A Nation Gone Tip Crazy
Ok, so tipping is nothing new here in the US but it appears tip jars are growing like wildfire. For a long time restaurants have been substantially underpaying servers to where this "tip culture" has been ingrained into US society. It is our job, not the employers to compensate for the fact that servers make just over $2 an hour. I was a server at Bennigan's for 1 and 1/2 years and when I told foreign friends what my hourly wage was they were shocked with disbelief.
Foreigners get a bad rap for not tipping but it isn't because they view servers as slaves or because they're cheap bastards but because servers and bus boys in their countries actually make a living wage. I was a bus boy at a
TGI Friday's in Melbourne, Australia and actually made $10US an hour. The exact same job in the US will pay about $3.50 an hour plus 3% of a pool of the servers sales for the night (This does not equate to $10 per hour in an average restaurant). Many people don't realize this and some restaurants are finally coming around to suggesting 18% tips, but not all. And even if you tip a server 18%, if there is a bus boy involved you are really only tipping them 15%.
So if the service is good I tip 20-25% because I know how it is. Even if the service is mediocre or poor I tip 15% because I feel obligated. The service has to be pretty atrocious for me to leave less and I know I am not alone here. It shouldn't be like this because the acronym tip stands for "To Improve Promptness" and I can tell you now too many people tip 15% on mediocre service.
But I believe things have gone too far with the tip jars in cafes, sandwich shops, pizza places, etc. Am I alone to think Starbucks can afford to pay their mocha makers a little more so they don't have to put that obligating tip jar on the counter? Starbucks should be happy that they already get cheap labor from their coffee growers worldwide. I know Starbucks employees make more than servers but I also know it's not a livable wage and it should be.
I'm tired of feeling obligated to toss money in the tip jar so I've decided to end that logic. Someone told me a good rule of thumb about tipping-if someone doesn't have to clean up after you in a restaurant/cafe, you shouldn't tip them. I agree. I feel bad but there has to be a line drawn here. Otherwise, before we know it there will be tip jars at retail stores and gas stations-it seems headed in that direction!
We already have to pay server/bartender wages (that's just ingrained in capitalist American culture and will never change) and we also have to pay tips to pizza drivers-this is a must by the way! Especially with the exhorbitant cost of fuel-if you are too cheap to pay for gas to get your pizza yourself and tip the driver $1 or stiff him you are an asshole, plain and simple. I delivered pizza when gas was cheap and I feel bad for the drivers now because I can guarantee that tips haven't skyrocketed like gas prices have. Delivering pizza not only burns gas but you have to have your oil, tires, brakes, etc. changed more frequently than the average driver, plus other additional wear and tear on the vehicle. It doesn't matter if your order is only $10, when you take into account that a person is driving food to your home because you are too lazy to get it yourself you should tip them $5, that should be standard even on low priced orders. In fact, these are probably the only workers we should really have to supplement because the restaurant is providing an additional service that is over and above what they should have to pay for.
Another person I don't like tipping is the statue who opens your beer bottle and takes your $5 at the club, it's ridiculous but I feel obligated because it is expected. What I try to do is order 2 beers at a time and tip $1 for both. Fifty cents per beer bottle opened isn't bad as it's neither time consuming nor strenuous. Why should a bartender who makes you a long island ice tea get the same tip as a person who cracks a beer open?
So I have decided to tip with better reason and boycott all tip jars. If there is a tip jar they don't deserve a tip! It is their job to make your pizza, sandwich, ring you up, take your money to get into the club, etc. This country's employers should have a moral obligation to pay older employees a livable wage-If other western countries can do this I damn well know we can too!
Democrats and Republicans United on Israeli Bias
During recent years we have had an increased rift between Republicans and Democrats that has caused an increased polarization in the country. The disagreements have varied from fiscal irresponsibility by Republican leadership, supreme court nominations, abortion issues and the war in Iraq. But the parties are now united in their bias of Israel and the terrorist attacks they have undertaken in Lebanon. Have we become the United States of Israel? It seems as though it is political suicide for any politician to say anything negative about Israel.
The politicians constantly note Hezbollah attacks on Israel and call them terrorist attacks. These are not terrorist attacks that Hezbollah is undertaking, it is retaliation for disproportionate attacks on Lebanon. This is war. Just as Israel has the right to defend it's sovereign boundaries so does Lebanon. The kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah was not justification for Israel to continually bomb Beirut. Hezbollah has a negative reputation for being a terrorist group but they also serve as part of Lebanon's military force. Many educated university students in Lebanon support Hezbollah because they are part of their defense forces. So is Hezbollah expected to stand idle as Israel destroys Lebanon?
This week Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq met with President Bush to discuss issues pertaining to Iraq. Maliki recently condemned Israel's attacks on Lebanon and US politicians have been united in their outrage. They believe that Maliki, like themselves, should have the same Israeli bias they have. US politicians note that "moderate" Arab nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have condemned Hezbollah and support Israel's response against Lebanon. First off, Egypt is not a moderate Arab country as their democracy is a farce and obviously Saudi Arabia is far from moderate. The reason the leaders of these nations support Israel is because instability in the Middle East creates a threat to their oppressive regimes. Egypt recently created a mirage democracy to curb the threat of unrest within their borders. The House of Saud has similarly loosened their autocratic rule because of the threat of a revolution. The fact that we support the leaderships in Egypt and Saudi Arabia is a farce unto its own.
As Maliki was in Washington to meet with Bush, 3 high ranking democrats carried out a press conference to biasly support Israel and condemn Maliki for his comments. These democrats were Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin. They said that Maliki owes the US to be on our side (the one-sided side of Israel) and insinuated that he must not care so much about terrorism. Are you kidding me? He is the Prime Minister of a country in chaos! Maliki would love to stop the suicide bombings in Iraq and currently it isn't exactly safe for any politician in that country. These democrats also went so far as to say that Maliki owes us his position (yes we did topple Saddam) but because we have sacrificed American lives and money he should be in support of Israel. Are you kidding me? When did Israel become part of the US? Did I miss that? Was I hibernating or something?
As the new sovereign leader of Iraq, Maliki has the right to express his own views and not be subject to censorship by the US. Didn't we create a "democracy" over there? If not, what was the point of all this? Oh yeah, the point was to create a puppet regime of the US in an oil rich region. Unfortunately for Bush, this like many other things in Iraq have not panned out.
But shame on Republicans and Democrats alike for their inability to unite on real issues for the whole of America-like the budget deficit and the escalating costs of health care, yet they can unite on the green light of Israel's destruction of Lebanon. Who's running this country anyways? Do we need to add the Star of David to our Stars and Stripes?
Terror and Bullying By Israel
I have become a little tired of hearing the word "terrorist" to only describe groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. What Israel is currently doing to Lebanon is a massive display of unnecessary terror. Sure, Israel has a right to defend it's sovereignty but the acts they have carried out against Palestine and now Lebanon are acts of terror aimed at destroying infrastructure and toppling democratic regimes they do not agree with.
This disgusting bombing campaign by Israel began because Hezbollah kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers and wanted to use them as leverage to negotiate the release of Lebanese prisoners. Somehow, Israeli madman Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decided that the proper recourse was to immediately bomb the airport in Beirut, bridges, ports and other key elements of Lebanese infrastructure.
After engaging in this disproportionate act of terror, Israel demanded the release of their 2 captives and ordered Hezbollah to disarm. This is like the school yard bully with all the fancy toys asking the crazy kid with a sling shot to drop it. And this is after the school yard bully has destroyed his bicycle, ripped his clothes and punched him in the face. What do you think the crazy kid is going to do?...(insert Jeopardy music here) He's going to fire that slingshot and he's going to fire as many rounds as possible before being pummeled to the ground.
But like many bullies, Israel wanted to flex it's muscle and show the devastation it can create with the weapons the USA has given them. These weapons are much more sophisticated and effective then the ones Hezbollah is equipped with. Because of this we often confuse or are misled to think that guerilla warfare is terrorism. We don't call the Israeli's terrorists in this conflict, only Hezbollah and Hamas. Even though Israel has also bombed government buildings in Palestine in recent days. And it's critical to note that for every Israeli killed by a member of Hamas or Hezbollah the Israeli's kill roughly 10 in return.
Israel has so much power that they even influenced what President Bush had to say! The first day he called upon Israel to use restraint in their bombing campaign. The next day his tone changed and he called for Hezbollah to disarm and withdrew his statement for Israel to restrain. And Bush isn't usually a "flip flopper!" He usually sticks with that gut of his that makes decisions.
As this conflict escalates, it continues to disturb me what is transpiring. Day by day Israel is destroying more and more of Lebanon and day by day Hezbollah is retaliating in what they now call "an all out war." This war was started by a bully and could wind up with the whole school yard involved.
Happy Birthday America!
Happy 230th birthday USA! Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment! It seems like yesterday that everyone was wearing wigs and debating secession from mighty Britain. And thanks to some great American heroes, here we are, all independent and on our own for 230 strong and counting!
I apologize for my birthday greeting being a day late but I was out celebrating with other proud Americans. And my wife who is not American, but that's ok, I forgive her. We did what most upstanding Americans and soon to be Americans do on this great day-we went to a local watering hole, wet our whistles and watched fireworks. There's nothing like a few beers and a night sky filled with explosions to make you feel all is right in the world.
I ended the evening with a patriotic viewing of the classic film "Platoon" starring the wonderful Charlie Sheen in 1967 Vietnam. It's an excellent reminder of the sacrifices we have made to get where we are now. I mean, for Americans within their own Platoon to purposely kill one another while fighting to protect our freedom, democracy and capitalism is just special. It's good to watch movies like this when we begin to question why we are in Iraq. We're fighting for 230 years of independent goodness-nuff said.
The above pictures were taken last month in Boston, where it all began and where I could not help but salute some of the great men who have made all this possible-Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. The statue of Sam Adams lies in Haymarket square with his arms crossed and a look that says "bring it." While Paul Revere's house can be found further down the Freedom Trail.
Sam Adams was instrumental in the Boston Tea Party where he led a group of costume toting protestors in dumping haughty British tea into the ocean. The men were protesting "taxation without representation" by the British government and by turning the northeast Atlantic into a cold blend of Earl Grey the upstart Americans also said "I don't think so." For Sam's efforts Boston's finest Lager has been named for him.
The dumping of the tea did not come without a price however. It really grinded King George III's gears and the "Intolerable Acts" were subsequently passed which aimed to revoke the charter of Massachusetts. The lines had been drawn and the British army sought revenge. Paul Revere took a gallant 19 mile horse ride from Boston to Lexington and Concord to warn the local militias that the British were coming. Thanks to him they had a bit of time to sober up before the battle that lied ahead. The Americans won the battle of Lexington and Concord and eventually the war-in England's defense they were fighting on the road, always tough.
Unfortunately, Revere was not bestowed the honor of having a fine beer named for him and is simply relegated to being read about in middle school textbooks. His famous line "The British are coming!" can still be heard all over Florida today. They still come but now as visitors to the rebellious independent child who parted ways 230 years ago. Now the Brits come to soak up the sun and can only bully servers in restaurants by demanding malt vinegar for fries and mustard for steaks, then leaving 10%.
It has been a wonderful 230 America and it has been a pleasure to watch you grow so big and strong. And what do you know, like any good child-parent relationship we have maintained a friendship with England and continue to be on each other's side. We may be independent but we sure do appreciate the help. And if it wasn't for you raising us this wonderful birthday celebration would not be possible. So thanks to the Brits for showing past tough love and giving us military assistance and sending us sun burnt tourists for extra spending money. Thanks guys and again happy 230 USA!
