this money (and studies show that men end up spending nearly twice as much as women do) to make up for being complete and total assholes the rest of the year? Why are women spending an average of nearly $70?

Power Color -- I'm not sure

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:15:00 +0000

http://blogthings.com/whatsyourpowercolorquiz/

Red-Orange

At Your Highest:

You are warm, sensitive, and focused on your personal growth.

At Your Lowest:

You become defensive and critical if you feel attacked.

In Love:

You are loyal - but you demand the respect you deserve.

How You're Attractive:

You are very affectionate and inspire trust.

Your Eternal Question:

"Am I Respected?"

Historical Figures Admired

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:45:00 +0000

A couple of these historical figures are past presidents. One of my favorite presidents was Theodore Roosevelt (he hated being called "Teddy"). He was more than just a man's man, you know? He was the first president to travel OUTSIDE of the United States to get something done. He was a nature conservationalist.

I also liked Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. I didn't realize how much I liked how these past presidents until a recent history class. They've helped me realize how strongly I feel on certain subjects and I've found comfort with a political party. That party will never be elected to the presidency, but I can still have my goals. My current favorite is running in the Republican party; he's originally Libertarian. I don't agree with a lot of what he's done since he switched, but he still has some Libertarian ideals. We'll see what happens.

I love the literary heroes, too. Dante, Shakespeare, Shaharazad, Angelou and so many others. Their stories filled us with the recipes for good imagination. What little girls dream of with knights in shining armor. The little boys who want to be the badass. All of these aspirations come from stories inspired by these writers.

I never thought that I would put politicians and writers in the same entry about admirable figures, but things tend to change as we age.

Things I'd like to change about myself

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:31:00 +0000

I'll try to at least list five things I'd like to change about myself or my life.

The first thing I'd like to change about my life is being a better saver and saving every penny I made. If I was smart and I didn't constantly buy stupid shit (that I don't even HAVE anymore), I'd be better off. We wouldn't be where we are financially. We'd be better.

Myself? I need to drop 10-15 pounds and get toned in my abdominal area. I really wish my old RDC lived close-by; we used to go the gym together after we had our babies. I miss going to the gym with her. I always felt great and I was able to increase reps and weights in the two months that we were going. I was feeling stronger and better about myself.

I'd like to read books that aren't just about the paranormal or romance books. I tried one sci-fi book a few years ago and it was okay, but I haven't gone back to the genre.

I need to finish what I set out to do. Today, for example, I started laundry; only two loads. I have the basket sitting on the bed while I'm doing this blog as well as playing Forsaken World on my hubby's laptop and PC (my character is on his laptop and his character [or "toon" as they call them] is on his PC).

Definitely need to eat before doing any kind of shopping at Walmart, too. I really need to work on that, too.

Our wedding day

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Though I was very happy to marry my best friend, the entire day was nothing short of a lot of angry tears. It's a sore spot, to say the least. The pictures say that we're happy (and we were) the there was a lot of animosity toward my mother from me, my husband, his mom, and grandmother (sadly, the only members of his family able to attend our wedding). I still hold some of that anger toward her, especially now as my younger sister is planning her wedding. My mother wasn't really involved with things once we got there (we were living in California but got married in Colorado). I mean, she did a lot of the legwork for me, but I saw more of my mother-in-law in the bridal room than my own mother. She was hanging out in the chapel chatting it up with people instead of being with her oldest daughter as she got ready for her wedding. I'm willing to BET that she'll be there with my sister, whom she's always favored over me.My wedding seemed more like my mother's wedding.

I walked away eternally bound with my husband, in the presence of my close friends and family. Our ceremony was wonderful and was probably the only that turned out exactly how I wanted.

Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:41:00 +0000

This year, I'd like to accomplish:

1. Getting to my goal weight of 145 pounds.

2. Graduating from the local community college with two Associate's degrees.

3. Add another 60 pages to my novel (I've only been working on it since 2004).

That's really it. I figure, keep it small, keep it manageable, keep it ATTAINABLE.

GPS

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:44:00 +0000

If you had a GPS that gave you life directions, where do you think it would take you?

From this point in my life, I think my GPS would direct me to finish my degree (two Associate's) and find a better job. If my GPS worked in 2003, it would have told me to not spend my money on stupid shit and have as much as possible put into my Thrift Savings Plan. If I made those two decisions, I think I (we) would be much better off.

5 Qualities

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +0000

I always have difficulty with posts like these, so here goes.
1. I'm compassionate.
2. I have conviction.
3. I'm willing to give anyone a chance.
4. I have passion.
5. I'm a total sap.

Does that work? =/ I hope so. Like I said, I have trouble with posts like this.

Not resolutions, just goals

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:06:00 +0000

Resolutions is just another word for goals. To me, goals are much more tangible and attainable than resolutions. Many people make resolutions for the new year and rarely achieve them (be honest-- when was the last time you achieved and stuck with just one of your new year's resolutions?). Making goals for yourself are more often than not easier to accomplish.

Resolution: I'm going to drop at least 50 pounds this year!
Goal: I'm going to lost 50 pounds this year through diet and exercise.

Yeah, they don't always sound like that, but a LOT of resolutions have to do with weight loss. Let's face it-- we're a fat country. Unfortunately, not many of those who make this resolution will make it. They'll have a strong start, but it will peter out and then they'll get discouraged when they don't see the weight indicator on the scale move down. They'll see it move up instead. What a lot of them don't realize is that muscle weighs MORE than fat.

Don't jump all over me for calling us a fat country. I'm over-weight and I've been struggling with it for a long time. I finally figured out that I need to drink less soda and more water. I don't exercise as much as I should.

Something else that will help in achieving your goal for the new year is to pace yourself. Making a chart on poster board works really well for this. Working with the weight loss goal, figure out how much weight you can loss healthily. This is normally about a pound a week. Then, figure out what you're eating and drinking. Keep a journal for about two weeks as this will give you a good idea about what you're putting into your body. Also write in that journal whatever kind of physical activity you do (from walking to vacuuming to cleaning, etc.) and for how long. Research online to find out how many calories one can burn from each activity and how long one has to do that activity to burn however many calories you want to burn.

Back to the chart. Each day, find out which unhealthy thing you're eating or drinking and try to substitute it with something healthy. If you don't like vegetables, here's one tidbit that may help you swallow them. Your body burns more calories digesting the vegetable you just ate than there are calories in the vegetable. Get lost? Say that a raw carrot is 42 calories. Your body will burn more than 42 calories to digest that rw carrot.

Making small changes to your diet and daily routine will help you lose the weight you want to lose. Going by the one pound per week, you can easily lose 50 this year. I think you'll find that within six months, you're feeling better.

Good luck with your goals this year!

Ringing in the new year

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:20:00 +0000

I'm pretty sure I work that day. We may try to watch the ball drop on television, but when my mother-in-law tried that last year, the local channel switched to something the locals were doing instead. It's very possible they'll do the same thing this year. Not much else, really. We've never been big on ringing in the new year.

Snow.. I hate the stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Snow is pretty to look at, sure. After driving and walking in it, slipping and sliding through it, not to mention shoveling it.. well, you find that you are disillusioned about it. It's just pretty to look at but honestly you don't want to be anywhere near it.

I've spent most of my life living in places (won't say states as I've lived overseas) where there is snow nearly every single year (and not always during the winter!). I was stationed in San Diego, California for several years with my husband, and I quickly became accustomed to "snow-free" winters. It rained for the winter season and I'm cool with that; just no "fluffy" white stuff.

We re-located to Denver (where I left for boot camp) and stayed with my mother for a couple of years. The first year we were there, the snow wasn't too bad. The second year was terrible; blizzards. After that winter, we decided we were going to leave Colorado and leave the snow behind.

We move to northeast Texas where it snows only once per decade and it had already snowed the winter before. We thought we were good. We weren't. It snowed that winter in northeast Texas. I still hadn't changed out my all-weather tires so I was good to get to work, it just sucked a lot.

Eventually, we will be in a place that NEVER snows and we will finally be happy.

Favorite Childhood Toys..

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:39:00 +0000

I had one of those cars that you push down on, pull back, and let go. It was red and I loved it. I played with Barbies from time to time, but my sister played with them more than I did.

Thinking back, I used my imagination a lot more. My favorite pretend game was TMNT. There were always dirt piles (for construction) near to where I lived and we ALWAYS played there. Those were some really fun times; sometimes I wish I was a kid again.

Santa..

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:51:00 +0000

I believed in Santa until I was about 10 years old. My sister and I received roller skates for Christmas one year. I was snooping in my parents room and found the boxes for them as well as leftover wrapping paper the next morning. I doubt Santa would wrap the gifts when he got there and so my belief was gone.

Family holiday traditions

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:15:00 +0000

When it was just living with my family growing up, we would open one gift on Christmas Eve (this gift was ALWAYS pajamas) and then everything else the next morning. My sister always played "elf" with my mother; I always liked getting surprised the next morning.

Now that it's me, my husband, daughter, and bonus son, we have several more traditions. We're keeping the one gift on the Eve (both Solstice and Christmas) and one of those gifts will always be pajamas. On the morning of Solstice/Yule, we and the kids open 2-3 gifts. On Christmas morning, everything else is opened. A tradition that my husband's family has is tree presents. Just a few small, wrapped gifts that are hidden inside the tree's branches.

The stocking tradition with my family was fun, I think. We always had two red apples and two oranges in the "foot" portion of the stocking. The rest was filled with practical items (new toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) but it was also filled with smaller fun stuff. Since it was just my sister and me, it was pretty easy to fill our stockings each year.

Now, it's our daughter and bonus son. Our daughter is five, so it's pretty easy to do her stocking. The Boy (as we call him sometimes) is twelve, and is a bit difficult for us. He's not quite old enough for those Old Spice or Axe gift set things, but he's too old for action figures and cards (Pokemon, Yugioh, etc.). It's tough. We figured out something and hopefully the kids will enjoy what they receive this year.

Holiday baking

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:56:00 +0000

I started a new tradition with my daughter this year. Each holiday, I make a pumpkin cheesecake and she helps me make it. She pours in most of the ingredients and mixes them up (after I do a run-through first). She loves helping in general and gets a really big kick out of helping with the cooking and baking. Any time I see a picture of baked holiday goods, it brings to mind her helping me.

Winter Memories?

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:25:00 +0000

This memory really isn't all that happy, but the memory that I think of most from childhood was Christmas 1989. We were stationed (Air Force) in western Germany and we flew to the U.S. for the holidays with my mother's family. Long story short, my mother wound up between two parked cars (she was getting baggage from the trunk of a car we rented) and her sister "hit" her with the car she was in front of. CAR-MOM-OTHER CAR. "CAR" was our rental and "OTHER CAR" was the car her sister was in. "OC" was a manual transmission and her oldest sister leaves it in gear. Her middle sister (Mom is the youngest of three) never does. Her middle sister turned on the "OC" and it lurched forward. Both bumpers hit both knees and the license plate hit her left knee.

She required 3 screws to keep the knee in place and has had arthritis ever since. It's not a super happy memory but it's the most memorable one.

Contemporary Yule/Solstice Traditions

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:22:00 +0000

While we may not go all out for Yule and Solstice each year, we open gifts and celebrate on the Winter Solstice. I've researched a little bit on the contemporary traditions.

Neopaganism

As forms of Neopaganism can be quite different and have very different origins, these representations can vary considerably despite the shared name. Some celebrate in a way as close as possible to how they believe Ancient Germanic pagans observed the tradition, while others observe the holiday with rituals culled from numerous other unrelated sources including Germanic.

In Germanic Neopagan sects, Yule is celebrated with gatherings that often involve a meal and gift giving. Further attempts at reconstruction of surviving accounts of historical celebrations are often made, a hallmark being variations of the traditional. Groups such as the Asatru Folk Assembly in the US recognize the celebration as lasting 12 days, beginning on the date of the winter solstice.

In most forms of Wicca, this holiday is celebrated at the winter solstice as the rebirth of the Great horned hunter god, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. The method of gathering for this sabbat varies by practitioner. Some have private ceremonies at home, while others do so with their covens.

Finals are done!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:27:00 +0000

I took my last final for the semester. It's not one of my favorite classes nor is it one of my better classes. I feel like it's going to be a C test, but I'm hoping for a C for the entire class.

I managed a B for my online class, Cultural Anthropology. This grade is much better than I originally expected.

Yesterday, I took my finals for College Algebra and Physics. I think I'm going to manage a B out of my math class and possibly a C (a B if I'm lucky) out of my science class.

Next Monday starts a mini-mester and only goes until January 3rd. I'm taking Business English, but I have a feeling that it's going to be cancelled due to lack of enrollment. There aren't many classes offered during the mini-mester.

Hopefully, things will work out.

Holiday To-Do list?

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:30:00 +0000

I don't have much planned between now and the end of the month. I've already finished the gift shopping and nearly everything is wrapped. The tree goes up next week. I have a final tomorrow and then a mini-mester class starting next Monday (providing it's not cancelled due to lack of enrollment). I've also got work. I need to talk to personnel about my schedule, though. I submitted a change in availability a couple of weeks ago and it didn't take. I get to talk to someone about that tomorrow.

Some prompts for later...

noreply@blogger.com (Ezraiya) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Is there something you said you'd never do, but did it anyway? What happened?
Do you mediate? Does it help to relax you?
What does the holiday spirit mean to you?
Is there a toy you couldn't live without when you were a kid?