What part of "Due by noon on Tuesday" don't you understand?

I hadn't planned on being so prolific today, but something about the first post of the year and this head cold gave me seven billion ideas.

This being just one of them:

I'm not sure, and I don't mean to sound like I have a higher than average sense of personal responsibility, but is it possible that one of the reasons that most Americans seem to have a completely unrealistic sense of, well, reality is that since they were younger someone has always bailed them out?

I'm sure I sound like a schill for conglomerates, but this is just ridiculous. Most of my generation, and possibly the one before it has grown up with the solid understanding, that there will always be someone there for them. While this is reassuring, it has made us into a country of irresponsible chumps. When we were chastised in school, there was a parent defending us and now, when we can't return our movies, who comes running, but the beautiful state of NJ.

Blockbuster has made a big deal recently of canceling their late fees. It appears that NJ believes its citizens have been wronged by this seemingly in-good-faith act by Blockbuster. In reality, I believe Blockbuster was acting more in their own interests than the customers, they crunched the numbers and realized they'd retain more customers and even regain lost customers if they changed their late policy. That doesn't change the fact that you should be able to return a video on time, or at least ask what happens if you don't. I've returned movies late, and I always feel like a dolt for having to pay a late fee. I've never understood why Blockbuster charging late fees was a problem, but even before their recent policy change, they were facing lawsuits. Am I supporting tort reform? Not really, but I definitely don't support the government sueing companies for charging fees that can a) be easily avoided b) will be explained by a clerk if asked.

(I'm not a good blogger yet because I'm about to say something that I don't have a link for so just bear with me and take my word for it or google "blockbuster late fees". Would you have noticed? Probably.) I've read that Blockbuster has used the cancelation of late fees to raise their rental prices, at least for video games. This I find abhorrent. Still, there's no reason to not your movies on time.