I want to say thank you to all the soldiers that do such a great job fighting in foreign lands against the bad guys who hate us.

I have been fortunate to know several soldiers. I never served myself, and at times wished I had before college and family. I have also been fortunate, that non of my military friends have ever been lost. The US truly has the best army in human history. That will probably change very soon with China’s massive army attaining comparable technology to ours. But for now, we are safe because brave men and women keep us that way. They fight over seas so we don’t have to be in harms way on our own soil.

My closest contact in the army is a sergeant that entered service right out of high school. He is a gung ho very tough kid. Has won 2 awards for spotting IED’s while on patrol in Iraq. In case you are unfamiliar with roadside bombs, terrorists bury them and they are nearly impossible to see prior to being on them. So his knack is quite valuable. Usually when a solder comes back from a tour, he is anxious to get back into the fray to help his fellow brothers in arms. Most are very polite and humble after a tour. Not so my friend, he wasn’t very changed, instead was very enthusiastic. He spent most of his money buying gadgets in the army store. He had some pretty cool devises like a fully loaded army watch, laptop, video camera, stereo system and such. The army these days isn’t like it was in the 40’s. They allow soldiers to be much more comfortable. They even allowed his drum set to be shipped over to Iraq.

One day he will transition out of the Army. Rest assured there will be plenty of patriotic young Americans to replace him in the fight for freedom. There are 3 options for a soldier leaving the army. First don’t leave at all, since jobs are a bit hard to find right now. Second, use the army resume builder to apply for positions within the government. Third, enter the private sector backed with the skills and education they acquired from the military.

Brad Pitt left Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie. Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol. Robert Pattinson might be going out with Kristen Stewart. Hollywood celebrity gossip is a pastime that never ceases to fascinate and entertain. It’s to the extent that now a whole industry is based on giving you the low down on what’s up with people that are more famous and good-looking than you, full of magazines like People and Star and people like Perez Hilton who run gossip websites.

But why do we care about Hollywood celebrity gossip so much? One celebrity allegedly hooked up with another one. Did they or did they not? It could be one or the other, no one knows, so what was the point of bringing it up in the first place? It’s because we’re talking about celebrities here. Take a statement like, “There either was someone shopping at Beverly Center or there wasn’t.” That would be a completely inane statement. But saying something like “Jessica Alba was shopping at Beverly Center but it could not have been” is ten times more interesting and meaningful. A mundane activity like shopping suddenly becomes exciting when a celebrity is involved. Maybe there’s an element of fantasy to it—celebrities in our society are like the equivalent of heroes in ancient civilization, but when it comes down to it, they’re people too.

People are people. They eat, they sleep, they shop, and they can be nice or make mistakes. But being a celebrity dramatically enhances all of these aspects for better or for worse. The world loves you, and wants to look like you, or to meet you, or to be like you. On the other hand, make one small error and the world judges you mercilessly. And people are gossiping about you all the time.

Some researchers have suggested that gossip functions like a social adhesive. It’s evolutionarily advantageous for people to know what’s going on in their environment. Does Hollywood celebrity gossip really contribute to building social relationships? This is somewhat feasible—Hollywood celebrity gossip is a hot topic that enlivens any conversation and gives people something in common to discuss. Ironically, paying so much attention to someone else’s more glamorous life might actually be a way of paying more attention to your own. Regardless, it remains debatable whether celebrity gossip is really worth following, but in any case, Hollywood celebrity gossip is unlikely to fade away anytime soon as a popular activity—you have to admit that it’s fun, and people like to do fun things.

In this day and age more and more people are becoming aware of crime and potential predators. A great deal of this is due to the media and what is provided online. It certainly isn’t like it was in the past. Fortunately now days pretty much anyone with online access can perform criminal background checks on anyone they choose. While some people may find this intrusive and possibly even offensive, others feel it is their right to know. Now, you should stop for a moment and think about the people you work with and live next to. How well do you really know them?

Criminal background checks are literally performed every day by employers all across the United States. Naturally if a company is considering hiring you, they are going to want to know a little about your past beforehand. This only makes sense, because no one wants to hire a convicted felon. That’s just life! Having stated the obvious, what about the other reasons people perform criminal background checks? Maybe you have considered doing this in the past. There are convenient websites that assist you with performing criminal checks. It just costs you a monthly fee to utilize their database. If you stop and think about it, criminal background checks are important for many homeowners living in common residential neighborhoods. Especially if you have children.

If you have ventured out to purchase a new home lately, you may notice that part of the modern home-buying process involves criminal background checks. At least if you are interested in knowing who your neighbors are. It may be a consideration if your neighbor was recently a jail inmate. Just ask your realtor if any registered sex offenders live in a specific area. They will look this up for you and report back since you’re their client. Clearly this can have an impact on whether or not you decide to purchase a particular home. With the current online technology at our disposal, it is pretty darn simple.

Some areas offer free criminal background check websites. For instance, maybe your county allows you to hop online and research any registered sex offenders within 10 miles. You will be emailed about any updates if you choose to. This is actually a wonderful way to get informed regarding criminals living near your home. Again, if you have children, you should want to know who all is living nearby. This way you know who to keep a lookout for around your kids and where they should not be allowed to play. Isn’t it time you took advantage of the valuable information at your disposal? Access one of the several websites that perform professional criminal background checks and learn more about who is living in your community. You will be glad you took interest.