Are You Judged By The Company That You Keep?

Growing up, my parents always taught me that you can tell a lot about a person by the friends that they keep. I remember my grandfather always saying, “If you hang out with garbage, you start smelling like trash’. Through the years I have found this to be mostly true. It is no secret that people tend to judge you by the company that you keep.

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That being said, I can’t help but equate these statements to the people on our facebook friends list. The people that you allow on your facebook friends list can and do say more about you than you realize.

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If the comments left by friends on your posts reflect a particular type of personality or image be it good or bad, it is most likely thought that your own personal character or image mirrors the same.

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I will be the first to say that there is nothing wrong with having a diverse friend base but I would also have to question one’s personal character when it comes to the comments and posts that they tolerate and allow to grace their facebook for all to see.

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Thus, if there’s even the slightest opportunity for another person to make a decision on you based on those you engage with via social media platforms isn’t it perhaps wise to look at those you engage with and decide as to whether they serve a purpose or are likely to impact on you without your knowledge, either positively or negatively?

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Here are ten personality types that could affect your popularity or otherwise online

see how many you can identify and whether it’s time for a little spring cleaning?

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The Creator

his person creates content and shares information and ideas in a positive way. They’re happy to share their experience and you can learn from them, or make valuable contacts through them. These are great people to have in your network as they’re warmly received by others too and tend to create for themselves a virtual community with common interests or ideals.

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The Activist 

Always ready to fight the cause, no matter how near or far away or how relevant or otherwise it is to their everyday life. Social media has given them a voice and they intend to use it. While you may be entertained, or even agree with their sentiments on occasion, do you think you’d like your fans or followers to believe that because you’re friendly online that you share their views?
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The Joker

They can be entertaining at first, but a stream of jokes that range from funny to daft to offensive with little of substance in-between will eventually bore or offend you enough to remove yourself. The trick with this one is to decide if the occasional giggle is worthy of the more usual humorous updates of their taste.
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The Friend

This is the person who makes the effort to get to know those who’ve followed, connected with, circled or liked them – and not just for whatever’s in it for them. They take an interest in people and are great for building networks. These people are great connections to have, as undoubtedly they’ll go to great lengths to introduce you to other likeminded souls and they’re quite likely to take the community offline too developing real-world friendships too.
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The Spammer

They auto-tweet on the hour and share every single update from their favorite website with you, even if that particular website boasts hundreds of thousands of followers for a reason and they’ve got ten! They rarely create any original content of their own, but are quite happy to chat about anything and everything in between sharing the work of others.

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The Know-all

Think of a topic and they know all about it. Doesn’t matter that their professional expertise is in one area, they know all about everybody else’s business too – and they make sure that everybody knows just how great they are.
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The Nice Guy
They enjoy some light banter but never try to sell you anything or force their opinion on you. They’re not caught up in growing their numbers, preferring to log on occasionally and have a chat before heading back to their offline world again. These are nice connections to make, never controversial and enjoyable company online when they appear.
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The Guru

The term “guru” in somebody’s bio or info section should send out alarm bells in itself, but if they’re a social media guru with 20,000 tweets and 54 followers there’s something seriously wrong. Same goes if they’re a “guru” in one given topic yet updates cover almost anything except their area.

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The Complainer

Big fans of naming and shaming, they complain openly about customers when a deal falls through or about another business who don’t want to air their dirty linen in public and have expressed a preference to professionally take the complaint offline. Then they try and encourage all their social media “friends” to join in the chat too!

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The Follower -

They follow everybody they come across and when they’re not followed back, they unfollow – even follow a second or third time, in an attempt to make sure that they’ve been noticed. They also go to the trouble of telling you on your facebook page that they’ve liked you – and just where they can find your page so you can return the favor!

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The very nature of social media lends itself to research on businesses and individuals with so much more information available in the public domain than ever before. If you are therefore going to consider forging a connection with another, is it reasonable to assume that you’ll be judged not just by what you say but by your interactions with others too? And more so than the mere interactions, will you be judged by the types of people you interact with?

Aerial Photos - Not Just For Large Real-Estate, or is it?

I’m sure most of you have seen aerial shots used for photographing large pieces of real-estate such as large tracts of commercial property or housing developments. Apparently this particular camera angle has also become the popular choice for personal photos.

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Click through any social networking page such as facebook and you will see the aerial shot being used by many females as their choice of photographs. I started noticing this trend a few years back but I never really thought much about it, until recently.

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The more I started seeing it, the more I wanted to find out about this growing trend. I started doing internet searches regarding this trend and what I found is, it seems that this particular camera angle is widely used by the larger set gals and those interested in showing off their breasts.

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In the case of the larger set gals, this particular camera angle tends to not show the extra real-estate being carried which some gals feel creates a more flattering photograph. On the flip side of the coin, this shot tends to accentuate the real-estate being carried on one’s chest.

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Whatever the case, it appears that this camera angle continues to remain the preferred angle for large pieces of real-estate. That being said, perhaps some of us more fortunate guys should start using this angle for photographing the real-estate carried below our belts.

Knowing Too Much Can Be As Bad As Knowing Nothing

Well now that the issue of Pink Slime in beef has come to light and all of the sudden everyone is just sickened by the use. Many retailers and fast food establishments have vowed to not use products containing the Pink Slime.

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I hope everyone will be ultimately satisfied when the price of beef doubles or even triples due to your need to Know-it-all. My point is that this Pink Slime has been in beef for years and it hasn’t killed any of us or even made us ill. All of the sudden because it made it to main stream media, everyone is just sickened by it.

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Come on people, how about you get over yourselves? If we knew of EVERYTHING that went into the preparation of our food we would all stop eating completely. You could go to any restaurant, including your highest end establishments and be appalled at the processes in the very kitchen that your meal is being prepared.

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Due to the Pink slime being taken out of ground beef it is reported that 1.5 million more cattle will have to be slaughtered to make up for it. If you think that beef prices aren’t going to skyrocket, then you need to get your head out of Wonderland, Alice.
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The American People as a whole, in my opinion is making their need for know-it-all a total detriment to the very society that they think that they are protecting. It’s so sad that so much effort isn’t being put into job performance, parenting skills and unity.



Related Story:

Could banning “pink slime” be bad for the planet?

Housing Projects - The Rule Rather Than The Exception

The Housing Project concept has overstayed its welcome. It's time they were all dismantled and made a thing of the past. For many of the residents they have become the rule rather than the exception.

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What started out as an admirable government program has turned into a way of life for generations of families. Public Housing Projects has been around since 1935. Originally built to house the poor, Public housing in its earliest decades was usually much more working-class and middle-class and white than it was by the 1970s.

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Through the years Public housing has become synonymous with crime and drugs. Although there are still those that use public housing as nothing more than a stepping stone until they can afford to support themselves and their families. Many manage to make it a way of life for generations.

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You can go to Anytown, USA and find the local public housing projects riddled with crime and drug traffic. That is why I say that this program is more of a black eye and a hindrance to the communities at large than any positives that they can contribute.

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The City of Louisville is on the right track with the elimination of such housing projects as Park Duvalle, Iroquois housing, Clarksdale and now the Sheppard Square Housing. These areas are being revitalized with more viable and appealing [non-slum] residences.

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It's a sad situation to have to eliminate housing just to give someone that extra push to better themselves but I say let’s keep the ball rolling and make them all a thing of the past. This is a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to controlling crime but in my opinion a major stride.

Some People Give Primates A Bad Name

News Link: A 78-year-old Ohio man was severely beaten by group of youths -- who during the attack shouted, "this is for Trayvon,"
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News Link: Dozens of teens rampage through a Walgreens store, destroying property and shoplifting as part of a Trayvon Martin demonstration.
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Since when did it become acceptable to commit a crime in the name of justice? Oh yes, I guess when it’s a particular oppressed group of individuals it’s okay. This is nothing more than giving a handful of criminal minded individuals a reason to justify their less than human tendencies and need to act like animals.

There are no doubt good and bad in every group.  It's horrible that it only takes the actions of few to cast such a shadow on an entire group.
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I could go on for days about this but I will just leave it as the title says,--

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 “Some people give primates a bad name“.- and that's all I have to say about that.

Anonymously Involved Against Crime - Take A Stand

You’re at home alone and there is someone lurking around your house with intentions of breaking in. How upset would you be if you knew that a neighbor watched the whole thing unfold but did nothing because they didn’t want to get “involved”.

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People opting to not get involved is becoming an ever growing trend across the country. My questions is, WHY? Why does someone have to be a victim themselves before they see the importance of watching out for one another and making the effort to stop the criminal in his tracks.

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The anonymous crime tip line is the best way for those that don’t want to get involved. You do not have to give your name or have an officer to even contact you regarding the information that you give. With the ever increasing crime rate, people cannot afford to not get involved if they expect to feel safe in their own surroundings.

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I encourage everyone to take a firm stand against crime and utilize all of the resources available by local law enforcement to report a crime or even anything suspicious. When it comes to protecting family and friends against being a victim of a crime, there is no information too small or insignificant.

Health, Wellness & Prosperity. It’s All Psychological

Those who know me well, know that I am a firm believer in the power of the mind. The Power of Positive Thinking, if you will. That being said, I truly believe that a person can actually control their health and well being by merely thinking it and believing it.

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A thought is reality in its infancy, and if we can think ourselves sick, then we can certainly think ourselves well. This is no mystery. Worrying about work, relationships, money and finance, health, and issues about fitness can cause prolonged tension, stress, and the inability to relax, resulting in unmanageable anxieties. This weakens our health.

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It takes courage to face life, with all of its responsibilities and dynamics. Without courage, it is easy to doubt ourselves rather than thinking about the intended goal. Many people worry more about getting ill than living. So the first and the most important first step is your stance on life.

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You must take a Warrior’s Stance.

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Like a warrior, take a firm stance on life. Your intent on winning and succeeding will guide you through the difficulties in life. Stamp your foot on the ground and say aloud: “YES” to life. Of course you want to live, however that statement is ordinarily not affirmed with conviction. This solid commitment will realign not only your subconscious mind for success but your molecular structure as well and will strengthen your overall health.

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Having a strong stance on life will help you view things in a more creative and positive way. Viewing things this way will clarify what methods will be best for you. A strong stance, a clear viewpoint and an appropriate method will surely improve the quality of your life and relations, and you will find yourself free of problems before you know it.

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When you have an ailment such as a headache, cold or minor pain you must take control. Say unequivocally that you WILL NOT be held hostage by this minor setback. Forge on and firmly remind yourself that YOU control your life, its actions and reactions. Once you get that mind-set then you will begin to see major differences in your life and your health.

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I make these statements with great conviction because I do these very things on a daily basis. I believe it, I say it and I live it. You can too!

Sunny Day Fans Come Out Of The Woodwork

Since I'm not really a dedicated sports fan I feel like I can say this.   What is with all of the "Sunny Day Fans"?  You know, the ones that never mention a particular team or a game until a Championship is won, then all at once they are die hard, team color bleeding fans.

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The recent NCAA Championship win for the Kentucly Wildcats is a perfect example of what I am speaking of in this blog post.  I don't think I have seen so many "Sunny Day Fans" come creeping out of the woodwork to claim victory as I have with this Championship win.

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Every water cooler conversation and facebook status update is inundated with comments like "That's MY team, That's My Boys, My Team is awesome, My team this and My team that and so on.  I find it to be quite hypocritical myself, but hey who am I to say.  This is just my most recent observation that I just had to blog about. 

Going one more step on this topic is the "fans" that in their undying attempt to defend the chaotic actions of their fellow cheerleading fans they rant and rave with such vulgarity and hate that they remove any chance of being thought of as a respectable fan that they are trying to be in defense of in the first place.

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I believe Mark Twain said it best, "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt".

Walking The Line Between Celebration & Chaos

I am as much about celebration as the next person but when it turns to crime and chaos then that’s over the line. Such is the case in Lexington where University of Kentucky fans are burning couches, pulling up stop signs and even pulling the fire hose from a passing fire truck to use as a tug of war rope. To “celebrate” their NCAA Championship win.

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As if the state of Kentucky needs something else to highlight idiocy and lack of class. These over zealous partiers should be made an example of by being jailed and fined as much as the law will allow. I know it may sound as if I’m a party pooper or a Debbie Downer but when you destroy property and put the lives of others in danger for pleasure then it becomes a crime and should be dealt with accordingly.

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So as not to sound as if this is the prejudice rants of a Louisville fan, I want to make it perfectly clear that my opinion regarding the celebratory chaos holds true for anyone involved in such madness. The evening that the Louisville Cardinals made it to the Final Four fans took to the streets in the same manner as in Lexington. I say, if you can’t behave then you need to be held accountable.

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In my opinion, these are the same types that were claiming to be the 99% during the Occupy Movements across the country. These types are always looking for a reason to justify their lack of intelligence.

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I’m sure everyone has an opinion on this very topic. I would be quite interested to hear anyone else’s take on this.

Respecting The Badge Should Not Be A Question

Being connected to every news source possible and an avid user of social media, I see many comments made by the general public when it comes to our local police department. I’m not going to mince words here when I say that I am completely pissed that so many have such negative comments about our first responders.

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I think many forget that first and foremost, police officers are human. That being said, yes there are going to be a few errors in judgment in some situations. On the flip side of that coin I also think that many also forget that when put in the situation that officers are often put into, sometimes a split decision needs to be made. In the field of law enforcement, hesitation in decision making can mean serious injury or even death for an officer.

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Secondly, I have to lean on the side of the police officer in their decision making and actions when it comes to dealing with the criminal element. Until we have walked in their shoes on any given day none of us have the right to pass judgment on their actions. I think that many tend to forget that in a typical day most people have jobs or activities that for the most part they are safe and will return home to their friends and families.

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In the case of a police officer, it is not a guarantee that when they hit the proverbial clock to begin working, they will come home. What starts out as a simple traffic stop can quickly turn into a deadly situation for an officer with little to no warning. There have been many officers killed in the line of duty, just for the simple fact that they are police officers.

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Another issue that I have noticed is that persons on a lower socioeconomic level tend to have a complete dislike and disrespect for law enforcement in general. This is a growing trend that has been backed by many studies. I’m not completely sure of the reasoning other than according to several studies, many with a lower socioeconomic  status are not always on the right side of the law in all that they do which equates hate for “the man”.

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As I wrap-up my ramblings I would have to encourage everyone that before you blast an officer, until you have walked a day in their shoes you might want to rethink your harsh opinions and comments. Remember, they chose that career to serve and protect you. Let them do it without regret.