My Lament of an Instructor

Posted on September 7, 2011 by mmunson

There is a reason why I believe educators should not have permanent tenure, Robert Carlton at Chaffey College is one fine example why. Its ironic that I could do very well compared to how I performed in his US History Class at Chaffey, at UC Riverside in courses that dealt with European History and Argentine History I may of struggled, but the courses were not exactly hopeless. Sadly I need three more classes to finish so I can meet the prerequisites for a Social Science 6-12th grade credentialing program even though I have a BA in Political Science.

It is great that the instructor took initiative against the high cost of textbooks, but reading public domain fiction about historical periods is not the way I want to learn. I took a gamble and I roll my die wrong. I would be eager to remain in his class if it was based on the lectures only and not based on the historical fiction. I would of rather had Professor Carlton teach a class in the English department instead.

If you have a real good memory to remember the esoteric facts in the historical fiction, then Professor Carlton’s class is for you. If you are an English major this class is for you. Heck, I would of rather had the professor use Howard Zinn’s a People’s History instead. At least we would learn more useful facts with Howard Zinn than Sinclair Lewis and Edith Wharton could ever do.

As someone who is gradually turning liberal after being a teenaged Rush Limbaugh fan, I do like the instructor’s lectures. However a study guide would have been appreciated for the historical novel tests. I did read the book Age of Innocence, but not everyone has a memory of a rolodex to know that Silerton Jackson was the society gossip master. Its going to cost me 110 dollars for me to CLEP History 1865-present, a very costly mistake.

Even though I will likely drop his course, I have one suggestion for anyone who intends to stay. Form a book club and go through the books together each week so you can understand the novels better.

File Under: Stupid Laws

Posted on August 28, 2011 by mmunson

At my workplace we are required to ask for ID on products such as puffy paint and certain types of fabric paint. Even though you can not spray it on walls California regulations ask for retailers to check to make sure the buyer is 18 and over. I know some children are not doing this for vandalism reasons, but it seems in California there are too many laws.

PENAL CODE SECTION 594-625c is the place where we can find the reason why the 14 year old girl can not buy this product on her own.

Read Your Bank Statements

Posted on August 28, 2011 by mmunson

I usually never open my bank statements because I get scared about the lack of money in my accounts at the time. However Bank of America is charging a $5 replacement ATM or Debit Card fee each time you ask the bank to replace an ATM or debit card effective September 12th.

As a customer I do not ask for a new card over and over because I like the new card feeling. However when the signature panel is worn out from being used often, I might want to replace my card a year earlier than the three year period banks typically issue them.

I am on the Road to Progress

Posted on August 3, 2011 by mmunson

After graduating from UC Riverside I was on the road to nowhere, but now I am moving slightly to my goal now. I passed 2/3 of the CSET subject exams for Social Science educators and I have the world civilizations exam to finish up while I need to finish up three more classes for my pending admission to Western Governor’s University.

After finding out I passed my US History exam in January, I was looking at schools to apply to. Cal Poly Pomona was wanting prior experience, but most of the places I was looking for prior experience with youth wanted prior experience. While Western Governor’s University wanted me to take more classes so their students would be fully experienced in the content that they would teach in the classroom. I decided to consider WGU as my school of choice for my goal to enter the education field.

My first class I took after 9 years away from Chaffey College was Sociology, a survey class in the fields of Sociology. I ended up getting an A in the class. After being removed from the formal classroom setting even though I took some online classes to see if I should be an accountant or office assistant in 2007 I realized that was not for me.

Sociology was fun and informative, but I had to take the meat and potatoes of my reinstruction. World History prior to 1500 was a good class to take, it was with one of the regular history professors at Chaffey College and it was a summer class where I had to go Monday thru Thursday 2 hours a day. Professor Cruz did a decent job in trying to jam pack several thousand years into 23 plus sessions of class. I was pleasantly shocked that I earned an A- in the class. I did not test well on the midterm earning a 77 percent, but on the final exam I went with a vengeance and earned around 96 percent to help get my grade to a nice finish.

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Banking Quest: Better to Bank With the Bastard You Know

Posted on August 2, 2011 by mmunson

Due to the declining interest rates and increased regulation on the banking industry, the free checking accounts are basically history. Even if you have direct deposit, that is not enough in today’s era of banking.

Bank of America decided to add a minimum direct deposit requirement on its popular MyAccess checking account product where you have to get a minimum deposit of $250 in a statement cycle else the bank will invoice your account $12. Even if your part time job gives you a $238 paycheck twice a month you are in effect screwed.

Luckily I have not been given 2 paychecks under $250 in a statement cycle yet, but this policy can screw part time employees royally. I would like to see a provision to say $400 in a month or $250 in 1 check at least.

I wanted to switch to a big bank because of the vast ATM networks they provide, but that ended up being a lame idea. I liked the idea of Wells Fargo and the minimum $100 in direct deposit in a statement cycle. However with my employer, they end up mailing a check to your mailbox as soon as you deactivate your previous bank, and I would rather not go through the hassle. And when I tried to activate a different account class, the student checking account the local branch would not let me even though I have proof of my current status so I basically said, I would rather have the hundred bucks I withdrew from my savings account back in.

All is not lost with Bank of America customers there is one last option if you are one of those part time workers affected by their change. If you find out that your employer is not going to schedule you for not that many hours consider this option. E-Banking is a new product from Bank of America. No monthly service charge when you choose online paperless statements, and make your deposits and withdrawals online or by ATM, without a teller, otherwise the charge is $8.95 per month.

I guess I should of went with Ally Bank’s checking account product instead. At least I could of received 8.3 cents a month for my balance in my account, and get standard bank checks from them for free.

I guess this ends Bank Quest for awhile.

I been with Bank of America for the last ten years, but maybe I guess I am theirs until they really screw the pooch on me.

Borders Is Dead

Posted on July 19, 2011 by mmunson

Borders, the former leading bookseller before Amazon became popular in American society is finally pulling the plug. I previously wrote about the topic earlier about how the stores in Montclair and Chino went goodbye, but now the surviving stores such as the location at Rancho Cucamonga’s Victoria Gardens is going to shutter because the company’s bankruptcy reorganization plans failed.

If you are a bargain hunter they will likely do a store closing sale very soon at the Rancho Cucamonga branch.

Sadly Borders forgot to adapt to the times compared to Barnes and Noble.

Thank You to Dennis Saunders for the tip.

A Question For Compassion

Posted on July 15, 2011 by mmunson

In today’s economic times people are suffering. I still may not be making six figures. However others are struggling to be making any money at all. The bus after my history class drops me off near a working class neighborhood and since I forgot to eat breakfast I decided to visit El Polo Loco.

I got approached by a destitute woman saying that she needs food because she has diabetes and needs something in her so she does not get in diabetic shock. Well I may not be wealthy, but when I try to do good for others I get fearful that people will more likely use the money for beer or anything that is not as savory like the unemployed man saying he wanted to yard work for my father, but ended up taking $90 from him and did not reseed his lawn for him.

It is the same thing when I see the stories of all the abused animals on Facebook. I would love to help all the poor creatures I see, but I can’t logically help them all. Maybe I need to have a compassion fund. $10 just in case if I see another poor soul begging for food. Then if no one asks for money from me, I could use the money for sick and helpless animals or use it for my family’s problems.

I know it feels dirty that I gave her cold silence, but I just wanted to be left alone. I would like to do the right thing. However if I did the right thing all the time, I would be just as destitute as that woman.

Rocket Scientists for Minimum Wage

Posted on July 12, 2011 by mmunson

The economy is bad like turd festering in a pile of flies. It is no longer a job seekers market and employers are now the kingmakers. An acquaintance of mine got rejected for not having enough experience, but she had four years as a clerk at 2 clothing stores and a movie theater.

When the bowling alley told her she did not have enough experience, but what experience do you actually need for an entry level position at a bowling alley? a community college certificate, a Masters Degree, being laid off from a school district.

It just seems absurd what some employers tell job seekers as their statement for rejection, when you already have experience.

Craig’s List Horror Stories

Posted on July 10, 2011 by mmunson

I wanted to sell my previous mobile phone (BlackBerry 9700) for more money like $125-140, on Craig’s List like how I sold my BlackBerry 8900. However reading these stories about these two crimes makes me feel better that I used a service like NextWorth to dispose of my phone for a modest amount of cash.

Most people are decent and honorable, but there is always a golden turd that will be there to rain on your parade to steal your goods and try to get a five fingered discount off you such as these two recent stories dealing with mobile phones and Craig’s List.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man and a teenager this week they say has committed at least five robberies since June 10.

Victims told investigators that Daquan Anthony Call, 19, of Victorville, and a 17-year-old Victorville boy placed ads on Craigslist.com advertising Apple IPhones and IPads for sale, according to a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department news release.

Call and his alleged teenaged accomplice would then make arrangements to meet with the victims, according to the news release. When victims arrived to buy the gadgets, two men – one of them armed – would arrive and demand the victim’s cash and cell phones.

Sheriff’s detectives say the scheme – which was first reported June 10 – netted Call and the teen about $4,000 in cash and stolen goods.

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Ontario, California Fireworks Regulations are Pointless

Posted on July 5, 2011 by mmunson

Even though there are signs printed throughout our city stating that fireworks are illegal to set off even if they are safe and sane, people are still detonating them. Fireworks are even for sale at booths near the Ontario Mills mall. I know people could go to cities that allow them and bring them here even though it is illegal, but if its illegal in Ontario then the Ontario Police needs to buddy up with the fire department to seize the fireworks sold in Ontario such as the ones sold at the Ontario Mills parking lot.

If people want fireworks go to a professional display. Not everyone wants to hear stuff going off until July 5th.

Also we should have bomb sniffing dogs on duty on the California agriculture inspection station for 10 days leading to July 4th so we could seize all the illegal fireworks entering our state from Nevada. This is one issue that we need to work with our county supervisors and our state legislators. Perhaps the fines from all the morons who smuggle these explosives should break even the cost of staffing the station.

For 2012, the Ontario police needs to go on undercover arresting sprees to go after the violators perhaps just like how they arrest people who shoot guns in the air on New Years Day. Why spend the money on the signs when the regulations are not being enforced?

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Life in the Inland Valley

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