After all the ballots were turned in and the votes counted in the election in California, it was learned that Proposition 8 had been passed.
This proposition specified marriage as being only between one man and one woman; therefore making it illegal for gays and lesbians to tie the knot.
Supporters of this proposition believe that marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman and they also believe that their children will be taught differently in school if the prop was not passed.
People who oppose this proposition believe in the equal rights aspect of the bill not the morality/ethical issues. They want to get married just as much as anyone else so who has the authority to tell them that they are legally not allowed to do so.
The question of whether or not to allow gays and lesbians to marry has been floating around the country for some time now when in 2004 San Francisco’s newly elected mayor, Gavin Newsom, began issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples.
“I took an oath of office to bear truth, faith and allegiance to the constitution of the state of California, and there is nothing in that constitution that says that I have the right to discriminate against people on any basis," he said. "And I simply won't do that."
The move by Newsom came as lawmakers in Massachusetts debated a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in that state, where the nation's first legally recognized same-sex weddings were set to take place.
Those who supporter this proposition bring up the Bible and how God intended marriage to be between man and woman; but in all actuality there is not one verse in the Bible that describes same-sex marriages. Looking from Genesis to Revelation there is not one mention of same-sex marriages.
What the Bible does contain is a dozen or so oft-quoted passages that talk about homosexual behavior. Many conservative Christians interpret these passages as saying that all homosexual behavior is forbidden, is an abomination, and is hated by God; while other, more liberal Christians believe that the Bible is completely silent when it comes to same-sex marriages.
Supporters are also concerned about their children and what they will be taught in schools. This prop has nothing to do with education; it is simply about people getting the same rights that everyone else gets.
It’s about not discriminating and realizing that whether one is gay, straight, black, white, etc; everyone deserves to have equal rights.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Global Warming and Y-O-U
It’s so hot outside! It feels so much warmer this summer than summers from years past.
Ever thought that to yourself as you stepped outside of your house on a hot, crisp, summer day and felt a bead of sweat drip down your forehead? Or, how about the second you step out the shower and you are overcome with heat and humidity that just hit your body like a freight train at full speed?
Chances are that if you live in the Southern California area and have felt the sun’s scorching heat then your answer to the above questions would be “yes”. And chances are that if you live in another part of the country or world your answer would be the same, because it is not just Southern California that is experiencing this heat wave. In fact, as you are well aware of by popular media reports over the last couple of years, the earth is going through a period of warming. Scientists refer to this rise in the overall temperature of the earth as climate change, but the more common term for it is global warming.
Researchers have been telling society for some time now that the earth is slowly warming up and that we as a human population need to act fast to save future generations. Ocean temperatures have increased over the past 100 years which is actually a very short time when it comes to natural cycles of global temperatures said Jim Syvertsen, University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. It is also true he said that atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased due to human consumption; however what we don’t know is if man-made carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases are linked to global warming. Even if man-made carbon is found not to be the culprit in this global warming scheme everyone has the opportunity to make a difference and change.
So what are we supposed to do? How can society try to fix a problem that not all researchers agree on what caused it in the first place? Whatever you believe in, or do not believe in for that mattter, does not change the fact that the earth is getting warmer. Whether it be a natural cycle or a man-made event, the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide is dangerous to not only humans but several species of animal and plant life. There are things that the average everyday person can do to help make the planet more “green” as they say.
For starters, America depends too much on “big business” to provide them with their everyday basic needs. Greenhouse emissions caused by motor vehicles are only going to get worse if America continues to rely on the trucking business to haul their food and products across the country. Now, you may be thinking that there is no way to get around this, right? However; what you may not know is that a select few people have already found a way around this debacle.
Steven Schillling, 25, is very conscience about the environment and the rise in greenhouse gas emissions over the past couple of years. He decided to do something about it. He lives in an apartment and yet he was still able to convert his balcony into a little garden in which he grows vegetables and herbs. With this convenience, Schilling is able to provide himself with some of the food that he would normally have to purchase at the grocery store. He sees the correlation between transportation of goods and the rise in global temperatures and wanted to do something to help. Even though his effort may seem small when compared to the global scale but as Schilling explains every bit counts.
Along with his vegetable and herb garden, Schilling has found numerous other ways to help fight global warming and live more green. With his residence being 25 miles away from where he works, everyday Schilling is forced to get into a car and face the grid-lock traffic. Yet, along with his roommate, who also works with him, they have found a way to not only save gas but also help combat greenhouse emissions: they carpool. Every other week they take turns on who will be driving and Schilling says that others at his work have jumped on the band wagon and started to join his new trend.
For those at his work that could not carpool, Schilling explains that they either take the train or drive eco-friendly hybrid cars.
“Everyone at my company understands the benefits of trying to live greener” and Schilling’s boss, Bret Atkins could not be happier with his employees’ decision to make small lifestyle changes.
“I love that my guys are trying to make a difference,” said Atkins
Hybrid cars and carpooling are not the only solutions either so if a hybrid car is not in the cards for you then there are also other ways for the everyday driver to make changes to help make their car more fuel efficient. Ethanol, which is a fuel that is made from corn, has also become a popular remedy for the global warming crisis. However, finding an ethanol pumping station in your area might be a problem.
There is also the option of converting your car over to bio-diesel; a fuel source that comes from used oil out of a deep fat fryer. The advantage of having this source of fuel in your car is that you will never be in short supply. Restaurants will gladly donate their used oil because it saves them the trouble of disposing it. Just keep in mind that your exhaust fumes will smell like whatever food was cooked in the fryer so you might make people hungry as you drive along the highway.
Along with making your mode of transportation greener, you can also do some things around the house to save you money while you are saving the environment. A home garden is a good start to living greener and if you want to do more then there is always the option of installing solar panels on your roof and making your home completely energy efficient. This has become easier in today’s recent times with the accessibility to buy these panels on the internet.
Also, if you happen to live a community that has a home owners association; do not let them tell you that you cannot place solar panels on your roof. Even if you have a aesthetics clause in your contract with the association, they cannot prevent you from making your house more energy efficient. After all, not only are you saving yourself a lot of money you are also helping to save the environment. By installing these, you also enable yourself to be more self-reliant, say, in a power outage.
As you can see there are many things one can do to help make their daily lives more eco-friendly. Furthermore, with many of these products being so readily available on the internet, anyone and everyone can contribute to the fight against global warming.
Tipping 101
Imagine that you are out to dinner with some friends; everything about the night is going perfect. There was no wait when you arrived at the restaurant, the food was prompt and tasted delicious, and your server was attentive and friendly. When the bill arrives at the end of the meal your friends insist on paying and leaving the tip; a tip which is small considering the experience you just had. Do you say something to your friends and risk offending them? Or do you quietly slip the server some extra cash?
Being a server, I have seen this happen time and time again. So it got me wondering, “Do people really know how to tip their server when they dine out?”
If you are like the average American then you probably dine out at a restaurant at least one time every month. Sitting down and having someone else prepare your food and clean up your mess is the perfect way to relax and enjoy an evening out. Therefore, tipping your server appropriately is an ideal way to thank them for providing you with this experience because in some states that is the only money that the server will make. In the state of California servers make minimum wage on top of their tips; however, in other states like Texas and Arizona, servers make only $2.10 an hour because the restaurant figures that they will make their money in tips. This makes it hard on the server if diners are not tipping how they should be.
I have noticed that the majority of people tip their server based on a percentage of their total bill. This means that people are tipping their server based on the cost of the food and not on the quality of the service. These two should be combined, quality of service and cost of food, it should not be one or the other. Servers who perform exceptionally well should be rewarded for their hard work even if the bill is relatively inexpensive.
For that reason, I decided to help out my fellow servers and provide a standard guide on how to tip your server when you go out to eat.
When dining out, if everything about your experience is perfect: perfect food, service, and timeliness, then the standard tip for your server should be 20 percent of your total bill. Therefore, if your bill totals $100.00 the server would receive a $20.00 tip. Of course, if you were so much impressed by the high standard of service then tipping over 20 percent is completely acceptable as well. Now if you do not want to tip that much but were still impressed by the service then just simply look at how much the tax is on the bill and double that. This will give the server a little more than a 15 percent tip which is still considered fair.
Now if the experience and the service you received were not up to your standards then the tip should reflect accordingly, in most cases. If the service you received was mediocre and the server was not very attentive or friendly, then you should tip them however you see fit. However, if your experience was not up to your standards because something went wrong with the food then you should not punish the server as they have no control over this. If your server puts in the wrong food item then obviously the tip should reflect, yet, if the food is not cooked right or something just does not taste right, please do not give the server less of tip because they have no control over these issues. They do not cook the food they only serve it.
I am not trying to sound like a disgruntled server, but it is frustrating when you get a small tip on table that you know you served to the best of your ability. Being a server is hard work and your only reward comes at the end of the meal when you see how much the table left you for a tip. So why not make a server’s night a tiny bit better by giving them a little something extra in the tip? After all, they are the ones serving you your dinner and cleaning up your mess.
Being a server, I have seen this happen time and time again. So it got me wondering, “Do people really know how to tip their server when they dine out?”
If you are like the average American then you probably dine out at a restaurant at least one time every month. Sitting down and having someone else prepare your food and clean up your mess is the perfect way to relax and enjoy an evening out. Therefore, tipping your server appropriately is an ideal way to thank them for providing you with this experience because in some states that is the only money that the server will make. In the state of California servers make minimum wage on top of their tips; however, in other states like Texas and Arizona, servers make only $2.10 an hour because the restaurant figures that they will make their money in tips. This makes it hard on the server if diners are not tipping how they should be.
I have noticed that the majority of people tip their server based on a percentage of their total bill. This means that people are tipping their server based on the cost of the food and not on the quality of the service. These two should be combined, quality of service and cost of food, it should not be one or the other. Servers who perform exceptionally well should be rewarded for their hard work even if the bill is relatively inexpensive.
For that reason, I decided to help out my fellow servers and provide a standard guide on how to tip your server when you go out to eat.
When dining out, if everything about your experience is perfect: perfect food, service, and timeliness, then the standard tip for your server should be 20 percent of your total bill. Therefore, if your bill totals $100.00 the server would receive a $20.00 tip. Of course, if you were so much impressed by the high standard of service then tipping over 20 percent is completely acceptable as well. Now if you do not want to tip that much but were still impressed by the service then just simply look at how much the tax is on the bill and double that. This will give the server a little more than a 15 percent tip which is still considered fair.
Now if the experience and the service you received were not up to your standards then the tip should reflect accordingly, in most cases. If the service you received was mediocre and the server was not very attentive or friendly, then you should tip them however you see fit. However, if your experience was not up to your standards because something went wrong with the food then you should not punish the server as they have no control over this. If your server puts in the wrong food item then obviously the tip should reflect, yet, if the food is not cooked right or something just does not taste right, please do not give the server less of tip because they have no control over these issues. They do not cook the food they only serve it.
I am not trying to sound like a disgruntled server, but it is frustrating when you get a small tip on table that you know you served to the best of your ability. Being a server is hard work and your only reward comes at the end of the meal when you see how much the table left you for a tip. So why not make a server’s night a tiny bit better by giving them a little something extra in the tip? After all, they are the ones serving you your dinner and cleaning up your mess.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
More Youth and First-Time Voters
The mood in the air was that of excitement and anticipation as people all over the nation, especially young and first-time voters, lined up to stamp their ballots and have their voices heard in this year’s presidential election.
“I just recently turned 18 so I am really excited to vote for the president for the first time,” said Niel Mendoza.
“This is my first presidential election,” said Rola Saba, 20, who had just rushed to the polling place after getting off of work and was relieved to learn that they were still open.
Mendoza and Saba were among the population of young voters who particularly took an interest in the campaign and Mendoza said it was because “some of the candidates, Barack Obama, really appeal to a younger generation.”
“Obama understands that young people want to get involved and help make difference and when he speaks he really makes you feel like your voice can be heard,” said Saba.
The message that Obama is sending may not be specifically crafted for a younger more college-aged generation but that is who the message seems to be resonating more with.
Along with this rise in the youth voter turnout there also seems to be a rise in first-time voters who had never seemed compelled to vote until now.
Saba, who has never voted before because of age restrictions, also admitted that she never really took an interest in politics until recently.
“I was always bored with politics until I heard and saw Barack Obama speak; I was mesmerized. His demeanor was so peaceful and I think we need that in our next president,” she said.
Appealing to a younger generation is something that Obama proved works when it comes to being elected the next president of the United States.
This is because he tried to motivate the younger generation by speaking to them about issues that are of concern to them and be making young people feel that their voice can make a difference or change.
Another first-time voter and Obama supporter, Miranda Aguirre, 23, said that she felt compelled to vote in this year’s election because she never felt so strongly about one candidate before.
“When I heard Obama speak, it was as if he was simply speaking to everyone as if they were people. He wasn’t trying to dumb his message down or be fake in front of the camera; he seemed like a genuine person,” she said.
Barack Obama really reached out to people and it proved to be successful especially among young adults and first-time voters.
Something that was once thought to be unimportant or not necessary among young people, voting came to the forefront in the 2008 presidential election thanks to new campaign techniques that really appealed to and motivated the younger population of the United States.
“I just recently turned 18 so I am really excited to vote for the president for the first time,” said Niel Mendoza.
“This is my first presidential election,” said Rola Saba, 20, who had just rushed to the polling place after getting off of work and was relieved to learn that they were still open.
Mendoza and Saba were among the population of young voters who particularly took an interest in the campaign and Mendoza said it was because “some of the candidates, Barack Obama, really appeal to a younger generation.”
“Obama understands that young people want to get involved and help make difference and when he speaks he really makes you feel like your voice can be heard,” said Saba.
The message that Obama is sending may not be specifically crafted for a younger more college-aged generation but that is who the message seems to be resonating more with.
Along with this rise in the youth voter turnout there also seems to be a rise in first-time voters who had never seemed compelled to vote until now.
Saba, who has never voted before because of age restrictions, also admitted that she never really took an interest in politics until recently.
“I was always bored with politics until I heard and saw Barack Obama speak; I was mesmerized. His demeanor was so peaceful and I think we need that in our next president,” she said.
Appealing to a younger generation is something that Obama proved works when it comes to being elected the next president of the United States.
This is because he tried to motivate the younger generation by speaking to them about issues that are of concern to them and be making young people feel that their voice can make a difference or change.
Another first-time voter and Obama supporter, Miranda Aguirre, 23, said that she felt compelled to vote in this year’s election because she never felt so strongly about one candidate before.
“When I heard Obama speak, it was as if he was simply speaking to everyone as if they were people. He wasn’t trying to dumb his message down or be fake in front of the camera; he seemed like a genuine person,” she said.
Barack Obama really reached out to people and it proved to be successful especially among young adults and first-time voters.
Something that was once thought to be unimportant or not necessary among young people, voting came to the forefront in the 2008 presidential election thanks to new campaign techniques that really appealed to and motivated the younger population of the United States.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
