This is a pretty hot-button issue. Many of my friends fall on either side of the line; some are for the increase, some are against. I have read articles, studied statistics, looked at memes... and I have a LOT to say about this. Today I'm going to address some misunderstandings that people have about the minimum wage. Why? Because PEOPLE SAY STUPID SHIT WHEN THEY'RE IGNORANT.
:ahem:
First, I'd like to talk about the misconceptions people have about who, exactly, makes minimum wage. I have heard/read the opinion that if you don't have marketable skills or are a young teenager then you deserve to earn minimum wage. But what about the people who work really hard and have families to support? They make minimum wage too. Take for example one of my co-workers. She is the primary bread winner for her family, her husband also works but everything relies on her. In her household it is her and her husband, her grown daughter and two grandbabies. This woman works her fingers to the bone. She's been a hairdresser with the same company for 27 years. This is not some 20-something trying to make spending cash, this is a full grown woman who has a family to support. She makes $8 an hour, which is the minimum wage in our area. I am a licensed professional who went through almost 2 years of training, only to make minimum wage. So when I'm told that those who make minimum wage DESERVE to? I want to beat someone up.
I also hear that aww, poor corporations, if the minimum wage is raised they will have to lay people off because they can't afford to pay them a living wage. Excuse me, but companies such as Wal-Mart are currently making record profits. Take this into consideration, I beg of you: Even if Wal-Mart employees work full time, they still fall under the federal poverty level. OK, got that? Now before you start saying "but think of all the people that will lose their jobs!" please also take this into consideration: Michael Duke, the CEO of Wal-Mart, has a $35 million salary. This works out to approximately $16,826.92 an hour, more than most of their employees will make IN A WHOLE YEAR. Those poor executives, with the minimum wage increase coming.
JEEZ.
Are you mad yet? Because I am. I am tired of hearing about these poor companies. What about THE PEOPLE? The employees who work full time and still qualify for food stamps because they don't make enough money to feed their families? When did we start worrying about companies and stopped giving a crap about the working poor?
The cost of living has increased. Inflation is a natural thing, and it will always happen. Look at gas prices, in May of 2004 the average price nationally for a gallon of gas was $1.43. But prices increase! It's called INFLATION. Things always have increased in price, things always will increase in price. I see it nearly every day. My allergy pills recently got increased $0.05. Not a big deal, but it's never going to go on a downward trend and decrease in value. Simple economics, guys. SO! if the cost of living increases, the minimum wage better increase too, so people can maintain a relatively similar quality of life.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS BEING TURNED INTO A POLITICAL ISSUE!!!
We haven't had an increase in minimum wage in 5 years. The last time we had an increase in minimum wage, the average price for a gallon of gas was less than $2.50.
This increase in the minimum wage will be difficult to deal with, sure. Companies will have to re-figure how they will make it work. But we should be more worried about the PEOPLE. Stop caring about for-profit corporations, and care for people who are unable to take care of their families.
OK I think that's all I have to say for now.
If you want to be more mortified, watch the documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. It's on Netflix (I believe) and on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jazb24Q2s94
Now go forth and be educated. Combat the ignorance. And stop being a butthead.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Friday, May 16, 2014
Shaun T is trying to kill me...
So about a month ago I started Power 90, because I had heard that it was good for those of us who are in no kind of shape. I got bored really quickly. I wanted to jump to Insanity, but tried a workout or two and realized... Naw, that ain't happening. I'm willing to "dig deep", Shaun, but yeesh. I have never seen sweat literally pour off my face into the carpet before. It's too hot for that shiz.
--ENTER T25--
My sister-in-law has been doing T25 for a while now and encouraged me to give it a shot. It's only 25 minutes, she said. It's not that bad, she said. SHE LIED. Don't get me wrong, I loved the workout, it kicked my @$$ and I feel much stronger than I thought I would. But those 25 minutes were quite possibly the longest 25 minutes of my life, and good ol' Shaunie doesn't believe in breaks or even slowing down. Which I'm sure I'll love after I get used to it.
This eternally lasting 25 minutes gave me a little time to make observations.
Observations made today:
- It's never too hot to exercise. Just fill up like 5 water bottles and have them ready to go. If someone as out of shape as I am can push through in 100 degree weather, man up.
- Just when you think you can't go any farther because you "can't breathe"... Push through and keep going. Your body is an amazing, intricate piece of machinery that doesn't want to die. It will adjust. Keep going.
- Once you hit "play" (if you're doing video workouts like moi) DON'T HIT PAUSE or give yourself an excuse to walk away. You will want to, trust. But don't let yourself. It's only 25 minutes, and no one ever died from doing a workout video. (I think)
- You are probably much stronger than you think you are. Don't tell yourself you can't make it, because you will then use that as an excuse to not. Enter each workout with as clear and focused a head as possible, be positive with yourself, drink water and get moving.
OK I think that's about it for now. Onward and upward, I can only improve from here!
Also:
--ENTER T25--
My sister-in-law has been doing T25 for a while now and encouraged me to give it a shot. It's only 25 minutes, she said. It's not that bad, she said. SHE LIED. Don't get me wrong, I loved the workout, it kicked my @$$ and I feel much stronger than I thought I would. But those 25 minutes were quite possibly the longest 25 minutes of my life, and good ol' Shaunie doesn't believe in breaks or even slowing down. Which I'm sure I'll love after I get used to it.
This eternally lasting 25 minutes gave me a little time to make observations.
Observations made today:
- It's never too hot to exercise. Just fill up like 5 water bottles and have them ready to go. If someone as out of shape as I am can push through in 100 degree weather, man up.
- Just when you think you can't go any farther because you "can't breathe"... Push through and keep going. Your body is an amazing, intricate piece of machinery that doesn't want to die. It will adjust. Keep going.
- Once you hit "play" (if you're doing video workouts like moi) DON'T HIT PAUSE or give yourself an excuse to walk away. You will want to, trust. But don't let yourself. It's only 25 minutes, and no one ever died from doing a workout video. (I think)
- You are probably much stronger than you think you are. Don't tell yourself you can't make it, because you will then use that as an excuse to not. Enter each workout with as clear and focused a head as possible, be positive with yourself, drink water and get moving.
OK I think that's about it for now. Onward and upward, I can only improve from here!
Also:
Friday, May 2, 2014
On Materialism and "Great Sales"
...so I work at a salon inside a department store. This department store prides itself on having great coupons and terrific sales. Which yes, if you're on a budget it's a good idea to spend as little money on clothes while still looking decent. I am a self-proclaimed cheapskate, and I'm not ashamed of that. Before I buy something, I do everything I can to make sure I'm paying a reasonable price. HOWEVER! I realize that it is my responsibility to bring in coupons, and I don't expect coupons every time I go in to shop.
On particularly busy days at my work, I am often required to operate a cash register to help with the obscenely long lines in the misses' department. I could not even begin to tell you how many times I have gotten berated, screamed at, cursed at, you name it... for issues regarding coupons.
One lady a few months ago as I went to ring her up was insistent on getting a coupon on top of the coupon she had. Usually we have some coupons at every register for excellent customer service or whatever. This particular day I didn't have any, and she continued to rudely state that she "wanted a coupon" and why couldn't I just give her one? I explained that I didn't have any to give her, and she began to yell at me. Excuse me, lady. One: I work in the hair salon, I'm not a specialist at dealing with the cash registers and if there aren't coupons to scan I can't invent any. Two: If you were so desperate to spend as little as possible, there are always a ton of coupons online for this very retailer and you should have come prepared. Three: I CAN'T MAKE THE REGISTER DO MAGIC THINGS. I can't give you a discount just because you want it. And yelling at me? Does NOT make me want to help you or pull strings.
Another instance that happens so damn often I can't tell you a specific day is people yelling at me because they are unable to use 5 coupons at a time. This is especially frustrating to me, because there is no override. Trust me, if I could use all these coupons on the same transaction and that would make you happy and allow you to leave without cussing me out, I would do it happily. I don't like it when people are unnecessarily angry with me, and I try to alleviate as much as I can. But there is no way I can override the system to give you a ton of coupons at once. The computer system that does the transactions (lovingly referred to as the POS) will not allow certain coupons to be used together. Which makes sense, because they're trying to make money not lose it. So while I recognize you're disappointed that you can't get that $100 suit for $10, no amount of screaming at me will help you. Sorry.
Which leads me to my point. If you are so passionate about sales prices and how cheap you can get things, (which hey I understand) what else gets you so fired up? What else do you focus your energies on?
We live in a society where consuming is the norm. We consume in the literal sense but we also consume in a strongly figurative sense. The mentality of "buy more save more" is something retailers push so that you will spend more money. Those things where you get a deal if you buy more than one? If that wasn't there you'd only buy one and you'd save money. If those clothes weren't bought using a coupon, you wouldn't buy as much, so you'd save money. But hey, no one wants you to realize that. Is it because they're evil or awful? Not necessarily. They're just trying to stay in business. It's up to us as the consumers to be smart about how we spend our money. That doesn't mean buying things we don't really need or even want just because we have a coupon or it's on sale. It means analyzing what we need, how much we're willing to spend, and not allowing ourselves to browse for crap we don't need. Obviously sometimes we need to spend money on something that is purely for want purposes, but for me if I'm going to spend money on something I don't need I'd rather have it be a pedicure or doing my hair or something similar. I hate clothes shopping, because I despise browsing with no idea what I'm looking for. Perhaps that's why I'm so critical of angry shoppers, but there you have it.
My goodness, that was a long rant.
TL;DR: When shopping, carefully think about what you're after and what you're willing to spend. Don't be a jerk to the cashiers, they aren't responsible for the fact that you can't get things for practically free. Be critical of sales, and think about whether they're actually saving you any money.
So I guess that's it for now.
/end post
On particularly busy days at my work, I am often required to operate a cash register to help with the obscenely long lines in the misses' department. I could not even begin to tell you how many times I have gotten berated, screamed at, cursed at, you name it... for issues regarding coupons.
One lady a few months ago as I went to ring her up was insistent on getting a coupon on top of the coupon she had. Usually we have some coupons at every register for excellent customer service or whatever. This particular day I didn't have any, and she continued to rudely state that she "wanted a coupon" and why couldn't I just give her one? I explained that I didn't have any to give her, and she began to yell at me. Excuse me, lady. One: I work in the hair salon, I'm not a specialist at dealing with the cash registers and if there aren't coupons to scan I can't invent any. Two: If you were so desperate to spend as little as possible, there are always a ton of coupons online for this very retailer and you should have come prepared. Three: I CAN'T MAKE THE REGISTER DO MAGIC THINGS. I can't give you a discount just because you want it. And yelling at me? Does NOT make me want to help you or pull strings.
Another instance that happens so damn often I can't tell you a specific day is people yelling at me because they are unable to use 5 coupons at a time. This is especially frustrating to me, because there is no override. Trust me, if I could use all these coupons on the same transaction and that would make you happy and allow you to leave without cussing me out, I would do it happily. I don't like it when people are unnecessarily angry with me, and I try to alleviate as much as I can. But there is no way I can override the system to give you a ton of coupons at once. The computer system that does the transactions (lovingly referred to as the POS) will not allow certain coupons to be used together. Which makes sense, because they're trying to make money not lose it. So while I recognize you're disappointed that you can't get that $100 suit for $10, no amount of screaming at me will help you. Sorry.
Which leads me to my point. If you are so passionate about sales prices and how cheap you can get things, (which hey I understand) what else gets you so fired up? What else do you focus your energies on?
We live in a society where consuming is the norm. We consume in the literal sense but we also consume in a strongly figurative sense. The mentality of "buy more save more" is something retailers push so that you will spend more money. Those things where you get a deal if you buy more than one? If that wasn't there you'd only buy one and you'd save money. If those clothes weren't bought using a coupon, you wouldn't buy as much, so you'd save money. But hey, no one wants you to realize that. Is it because they're evil or awful? Not necessarily. They're just trying to stay in business. It's up to us as the consumers to be smart about how we spend our money. That doesn't mean buying things we don't really need or even want just because we have a coupon or it's on sale. It means analyzing what we need, how much we're willing to spend, and not allowing ourselves to browse for crap we don't need. Obviously sometimes we need to spend money on something that is purely for want purposes, but for me if I'm going to spend money on something I don't need I'd rather have it be a pedicure or doing my hair or something similar. I hate clothes shopping, because I despise browsing with no idea what I'm looking for. Perhaps that's why I'm so critical of angry shoppers, but there you have it.
My goodness, that was a long rant.
TL;DR: When shopping, carefully think about what you're after and what you're willing to spend. Don't be a jerk to the cashiers, they aren't responsible for the fact that you can't get things for practically free. Be critical of sales, and think about whether they're actually saving you any money.
So I guess that's it for now.
/end post
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Just Starting Out
Greetings, internet.
It's been a long while since I regularly posted things on a blog, so I feel a bit rusty. But hey, that's cool.
My name is Becka. I have a lot of opinions on a variety of issues, from politics to religion to dieting to the arts to pets to... oh lord, a number of other things. I am a bit crazy, I live with my fiance, I am a hairdresser and an actor. I own 4 pairs of shoes, love to cook, and love to write. (ergo... blog)
This blog is where I intend to post... well, simply everything that comes into my pretty little head. My hope is to find a way to express myself in a public forum, my intent is to share who I am.
So, since this is the first post... I'll start with something relatively "easy". Over the last year and some change, I have lost over 100 pounds. I did it by cutting carbs (NOT the best idea, as I'll explain) and a fairly severe calorie deficit. I lost an average of 5 pounds a week, which sounds great. The downside to this is that I have a ton of extra skin. Losing weight faster than say 2 pounds a week is not advisable, as the sagging skin around my belly can tell you smugly.
ENTER THE WORKOUT
I've been following BeachBody's Power 90 workouts for the last 2 weeks and love the feeling of working out and all, but I'm eyeballing the Insanity series. I just don't know if I can handle it! And I'm scared. :sigh: I'm going to finish the Power 90 first I think, just to make myself stick to something.
Hey kids, you wanna see a fat body?
Without further ado, I'm posting a before weight loss pic and the before pic for my Power 90.
It's been a long while since I regularly posted things on a blog, so I feel a bit rusty. But hey, that's cool.
My name is Becka. I have a lot of opinions on a variety of issues, from politics to religion to dieting to the arts to pets to... oh lord, a number of other things. I am a bit crazy, I live with my fiance, I am a hairdresser and an actor. I own 4 pairs of shoes, love to cook, and love to write. (ergo... blog)
This blog is where I intend to post... well, simply everything that comes into my pretty little head. My hope is to find a way to express myself in a public forum, my intent is to share who I am.
So, since this is the first post... I'll start with something relatively "easy". Over the last year and some change, I have lost over 100 pounds. I did it by cutting carbs (NOT the best idea, as I'll explain) and a fairly severe calorie deficit. I lost an average of 5 pounds a week, which sounds great. The downside to this is that I have a ton of extra skin. Losing weight faster than say 2 pounds a week is not advisable, as the sagging skin around my belly can tell you smugly.
ENTER THE WORKOUT
I've been following BeachBody's Power 90 workouts for the last 2 weeks and love the feeling of working out and all, but I'm eyeballing the Insanity series. I just don't know if I can handle it! And I'm scared. :sigh: I'm going to finish the Power 90 first I think, just to make myself stick to something.
Hey kids, you wanna see a fat body?
Without further ado, I'm posting a before weight loss pic and the before pic for my Power 90.
It's gross, I know. But there you have it. Today was day 17, so I have another 13 days or so to my next progress shot.
I really need to reevaluate my diet, though. Very few pounds are working their way off. :le sigh:
So... yeah. First post completed, any and all comments and/or questions are welcomed and sometimes encouraged!
Have a great Wednesday.
/end post
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