When I go shopping at the mall and some outlet stores, I hear from the sales clerk, “What is your email address?”

And I am like, “Huh? Why?”

“So you can be updated with new items from the store?” is the response I most commonly hear from the sales clerk.

I do understand why companies are jumping on the bandwagon to snag email addresses, but when I get tons of spam, even outside my server’s Spam Assassin and all the filters I have placed, it gets to be tiresome.

SO… I stopped giving out my email address at the stores.

And if you notice, a lot of stores, especially in the United States (usually within the mall and some select stores), they even ask for zip code. I am sure it has to do with how the company can gauge where they should be advertising, and also alert the main headquarters statistics on where their customers are coming from.

However, I am a bit leery of beign asked for my email address. I already spend enough time online that if I really wanted to know about what is new in a store, I would subscribe directly from the store’s website, rather than ask clerks to type in an extra field and make people wait a little longer. Give them a break.

I think if companies truly want to reach their shoppers, especially since there are so many people online, even on Facebook – invest in advertising to attract fans to subscribe. Use the power of social media, rather than make store sales clerks feel like they are encouraging spam. I feel sorry for them. The one time I worked for a retailer I refused to ask for email addresses and gave the general manager a logical response. It just cheapens the experience and really, all people want to do is buy what they took off the rack or shelf and go on to the next thing they want to do.

In September 2010, Illinois raised the fines for speeding. The minimum offense that was $75, was changed to $125.

I admit it, I do have a lead foot, especially on the highway. In town, sometimes. Most of it when it is only myself in the car. For me, I have no problem with other people speeding – at long as they are not tail gating, cutting off people and just looking like a mess on the road, I am fine.

However, the crotch rocket (motorcycle – not traditional bikes, but the sleeker and sporty ones) riders are really pissing me off. I saw a guy pass at over 100 miles an hour on the highway and was cutting off people, not even using blinkers or even passing people properly. Sometimes in town I see this type of behavior and I just want to scream that someone is going to die – and it might be them.

Sure, motorcycles are cool, but not enough to die for. The articles I read in the local newspaper about motorcycle accidents mostly involve reckless driving or drinking and driving recklessly while on a crotch rocket.

Funny enough, some teens were speeding around in the local strip mall area in Centralia on a moped. Several times I observed them cutting in and out of a crowded parking lot, filled with moving and parking vehicles. I got concerned because – 1, I was not sure if all the of teens had their license to drive, and 2, it was reckless and the speed limit was only 10mph. They were clearly blowing that on the moped. I called the local cops, waited, and sure enough, the police turned up to take care of it. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I might have prevent someone’s kid from being hit in a parking lot for driving recklessly.

I like children and people. The people I have problems with are usually ones with bad attitudes and have not been taught proper manners or respect.

I was taught while growing up not to walk through another person’s yard. It was considered rude, and by law – trespassing. Why would someone mow or plant flowers when someone is going to trample through the yard that has no sidewalk.

I know there are a lot of people who have yards and do not care, but for those who carefully cultivate their grass and flowers, trespassers push the peeve button. I had an argument with a grown woman who trekked through my yard instead of the alley. Where she walked was between the bushes and my house, only inches from my window.

For me, when I am home, I do not want people peeking or walking that close. It bothers me as I do not know who is walking through, what they want, and if they might be a problem later on. I had told her to stay out of my yard and explained why she should not be walking in another person’s property – other than it being just plain rude.

I do not go catching people because I am bored. It is pretty obvious when I can hear them. I may live in a small town, but I have been robbed before when living in a big city – it is something that triggers my fears.

Other than the woman, I have also had teenagers walk through. It was not fun dealing with them and because they were very threatening, I decided to just remind them that the police station was less than 5 blocks away and it would be certain that if I called, their parents would hear about it.

However, then I thought – maybe their parents are not teaching them proper manners? My own son is taught not to just walk through strangers’ yards. I was taught by my father and my grandparents. I have even had the opportunity to care for the lawn when I was a teen. I even helped my father with gardening – we had been featured on the front of the Lifestyles section of the Belleville News-Democrat at one time because our backyard was amazing (and not a single part was landscaped by an outside business.)

Anyhow, fencing my yard is not an option. I have thought about putting flowers in the areas people are trying to cut through. In fact, there is a lot of things I have to do to the yard, but I feel that it would not last if people are being rude and stepping through like they owned the place.

Am I being extreme when I happen to catch people walking through my yard? Any suggestions to prevent this in the future?

I have done the paid to blog and paid to tweet gigs. It is no worries, but I am seriously considering not doing a sponsored post here at Mommy Blogger, despite the fact I really want to.

I keep visiting a lot of mommy sites and there are genuine reviews out there, but there are some obviously “I am posting this because I am getting $5 or $10 dollars for this blog article.” I cannot review just anything and feel guilty that I am either misleading someone or not being myself. For those who have read Blondish.net or WPAddict.net, or have followed me, I like to talk about things I have tried out, and I truly have an interest in.

I do not do much paid to blog gigs because the opportunities are not relevant to my site. I get a lot of proposals for my Blondish.net site to review things that have nothing to do with my site’s content. In fact, some of them would have belonged better here at Mommy Blogger.

I respect that people want to make some money, but I would like to challenge moms out there who have second guessed themselves after posting a review or paid to blog post that they probably should have bypassed in the first place.

Pick what is relevant to your life and to your website. Your visitors understand your need for making a bit of money, but when your selections bounce all over, they get confused.

Be a responsible mommy blogger and make our niche proud!!!