Is It Necessary?

How important is a college education?

I remember a time during the 80s when many Americans have downplayed its value. They said that practical knowledge and skill, coupled with hard work, can lead any person to financial success.

I have no qualms about the formula for success that they have created at that time sans a college degree. Many have indeed made it big without having undergone a formal education. Even some of the world’s renowned scientists and artists are high school or college dropouts.

I remember having a serious conversation with my mom before my high school graduation about this topic. Although I was already bent on going to college, I discussed with them the possibility of joining a friend of mine in immediately working in an insurance company where his dad was a director. Of course, the suggestion was met with a frown. She gave me a litany of reasons on why I should disregard the idea of working immediately after high school.

One of the reasons that stuck in my mind was the alleged fact that all of our relatives (mom’s side) were college degree holders. I found that quite hard to believe. However, I had no means back then to check the veracity of her claims. Maybe I’ll try to run an ancestry background check on our family tree. Who knows, I might find something that I could use to tease mom :)

I have no regrets in forsaking the job offer at the insurance company and enrolling immediately in college instead. My four years in the university have greatly changed the way I see things. My impulsive attitude was tempered, and my thirst for learning quenched. I’m more confident now that I could make it in any endeavor because I have a liberal arts degree to back me up.

Like a Sponge

I’m sure I’ve already emphasized before the importance of conducting a background check on the existing and potential nannies of your children. Not only do nannies have a strong influence on your kids, they’re also virtually the latter’s second parents. Hence, you’ll definitely want the nanny that you’ll be hiring to mirror the values and ideals that you have.

Unless you’ve oriented your kids’ second parent on some ground rules on how to go about her job, chances are is that she’ll be introducing her own morals and ideas to her wards. You might think that this won’t affect your children’s growth or mindset since they’re still too young to effectively perceive things. This is an erroneous conclusion. It has already been established by numerous studies that the mind of a person is very receptive during his formative years. It’s not surprising then why kids can easily learn 2-3 languages with little difficulty. In contrast, adults will definitely have a hard time training their tongue to speak a different language.

If you’re still not convinced, then check out the new study conducted by the National Institute of Health. The center revealed in their dissertation that kids who received good child care before entering kindergarten garnered higher vocabulary scores upon reaching fifth grade than those who didn’t.

Don’t think that your child’s relationship with his or her nanny is not the one being contemplated upon by the study. Under the report’s definition of terms, child care was defined as care by anyone other than the child’s mother who was regularly scheduled for at least 10 hours per week.

Choosing the right nanny will definitely be pivotal in developing your child’s mental capacity and behavior. Of course, the burden of rearing children falls not only on the nanny’s shoulder (or lap) as the kids’ parents will still be the ultimate molder of the former’s character.

Shelter and More

I’m quite astonished at the pace by which Angelina Jolie adopts children. We all know that she already has three, two of which are adopted. The eldest is 5-year-old Maddox who was adopted by the actress in Cambodia. The second child is also adopted. 2-year-old Zahara came from Ethiopia. The third one is Shiloh, Jolie’s own daughter from current partner Brad Pitt.

The star of Tomb Raider has recently adopted a 3-year-old boy from Vietnam. The details of the adoption are not clear, but sources said that it was sanctioned by the Vietnamese government. In fact, a simple ceremony would be held to formalize the adoption.

I’m all praises for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for their efforts in providing shelter and more to homeless kids from around the globe. These children would’ve faced a bleak future had they been left in the orphanage or institution where they were found by the celebrity couple.

I’m not an avid follower of entertainment news. I’m sure Jolie and Pitt already conveyed their reasons as to why they’re taking in abandoned children from different parts of the globe. From what I know, the idea came mainly from Jolie. I think I was able to read an article written long before Jolie and Pitt became an item that featured the actress’ intention of having children through adoption. As for Pitt, all I know is that he wants to have as many children as he could have. I guess that was the reason why he and Jennifer Aniston broke up. The popular mainstay of the sitcom Friends refused to bear Pitt’s child. This difference led to the couple’s eventual separation.

Maybe something happened in Jolie’s past which made her vow to help abandoned children around the globe. Maybe I could get a few pieces of the puzzle by conducting a background check on her. All I know about her family background is that she’s the daughter of actor Jon Voight. I don’t know who her mother is, or if she has siblings. For those of you who are more acquainted with showbiz news, please sprinkle a few details on the matter. I would gladly edit this entry accordingly.

From Soccer to Football

I know many Americans have not yet warmed up to football (ok, soccer) despite the fact that Major League Soccer has been around for several years now. However, I think it’s safe to say that they’re not oblivious as to who David Beckham or Zinedine Zidane is.

David Beckaham’s popularity in the United States has been on a galactic rise ever since the LA Galaxies offered him a multi-million dollar playing contract. Posh Spice’s hubby quickly nodded to the deal. Beckham has been languishing on the Real Madrid Bench these past few months. It’s not surprising then that he quickly shook hands with the LA Galaxy owners.

As for Zidane, he attained notoriety when he head-butted an Italian player during the finals of the FIFA World Cup. Every head-butting incident in all sporting events has since been unfairly (I’m a Zidane fan) attributed to him.

I’m saddened by the fact that some only know him as the ill-tempered head-butt-er. There’s so much to Zidane than that unfortunate incident. If you’ll conduct a background check on him, you’ll see that he’s a great person on and off the field. Just recently, he played in a charity match in Thailand. One of the things that I admire about him most is his inclination to participate in humanitarian efforts or projects of the United Nations and other non-profit organizations.

I hope that the arrival of Beckham would spark a football renaissance in the United States. Football fever in America has waned after the year (1994) that it hosted the World Cup. I would also like to see Beckham prove that the MLS is not a graveyard for aging or falling European football stars. It’s a budding league compared to its South American and European counterparts. However, it has the resources and the fan base to propel the game to where basketball and baseball are in the country.

Betrayal

I’m deeply saddened by the news about two Cuban exiles who made it big in Florida, but plummeted to disrepute when authorities discovered that they were actually Cuban Intelligence Service agents.

Carlos and Elsa Alvarez were both found guilty of transmitting vital information to Cuban officials about the status of the Cuban exiles in Florida. Carlos was meted out the maximum punishment of 5 years for conspiring to act as an unregistered Cuban agent, while her wife was given a lighter sentence of 3 years for abating her husband’s acts and for not reporting the same to the authorities.

It’s a shame that some of the people whom this country coddled and took care of end up desecrating their new home by betraying the trust reposed to them by the American government. Many Cuban exiles denounced the spouses’ acts, saying that their betrayal and ingratitude have caused some people to question the minority group’s allegiance to their new country.

I don’t know what led the spouses to commit such an act. It’s not as if that they were treated poorly in their community. In fact, many looked up to them as perfect role models. Both defendants were formerly teaching at the Florida State University.

I hope the incident won’t spur racial violence against Cuban exiles. I have a few friends who are of Cuban-decent and I can say that they are exemplary American citizens. While many Cubans are braving immigration authorities from both sides just to try their luck to live the American dream, here comes two exiles who squandered something that many of their former countrymen are constantly risking their lives for.

The punishments inflicted on Carlos and Elsa Alvarez were relatively light. A similar offense committed elsewhere, say in Russia or in North Korea, might have cost them their lives. I wonder why the Cuban Intelligence Service even bothered to employ the services of agents to check the background of certain Cuban exile leaders. They could’ve easily ascertained or verified the same by themselves through the Internet.

The Vice is Coming Out

Is it just me, or is the usually coy Dick Cheney starting to rise above the shadows of the President?

The Vice President has been gracing the front pages of many dailies around the globe. A few days ago, he talked about moving out of Iraq gracefully. More recently in Australia, he protested, in carefully chosen words, China’s military build up. He also talked about North Korea and his reservations on the communist country’s sincerity in ending its nuclear development projects.

We don’t usually see the Vice President in action. State visits are usually done by the Bush himself, or by his trusted aide, Condoleezza Rice.

I won’t be surprised if many Americans have little knowledge as to who he really is. Maybe it’s time for us to conduct a thorough background check on him. He won’t likely succeed the President, but he’ll sure play a very vital role in the nation’s local and foreign affairs.

Letters From Iwo Jima

I was mindlessly flipping through the cable TV channels again when I chanced upon the trailer of Clint Eastwood’s latest film – Letters From Iwo Jima.

I’ve seen many World War II films already. My uncles were also veterans of that war, and both of them fought in the pacific. They weren’t members of the regiments that were sent in that island-fortress, though. Instead, they were sent to the Philippines.

Almost all WWII movies are the same. That’s why I wasn’t that much intrigued or elated when it was announced last year that Clint Eastwood would be directing two movies about America’s bout with the Japanese more than 6 decades ago.

While Flags of Our Fathers didn’t tickle my interest that much, my curiousity was fanned when I learned that Eastwood’s second movie about the Second World War will be made or presented as seen through the eyes of a Japanese soldier.

I haven’t seen the movie yet. Many say that the story is as real as any war film could get. I want to conduct a background check on the Japanese soldier from whom the film or story was based. I did the same on William Wallace after I watched Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. If we’ll trust the reviews, I’m sure we’ll be moved deeply by this second Iwo Jima movie by Eastwood.

A Granny on the Grammy

My sister was called me up yesterday and told me in a very elated tone that the Dixie Chicks bagged five Grammy Awards.

“Dixie who?” I haven’t really spent that much time on MTV lately. The only female group that I’m familiar with is the Spice Girls. Ok, ok, so I may have mistakenly used the word “lately.” I haven’t been able to update my Grammy list since 1995.

Maybe I’m just getting old. There used to be a time when MTV was a staple. Nowadays, I just content myself at browsing through the music channels without actually watching it even for just a few minutes.

I really need to catch up on the latest events happening around the country, including those in the entertainment industry. Although it might be moot already, I’m planning to conduct a background check on the Grammy winners so that I could impress my sister and my niece when they come over here next week.

Suspicious-looking Roommate

Have I already told you about a friend of mine who went to our office to ask for legal assistance on a possible case against her landlord?

She was recently evicted from her place for being suspected of subletting a portion of her apartment to a third party. However, that third party was actually her niece who just stayed with her for a couple of weeks until she could fine a suitable place near NYU.

Well, that friend of mine has already found a new apartment, and a better one if I may add. She now wants to ask her niece to move in with her again. She was able to go to her dorm near the university a few days ago. However, she wasn’t able to talk to her niece because she was out. She was able to have a small chat with her roommate, though.

My friend’s first impression on her niece’s roommate was not good. She’s now asking me to conduct a background check on that person in order to know if her niece is in good hands or otherwise. I hope I won’t find anything negative about her.

Barbarians at the Gate

The administrator of the building where our office is situated has recently hired four new security guards to man the entrance. I don’t know why they hired additional personnel for security. I think the security department is already overstaffed. It’s not as if the building houses the Department of Defense or something.

The new guards are polite. However, my first encounter with them was not very pleasant. I brought along an old desktop of mine to the office last Friday. I was going to give it to an officemate of mine whose computer recently konked out. Apparently the guards at the entrance didn’t know me yet, so they asked me to open the box. So much for the careful packaging and heavy sealing that I’ve made on it.

I have nothing against the security enhancement of our building. In fact, I feel safer now when I’m in the office. However, I hope that the administrator would device some way or process wherein the search or check would be done in a very expeditious manner. Sometimes, I even feel like they’re conducting a background check on every person who enters the building.

The Queen

Before The Princess Diaries went out on the big screen a few years ago, many young moviegoers had no idea who Julie Andrews was. For those who grew up watching Mary Poppins or the Sound of Music, that’s definitely unthinkable.

Thanks to her role as the queen of Genovia in The Princess Diaries, many young audiences came to know about the screen veteran. She also tried to reach the pre-teen group by lending her voice to the queen in Shrek 2.

The space in my blog is not big enough to show or publish Andrews’ comprehensive profile as an actress. However, doing a background search on her is an effortless task. I’m sure that you’ll get thousands of search results when you type her name on any search engine.

The multi-awarded actress has recently received the Screen Actors Guild’s lifetime achievement award. It’s a remarkable icing to her wonderful career that started more than 50 years ago.

In Time for Spring

I was taking an early evening walk in our village last night when I noticed an old woman tending to the garden of the Williams family. I guess they already dropped their initial idea of stripping their lawn with plants. Their garden looked more like a small jungle a few months ago when their previous helper suddenly decided not to show up anymore during weekends.

I bet Gregg Williams was able to breathe easily or sighed loudly in relief when that old lady knocked at their door and offered her services to clean their lawn. I’m not even sure if he had conducted a background check on her. Maybe he didn’t. He sounded a little desperate last week when he asked me if I know anybody who could provide him with a maid.

I’m sure Greg’s garden would already look wonderful come spring time. The grass still needs a little cutting, though.

Forever Young?

Is it in her genes? Or in the diet she follows?

Emma Faust Tillman became the oldest living person to date after Emiliano Mercado del Toro, the previous holder of such a distinction, died last Wednesday.

The parents of the 114-yeard-old woman from Connecticut were former slaves. She had 23 siblings, 4 of which lived past 100. She’s now living in a nursing home in Hartford.

I’m sure many people would want to live beyond a hundred years. However, if you’re going to ask me, I’d rather breathe until I’m 80. Many octogenarians are either already bed-ridden or suffering from numerous illnesses. I don’t want to reach an age where my body would already be very vulnerable to diseases.

Tillman is not suffering from any debilitating illness, though. She doesn’t even wear eyeglasses. For those who want to be forever young, try conducting a background check on her and see if you could find out why she’s lived this long.

Ahead of the Pack

The day has only just begun and I’m already out things to do. I brought a few office tasks at home last night. I haven’t been able to sleep early for the past few days, so I decided to make the most out of the extra waking hours that I was recently having.

Sandy sniffed that I was in a very “accommodating” mood. She asked me if I could help her in conducting background checks on 14 applicants for the secretarial position at the supplies department. I kind of hesitated to oblige at first considering that she previously shunned me away when I asked for her help on the assignment that I was then working on. But I was so bored at that time that I saw the request as a blessing.

I hope the others would not notice that I have time and energy to spare for extra work. Some of my officemates can be so opportunistic (just kidding, guys) when it comes to asking their colleagues for help on their tasks.

The Mysterious Valkyrie Peddler

I was window shopping for a good cross-training shoes last Monday when I chanced upon a Robotech figurine in near-mint condition. I asked the store owner if he was selling it, and he proudly but regretfully said that he was not.

I’ve been a Robotech (Macross) fan since I was 4. I immediately fell in love with the story and the characters. I had a difficult time watching it the first time because the dialogues were in Japanese. However, there were English subtitles.

I remember during the summer of 2004 when a guy in his mid 20s approached me in front of a toy store and offered me a Robotech figurine (the Valkyrie) for $35. Apparently he heard me asking the saleslady if they still have a Valkyrie.

We were supposed to meet the next day, but he didn’t come. The saleslady warned me about him. She said that some of his collections were allegedly stolen items. I didn’t try to find him again after that revelation by the saleslady.

Maybe I’ve judged that guy quite quickly. Maybe the saleslady was just trying to eliminate a competition. I should’ve conducted a background check on him first.

Your Soul and Your SSN

A distant cousin of mine from Niagara went to Manhattan last week to look for a job. He previously worked as a manager for a pizza parlor near my grandparents’ home. I really envied him that time because the pay was surprisingly good and he gets to take home 2 boxes of their goodies everyday.

Greg called me up upon arriving here to ask for references. I went along with him on his first day in Manhattan. We were looking for this textile company when I chanced upon his resume and application letter. The substance was good. The form was pretty decent as well.

He asked me what my job was all about, and I told him that I’m into public records. He didn’t exactly have a good idea as to what I really do. I think I gave him a 30-minute exposition on online background checks. I even said that I could easily find out everything about him if he gives me his social security number.

His first day in Manhattan was fruitless. I hope that his second and third day was not. I haven’t heard from him since that Tuesday.

Acceptable Idolatry

The new season of the American Idol has just begun, and the new aspirants are as promising as the competition's previous contestants.

Although I'm not an avid fan of the show, I still try to make it a point to watch some of its episodes in order not to be left behind with the showbiz gossip circulating around the office. No one talks about public records at the cafeteria during coffee breaks. And since nobody dares to talk at anybody's back in the department, we just train and limit our "inquisitive" minds to TV personalities.

I don't think that the support for the talent show will be waning anytime soon. It still reigns supreme on its time slot, and its audience goes beyond the American borders.

I hope that the people, especially the young ones, would check their idol's background first before they give their hearts out to him or her. The character of some of the competition's winners arent's exactly worth emulating.

Reinventing

Apple has recently launched a new gadget that could change the way we look at mobile phones.

Steve Jobs presided over the unveiling of the new iPhone. He boasted that their new product could decommission many personal entertainment devices. Indeed, the new iPhone does more than just let you talk. You can browse through the Internet with the gadget or review your spreadsheets while waiting for your next stop at the subway.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not pulling a shameless plug for Apple. I just admire Jobs for reinventing devices that many thought could not be improved or redesigned anymore. Take the iPod, for example. MP3 players have long dominated the audio market before Apple introduced its seemingly similar music equipment. As we all know, the iPod has already made MP3 players obsolete or look inept.

I don’t know much about the Apple CEO. I haven’t ran a background check on him yet. The reason why I’m very interested in getting to know him more is that I’m planning to put up a business of my own in the future. I would really like to know what men like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates did or experienced which made them who they are right now.

Early Spring?

I still haven’t had the chance of using our 31-year-old snow shovel this winter. There hasn’t been much snow this season. In fact, it’s no as cold as the previous ones that we’ve had.

Many blame this year’s bland snowfall to global warming. Many news and research agencies have noticed this. CNN has recently featured the tourist drought in Aspen, Colorado. Many Americans and foreigners who want to go skiing are going elsewhere since the snow in the Aspen resorts are not thick enough to support many winter activities.

I’m not really a fan of winter. In fact, I’m more of a summer guy. However, I still miss the old days when my morning exercise routine mainly involves shoveling snow off our driveway. Maybe I’m speaking too soon. I won’t be surprised if I’ll be conducting background checks again by next month on teenagers in our village who want to earn a few bucks by shoveling out snow off driveways.

NY Subway Hero

2007 has just started, but it has already produced what could probably be the most interesting and amazing story of the year.

A construction worker saved a 19-year-old student from certain death when the latter suffered a seizure and fell onto the subway tracks. Despite the fact that a train was already on its way to the spot where Cameron Hollopeter just fell, 50-year-old Wesley Autrey didn’t think twice in jumping to the tracts and shield Hollopeter from the speeding train.

The two miraculously survived even as two coaches passed over them. Hollopeter wasn’t even sure if he was still alive when the train stopped since he asked Autrey if he was already dead.

What a story. What a selfless act. The fact that it happened in a city where many people don’t seem to care about each other anymore (I’m sure you’ve guessed it right) makes it even quite unbelievable.

I’m sure Autrey will be featured in every New York broadsheet for the next several days. I can’t wait to read more about this man. I think I’ll even conduct a background check on him to know more about this new superman.

Thank God for people like him.

Waiting for the Newbies

The applicant that my boss heavily favors didn’t show up for her finally interview. I think I already told you that our department would be getting additional help this year. Two vacancies were announced last week, and the HR department received 43 applications for the positions.

Normally, it would’ve taken the HR staff two weeks to process all 43 applications. However, Paul and I volunteered to do the initial screening which involves the verification of details written in their application forms through online background checks.

Paul and I smiled at each other when the HR staff told us that our boss is now considering the person that we like for the position. Her credentials are not as impressive as that of the number one contender, but we’re hoping that she’ll still get the job. I hope that we do get that extra help by next week since assignments are expected to pile up by then.

Pres. Gerald Ford

My boss told us to keep it light tomorrow morning since it’s a national day of mourning. I’m quite embarrassed to admit this, but I’m not that familiar with the works former Pres. Gerald Ford. The earliest president that I was able to see on TV or read in newspapers back then was Ronald Reagan.

I could hear nothing but praises for Ford in all of the features that I was able to watch these past few days. I guess there’s no need for anyone to conduct a background check on him since the media have been very generous in featuring his life before, during, and after the presidency.

There has been a renewed interest in the presidency these past few days due to the death of Ford. There’s no question that the office which Ford previously occupied wields so much power and influence, and can easily change the lives of Americans, whether it be for the better or otherwise. Let’s hope that the current and future presidents of this nation realize the great responsibility that their office has towards the people.