Recently I publicly debated someone who said Arizona and every other state should use whatever means necessary to keep out illegal immigrants. He wants English to be spoken in every classroom in the nation, and the Pledge of Allegiance recited every morning. And he wants to restore every dollar of the $500 billion in defense cuts scheduled to start in January. "We have to preserve and protect America," he said. "That's the meaning of patriotism."
For my debating partner, patriotism is about securing the nation from outsiders eager to overrun us -- whether they're immigrants coming here illegally or foreign powers threatening us with aggression.
But there's another meaning to patriotism that may be more important. It's joining together for the common good -- contributing to a bake sale to raise money for a local school, volunteering in a homeless shelter, paying our fair share of taxes so our community or nation has enough resources to meet all our needs, preserving and protecting our system of government.
This second meaning of patriotism recognizes our responsibilities to one another as citizens of a society. It requires collaboration, teamwork, tolerance and selflessness.
But too often these days we're not practicing this second form of patriotism. We're shouting at each other rather than coming together -- conservative versus liberal, Democrat versus Republican, native-born versus foreign-born, non-unionized versus unionized, religious versus secular.
Our politics has grown nastier and meaner. Negative advertising is filling the airwaves this election year. We're learning more about why we shouldn't vote for someone than why we should.
Some elected officials have substituted partisanship for patriotism, placing party loyalty above loyalty to America. Just after the 2010 election, the Senate minority leader was asked about his party's highest priority for the next two years. You might have expected him to say it was to get the economy going and reduce unemployment, or control the budget deficit, or achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. But he said the highest priority would be to make sure the president did not get a second term of office.
Our system of government is America's most precious and fragile possession, the means we have of joining together as a nation for the common good. It requires not only our loyalty but ongoing vigilance to keep it working well. Yet some of our elected representatives act as if they don't care what happens to it as long as they achieve their partisan aims.
The filibuster used to be rarely used. But over the last decade, the threat of a filibuster has become standard operating procedure, virtually shutting down the Senate for periods of time.
Meanwhile, some members of the House of Representatives have been willing to shut down the entire government in order to get their way. Last summer they were even willing to risk the full faith and credit of the United States in order to achieve their goals.
The Supreme Court has opened the floodgates to unlimited money from billionaires and corporations overwhelming our democracy, on the bizarre theory that corporations are people under the First Amendment. Congress won't even pass legislation requiring their names be disclosed.
Some members of Congress have even signed a pledge -- not of allegiance to the United States, but of allegiance to a man named Grover Norquist who has never been elected by anyone. Norquist's "no-tax" pledge is interpreted only by Norquist, who says closing a tax loophole is tantamount to raising taxes and therefore violates the pledge.
True patriots don't hate the government of the United States. They're proud of it. Generations of Americans have risked their lives to preserve it. They may not like everything it does, and they justifiably worry when special interests gain too much power over it. But true patriots work to improve the U.S. government, not destroy it.
But these days, some Americans loathe the government -- and are doing everything they can to paralyze it, starve it, and make the public so cynical about it that it's no longer capable of doing much of anything. Tea Partiers are out to gut it entirely. Norquist says he wants to shrink it down to a size where it can be "drowned in a bathtub."
When arguing against paying their fair share of taxes, some wealthy Americans claim "it's my money." They forget it's their nation, too. And unless they pay their fair share of taxes, America can't meet the basic needs of our people. True patriotism means paying for America.
So when you hear people talk about "preserving and protecting" the nation, be warned. They may mean securing our nation's borders, not securing our society. Within those borders, each of us is on our own. These people don't want a government that actively works for all our citizens.
Yet true patriotism isn't mainly about excluding outsiders seen as our common adversaries. It's about coming together for our common good.
Credit: Robert Reich, Newsday
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
July 4th: Musings on the meaning of true patriotism
In the last two weeks, the Supreme Court has allowed police in Arizona to demand proof of citizenship from people they stop on other grounds (while throwing out the rest of Arizona’s immigration law), and has allowed the federal government to require everyone buy health insurance — even younger and healthier people — or pay a penalty.
What do these decisions — and the national conversations they’ve engendered — have to do with patriotism? A great deal. Because underlying them are two different versions of American patriotism.
The Arizona law is aimed at securing the nation from outsiders. The purpose of the heatlhcare law is to join together to provide affordable health care for all.
The first version of patriotism is protecting America from people beyond our borders who might otherwise overrun us — whether immigrants coming here illegally or foreign powers threatening us with aggression.
The second version of patriotism is joining together for the common good. That might mean contributing to a bake sale to raise money for a local school or volunteering in a homeless shelter. It also means paying our fair share of taxes so our community or nation has enough resources to meet all our needs, and preserving and protecting our system of government.
This second meaning of patriotism recognizes our responsibilities to one another as citizens of the same society. It requires collaboration, teamwork, tolerance, and selflessness.
The Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect, but in requiring younger and healthier people to buy insurance that will help pay for the healthcare needs of older and sicker people, it summons the second version of patriotism.
Too often these days we don’t recognize and don’t practice this second version. We’re shouting at each other rather than coming together — conservative versus liberal, Democrat versus Republican, native-born versus foreign born, non-unionized versus unionized, religious versus secular.
Our politics has grown nastier and meaner. Negative advertising is filling the airwaves this election year. We’re learning more about why we shouldn’t vote for someone than why we should.
As I’ve said before, some elected officials have substituted partisanship for patriotism, placing party loyalty above loyalty to America. Just after the 2010 election, the Senate minority leader was asked about his party’s highest priority for the next two years. You might have expected him to say it was to get the economy going and reduce unemployment, or control the budge deficit, or achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. But he said the highest priority would be to make sure the President did not get a second term of office.
Our system of government is America’s most precious and fragile possession, the means we have of joining together as a nation for the common good. It requires not only our loyalty but ongoing vigilance to keep it working well. Yet some of our elected representatives act as if they don’t care what happens to it as long as they achieve their partisan aims.
The filibuster used to be rarely used. But over the last decade the threat of a filibuster has become standard operating procedure, virtually shutting down the Senate for periods of time.
Meanwhile, some members of the House have been willing to shut down the entire government in order to get their way. Last summer they were even willing to risk the full faith and credit of the United States in order to achieve their goals.
In 2010 the Supreme Court opened the floodgates to unlimited money from billionaires and corporations overwhelming our democracy, on the bizarre theory that corporations are people under the First Amendment. Congress won’t even pass legislation requiring their names be disclosed.
Some members of Congress have signed a pledge — not of allegiance to the United States but of allegiance to a man named Grover Norquist, who has never been elected by anyone. Norquist’s “no-tax” pledge is interpreted only by Norquist, who says closing a tax loophole is tantamount to raising taxes and therefore violates the pledge.
True patriots don’t hate the government of the United States. They’re proud of it. Generations of Americans have risked their lives to preserve and protect it. They may not like everything it does, and they justifiably worry then special interests gain too much power over it. But true patriots work to improve the U.S. government, not destroy it.
But these days some Americans loathe the government, and are doing everything they can to paralyze it, starve it, and make the public so cynical about it that it’s no longer capable of doing much of anything. Norquist says he wants to shrink it down to a size it can be “drowned in a bathtub.”
When arguing against paying their fair share of taxes, some wealthy Americans claim “it’s my money.” They forget it’s their nation, too. And unless they pay their fair share of taxes, American can’t meet the basic needs of our people. True patriotism means paying for America.
So when you hear people talk about patriotism, be warned. They may mean securing the nation’s borders, not securing our society. Within those borders, each of us is on our own. These people don’t want a government that actively works for all our citizens.
Yet true patriotism isn’t mainly about excluding outsiders seen as our common adversaries. It’s about coming together for the common good.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
What do these decisions — and the national conversations they’ve engendered — have to do with patriotism? A great deal. Because underlying them are two different versions of American patriotism.
The Arizona law is aimed at securing the nation from outsiders. The purpose of the heatlhcare law is to join together to provide affordable health care for all.
The first version of patriotism is protecting America from people beyond our borders who might otherwise overrun us — whether immigrants coming here illegally or foreign powers threatening us with aggression.
The second version of patriotism is joining together for the common good. That might mean contributing to a bake sale to raise money for a local school or volunteering in a homeless shelter. It also means paying our fair share of taxes so our community or nation has enough resources to meet all our needs, and preserving and protecting our system of government.
This second meaning of patriotism recognizes our responsibilities to one another as citizens of the same society. It requires collaboration, teamwork, tolerance, and selflessness.
The Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect, but in requiring younger and healthier people to buy insurance that will help pay for the healthcare needs of older and sicker people, it summons the second version of patriotism.
Too often these days we don’t recognize and don’t practice this second version. We’re shouting at each other rather than coming together — conservative versus liberal, Democrat versus Republican, native-born versus foreign born, non-unionized versus unionized, religious versus secular.
Our politics has grown nastier and meaner. Negative advertising is filling the airwaves this election year. We’re learning more about why we shouldn’t vote for someone than why we should.
As I’ve said before, some elected officials have substituted partisanship for patriotism, placing party loyalty above loyalty to America. Just after the 2010 election, the Senate minority leader was asked about his party’s highest priority for the next two years. You might have expected him to say it was to get the economy going and reduce unemployment, or control the budge deficit, or achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. But he said the highest priority would be to make sure the President did not get a second term of office.
Our system of government is America’s most precious and fragile possession, the means we have of joining together as a nation for the common good. It requires not only our loyalty but ongoing vigilance to keep it working well. Yet some of our elected representatives act as if they don’t care what happens to it as long as they achieve their partisan aims.
The filibuster used to be rarely used. But over the last decade the threat of a filibuster has become standard operating procedure, virtually shutting down the Senate for periods of time.
Meanwhile, some members of the House have been willing to shut down the entire government in order to get their way. Last summer they were even willing to risk the full faith and credit of the United States in order to achieve their goals.
In 2010 the Supreme Court opened the floodgates to unlimited money from billionaires and corporations overwhelming our democracy, on the bizarre theory that corporations are people under the First Amendment. Congress won’t even pass legislation requiring their names be disclosed.
Some members of Congress have signed a pledge — not of allegiance to the United States but of allegiance to a man named Grover Norquist, who has never been elected by anyone. Norquist’s “no-tax” pledge is interpreted only by Norquist, who says closing a tax loophole is tantamount to raising taxes and therefore violates the pledge.
True patriots don’t hate the government of the United States. They’re proud of it. Generations of Americans have risked their lives to preserve and protect it. They may not like everything it does, and they justifiably worry then special interests gain too much power over it. But true patriots work to improve the U.S. government, not destroy it.
But these days some Americans loathe the government, and are doing everything they can to paralyze it, starve it, and make the public so cynical about it that it’s no longer capable of doing much of anything. Norquist says he wants to shrink it down to a size it can be “drowned in a bathtub.”
When arguing against paying their fair share of taxes, some wealthy Americans claim “it’s my money.” They forget it’s their nation, too. And unless they pay their fair share of taxes, American can’t meet the basic needs of our people. True patriotism means paying for America.
So when you hear people talk about patriotism, be warned. They may mean securing the nation’s borders, not securing our society. Within those borders, each of us is on our own. These people don’t want a government that actively works for all our citizens.
Yet true patriotism isn’t mainly about excluding outsiders seen as our common adversaries. It’s about coming together for the common good.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
What we love about Andy Griffith
It’s been said that when he was younger, Andy Griffith had aspirations to become an opera singer, but fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Matlock” are undoubtedly happy that he wound up pursuing acting.
The actor, who died at 86 on Tuesday, is most beloved for his portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor on the timeless ’60s favorite “The Andy Griffith Show,” as well as for his role as defense attorney Ben Matlock on the late ’80s-mid ’90s series “Matlock.”
1. The example he set:
“The Andy Griffith Show,” with its unforgettable theme song, gave the actor a landmark role in Sheriff Taylor. The widowed father to a young Ron Howard’s Opie, Griffith’s portrayal of the Sheriff, who oversaw Mayberry, North Carolina, still resonates decades later.
Time magazine’s TV critic James Poniewozik nominates the show, which ran from 1960-1968, as one of the cultural touchstones that shaped America.
“This gentle small-town comedy gave us Mayberry’s quirks without ridiculing or patronizing them,” Poniewozik writes. “And Griffith’s Sheriff Taylor, who’d rather wield a wry comment than a gun, was a weekly example of Americans talking through their problems. “
It also served as an example for those watching, a thought we don’t often associate with TV programs today.
CNN.com commenter SnackMonster said, “I never knew my real parents when I grew up, but the home I was in as a kid had the Andy Griffith show on TV almost every day. Thanks Mr. Griffith for providing a role model for me when I needed one. You made a huge difference in my life.”
Concurred commenter DirtSense, “Growing up, I didn’t have a Dad. I had to look for ‘dads’ on TV to show me how to be. Andy Griffith was & still is one of my role models. Thank you for sharing your talent and wisdom.”
2. His love for North Carolina:
Griffith was a North Carolinian through-and-through, having been raised in Mount Airy and attending college at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. North Carolina’s Gov. Bev Perdue told CNN in a statement that Griffith’s birthplace was evident in his work.
“Throughout his career, he represented everything that was good about North Carolina: a small town boy and UNC graduate who took a light-hearted approach to some of the attributes he grew up with and turned them into a spectacularly successful career,” Gov. Perdue said. “And regardless of where that career took him, he always came back to North Carolina and spent his final years here. In an increasingly complicated world, we all yearn for the days of Mayberry. We all will miss Andy, and I will dearly miss my friend.”
Added CNN.com commenter shoyaryt, “Andy Griffith IS North Carolina… there are a lot of things we, in NC, pride ourselves with. Our pine covered mountains, our BBQ and basketball. But we pride ourselves most with our favorite neighbor, NC’s oldest and dearest friend; Andy Griffith.”
3. “Matlock”:
There was also, of course, his role as the argumentative defense attorney Ben Matlock.
The Virginian-Pilot suggested in a 2008 profile of the actor that “if you want the TV comparison, [Griffith is] closer to the analytical braininess of Ben Matlock than he is to the country wisdom of Andy Taylor.”
4. His versatility:
But even those two iconic shows don’t begin to crack the surface of Griffith’s contributions, which is the largest reason we adore Griffith — his talent played well from the stage to the screen.
He rose to fame and proved his wit with this 1953 comedic monologue, “What It Was, Was Football.” The monologue sold more than 800,000 copies and, like a lot of Griffith’s work, is as funny today as it was 59 years ago.
In addition to his Tony-nominated work on Broadway, Griffith made his mark in 1957′s “A Face in the Crowd” as Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes, a country boy with an appetite for power who becomes a media sensation.
CNN.com commenter dgoren found called Griffith’s work in “Face in the Crowd” “amazing, and probably his best single performance. Think how few actors can break the stereotype that can trap them from a famous role. Andy did it with Matlock just like Buddy Ebsen, but few can. That’s a testament to his tremendous talent. He could play a real ‘meanie’ when the role called for it. Extremely versatile.
5. His legacy:
With all of that, plus a Grammy-winning album to his name with “I Love To Tell The Story — 25 Timeless Hymns,” it’s no wonder so many concur with country singer Brad Paisley, who told CNN in a statement that few people will have the impact that Griffith had.
“An actor who never looked like he was acting, a moral compass who saved as many souls as most preachers, and an entertainer who put smiles on more faces than almost anyone; this was as successful a life as is pretty much possible,” Paisley said. “Andy Griffith made the world a better place, and I was so proud to call him a friend.”
Credit: CNN
Mayberry in Mourning, Andy Griffith, tv icon, dead at 86
Actor Andy Griffith, the man who played folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry, has died at the age of 86, Sheriff J.D. “Doug” Doughtie of Dare County, North Carolina, said Tuesday.
Griffith died at about 7 a.m. at his home on Roanoke Island, the sheriff said in a statement. The statement did not provide a cause of death.
Best known for his role on “The Andy Griffith Show,” the actor also starred as a murder-solving Southern attorney in the television series “Matlock” during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also known for his roles in movies and on the stage, as a producer and as a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer.
Ron Howard, who played Taylor’s son, Opie Taylor, on “The Andy Griffith Show,” said he is “forever grateful” to the actor.
“His pursuit of excellence and the joy he took in creating served generations & shaped my life,” Howard said on Twitter.
Credit: CNN
Monday, July 2, 2012
Kentucky likely to dominate 2013 draft, too
The 2012 NBA draft was a familiar scene.
Kentucky players heard their names called in suitably historic fashion -- Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist became the first teammates of the modern era to be selected Nos. 1 and 2 overall -- en route to an expected six total selections, four of which came in the first round. As during his Memphis tenure, and as in 2010 (when John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins both went in the top five) and 2011 (when Brandon Knight led the way) John Calipari was on the draft floor, smiling and hugging and soaking up the countless brand-oriented benefits that come with being at the center of yet another massive NBA draft haul.
This has become the routine for Calipari: Recruit some of the best prospects in the country, accelerate their cohesion and development, make a run at a national title, send them to the NBA draft, rinse, repeat. Whether you believe Calipari can claim credit for developing NBA players or merely recruiting them (I tend to fall on Jay Bilas's side of the argument, but there is some gray area there) the process has become an annual tradition.
There's no reason to expect anything different in 2013.
This morning, I planned to do a more in-depth, listy look at the teams who could challenge Kentucky for most populous draft classes in 2013 -- but, as usual, the pool of challengers looks slim. As Chad Ford wrote in his 2013 lookahead this weekend , Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel is the early favorite to be the No. 1 overall selection in next year's draft. Even if that doesn't pan out -- scouts already really love Indiana's Cody Zeller, and Zeller should only improve as as sophomore -- it's unlikely we'll see Noel drop much further than the top five. Meanwhile, incoming Kentucky freshman Alex Poythress is ranked No. 5 in Ford's 2013 top 100 , while classmate Archie Goodwin comes in at No. 17 overall. Throw in power forward Kyle Wiltjer, and point guard Ryan Harrow, both of whom could have big seasons in starting roles, and while the Wildcats' talent won't come anywhere close to 2012's heights, it's clear they are still the leaders in the 2013 NBA draft clubhouse.
The closest any squad comes to matching the breadth and depth of UK's potential draft offerings per Ford's top 100 is UCLA. Shabazz Muhammed is a top-five talent, fellow freshman guard Kyle Anderson is ranked No. 15, and there are mock drafts that list forward Joshua Smith as a potential lottery pick (provided he can slim down and harness all the potential in that massive frame).
That's the closest challenger. Those UCLA players (and coach Ben Howland) have much to prove before that comes to fruition, and elite draft picks have not always thrived in Howland's traditional downtempo system. That's true of everyone in next year's draft, of course, and obviously it's much too early to start counting up draft picks. We're still an entire year, and an entire college hoops season, away.
But as of now, it would appear that what's been true of Kentucky under Calipari since he took the job will remain true next summer, too. If any other program matches UK's concentrated draft accolades, it won't just be an expected random blip. It will be a major surprise.
Credit: ESPN
Kentucky players heard their names called in suitably historic fashion -- Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist became the first teammates of the modern era to be selected Nos. 1 and 2 overall -- en route to an expected six total selections, four of which came in the first round. As during his Memphis tenure, and as in 2010 (when John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins both went in the top five) and 2011 (when Brandon Knight led the way) John Calipari was on the draft floor, smiling and hugging and soaking up the countless brand-oriented benefits that come with being at the center of yet another massive NBA draft haul.
This has become the routine for Calipari: Recruit some of the best prospects in the country, accelerate their cohesion and development, make a run at a national title, send them to the NBA draft, rinse, repeat. Whether you believe Calipari can claim credit for developing NBA players or merely recruiting them (I tend to fall on Jay Bilas's side of the argument, but there is some gray area there) the process has become an annual tradition.
There's no reason to expect anything different in 2013.
This morning, I planned to do a more in-depth, listy look at the teams who could challenge Kentucky for most populous draft classes in 2013 -- but, as usual, the pool of challengers looks slim. As Chad Ford wrote in his 2013 lookahead this weekend , Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel is the early favorite to be the No. 1 overall selection in next year's draft. Even if that doesn't pan out -- scouts already really love Indiana's Cody Zeller, and Zeller should only improve as as sophomore -- it's unlikely we'll see Noel drop much further than the top five. Meanwhile, incoming Kentucky freshman Alex Poythress is ranked No. 5 in Ford's 2013 top 100 , while classmate Archie Goodwin comes in at No. 17 overall. Throw in power forward Kyle Wiltjer, and point guard Ryan Harrow, both of whom could have big seasons in starting roles, and while the Wildcats' talent won't come anywhere close to 2012's heights, it's clear they are still the leaders in the 2013 NBA draft clubhouse.
The closest any squad comes to matching the breadth and depth of UK's potential draft offerings per Ford's top 100 is UCLA. Shabazz Muhammed is a top-five talent, fellow freshman guard Kyle Anderson is ranked No. 15, and there are mock drafts that list forward Joshua Smith as a potential lottery pick (provided he can slim down and harness all the potential in that massive frame).
That's the closest challenger. Those UCLA players (and coach Ben Howland) have much to prove before that comes to fruition, and elite draft picks have not always thrived in Howland's traditional downtempo system. That's true of everyone in next year's draft, of course, and obviously it's much too early to start counting up draft picks. We're still an entire year, and an entire college hoops season, away.
But as of now, it would appear that what's been true of Kentucky under Calipari since he took the job will remain true next summer, too. If any other program matches UK's concentrated draft accolades, it won't just be an expected random blip. It will be a major surprise.
Credit: ESPN
Order up: 6 ways to make more money as a waiter or waitress
An opinion piece in The New York Times last week started like this…
Help wanted: Salary: $19,000 (some may be withheld or stolen). No health insurance, paid sick days or paid vacation. Opportunity for advancement: nearly nil.
That describes the hardships faced by food-service workers – 20 million Americans, with half of them working in restaurants. According to a recent report called The Hands That Feed Us by the Food Chain Workers Alliance (FCWA), the food industry employs more workers than any other, including health care and retail.
Yet food-industry workers are so poorly paid, The Times reports, “The biggest workforce in America can’t put food on the table except when they go to work.”
I’ve been in restaurants for seven years, and I’ve learned to make a living with a combination of hard work and clever schemes. Here’s what you need to know to make it in this harsh world…
1. Focus on your tips
A little-known fact about servers is how little a restaurant pays them. Since they’re tipped employees, they fall under a special minimum wage. Federally, that minimum is set at $2.13 an hour – which hasn’t changed since 1991.
According to the FCWA report, that means that only 13.5 percent of those surveyed made a “livable wage” – giving them the ability to cover basic needs like housing, clothing, and nutrition.
I’ve made as little as the minimum when I worked in Texas five years ago and as much as $4.26 an hour in Florida last year. But neither would be enough to live on if you don’t…
Forget about the hourly peanuts you make. It’ll all be sucked into the taxes you pay anyway. Concentrate on finding restaurants that are known for big tippers, not hourly wages.
Keep track of your tips. If your tips don’t make up the difference between the tipped minimum wage and the regular minimum wage – last updated in 2009 to $7.25 – your employer is forced by law to pay you the difference. But there’s a caveat. The numbers are based on weekly totals. A bad shift today might be countered by a good shift tomorrow.
Be responsible with the cash you get every day. Just because there are bills in your wallet doesn’t mean you can spend them. If you’re going out to have a good time, set a chunk of cash aside in your sock drawer – and don’t touch it. This is a big problem with some servers who let that cash burn a hole in their pocket.
2. Work long hours the right way
According to the report, only 11 percent of those surveyed worked more than 60 hours, with two or more jobs. I expected the number to be higher — working two jobs is smart.
Since employers are forced by law to pay you at least 150 percent of your hourly when you work more than 40 hours a week, most of them keep you from doing so. In the restaurant business, this translates to keeping you from picking up too many shifts or just sending you home in the middle of your shift. (I’ve had both happen to me.)
So, if your boss is stringent, work two jobs that’ll give you 25 or 30 hours a week. This way, you work as much as you want, and your wallet will reflect your hours.
3. Get insured one way or the other
Turnover in restaurants is high, so most of them see little value in investing for benefits. One of my managers used to joke that it’s only when restaurants force you to wear a tie that they care about you sticking around.
At my last job, we got a few minutes of vacation pay for every week we worked more than 25 hours. After four years there, I had accrued just a few days. According to the FCWA report, of those surveyed…
79 percent don’t have paid sick leave – or don’t know if they do
83 percent don’t get health insurance from their employer
58 percent don’t have health care at all
53 percent worked while they were sick
35 percent have used the emergency room as their primary care
Working for a chain of restaurants is more likely to get you health insurance – at the chain where I last worked, we had plans for both full-time and part-time employees. But don’t count on the job to give you benefits. Get health care on your own, if only to cover the basics. Check out our health care page to find discount rates in your state.
4. Move on up
If benefits are scarce, so is training and promotions. According to the report, of those surveyed…
81 percent never received a promotion
75 percent never had an opportunity to apply for a promotion
74 percent had no ongoing training from their employer
32 percent received no training at all after their first day
This doesn’t mean a salad prep can’t become a grill cook (which usually pays more). It just means that moving up is up to you. Like I told you in my guide to getting and keeping a restaurant job:
Don’t stop learning. Ask the bartender what good wine or drink goes with what dish. Memorize two or three suggestions a week. Within a month, you’ll know more than the others, meaning you’ll upsell more, getting guests to buy more than just what they wanted at first. Your wallet and your schedule will reflect this newfound knowledge.
This applies to cooks too. The kitchen manager at my last job started off as a busser and would stay late to help the cooks clean up – and in turn, they taught him how their equipment worked.
5. Take your breaks responsibly
Unfortunately, federal law doesn’t require an employer to give you a break. Thankfully, some state laws have this provision. In California, an employer has to give you at least a 30-minute break every five hours. In Florida, you get nothing unless you’re under 18. However, federal law says that if an employer does give you a break – five to 20 minutes – you get paid during that break.
According to the report, 40 percent of those surveyed never got even a 10-minute break. And 30 percent didn’t break for lunch.
I’ve never seen a manager object to someone taking a short bathroom break (which can translate to a cigarette or a quick phone call). But don’t be stupid about it. No matter what, never take even a five-minute break without your section (whether in the kitchen or out on the floor) being taken care of by a co-worker. That’s a quick recipe to get fired.
6. Be safe
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 4,960 workers died on the job in 2010. While serving food is a low-risk job, you can get hurt.
I once had a guest back into me and knock over a cocktail tray I was holding with four hot tea cups on it. I worked through my shift – but later found out I suffered third-degree burns on my neck and shoulder. Since this happened on the job, my restaurant paid for it all.
Back to the survey…
57.2 percent suffered injury or a health problem on the job
52 percent did not receive health and safety training from their employer
32.7 percent did not receive proper equipment to do the job
11.7 percent did something that put their own safety at risk
Most restaurants force you to wear slip-resistant shoes, or shoes that are specially made to stick to a wet floor. It’s not that they care for your well-being, it’s that they don’t want to be sued. If you slip and fall, and aren’t wearing the right shoes, they don’t owe you zilch.
For example, the first thing my manager did the night I spilled tea was…check my shoes. Only then did he authorize me to go to the hospital.
Help wanted: Salary: $19,000 (some may be withheld or stolen). No health insurance, paid sick days or paid vacation. Opportunity for advancement: nearly nil.
That describes the hardships faced by food-service workers – 20 million Americans, with half of them working in restaurants. According to a recent report called The Hands That Feed Us by the Food Chain Workers Alliance (FCWA), the food industry employs more workers than any other, including health care and retail.
Yet food-industry workers are so poorly paid, The Times reports, “The biggest workforce in America can’t put food on the table except when they go to work.”
I’ve been in restaurants for seven years, and I’ve learned to make a living with a combination of hard work and clever schemes. Here’s what you need to know to make it in this harsh world…
1. Focus on your tips
A little-known fact about servers is how little a restaurant pays them. Since they’re tipped employees, they fall under a special minimum wage. Federally, that minimum is set at $2.13 an hour – which hasn’t changed since 1991.
According to the FCWA report, that means that only 13.5 percent of those surveyed made a “livable wage” – giving them the ability to cover basic needs like housing, clothing, and nutrition.
I’ve made as little as the minimum when I worked in Texas five years ago and as much as $4.26 an hour in Florida last year. But neither would be enough to live on if you don’t…
Forget about the hourly peanuts you make. It’ll all be sucked into the taxes you pay anyway. Concentrate on finding restaurants that are known for big tippers, not hourly wages.
Keep track of your tips. If your tips don’t make up the difference between the tipped minimum wage and the regular minimum wage – last updated in 2009 to $7.25 – your employer is forced by law to pay you the difference. But there’s a caveat. The numbers are based on weekly totals. A bad shift today might be countered by a good shift tomorrow.
Be responsible with the cash you get every day. Just because there are bills in your wallet doesn’t mean you can spend them. If you’re going out to have a good time, set a chunk of cash aside in your sock drawer – and don’t touch it. This is a big problem with some servers who let that cash burn a hole in their pocket.
2. Work long hours the right way
According to the report, only 11 percent of those surveyed worked more than 60 hours, with two or more jobs. I expected the number to be higher — working two jobs is smart.
Since employers are forced by law to pay you at least 150 percent of your hourly when you work more than 40 hours a week, most of them keep you from doing so. In the restaurant business, this translates to keeping you from picking up too many shifts or just sending you home in the middle of your shift. (I’ve had both happen to me.)
So, if your boss is stringent, work two jobs that’ll give you 25 or 30 hours a week. This way, you work as much as you want, and your wallet will reflect your hours.
3. Get insured one way or the other
Turnover in restaurants is high, so most of them see little value in investing for benefits. One of my managers used to joke that it’s only when restaurants force you to wear a tie that they care about you sticking around.
At my last job, we got a few minutes of vacation pay for every week we worked more than 25 hours. After four years there, I had accrued just a few days. According to the FCWA report, of those surveyed…
79 percent don’t have paid sick leave – or don’t know if they do
83 percent don’t get health insurance from their employer
58 percent don’t have health care at all
53 percent worked while they were sick
35 percent have used the emergency room as their primary care
Working for a chain of restaurants is more likely to get you health insurance – at the chain where I last worked, we had plans for both full-time and part-time employees. But don’t count on the job to give you benefits. Get health care on your own, if only to cover the basics. Check out our health care page to find discount rates in your state.
4. Move on up
If benefits are scarce, so is training and promotions. According to the report, of those surveyed…
81 percent never received a promotion
75 percent never had an opportunity to apply for a promotion
74 percent had no ongoing training from their employer
32 percent received no training at all after their first day
This doesn’t mean a salad prep can’t become a grill cook (which usually pays more). It just means that moving up is up to you. Like I told you in my guide to getting and keeping a restaurant job:
Don’t stop learning. Ask the bartender what good wine or drink goes with what dish. Memorize two or three suggestions a week. Within a month, you’ll know more than the others, meaning you’ll upsell more, getting guests to buy more than just what they wanted at first. Your wallet and your schedule will reflect this newfound knowledge.
This applies to cooks too. The kitchen manager at my last job started off as a busser and would stay late to help the cooks clean up – and in turn, they taught him how their equipment worked.
5. Take your breaks responsibly
Unfortunately, federal law doesn’t require an employer to give you a break. Thankfully, some state laws have this provision. In California, an employer has to give you at least a 30-minute break every five hours. In Florida, you get nothing unless you’re under 18. However, federal law says that if an employer does give you a break – five to 20 minutes – you get paid during that break.
According to the report, 40 percent of those surveyed never got even a 10-minute break. And 30 percent didn’t break for lunch.
I’ve never seen a manager object to someone taking a short bathroom break (which can translate to a cigarette or a quick phone call). But don’t be stupid about it. No matter what, never take even a five-minute break without your section (whether in the kitchen or out on the floor) being taken care of by a co-worker. That’s a quick recipe to get fired.
6. Be safe
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 4,960 workers died on the job in 2010. While serving food is a low-risk job, you can get hurt.
I once had a guest back into me and knock over a cocktail tray I was holding with four hot tea cups on it. I worked through my shift – but later found out I suffered third-degree burns on my neck and shoulder. Since this happened on the job, my restaurant paid for it all.
Back to the survey…
57.2 percent suffered injury or a health problem on the job
52 percent did not receive health and safety training from their employer
32.7 percent did not receive proper equipment to do the job
11.7 percent did something that put their own safety at risk
Most restaurants force you to wear slip-resistant shoes, or shoes that are specially made to stick to a wet floor. It’s not that they care for your well-being, it’s that they don’t want to be sued. If you slip and fall, and aren’t wearing the right shoes, they don’t owe you zilch.
For example, the first thing my manager did the night I spilled tea was…check my shoes. Only then did he authorize me to go to the hospital.
Federal Agency Wades Into Mermaid Debate
In an attempt to bring clarity to one of the great scientific debates of our time—of any time—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has taken a strong stand on the existence of mermaids.
“No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found,” the federal agency declares in a statement on its website.
NOAA, better known for issuing reports on such topics as fishery stocks and climate trends, was apparently moved to wade into the mermaid debate by an Animal Planet special that made the case for the mythical creatures’ existence. The special, called “Mermaids: The Body Found,” threw together “evidence” such as cave drawings, injuries to beached whales, and mysterious deep-ocean bloops to paint what it calls “a wildly convincing picture of mermaids, what they may look like, and why they’ve stayed hidden… until now.”
Discovery News notes that the show was intended as science fiction, but that didn’t stop viewers from pelting NOAA with demands for more transparency on the mermaid question.
History suggests NOAA’s statement won’t put the issue to rest, either. After all, the agency has issued one report after another showing that the world’s climate is warming dramatically, and there are still a few conspiracy theorists out there who maintain that the science doesn’t hold water.
Credit:Slate Magazine
“No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found,” the federal agency declares in a statement on its website.
NOAA, better known for issuing reports on such topics as fishery stocks and climate trends, was apparently moved to wade into the mermaid debate by an Animal Planet special that made the case for the mythical creatures’ existence. The special, called “Mermaids: The Body Found,” threw together “evidence” such as cave drawings, injuries to beached whales, and mysterious deep-ocean bloops to paint what it calls “a wildly convincing picture of mermaids, what they may look like, and why they’ve stayed hidden… until now.”
Discovery News notes that the show was intended as science fiction, but that didn’t stop viewers from pelting NOAA with demands for more transparency on the mermaid question.
History suggests NOAA’s statement won’t put the issue to rest, either. After all, the agency has issued one report after another showing that the world’s climate is warming dramatically, and there are still a few conspiracy theorists out there who maintain that the science doesn’t hold water.
Credit:Slate Magazine
Your Tomatoes Are Flavorless, Right? Here's Why
There are two pieces of late-breaking news on the tomato beat this week. First of all, tomatoes have shoulders. Second, tomatoes taste lousy. If you're younger than 70, you probably already know about the lousy part. The shoulders are surely more of a surprise — but they're both key parts of a new study published in Science that explains what's going on in the sorry world of supermarket tomatoes, and why they taste nothing like their sweet, flavorful cousins in the wild.
It was a good 70 years ago that marketers first started catching wise to something farmers knew already: a tomato on the vine that's uniformly light green may hardly be ready for eating, but it's exactly ready for picking — at least if it's destined for somewhere far away. By the time it's packed, shipped, unloaded at the store and displayed on the shelves, it will have turned a perfect, even red, which is eye-candy to shoppers.
Not all tomatoes send so clear a pick-me signal when they're ripening on the vine. Some have a more uneven look, with patches of darker green, particularly on the shoulders — the raised area at the top of the fruit that circles the depression where the stem attaches. Some of these might be ready for picking too — but some might not be, leading to a mixed shipment arriving at the store, half of which gets left on the shelves. So for that same seven decades, plant breeders have been selecting seeds from the uniformly green tomatoes, crossing them with other uniformly green ones and producing an uber-race of perfect visual specimens. But as with other very pretty things — the sea anemone, wolfbane, John Edwards — looks can mislead.
Perfect tomatoes may have the appearance, cookability and mouth-feel of the genuine article, but more often than not, the flavor is missing — a fact many people never even realize until they buy a tomato at a farmer's market or travel overseas to a place without massive grocery stores and marvel at this wonderful fruit they seem to be tasting for the first time. To learn at last why beautiful equals bland, a group of plant researchers headed by Ann Powell of the University of California, Davis, decided to look at the tomato's genes and see if there was something that was coding for — or at least affecting — both flavor and appearance.
Sifting through the tomato genome wasn't even possible until the entire thing was sequenced in the first place — something that happened just last summer and was announced in the journal Nature. With that sequence in their hip pockets, Powell and her colleagues collected some wild tomatoes with dark green shoulders and crossed them with their prettified, citified cousins. This allowed them to compare the similarities and differences between the two and eventually narrow the search for the culpable gene down to chromosome number 10. Studying that single chromosome more closely, they found a gene called SIGLK2, a sort of genetic master switch that regulates whether other genes are activated or remain inactive.
The genes that SIGLK2 controls regulate the formation of chloroplasts, components of cells that control photosynthesis. A heavy concentration of chloroplasts in a tomato leads to a heavy shading of green — which is precisely the quality plant breeders look to avoid. The problem is, chloroplasts also increase sugar levels in the tomato, and sugars play a key role in creating flavor.
"We looked at about a dozen varieties, one from Asia, some from Europe, and all of them had the same mutation," Powell told Science. That mutation was tiny: DNA is made up of combinations four nucleic acid bases — adenine, cytosine, thymine, and guanine, better known simply as A, C, T and G. One string of bases in the flavorless tomatoes is made up of a series of seven A's. In wild, tastier tomatoes there are only six. The proof that that infinitesimal flaw is the mutation responsible for poor taste came when Powell's team inserted a gene with the shorter sequence into a supermarket variety tomato genome and the sugars in the resulting fruit jumped 40%.
Ironically, the investigators in the current study never got to taste the tomato and enjoy the results of their work. Safety regulations forbid researchers from sampling genetically modified foods until they are certified safe. That may happen in the future, but until then, plant scientists, like the rest of us, will be left to get by on supermarket tomatoes that may look a lot lovelier than the box that they came in, but alas, taste pretty much the same.
Credit: Time Magazine
Friday, June 29, 2012
Students Seen Bullying Bus Monitor Suspended For A Year
The Greece Central School District in Western New York has decided on a punishment for the students seen bullying their 69-year-old school bus monitor on a YouTube video that went viral earlier this month.
Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams said the parents of the four middle school students agreed to a one-year suspension and 50 hours of community service with senior citizens. They will also be required to complete a bullying prevention program.
"The Greece Central School District is legally required to provide all students ages 5 to 16 with an education, therefore, during the 2012-13 school year, the students who have been suspended will be transferred to the district Reengagement Center, located in a non-school facility," the district said in a statement. "This alternative education program keeps middle school students on track academically while providing a structured opportunity for students to take responsibility for their actions by completing community service hours and receiving formal instruction related to conduct and behavior that prepares them for a productive future."
The students will be able to apply for readmission to their regular school — Athena Middle School — if they've stayed out of trouble for 30 weeks.
As we've told you, the video showed 10 minutes of profane and relentless taunting of their school bus monitor Karen Klein. The video caused so much concern for Klein that a fund was started on her behalf.
So far, it has collected $667,304. Some of the students and their parents had also issued apologies.
Credit: National Public Radio
Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams said the parents of the four middle school students agreed to a one-year suspension and 50 hours of community service with senior citizens. They will also be required to complete a bullying prevention program.
"The Greece Central School District is legally required to provide all students ages 5 to 16 with an education, therefore, during the 2012-13 school year, the students who have been suspended will be transferred to the district Reengagement Center, located in a non-school facility," the district said in a statement. "This alternative education program keeps middle school students on track academically while providing a structured opportunity for students to take responsibility for their actions by completing community service hours and receiving formal instruction related to conduct and behavior that prepares them for a productive future."
The students will be able to apply for readmission to their regular school — Athena Middle School — if they've stayed out of trouble for 30 weeks.
As we've told you, the video showed 10 minutes of profane and relentless taunting of their school bus monitor Karen Klein. The video caused so much concern for Klein that a fund was started on her behalf.
So far, it has collected $667,304. Some of the students and their parents had also issued apologies.
Credit: National Public Radio
Spiral Cut Hot Dogs Before Grilling for Maximum Meaty Goodness and Plenty of Room for Toppings
Cooking a hot dog isn't rocket science, but making that hot dog something really special can be trickier than loading it up with toppings. The fine folks at Chow suggest giving your hot dog a quick spiral cut before putting it on the grill: It'll cook up perfectly straight, you boost the surface area so you get more of that nice grilled flavor, and once it's on the bun there are plenty of nooks and crannies for relish and other toppings to fit into.
It turns out the spiral cut is really simple—just skewer the hot dog, hold your knife at an angle, and roll it away from you under the knife. Take the dog off of the skewer and drop it on the grill. One of the benefits of the spiral cut is that the hot dog will cook up perfectly straight, and you won't have to worry about it curling up, the skin ripping, or it cooking unevenly. Every tiny corner of the dog will cook up with that nice, caramelized flavor that makes grilling so delicious. Chow's Blake Smith notes that the spiral cut dog also fits better in a bun once it's cooked up, and the toppings just fall right into the crevices, making every bite tastier.
For another boost of flavor, consider marinading your dogs before they go on the grill—they actually take well to it. Of course, if you're not into hot dogs, you can definitely do the same thing with sausages or brats, just be careful of any meat that'll start to fall apart before cooking once the casing is cut.
Credit: Alan Henry, Lifehacker.com
I don't know what the weather's like where you live, but...
here in Kentucky, this is what we are dealing with this afternoon. I know that most of the U.S. is dealing with extreme heat the next couple of days, and I would like to offer these tips for preventing heat-related illness from the CDC.
'Think Like A Man' sequel is in development
Steve Harvey’s best-selling advice book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” was translated into the film Think Like a Man earlier this year. The transition from ink and paper to celluloid was a successful one, resulting in a movie adaptation that received surprisingly solid marks from critics – given Hollywood’s underwhelming track record, when it comes to turning popular dating advice books into star-studded events (He’s Just Not That Into You, looking at you).
The aspect of Think Like a Man‘s success that’s surely pleased Screen Gems the most is a $93 million worldwide gross on a $12 million budget. Hence, it’s little surprise that development has begun on a sequel (we’ll call it Think Like a Man 2, for now).
Screen Gems’ Think Like a Man sequel will be scripted by the same duo who wrote its predecessor, Keith Merryman and David A. Newman (they also penned Friends with Benefits). The screenwriters have established a reputation for churning out rom-coms that resonate with contemporary audiences, but do not stray far from the tried-and-true plot formulas and conventions which have earned the sub-genre fans since… well, the early days of narrative filmmaking, to be honest.
Harvey will be back as an executive producer on Think Like a Man 2, with Rob Hardy and Rushion McDonald; Will Packer is also returning, in a producer capacity. It stands to reason that the central cast from the first film (including, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraja P. Henson, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Romany Malco, Gabrielle Union, and Chris Bown) will likewise be brought back, as could also be the case with director Tim Story.
Think Like a Man 2 will presumably travel a path similar to the first film, following the various male and female “players” as navigate the “game” of evolving relationships. Rom-com sequels are a rare species, as most filmmakers hold off on continuing the love story – or stories, in the case of Think Like a Man – after the happy ending (or something close to that) has seemingly been reached.
Think Like a Man 2 could turn out okay, assuming the original cast returns (screen chemistry intact). Not to mention: so long as Merryman and Newman refrain from simply rehashing what went down in the first film – while passing the sequel off as a “new” chapter in the ongoing story (that’s never happened before, right?).
Of course, the real question is: how much of an informercial will this sequel be for Harvey’s new book, “(Continue To) Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man”? (Zing!)
Credit:Christian Science Monitor
Thanks to science, your weekend will be one second longer
The transition from June to July will be delayed by circumstances beyond everyone's control. Time will stand still for one second on Saturday evening (June 30) because a "leap second" will be added to let a lagging Earth catch up to super-accurate clocks.
International Atomic Time is a very accurate and stable time scale. It is a weighted average of the time kept by about 200 atomic clocks in over 50 national laboratories worldwide. Atomic time is measured through vibrations of atoms in a metal isotope that resembles mercury and can keep time to within a tenth of a billionth of a second per day. The result is extremely accurate time that can be used to improve synchronization in precision navigation and positioning systems, telecommunications networks and deep-space communications.
But from their careful observations of the positions of the stars, astronomers have deduced that Earth's rotation is ever so slightly slowing down at a non-uniform rate, probably attributable to its sloshing molten core, the rolling of the oceans, the melting of polar ice and the effects of solar and lunar gravity.
Adjusting the clock
Today's atomic clocks are accurate to approximately one second in 200 million years. On average, our planet has been falling behind atomic time at a rate of about two milliseconds per day. As a result, it now trails the "official" clock by about six-tenths of a second.
As a result of this difference, atomic clocks, which are used to set all other clocks, can get out of sync with the Earth and periodically have to be adjusted. A leap second has to be added from time to time to make up the difference.
The next time will be Saturday, when the master clock at the United States Naval Observatory will be adjusted at 7:59:60 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, or 23:59:60 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This will put Mother Earth about four-tenths of a second ahead of the clock, giving her a bit of a head start as we transition into the new month of July.
Who says chivalry is dead?
How to see and hear the extra second
Today many retailers market radio clocks as "atomic clocks." Though the radio signals these clocks receive usually come from true atomic clocks, they are not atomic clocks themselves. Typical radio "atomic clocks" require placement in a location with a relatively unobstructed atmospheric path to the transmitter, need reasonably good atmospheric conditions to receive the time signals, and perform synchronization once a day, during the nighttime.
If you own such a device, you may want to observe what your clock displays just before 0 hours GMT July 1, which corresponds to 8 p.m. EDT on June 30. The minute beginning at 7:59 p.m. EDT will contain 61 seconds. (When a leap second was added in 2005, I watched my own clock closely during that minute as the seconds ticked off. When the final second of that minute was reached, the number "59" flashed not once, but twice!)
If you don't have a radio clock, you can bring up a time display on your computer by going to: http://nist.time.gov/.
You can also listen for the leap second by tuning in to a shortwave time signal station. In North America, the "extra tick" can be heard by listening to either station WWV in Fort Collins, Colo., at 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 megahertz; WWVH in Kekaha, Hawaii, at 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 megahertz; or CHU in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at 3330, 7850, and 14670 kilohertz. A listing of shortwave time signal stations for other parts of the world can be found at http://www.dxinfocentre.com/time.htm.
Should you encounter poor reception, try preparing a seconds pendulum by hanging a small weight on a string about 39.1 inches (99.3 centimeters) long. Adjust the string length beforehand until the swings exactly match the time signal ticks. If the beeps denoting the start of each minute occur at the left extreme of a swing before the final (UTC) minute of June, they will be heard at the right extremes thereafter. (Although the swing amplitude will be steadily dying down, this does not affect a free pendulum's oscillation period.)
Not the year's midpoint
Saturday will be the 25th time a leap second has been needed since the practice was initiated in 1972, and will be the first in 3½ years. The most recent leap second was inserted into the atomic time scale on New Year's Eve of 2008.
Incidentally, July 1 is not the midpoint of 2012. That will take place July 2 at 0 hours UTC if you count the year as beginning when it did at Greenwich, England – or at 1 a.m. Daylight Saving Time, if you count the year as beginning when your clock said midnight in the standard time of your time zone, .
Regardless of how you use your extra second, just keep this one indisputable fact in mind: Whenever you note the time on the clock, realize that it is now – right now – later than it has ever been.
International Atomic Time is a very accurate and stable time scale. It is a weighted average of the time kept by about 200 atomic clocks in over 50 national laboratories worldwide. Atomic time is measured through vibrations of atoms in a metal isotope that resembles mercury and can keep time to within a tenth of a billionth of a second per day. The result is extremely accurate time that can be used to improve synchronization in precision navigation and positioning systems, telecommunications networks and deep-space communications.
But from their careful observations of the positions of the stars, astronomers have deduced that Earth's rotation is ever so slightly slowing down at a non-uniform rate, probably attributable to its sloshing molten core, the rolling of the oceans, the melting of polar ice and the effects of solar and lunar gravity.
Adjusting the clock
Today's atomic clocks are accurate to approximately one second in 200 million years. On average, our planet has been falling behind atomic time at a rate of about two milliseconds per day. As a result, it now trails the "official" clock by about six-tenths of a second.
As a result of this difference, atomic clocks, which are used to set all other clocks, can get out of sync with the Earth and periodically have to be adjusted. A leap second has to be added from time to time to make up the difference.
The next time will be Saturday, when the master clock at the United States Naval Observatory will be adjusted at 7:59:60 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, or 23:59:60 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This will put Mother Earth about four-tenths of a second ahead of the clock, giving her a bit of a head start as we transition into the new month of July.
Who says chivalry is dead?
How to see and hear the extra second
Today many retailers market radio clocks as "atomic clocks." Though the radio signals these clocks receive usually come from true atomic clocks, they are not atomic clocks themselves. Typical radio "atomic clocks" require placement in a location with a relatively unobstructed atmospheric path to the transmitter, need reasonably good atmospheric conditions to receive the time signals, and perform synchronization once a day, during the nighttime.
If you own such a device, you may want to observe what your clock displays just before 0 hours GMT July 1, which corresponds to 8 p.m. EDT on June 30. The minute beginning at 7:59 p.m. EDT will contain 61 seconds. (When a leap second was added in 2005, I watched my own clock closely during that minute as the seconds ticked off. When the final second of that minute was reached, the number "59" flashed not once, but twice!)
If you don't have a radio clock, you can bring up a time display on your computer by going to: http://nist.time.gov/.
You can also listen for the leap second by tuning in to a shortwave time signal station. In North America, the "extra tick" can be heard by listening to either station WWV in Fort Collins, Colo., at 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 megahertz; WWVH in Kekaha, Hawaii, at 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 megahertz; or CHU in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at 3330, 7850, and 14670 kilohertz. A listing of shortwave time signal stations for other parts of the world can be found at http://www.dxinfocentre.com/time.htm.
Should you encounter poor reception, try preparing a seconds pendulum by hanging a small weight on a string about 39.1 inches (99.3 centimeters) long. Adjust the string length beforehand until the swings exactly match the time signal ticks. If the beeps denoting the start of each minute occur at the left extreme of a swing before the final (UTC) minute of June, they will be heard at the right extremes thereafter. (Although the swing amplitude will be steadily dying down, this does not affect a free pendulum's oscillation period.)
Not the year's midpoint
Saturday will be the 25th time a leap second has been needed since the practice was initiated in 1972, and will be the first in 3½ years. The most recent leap second was inserted into the atomic time scale on New Year's Eve of 2008.
Incidentally, July 1 is not the midpoint of 2012. That will take place July 2 at 0 hours UTC if you count the year as beginning when it did at Greenwich, England – or at 1 a.m. Daylight Saving Time, if you count the year as beginning when your clock said midnight in the standard time of your time zone, .
Regardless of how you use your extra second, just keep this one indisputable fact in mind: Whenever you note the time on the clock, realize that it is now – right now – later than it has ever been.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
20 Things You Shouldn’t Buy Used
I’m an avid garage sale shopper. Most of my furniture was bought used, and I’ve saved more than 50 percent off the cost of some pieces. But a few things I would never buy used – especially if they put my health or safety at risk.
Here’s more information on why you shouldn’t buy those seven things used, plus more than a dozen others…
1. Cribs
Cribs – especially the drop-side kind – are frequently on recall lists, and the reasons why are pretty terrifying. For example, in April, Nan Far Woodworking recalled their drop-side cribs for repair. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission had this to say about it:
So how do you know if that crib you’re eyeing on Craigslist hasn’t been recalled? You could check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s list of crib recalls, but you don’t know if the crib was sent back for repairs or not. You’d just have to take the seller’s word for it. It’s better to play it safe and buy a new crib.
2. Car seats
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says car seats can be safely reused after minor crashes – if the air bags didn’t deploy, no one was injured, and the car drove away. But it recommends car seats be replaced after moderate crashes.
So how do you tell the difference between a car seat in a minor crash, one in a moderate crash, or one that wasn’t in a crash at all? You probably can’t. The damage could be internal and not visible. Don’t risk it. Buy a new one.
3. Helmets
In a crash, the thick foam inside a helmet absorbs shock and protects your head. After a crash, the helmet may look fine, but it often has breaks or tears inside the foam. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends replacing a helmet after any crash – even a minor one. Otherwise, the helmet might not protect you in the next crash.
4. Laptops
If you take great care of a laptop, it can last through years of heavy use – but you can’t know how someone else treats their stuff. Maybe they dropped it or spilled coffee on it. The laptop could work great at first, but break down after you take it home.
I just paid $119.99 to replace the hard drive in my laptop – and it was working great until it wasn’t. Had I sold the laptop to someone else, they wouldn’t have known about the failing hard drive.
5. Video cameras
The same goes for video cameras. You may not see any visible damage, but it could have been dropped, exposed to water, or otherwise mistreated. Video cameras are costly to repair, so it isn’t worth buying one used.
6. Mattresses
A used mattress can come with a lot of extras you don’t want – dead skin cells, bacteria, hair, and every other gross thing you could imagine. It might also have bed bugs. The bugs are such a growing problem that Terminix has released a Top 15 Cities for Bed Bug Infestation list.
Bed bugs live off human blood, leave itchy bite marks, and can cause skin infections. And they multiply. According to Orkin:
Females can deposit one to five eggs a day, and may lay 200 to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, they can live over 300 days.
Bring a bed bug-infested mattress into your house, and you’ll pay a hefty fee to an exterminator.
7. Shoes
I believe you need a good mattress and a good pair of shoes – since you’re usually in one or the other. The problem is, those used shoes may have been great for the original owner, but they’ve conformed to his or her feet. They might not be great for you. Used shoes that don’t fit just right can lead to feet or leg pain and back problems.
8. Makeup
I see makeup at almost every garage sale I go to, but I’d never buy any. Cosmetic brushes and wands come into contact with skin and can’t be cleaned very well. That barely used tube of lipstick? It might be hosting illness-causing bacteria. Considering drug stores and beauty shops regularly run makeup sales, risking your health isn’t worth the savings.
9. Plasma and HDTVs
Old tube-style TVs held up a lot better than modern flat-screens. While MSNBC says TVs cost an average of $500 to repair, the repair costs run much higher for plasma screens and for more complicated issues.
Even at the lower end, it may be more cost-effective to buy a new TV under warranty than a used one.
10. Hats
The inside of that hat could be brimming with someone else’s dead skin, hair, or worse – lice. Head lice feed on blood and cause itchy and painful reactions in the scalp. The nearly invisible bugs also travel quickly onto other people and your stuff.
Getting rid of lice requires two treatments of pesticides on everyone in the household. Then you’ll have to clean your bedding, linens, clothes, mattresses, and any other soft fabric in the house. The treatment can take hours or days of hard work – all because you bought a cheap hat.
11. Swimsuits
Swimsuits hug the body. The close contact can transmit bacteria and other diseases – which may transfer to you when you wear the suit. Swimsuits are also fragile. If the washing instructions aren’t followed, the straps might rip or the swimsuit might lose its shape. So you could be buying something that may fall apart after only a few uses.
12. Vacuums
Vacuums take a lot of wear and tear. (This morning I slammed mine into the wall three times trying to reach some dog hair in the corner.) That can lead to costly repairs. Considering you can buy a new vacuum for under $100, it isn’t worth the risk to buy a used one.
13. Tires
Edmunds.com warns that thin tread isn’t the only safety hazard for tires – old and used tires can pose a safety risk. As tires age, they lose elasticity. As a result, the tread could separate from the tire, causing an accident. Even if the tire isn’t that old, it could have been treated poorly. Bottom line – you can’t tell a tire’s condition from the tread alone, so don’t buy a used one just because it looks good.
14. Software
Software comes with a product code, and most software manufacturers put a limit on the number of times you can reload it. When you buy software used, you have no way of knowing how many times the product code has been used. For example, if the code has a three-time limit and the original owner used it twice, you’ll only be able to load the software onto one more computer before it’s no longer good.
15. DVD players
DVD players often cost more to repair than replace. For example, a friend of mine took her DVD player to a repair shop because the DVDs wouldn’t load. The repair shop told her she’d need a new DVD drive tray. It would’ve cost $55 for the repair. She bought a new one for less.
16. Stuffed animals
Children love to stick stuffed animals into their mouths, dirt, and gooey substances. Since the stuffed animal has a fabric surface, bacteria and dirt are absorbed in the fibers. Do you really want your child putting that teddy bear in his mouth if you don’t know where it’s been?
17. Halogen lamps
Those old halogen lamps may look cool, but they’re a fire hazard. Anne Ducey, the marketing coordinator for Seattle Light, told the The Seattle Times that halogen lamps have been linked to at least 350 fires, $2 million in property damage, 114 injuries, and 29 deaths across the United States.
Instead of buying that retro-looking halogen lamp at a thrift store, look for new
CFL or LED lamps – they’re safer and cheaper to use.
18. Blenders
Blenders are subject to loads of abuse. (I’ve broken two myself trying to force-feed frozen strawberries and ice through the blades.) Not to mention most blenders have not-always-invisible old bits of food stuck to the underside of the blades and in the blending bowl.
Since you can buy a new blender pretty cheap – I just paid $25 for one at Target – the savings isn’t worth it for used ones.
19. Costume jewelry
Children and adult’s costume jewelry can contain poisonous substances like nickel, cadmium, and lead. The problem was so prevalent that testing and subsequent legal action by the Center for Environmental Health in 2004 led to the recall of more than 150 million pieces of jewelry for kids. While lead testing is stricter now for new products, the used costume pieces you’re buying may have lead or other chemicals.
20. Pet food and treats
A recent outbreak of pet food recalls has me worried – after all, salmonella causes serious health problems for pets that eat recalled food.
So why would I buy used stuff? Even if the food hasn’t been recalled, open bags of dog food and treats can contain bugs and bug eggs. Where I live, it’s not uncommon for pet food to become infested with roaches. The possibility of food poisoning and bugs isn’t worth the potential savings.
Those are the 20 things I would never buy used.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
Here’s more information on why you shouldn’t buy those seven things used, plus more than a dozen others…
1. Cribs
Cribs – especially the drop-side kind – are frequently on recall lists, and the reasons why are pretty terrifying. For example, in April, Nan Far Woodworking recalled their drop-side cribs for repair. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission had this to say about it:
"The cribs’ drop sides can malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position, creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear."
So how do you know if that crib you’re eyeing on Craigslist hasn’t been recalled? You could check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s list of crib recalls, but you don’t know if the crib was sent back for repairs or not. You’d just have to take the seller’s word for it. It’s better to play it safe and buy a new crib.
2. Car seats
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says car seats can be safely reused after minor crashes – if the air bags didn’t deploy, no one was injured, and the car drove away. But it recommends car seats be replaced after moderate crashes.
So how do you tell the difference between a car seat in a minor crash, one in a moderate crash, or one that wasn’t in a crash at all? You probably can’t. The damage could be internal and not visible. Don’t risk it. Buy a new one.
3. Helmets
In a crash, the thick foam inside a helmet absorbs shock and protects your head. After a crash, the helmet may look fine, but it often has breaks or tears inside the foam. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends replacing a helmet after any crash – even a minor one. Otherwise, the helmet might not protect you in the next crash.
4. Laptops
If you take great care of a laptop, it can last through years of heavy use – but you can’t know how someone else treats their stuff. Maybe they dropped it or spilled coffee on it. The laptop could work great at first, but break down after you take it home.
I just paid $119.99 to replace the hard drive in my laptop – and it was working great until it wasn’t. Had I sold the laptop to someone else, they wouldn’t have known about the failing hard drive.
5. Video cameras
The same goes for video cameras. You may not see any visible damage, but it could have been dropped, exposed to water, or otherwise mistreated. Video cameras are costly to repair, so it isn’t worth buying one used.
6. Mattresses
A used mattress can come with a lot of extras you don’t want – dead skin cells, bacteria, hair, and every other gross thing you could imagine. It might also have bed bugs. The bugs are such a growing problem that Terminix has released a Top 15 Cities for Bed Bug Infestation list.
Bed bugs live off human blood, leave itchy bite marks, and can cause skin infections. And they multiply. According to Orkin:
Females can deposit one to five eggs a day, and may lay 200 to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, they can live over 300 days.
Bring a bed bug-infested mattress into your house, and you’ll pay a hefty fee to an exterminator.
7. Shoes
I believe you need a good mattress and a good pair of shoes – since you’re usually in one or the other. The problem is, those used shoes may have been great for the original owner, but they’ve conformed to his or her feet. They might not be great for you. Used shoes that don’t fit just right can lead to feet or leg pain and back problems.
8. Makeup
I see makeup at almost every garage sale I go to, but I’d never buy any. Cosmetic brushes and wands come into contact with skin and can’t be cleaned very well. That barely used tube of lipstick? It might be hosting illness-causing bacteria. Considering drug stores and beauty shops regularly run makeup sales, risking your health isn’t worth the savings.
9. Plasma and HDTVs
Old tube-style TVs held up a lot better than modern flat-screens. While MSNBC says TVs cost an average of $500 to repair, the repair costs run much higher for plasma screens and for more complicated issues.
Even at the lower end, it may be more cost-effective to buy a new TV under warranty than a used one.
10. Hats
The inside of that hat could be brimming with someone else’s dead skin, hair, or worse – lice. Head lice feed on blood and cause itchy and painful reactions in the scalp. The nearly invisible bugs also travel quickly onto other people and your stuff.
Getting rid of lice requires two treatments of pesticides on everyone in the household. Then you’ll have to clean your bedding, linens, clothes, mattresses, and any other soft fabric in the house. The treatment can take hours or days of hard work – all because you bought a cheap hat.
11. Swimsuits
Swimsuits hug the body. The close contact can transmit bacteria and other diseases – which may transfer to you when you wear the suit. Swimsuits are also fragile. If the washing instructions aren’t followed, the straps might rip or the swimsuit might lose its shape. So you could be buying something that may fall apart after only a few uses.
12. Vacuums
Vacuums take a lot of wear and tear. (This morning I slammed mine into the wall three times trying to reach some dog hair in the corner.) That can lead to costly repairs. Considering you can buy a new vacuum for under $100, it isn’t worth the risk to buy a used one.
13. Tires
Edmunds.com warns that thin tread isn’t the only safety hazard for tires – old and used tires can pose a safety risk. As tires age, they lose elasticity. As a result, the tread could separate from the tire, causing an accident. Even if the tire isn’t that old, it could have been treated poorly. Bottom line – you can’t tell a tire’s condition from the tread alone, so don’t buy a used one just because it looks good.
14. Software
Software comes with a product code, and most software manufacturers put a limit on the number of times you can reload it. When you buy software used, you have no way of knowing how many times the product code has been used. For example, if the code has a three-time limit and the original owner used it twice, you’ll only be able to load the software onto one more computer before it’s no longer good.
15. DVD players
DVD players often cost more to repair than replace. For example, a friend of mine took her DVD player to a repair shop because the DVDs wouldn’t load. The repair shop told her she’d need a new DVD drive tray. It would’ve cost $55 for the repair. She bought a new one for less.
16. Stuffed animals
Children love to stick stuffed animals into their mouths, dirt, and gooey substances. Since the stuffed animal has a fabric surface, bacteria and dirt are absorbed in the fibers. Do you really want your child putting that teddy bear in his mouth if you don’t know where it’s been?
17. Halogen lamps
Those old halogen lamps may look cool, but they’re a fire hazard. Anne Ducey, the marketing coordinator for Seattle Light, told the The Seattle Times that halogen lamps have been linked to at least 350 fires, $2 million in property damage, 114 injuries, and 29 deaths across the United States.
Instead of buying that retro-looking halogen lamp at a thrift store, look for new
CFL or LED lamps – they’re safer and cheaper to use.
18. Blenders
Blenders are subject to loads of abuse. (I’ve broken two myself trying to force-feed frozen strawberries and ice through the blades.) Not to mention most blenders have not-always-invisible old bits of food stuck to the underside of the blades and in the blending bowl.
Since you can buy a new blender pretty cheap – I just paid $25 for one at Target – the savings isn’t worth it for used ones.
19. Costume jewelry
Children and adult’s costume jewelry can contain poisonous substances like nickel, cadmium, and lead. The problem was so prevalent that testing and subsequent legal action by the Center for Environmental Health in 2004 led to the recall of more than 150 million pieces of jewelry for kids. While lead testing is stricter now for new products, the used costume pieces you’re buying may have lead or other chemicals.
20. Pet food and treats
A recent outbreak of pet food recalls has me worried – after all, salmonella causes serious health problems for pets that eat recalled food.
So why would I buy used stuff? Even if the food hasn’t been recalled, open bags of dog food and treats can contain bugs and bug eggs. Where I live, it’s not uncommon for pet food to become infested with roaches. The possibility of food poisoning and bugs isn’t worth the potential savings.
Those are the 20 things I would never buy used.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
New? No thanks! 14 things you should always buy used
We recently shared a list of 20 things you should never buy used. Because it’s often true: You get what you pay for. When it comes to safety, hygiene, and warranties, there’s no substitute for buying some things new.
But for the most part, you can save a lot of money without sacrificing quality by purchasing many things used. In fact, it can change your life.
1. Cars
The biggest way to save on car ownership is to avoid paying the sticker price. A properly maintained year-old vehicle looks and functions like a new car – but costs 20 percent less. If you can save just $4,000 by buying used, then earn 10 percent on it for 20 years, you’ll be $26,000 ahead. And if you can avoid interest by paying cash rather than financing your ride, you’ll be richer still.
You can find a reliable used car for $5,000. The older the car the greater the risk, but having a car inspected by a mechanic can reduce it. The important thing when it comes to cars: Ignore the commercials. Cars are transportation, not status symbols.
2. Houses
With new homes, you don’t have to worry about repairs. But even factoring in fix-up costs – which you’ll know prior to purchase because you’ve had a professional inspection done – a pre-owned house will normally save thousands over new.
According to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders, the average price for a new home in April ($282,600) was about 25 percent higher than the average price for an existing home ($226,400). Save $50,000 by buying used and you’ll have a lower mortgage payment, freeing up cash to do other more important things – like saving for retirement.
Pre-owned also means more flexible negotiations and mature landscaping.
3. Books
There’s no good reason to buy a new book. Pick up a copy online or at a local store for pennies on the dollar. Or rediscover the library, which these days may even offer free e-book downloads.
The high price of college textbooks makes buying used especially attractive. But you can save even more by checking the library (before your classmates), finding a textbook exchange, or buying an older edition for less. Do some searching and you’ll find lots of ways to get textbooks cheaper, or even free.
Depending on demand and when a new edition is released, you may also be able to recoup much of your cost by reselling them in the right places. Money Talks News writer Ricky Michalski recently bought one of his chemistry texts online for $75 – and resold it for $72 four months later. That means he’s $72 richer than the student who paid full price, then threw that book in a box, never to be read again.
4. Timeshares
A new timeshare is a terrible buy. Reuters recently reported owners are so desperate to ditch the annual maintenance fees that many timeshares are selling for $1. If you can buy a timeshare for basically nothing, avoiding a developer’s high-pressure sales pitch will make you tens of thousands of dollars richer. Check out articles like How to Buy and Sell Timeshares.
5. Recreational toys
From boats to RVs to bikes, buying used makes sense: They’re terrifically expensive new, they depreciate rapidly, and if someone is selling, they may not have had the free time to use it very much.
6. Sports and exercise gear
Everybody wants to lose weight, but few make the time to do it. That means many people have exercise gear they want to unload cheap or even free on sites like eBay and Freecycle. There are also stores that specialize in used gear, like Play It Again Sports.
Weights can’t go bad, although you’ll want to test things like treadmills and other more complex equipment. As we mentioned in our Best Bought New post, bicycle helmets are one thing you should buy new for safety reasons. But otherwise, why not buy used?
7. Furniture
Used furniture from garage sales and consignment stores is often a great bargain – just ask Money Talks News writer Angela Colley, who refurnished her home for under $720. Look around your house and mentally add up the amount you’ve spent on new furniture. Had you bought used, you could easily have saved 50 percent, which means that money would be in your pocket instead of a furniture retailer’s.
Moving sales are great places to save on furniture, since moving furniture is expensive, and sellers have a deadline to dump it. Snap up bargains when college dorms and apartments start emptying in the Spring.
Added bonus of buying used: you might find stuff that’s better built than today’s.
8. Jewelry
Jewelry depreciates faster than cars. And unlike cars, used jewelry isn’t going to break down, and nobody can tell a ring made this year from one made in 1950. In fact, vintage styles can be highly sought after. Best sources include pawn shops, online at places like eBay, and government and other auctions. Obviously, if you’re buying something expensive, be knowledgeable or enlist the help of someone who is.
9. Baby gear
Baby stuff doesn’t get much use – they outgrow everything in months. So baby clothes, toys, and nursery furniture can be smart used buys.
But there are definitely used baby items to avoid. Car seats and cribs have safety risks, and everything should be checked for product recalls. If you’re not sure, say no. But if you are, you can easily save 50 percent or more.
10. Clothes
Clean out your closet and get a tax deduction by donating the clothes you don’t want to a thrift store. Better yet, take them to a resale shop and make some money. And while you’re there, shop around.
The problem with buying clothes this way – as with many things you buy used – is that it might be hard to find exactly what you’re looking for. But if you’re not in a hurry, buying used can cut your clothing budget by 90 percent. For nicer clothes, head to the thrift and resale stores closest to upscale neighborhoods.
11. Dishware
Dishes don’t go bad with time, and buying used can save 80 percent or more. Got a friend getting married? Odds are good they’re going to be getting rid of old stuff to make room for wedding gifts. Thrift shops, yard sales and online sites like Freecycle are also good bets.
12. Electronics
Used electronics are a mixed bag: Things a few years old might be obsolete or incompatible with the latest technology, and it’s often hard to tell whether there are hardware issues.
However, buying used a few months after a product’s release (or even getting last year’s model) can be a great way to save. Purchasing from someone you know personally is a good way to avoid lemons, and factory-refurbished items have been professionally examined and repaired, and may even come with a warranty.
Electronics are a great place to save because so many people foolishly feel the need to buy the latest edition of everything. Not being one of those people will make you richer.
13. Video games and movies
These media are a lot like books. Many buy them new, enjoy them once, then toss them on a shelf. If that’s you, recycle your entertainment money and trade them in.
Online-only stores such as Amazon and Newegg sometimes feature sales with new copies cheaper than the used ones at brick-and-mortar stores, so be sure and check. But used prices are typically 10 to 70 percent less than new, with the best deals on the older stuff.
As with electronics, patience pays.
14. Tools
Most people don’t use tools regularly, so it may make sense to borrow or rent them. But well-maintained tools last a long time, and are easy to find at yard sales. It can be hard to tell how much life power tools have left – so only buy them used from people you trust.
Bottom line? You can be thousands of dollars richer simply by letting other people take the depreciation hit that accompanies virtually all consumer purchases. While it’s convenient to go into a local store and walk out with something new, there’s a high price to pay for that convenience. If you can save $10,000 every year by buying used, then compound that money at 10 percent, in 30 years you’ll be $1,809,434 richer than someone who buys the same things new. And what have you sacrificed? Nothing. After all, those new items become used the minute you bring them home.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
But for the most part, you can save a lot of money without sacrificing quality by purchasing many things used. In fact, it can change your life.
1. Cars
The biggest way to save on car ownership is to avoid paying the sticker price. A properly maintained year-old vehicle looks and functions like a new car – but costs 20 percent less. If you can save just $4,000 by buying used, then earn 10 percent on it for 20 years, you’ll be $26,000 ahead. And if you can avoid interest by paying cash rather than financing your ride, you’ll be richer still.
You can find a reliable used car for $5,000. The older the car the greater the risk, but having a car inspected by a mechanic can reduce it. The important thing when it comes to cars: Ignore the commercials. Cars are transportation, not status symbols.
2. Houses
With new homes, you don’t have to worry about repairs. But even factoring in fix-up costs – which you’ll know prior to purchase because you’ve had a professional inspection done – a pre-owned house will normally save thousands over new.
According to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders, the average price for a new home in April ($282,600) was about 25 percent higher than the average price for an existing home ($226,400). Save $50,000 by buying used and you’ll have a lower mortgage payment, freeing up cash to do other more important things – like saving for retirement.
Pre-owned also means more flexible negotiations and mature landscaping.
3. Books
There’s no good reason to buy a new book. Pick up a copy online or at a local store for pennies on the dollar. Or rediscover the library, which these days may even offer free e-book downloads.
The high price of college textbooks makes buying used especially attractive. But you can save even more by checking the library (before your classmates), finding a textbook exchange, or buying an older edition for less. Do some searching and you’ll find lots of ways to get textbooks cheaper, or even free.
Depending on demand and when a new edition is released, you may also be able to recoup much of your cost by reselling them in the right places. Money Talks News writer Ricky Michalski recently bought one of his chemistry texts online for $75 – and resold it for $72 four months later. That means he’s $72 richer than the student who paid full price, then threw that book in a box, never to be read again.
4. Timeshares
A new timeshare is a terrible buy. Reuters recently reported owners are so desperate to ditch the annual maintenance fees that many timeshares are selling for $1. If you can buy a timeshare for basically nothing, avoiding a developer’s high-pressure sales pitch will make you tens of thousands of dollars richer. Check out articles like How to Buy and Sell Timeshares.
5. Recreational toys
From boats to RVs to bikes, buying used makes sense: They’re terrifically expensive new, they depreciate rapidly, and if someone is selling, they may not have had the free time to use it very much.
6. Sports and exercise gear
Everybody wants to lose weight, but few make the time to do it. That means many people have exercise gear they want to unload cheap or even free on sites like eBay and Freecycle. There are also stores that specialize in used gear, like Play It Again Sports.
Weights can’t go bad, although you’ll want to test things like treadmills and other more complex equipment. As we mentioned in our Best Bought New post, bicycle helmets are one thing you should buy new for safety reasons. But otherwise, why not buy used?
7. Furniture
Used furniture from garage sales and consignment stores is often a great bargain – just ask Money Talks News writer Angela Colley, who refurnished her home for under $720. Look around your house and mentally add up the amount you’ve spent on new furniture. Had you bought used, you could easily have saved 50 percent, which means that money would be in your pocket instead of a furniture retailer’s.
Moving sales are great places to save on furniture, since moving furniture is expensive, and sellers have a deadline to dump it. Snap up bargains when college dorms and apartments start emptying in the Spring.
Added bonus of buying used: you might find stuff that’s better built than today’s.
8. Jewelry
Jewelry depreciates faster than cars. And unlike cars, used jewelry isn’t going to break down, and nobody can tell a ring made this year from one made in 1950. In fact, vintage styles can be highly sought after. Best sources include pawn shops, online at places like eBay, and government and other auctions. Obviously, if you’re buying something expensive, be knowledgeable or enlist the help of someone who is.
9. Baby gear
Baby stuff doesn’t get much use – they outgrow everything in months. So baby clothes, toys, and nursery furniture can be smart used buys.
But there are definitely used baby items to avoid. Car seats and cribs have safety risks, and everything should be checked for product recalls. If you’re not sure, say no. But if you are, you can easily save 50 percent or more.
10. Clothes
Clean out your closet and get a tax deduction by donating the clothes you don’t want to a thrift store. Better yet, take them to a resale shop and make some money. And while you’re there, shop around.
The problem with buying clothes this way – as with many things you buy used – is that it might be hard to find exactly what you’re looking for. But if you’re not in a hurry, buying used can cut your clothing budget by 90 percent. For nicer clothes, head to the thrift and resale stores closest to upscale neighborhoods.
11. Dishware
Dishes don’t go bad with time, and buying used can save 80 percent or more. Got a friend getting married? Odds are good they’re going to be getting rid of old stuff to make room for wedding gifts. Thrift shops, yard sales and online sites like Freecycle are also good bets.
12. Electronics
Used electronics are a mixed bag: Things a few years old might be obsolete or incompatible with the latest technology, and it’s often hard to tell whether there are hardware issues.
However, buying used a few months after a product’s release (or even getting last year’s model) can be a great way to save. Purchasing from someone you know personally is a good way to avoid lemons, and factory-refurbished items have been professionally examined and repaired, and may even come with a warranty.
Electronics are a great place to save because so many people foolishly feel the need to buy the latest edition of everything. Not being one of those people will make you richer.
13. Video games and movies
These media are a lot like books. Many buy them new, enjoy them once, then toss them on a shelf. If that’s you, recycle your entertainment money and trade them in.
Online-only stores such as Amazon and Newegg sometimes feature sales with new copies cheaper than the used ones at brick-and-mortar stores, so be sure and check. But used prices are typically 10 to 70 percent less than new, with the best deals on the older stuff.
As with electronics, patience pays.
14. Tools
Most people don’t use tools regularly, so it may make sense to borrow or rent them. But well-maintained tools last a long time, and are easy to find at yard sales. It can be hard to tell how much life power tools have left – so only buy them used from people you trust.
Bottom line? You can be thousands of dollars richer simply by letting other people take the depreciation hit that accompanies virtually all consumer purchases. While it’s convenient to go into a local store and walk out with something new, there’s a high price to pay for that convenience. If you can save $10,000 every year by buying used, then compound that money at 10 percent, in 30 years you’ll be $1,809,434 richer than someone who buys the same things new. And what have you sacrificed? Nothing. After all, those new items become used the minute you bring them home.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
Check out your local library: It's not just for books anymore
The public library is my single favorite “free” resource in my community. In fact, I value it so much that I actually posted a visual tour of the local library I use the most on this site a few years ago.
(It’s worth noting that libraries aren’t truly free. While you don’t have to pay any money immediately to use the resources, libraries are usually funded by a mix of taxpayer dollars, grants, and donations. However, the value that most people get out of the library, if they choose to use it, far exceeds what goes into the library.)
A good library isn’t some unique resource that you’ll just find in certain towns. Most towns have a library, even small ones like the one depicted below.
What value can you get out of your local library? I’m going to reiterate some of the items mentioned in my “tour” post above, along with some other value that libraries contribute.
Books Yes, libraries are a warehouse of books that you can check out for free. You can also find magazines, newspapers, tax documents, and other such printed material at the library, too. Beyond that, most librarians are quite happy to share their expertise in helping you find the right book for your needs and interests.
Music Most libraries have a collection of CDs that you can check out for your own enjoyment. Larger libraries even have musical discovery programs to help introduce you to new kinds of music that you may never have known about before.
Films Many libraries have DVDs that you can check out. Some libraries carry this further and show films at the library. Larger libraries even have a small auditorium which goes a long way toward creating a theater-like experience for free.
Cultural events Libraries often host muscial groups, speakers, and presenters of all kinds for the public to enjoy. At my own library, I’ve heard authors speak and bands perform. I’ve seen jugglers juggle and movie directors present their work.
Audiobooks Going on a trip? Your library likely has a good collection of audiobooks to check out that will make your travel a lot more enjoyable.
Meeting places Many libraries have rooms that can be used for meetings of community groups. I’ve participated in gaming groups and book clubs at libraries, and I’ve seen everything from gardening clubs to jester training (yes, jester training) at libraries.
Children’s resources Libraries often have abundant children’s resources. For example, right now my children are involved in a robust reading program that rewards them for summer reading with new books and other items, plus there’s a weekly storytime and other activities at the library for them.
Internet access Almost every library today offers computer use with internet access for those who do not have access to the internet at home. Many libraries offer wi-fi access for people who bring in their laptops and other devices.
Teen resources Many larger libraries offer teen programs, including rooms where teens can hang out together in a safe yet private environment. They also offer book clubs targeting teenagers.
Additional community resources Some libraries offer additional services beyond these. For example, some local libraries offer battery recycling. One local library near us offers free paper recycling for people who don’t have home pick-up.
Your local library has a wealth of resources right there for you to take advantage of. All you have to do is walk in the door.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
(It’s worth noting that libraries aren’t truly free. While you don’t have to pay any money immediately to use the resources, libraries are usually funded by a mix of taxpayer dollars, grants, and donations. However, the value that most people get out of the library, if they choose to use it, far exceeds what goes into the library.)
A good library isn’t some unique resource that you’ll just find in certain towns. Most towns have a library, even small ones like the one depicted below.
What value can you get out of your local library? I’m going to reiterate some of the items mentioned in my “tour” post above, along with some other value that libraries contribute.
Books Yes, libraries are a warehouse of books that you can check out for free. You can also find magazines, newspapers, tax documents, and other such printed material at the library, too. Beyond that, most librarians are quite happy to share their expertise in helping you find the right book for your needs and interests.
Music Most libraries have a collection of CDs that you can check out for your own enjoyment. Larger libraries even have musical discovery programs to help introduce you to new kinds of music that you may never have known about before.
Films Many libraries have DVDs that you can check out. Some libraries carry this further and show films at the library. Larger libraries even have a small auditorium which goes a long way toward creating a theater-like experience for free.
Cultural events Libraries often host muscial groups, speakers, and presenters of all kinds for the public to enjoy. At my own library, I’ve heard authors speak and bands perform. I’ve seen jugglers juggle and movie directors present their work.
Audiobooks Going on a trip? Your library likely has a good collection of audiobooks to check out that will make your travel a lot more enjoyable.
Meeting places Many libraries have rooms that can be used for meetings of community groups. I’ve participated in gaming groups and book clubs at libraries, and I’ve seen everything from gardening clubs to jester training (yes, jester training) at libraries.
Children’s resources Libraries often have abundant children’s resources. For example, right now my children are involved in a robust reading program that rewards them for summer reading with new books and other items, plus there’s a weekly storytime and other activities at the library for them.
Internet access Almost every library today offers computer use with internet access for those who do not have access to the internet at home. Many libraries offer wi-fi access for people who bring in their laptops and other devices.
Teen resources Many larger libraries offer teen programs, including rooms where teens can hang out together in a safe yet private environment. They also offer book clubs targeting teenagers.
Additional community resources Some libraries offer additional services beyond these. For example, some local libraries offer battery recycling. One local library near us offers free paper recycling for people who don’t have home pick-up.
Your local library has a wealth of resources right there for you to take advantage of. All you have to do is walk in the door.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
Pride-themed, Rainbow-colored Oreo stirs up more than milk
An ad featuring a gay pride-themed Oreo is stirring up viral controversy today after Kraft posted the rainbow-colored Oreo on the popular treat's Facebook page. The ad, which featured an oversized cookie with rainbow-hued frosting layers above the date and accompanying caption, “Proudly support love!” was originally posted to Oreo’s profile Monday evening.
June has special significance in the LGBT community. President Barack Obama declared the month Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Pride Month on June 1, 2009. Many US cities, including New York and San Francisco, held annual Pride events over the weekend.
So far, over 167,000 Facebook users have “liked” the photoshopped image of the self-proclaimed “world’s favorite cookie.” It has racked up 48,853 shares and over 22,000 comments – not all of them positive, and quite a few vitriolic.
Website Buzzfeed was one of the first sites to aggregate some of the more negative feedback as rumblings of a possible boycott grew louder Tuesday morning.
Facebook user Jeff Tulloch writes, “No gay pride I boycott now.” Lacy Wheeler Anderson sadly posts, “I love oreos but will no longer be buying them because of this,” while another user, Cody Patterson comments, “disliked Oreo page just because of this one post. Think about how much business u just killed oreo. I can’t support a business that supports gays.”
At least Boycott Oreo Facebook page has also been created in response to the cookie, which the ad was careful to point out is not real. The page so far has 0 “likes.”
Many other comments applauded the move. “This is absolutely amazing!” writes Haley Swilling. Eric Andrew writes, “Awesome Oreo. Merci beaucoup!”
Oreo’s parent company Kraft Foods, which also owns Jell-O and Kool-Aid, among many other brands, released a statement saying that the picture was part of a “series of daily ads reflecting current events in a fun way using images of Oreo cookies and milk.” Basil Maglaris, a spokeswoman for Kraft, told ABC News in an email that the cookie was created solely in honor of Pride month.
“We are excited to illustrate what is making history today in a fun and playful way,” she writes in the email. “As a company, Kraft Foods has a proud history of celebrating diversity and inclusiveness. We feel the OREO ad is a fun reflection of our values.”
Oreo is only the latest in a line of high-profile brands that have proclaimed their support for the LGBT community through various ad campaigns. A line of gay pride t-shirts launched by Target sold out in less than a month, while Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has renamed two different flavors in honor of marriage equality: “Apple-y Ever After,” an apple pie ice cream sold in the U.K. during debates over same-sex marriage legalization, and “Hubby Hubby,” a version of the “Chubby Hubby” flavor that premiered when same sex marriage was legalized in Vermont in 2009.
Department store JCPenney has drawn significant criticism from conservative groups such as One Million Moms for a recent series of ads featuring gay and lesbian parents. The clothing purveyor made headlines last year for recruiting openly gay talk show host Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson. One Million Moms, which has 47,825 "likes" on its Facebook page, launched a boycott of the store.
Credit: Meredith Bennet-Smith, Christian Science Monitor
Alien attack! Americans pick Obama over Romney to battle invasion from space
President Obama may be trailing Mitt Romney in the polls on who'd do a better job fixing the economy.
But if the Earth ever is attacked by hostile beings from another planet, a strong majority of voters believe Mr. Obama would be superior in dealing with the situation.
In what may be our favorite polling question of the campaign so far, a survey by the National Geographic Channel, first reported by USA Today, finds that 65 percent of Americans say Obama would be better suited than Mr. Romney to handle an alien invasion.
And lest you are tempted to dismiss this poll as pure silliness, the study also found that 36 percent of Americans think UFOs exist, while another 48 percent aren't sure. Which means that at least some of the respondents judging the presidential candidates' alien-fighting abilities may see it as a plausible scenario. (According to the poll, 79 percent also say the federal government has been hiding information about UFOs from the public – which may actually say more about the public’s overall distrust of government than its views on aliens.)
Even for those who don't really think aliens might attack Earth, we say it's an interesting poll question – essentially prodding which candidate voters would prefer at the helm in the case of a sudden, terrifying crisis that threatens the world's very existence.
Or, to put it another way, it's kind of like asking voters which candidate has more Will Smith in him? Who'd be more likely to bring down an enemy spacecraft, charge over to the wreckage, and punch the alien in the face?
For most Americans, the answer seems to be Obama.
Of course, part of Obama's edge here may come from incumbency. He's already the president, so voters are automatically more inclined to see him as a wartime leader. Obama's foreign policy ratings in general have been a source of strength for him. This is the guy who took down Osama bin Laden, after all –so why not aliens?
On the other hand, it’s worth pointing out that in the most recent Gallup poll, Obama and Romney were essentially tied on the measurement of who is a “strong and decisive leader,” with 53 percent of respondents saying Obama was, and 55 percent saying Romney was.
Still, it seems being a strong leader isn’t exactly the same thing as defending the nation against aliens.
Delving further into the alien-fighting scenario, the National Geographic survey also probed the key question of sidekicks. Who would Americans want at their side in an alien attack? According to the poll, 8 percent chose Spiderman, 12 percent said Batman, and a full 21 percent chose the Hulk.
Hmmm. Maybe Romney should pick New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as his running mate, after all.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
But if the Earth ever is attacked by hostile beings from another planet, a strong majority of voters believe Mr. Obama would be superior in dealing with the situation.
In what may be our favorite polling question of the campaign so far, a survey by the National Geographic Channel, first reported by USA Today, finds that 65 percent of Americans say Obama would be better suited than Mr. Romney to handle an alien invasion.
And lest you are tempted to dismiss this poll as pure silliness, the study also found that 36 percent of Americans think UFOs exist, while another 48 percent aren't sure. Which means that at least some of the respondents judging the presidential candidates' alien-fighting abilities may see it as a plausible scenario. (According to the poll, 79 percent also say the federal government has been hiding information about UFOs from the public – which may actually say more about the public’s overall distrust of government than its views on aliens.)
Even for those who don't really think aliens might attack Earth, we say it's an interesting poll question – essentially prodding which candidate voters would prefer at the helm in the case of a sudden, terrifying crisis that threatens the world's very existence.
Or, to put it another way, it's kind of like asking voters which candidate has more Will Smith in him? Who'd be more likely to bring down an enemy spacecraft, charge over to the wreckage, and punch the alien in the face?
For most Americans, the answer seems to be Obama.
Of course, part of Obama's edge here may come from incumbency. He's already the president, so voters are automatically more inclined to see him as a wartime leader. Obama's foreign policy ratings in general have been a source of strength for him. This is the guy who took down Osama bin Laden, after all –so why not aliens?
On the other hand, it’s worth pointing out that in the most recent Gallup poll, Obama and Romney were essentially tied on the measurement of who is a “strong and decisive leader,” with 53 percent of respondents saying Obama was, and 55 percent saying Romney was.
Still, it seems being a strong leader isn’t exactly the same thing as defending the nation against aliens.
Delving further into the alien-fighting scenario, the National Geographic survey also probed the key question of sidekicks. Who would Americans want at their side in an alien attack? According to the poll, 8 percent chose Spiderman, 12 percent said Batman, and a full 21 percent chose the Hulk.
Hmmm. Maybe Romney should pick New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as his running mate, after all.
Credit: Christian Science Monitor
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Lawrenceburg man smashes Kentucky skydiving record
Kudos to Mr. Woods for breaking Kentucky's single-day skydiving record and raising money for a Leukemia patient all at the same time!
Credits: Lexington Herald-Leader
For many people, jumping out of a plane from 2,200 feet in the air once would be enough. But Troy Woods had a mission: Break the Kentucky skydiving record of 40 jumps in a day.
In six hours Friday, starting at 6:30 a.m., Woods, 38, surpassed the record that had stood more than 10 years. After his 41st jump, a small crowd of supporters, mostly family and friends, quickly congratulated him before he was back on the plane to jump again.
"It's a very quick pace," he said.
Each complete jump, which included the plane's takeoff, the jump from 2,200 feet and packing up to do it again, took about seven minutes. Earlier this week, Woods said his goal was to take 80 jumps.
"But that might be too challenging," he said. As it turned out, it wasn't — when he finally stopped at almost 9:30 p.m., Woods had jumped 80 times.
Kentucky's record for most jumps in a day had stood for more than a decade only because no one tried to beat it, said previous record-holder Bob Boswell, 66, of Bardstown.
Boswell, Woods' friend, wasn't torn up about someone taking his place.
"It's time for the new guys to have the record," he said after a jump alongside Woods.
Boswell was one of three pilots flying the Cessna 182 from which Woods took his jumps. He said skydiving has become part of his lifestyle.
"You really can't describe the feeling of jumping; it just makes you want to keep doing it," he said.
Boswell said most skydivers jump six or seven times in one day at most.
To keep him going, a team of about 10 co-workers and friends helped Woods with safety checks, packing parachutes and fueling him with food and water.
"At the end of the day, he's going to feel dead; it's just extremely draining after so many times," Boswell said.
After speaking with Boswell and other skydiving veterans about the record, Woods said, he expected to feel worn out.
He said he hit a wall at 45 jumps, but after No. 80, he said he felt great.
Woods had extra incentive to break the record.
When Woods, an electrician, found out that his co-worker's cousin, Jesse Scott, 17, is battling leukemia a second time, he used his record attempt to raise money for Scott's medical expenses by asking volunteers to sponsor him, pledging a given amount for each jump.
"That's really what this is all about," said Woods, who skydives weekly with a group of friends. Woods said he raised about $5,000 by the end of Friday. Donations can be made at any BB&T Bank branch.
Scott's cousin, Marc Hourigan, said he and his family were appreciative. "It worked out really well that Troy could do something that people want to see, and we needed something like that," said Hourigan.
Woods said he expects his performance to inspire more Kentuckians to join him in his passion. He invited the public to watch, and a crowd gathered, enjoying free food, games and live music.
The world record for parachute jumps in a 24-hour period is 640 in 2006, according to Guinness World Records. That reportedly required three planes and a staff of 50, Boswell said. To put that record in perspective, Woods has made about 500 jumps in his six years of skydiving.
Woods, who has jumped in states all over the country, said Kentucky's modest previous record stood because few people in the state have adopted skydiving as a hobby.
"There aren't very many of us here, not more than 20 of us in the state, I'd say," he said.
Credits: Lexington Herald-Leader
Jerry Sandusky Found Guilty, Now Healing Begins
Yesterday evening, Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State assistant football coach, was convicted on 45 of 48 counts related to sexual abuse of boys. While celebrating this end result, we should also be praying for the victims and their families. That they may now have closure and that their wounds may begin to heal.
We should also pray for the Sandusky family. I'm certain that having to live through this process has been one of the most painful things they have ever had to endure. (Let's not forget after the conclusion of the trial, it was revealed that the Sandusky's adopted son had also been a victim of his father's.)
Finally, let's pray for Jerry Sandusky. Now that he has been found guilty he will, more than likely, be spending the last of his days on Earth in jail. Let's pray he can/will repent for the heinous sins he has committed and will somehow be able to find peace within.
We should also pray for the Sandusky family. I'm certain that having to live through this process has been one of the most painful things they have ever had to endure. (Let's not forget after the conclusion of the trial, it was revealed that the Sandusky's adopted son had also been a victim of his father's.)
Finally, let's pray for Jerry Sandusky. Now that he has been found guilty he will, more than likely, be spending the last of his days on Earth in jail. Let's pray he can/will repent for the heinous sins he has committed and will somehow be able to find peace within.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Sun Turns NYC into 'Manhattanhenge' Tonight
New Yorkers will be treated to a special sight tonight: Today is one of two days a year when the setting sun aligns perfectly with Manhattan's street grid. As the sun sets on the Big Apple, it will light up both the north and south sides of every cross street.Source:Yahoo News
The event has been dubbed "Manhattanhenge" for the way it turns New York City into a Stonehenge-like sun dial.
The sun sets perfectly in line with the Manhattan street grid twice a year, explains astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Hayden Planetarium website.
Here are the best viewing times for Manhattanhenge 2012:
May 29 at 8:17 p.m. EDT
July 12 at 8:25 p.m. EDT
There are two other days when the sun isn't perfectly aligned with the grid, but still puts on a show. On these two days, May 30 and July 11 this year, you see a full sun sitting on the horizon when looking down the cross streets, rather than the half orb. Here are the best times to catch the full sun setting on New York City:
May 30 at 8:16 p.m. EDT
July 11 at 8:24 p.m. EDT
Friday, May 25, 2012
Gay marriage is not a religious issue
Thank you, Merlene Davis for being bold and courageous enough to take this stand. Especially in an area where this stance is not extremely popular. Kudos to the Lexington Herald-Leader for sticking with Mrs. Davis, who's opinionated columns do not always appeal to many of the Herald-Leader's readers.
I've heard a few black folks say they will not vote for President Barack Obama in this fall's election because of his recently announced stance in support of gay marriage.
They've said their religious beliefs will not allow them to vote for anyone who condones homosexuality. Homosexuality is a sin, they say with force.
What I gather from that statement is that they cannot, because of their Christian conscience, vote for anyone who endorses anything that they consider sinful. That's fine. If they truly believe voting for Obama because of his support of same sex marriage will send them to hell, then they should not vote for him.
However, Christianity also condemns those who don't feed the poor, provide shelter for the homeless or visit the imprisoned. It also frowns upon those who have fornicated or committed adultery. And it is not very accepting of those who don't care for the elderly or children, or who have gossiped or have treated their neighbors in less than loving ways.
And I haven't even mentioned how much liars are held in disdain.
God doesn't consider any of us without sin. That means we voters, those of us who are overweight (gluttony) or who gossip, are just as bad as Obama has been painted.
If you don't vote for Obama because of his equal marriage stance then you can't vote for Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney, either. Romney believes this country is spending too much money helping the poor and the elderly. He says he will cut those items in the budget. Is it OK to vote for a man who doesn't believe in helping the least of us?
Why is gay marriage a far worse sin?
It is true, the Bible calls homosexuality an abomination (See Leviticus 18:22 and some say 2nd Timothy 3:1-5). But it also calls pride, baring false witness, killing and an eagerness to do evil abominations as well.
However, all those sins are forgivable according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The only one not forgivable is blasphemy.
I'm not understanding how gays and lesbians became the boogeymen of Christianity. Their sexual preference and behavior has gained a special status: the worst sin of all.
Yes, gay and lesbian sexual behavior was listed as a capital offense in the Old Testament, right along with blasphemy and many other sins. In the New Testament gays and lesbians ranked right up there with adulterers, drunks, thieves, swindlers and liars. All of them are allowed to marry.
Plus, I know I voted for a few adulterers, liars and drunks. Haven't you?
Why are we making gays and lesbians special?
Now that the NAACP, a civil rights organization, has come out in favor of "marriage equality," meaning same sex marriage, a big national spotlight has been turned on black folk. Will black people, despite condemnations preached from pulpits or disparagements whispered across backyard fences, come to accept that civil rights should be shared by all?
A few years ago, an old friend of mine went out of his way to denounce my saying the treatment of gays was a civil rights issue. A minister I respect will probably bash me for this column.
But I don't see same sex marriage as a religious issue. If ministers don't want to marry gays, then they shouldn't. Gays should, however, be allowed to go elsewhere and say I do.
My husband and I were married by a Justice of the Peace in our apartment. That doesn't make our marriage any less binding even though no minister or priest was around. It didn't have a thing to do with religion. Our marriage, nonetheless, is legal in the eyes of the law.
And that's what gays want. Legality. Equal treatment under the law.
If you want to tell all the gays and lesbians singing in our choirs and preaching on the down-low in our pulpits that they can't marry in your sanctuary, that's your business. But until you point fingers at the practicing fornicators and adulterers putting money in the offering plate, God will not be pleased.
So cast your ballot for any politician you choose. They have all sinned and fallen short. But don't use God as your excuse to choose one above another.
Short of blasphemy, God doesn't calibrate sins, even if we do.
Los Angeles to become largest US city banning plastic bags
I applaud the L.A. City Council's actions and implore others to follow their example.
Source: Christian Science Monitor
The Los Angeles City Council has voted to move forward with a controversial ban on single-use plastic grocery bags – a move designed to reduce landfill waste and debris in local waterways.
The vote was greeted by supporters as a major step for the environment, while critics say it's an example of regulatory overreach that will limit consumer choices and cost jobs.
Los Angeles will become the largest city in the United States to impose a plastic-bag ban, with some 7,500 affected stores and nearly 4 million residents. The city council vote, which took place Wednesday, sets in motion a months-long process including an environmental review, enactment of an ordinance, and a phase-in period that affects larger stores first, according to news reports.
As a further nudge for consumers to deploy reusable shopping bags, the council also voted to require a 10-cent fee for each paper bag.
Even though further steps are needed before the ban goes into effect, the 13-to-1 vote by the city council gives new momentum to efforts to ban bags in other US communities, as well as toward possible enactment of a statewide ban in California. (Counties throughout Hawaii have enacted bans, making it the first state with zero tolerance for single-use bags.)
Critics of the move say it amounts to micromanaging the behavior of consumers and businesses, for questionable gains.
"Is there any wonder California is ranked the worst state for businesses?" Daniel Halper wrote in an online commentary for the conservative Weekly Standard before the city council's vote.
The American Progressive Bag Alliance, a group representing makers and recyclers of plastic bags, said in a statement Wednesday that the policy will threaten jobs in an industry that employs some 2,000 people statewide. Mark Daniels, who chairs the group, said the ban will push residents toward "less environmentally friendly reusable bags which are produced overseas and cannot be recycled."
"Singling out and banning one product does not reduce litter," Mr. Daniels asserted. "The city chose to take a simplistic approach that takes away consumer choice."
Environmentalists, however, say cracking down on plastic bags will be a clear win for ecosystems in southern California.
Los Angeles currently uses some 2.3 billion single-use plastic bags each year, plus 400 million paper bags, says the group Heal the Bay in Santa Monica, Calif. Only about 5 percent of the plastic bags are currently recycled, the group says, arguing that "we can't recycle our way out of this problem."
Supporters of the ban argue that the current policy imposes a hidden burden, as bags come to consumers cheap but then clog waterways, get stuck in trees, and blow around city streets. Disposal and recycling cost an estimated 17 cents per bag, says Heal the Bay.
Source: Christian Science Monitor
Friday, April 13, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Griner dunks over Gators as Baylor moves on
Brittney Griner has become the second woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game, throwing one down with her right hand early in the second half of Baylor's game against Florida on Tuesday night.
Griner's dunk came off a pass from Kimetria Hayden after the Baylor guard came up with an offensive rebound near the basket. Candace Parker of Tennessee dunked twice in an NCAA tournament game in 2006 against Army.
It was Griner's first dunk of the season and sixth of her career. She's one short of Parker's career record.
Source: ESPN
Lifetime casts all-black 'Steel Magnolias' remake
I love this idea. I am a huge fan of the original and cannot wait to see this take on it.
Last fall, Lifetime announced plans to create an updated version of the 1989 movie 'Steel Magnolias' with an all-black cast, and so far the project has snagged stars like Queen Latifah and Phylicia Rashad. According to Entertainment Weekly, Queen Latifah is set to take on the role of M'Lynn Eatenton (originally played by Sally Field), and will also serve as executive producer on the project along with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Condola Rashad will play M'Lynn's diabetic daughter Shelby, as previously played by Julia Roberts, while Condola's real-life mother Phylicia Rashad will portray the widow Clairee. Alfre Woodard's on board to portray Ouiser Boudreaux; "Pariah's" Adepero Oduye is set to take on beauty assistant Annelle; and Jill Scott is expected to play hairdresser Truvy. The President and General Manager of Lifetime Networks, Nancy Dubuc, said in a statement that the cast that's been assembled is "astounding." To be directed by Kenny Leon, "Queen Latifah, Phylicia, Alfre, Jill, Adepero and Condola are some of the most celebrated women in music, film, television and stage ," Dubuc said, "and we could not be more thrilled and honored for them to bring Robert Harling's poignant story about the strength of women to a whole new generation." Last year, Lifetime described the new "Steel Magnolias" as revolving around a close group of women in Louisiana, which makes it sound like it'll stick close to the original adaptation of the stage play, but only time will tell if that's the case. A premiere date is expected to be scheduled for later this year.Source: CNN's "The Marquee Blog"
Monday, February 13, 2012
Long overdue!
That's exactly what this entry is. I cannot believe it has been so long since I have made an entry. So much has happened to me, my family, and the world in this span of time. I so look forward to updating you on the happenings both to and around me.
Until then, take care of yourself and don't just say it, but show someone you love them.
- B
Until then, take care of yourself and don't just say it, but show someone you love them.
- B
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)