Minimum Wage
Congress wants to raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25
That just sounds so great - those working for minimum wage will have an easier time paying for neccessities right?
Not really.
Look at it this way, employers will have to pay the workers more. But the money to pay for that is NOT going to come out of nowhere! Prices are going to be raised in order to pay the workers more!
So, with the minimum wage increasing from $5.15 to $7.25, that means everything that once cost $5.15 will now cost $7.25
And that won't even erase the struggles of those on minimum wage!
In some cases, employees might even lay off workers or cut their hours! Why? Because they can't afford to pay the higher wages!
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
WAC football
1) 1st off, much props to the University of Hawaii football team. After early struggles against Alabama and Boise State, the UH team went 11-3.
Colt Brennan made many difficult throws and dodged many tackles, Nate Ilaoa brought the running game that was missing from UH the last few years, and defense finally gained more speed and tackled faster than they did the last few years.
This was one of the best UH teams in history.
2) Because UH plays Boise State every year, I am well aware of how good the Boise State program is!
But because UH and Boise State are in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), they are overlooked by much of the US.
Boise State finally made it to a big time bowl game (the Fiesta Bowl) and defeated the big-time Oklahoma team. It was one of most exciting games I ever watched, with both teams taking the lead several times in the last few minutes and went into overtime, with Boise State winning.
And to top it all off, Boise State running back Ian Johnson made a proposal to his team's cheerleader, and she accepted!
3) Boise State's victory shows that those from lesser known conferences have been underestimated! We need a playoff system in Division 1 college football, with teams from all conferences.
It's not fair to have a championship if some conferences don't at least get a shot at it! So, maybe the big-time conferences would win most of the championships. But if we're gonna call anyone a Division 1-A champion, then all Division 1-A conferences ought to be involved. Period. Otherwise, we might as well delete some conferences from Division 1-A.
4) Hopefully, UH can go undefeated in 2007, then go to a big time bowl game. And defeat a team from a big conference in that bowl game!
Now THAT would be exciting!
Colt Brennan should think about that, and return to UH one more year
1) 1st off, much props to the University of Hawaii football team. After early struggles against Alabama and Boise State, the UH team went 11-3.
Colt Brennan made many difficult throws and dodged many tackles, Nate Ilaoa brought the running game that was missing from UH the last few years, and defense finally gained more speed and tackled faster than they did the last few years.
This was one of the best UH teams in history.
2) Because UH plays Boise State every year, I am well aware of how good the Boise State program is!
But because UH and Boise State are in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), they are overlooked by much of the US.
Boise State finally made it to a big time bowl game (the Fiesta Bowl) and defeated the big-time Oklahoma team. It was one of most exciting games I ever watched, with both teams taking the lead several times in the last few minutes and went into overtime, with Boise State winning.
And to top it all off, Boise State running back Ian Johnson made a proposal to his team's cheerleader, and she accepted!
3) Boise State's victory shows that those from lesser known conferences have been underestimated! We need a playoff system in Division 1 college football, with teams from all conferences.
It's not fair to have a championship if some conferences don't at least get a shot at it! So, maybe the big-time conferences would win most of the championships. But if we're gonna call anyone a Division 1-A champion, then all Division 1-A conferences ought to be involved. Period. Otherwise, we might as well delete some conferences from Division 1-A.
4) Hopefully, UH can go undefeated in 2007, then go to a big time bowl game. And defeat a team from a big conference in that bowl game!
Now THAT would be exciting!
Colt Brennan should think about that, and return to UH one more year
The execution of Saddam Hussein
Finally, Saddam Hussein has been executed. Hussein was the dictator of Iraq and one of the worst violators of human rights
Hussein used poison gas on Kurds and Shiites, tortured his critics, invaded Kuwait, used Scud missiles against Israel, and threatened to acquire weapons of mass destruction!
The US did support Saddam Hussein when Iraq fought a war against Iran in the 1980s. However, when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the US turned against Hussein. The 1st President Bush led the US troops to get the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.
The US also led UN sanctions against Iraq, which both Bushes and Bill Clinton supporting the sanctions!
After 9/11, the younger Bush feared that Hussein might want to further retaliate against the US by acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Because of that, Bush allowed the US troops to invade Iraq in 2003.
To learn more, check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein
Finally, Saddam Hussein has been executed. Hussein was the dictator of Iraq and one of the worst violators of human rights
Hussein used poison gas on Kurds and Shiites, tortured his critics, invaded Kuwait, used Scud missiles against Israel, and threatened to acquire weapons of mass destruction!
The US did support Saddam Hussein when Iraq fought a war against Iran in the 1980s. However, when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the US turned against Hussein. The 1st President Bush led the US troops to get the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.
The US also led UN sanctions against Iraq, which both Bushes and Bill Clinton supporting the sanctions!
After 9/11, the younger Bush feared that Hussein might want to further retaliate against the US by acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Because of that, Bush allowed the US troops to invade Iraq in 2003.
To learn more, check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
More on Cell Phones on Buses
The City Council, some bus drivers and bus riders want to ban cell-phone ringtones on the bus.
This is what I wrote to the Honolulu Advertiser.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Dec/25/op/FP612250301.html
BUS BAN ON CELL-PHONE RINGTONES IS RIDICULOUS
The City Council passed Bill 71, which bans cell-phone ringtones on the bus. It has yet to be signed by the mayor.
The idea of banning cell-phone ringtones on the bus is ridiculous, and is an overreaction to something that is extremely minor.
The bus isn't a library, a classroom or a private space for meditation.
If we ban cell-phone rings, what next? Do we ban all conversations between passengers?
Also, if someone who is in a hurry to go to work (or another appointment) and forgot to put the phone on vibrate, that person will suffer the humiliation of being expelled from the bus.
And that person will suffer just for the sake of petty tyrants who complain about extremely minor issues!
We need to encourage Mayor Mufi Hanneman to veto Bill 71.
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu
The City Council, some bus drivers and bus riders want to ban cell-phone ringtones on the bus.
This is what I wrote to the Honolulu Advertiser.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Dec/25/op/FP612250301.html
BUS BAN ON CELL-PHONE RINGTONES IS RIDICULOUS
The City Council passed Bill 71, which bans cell-phone ringtones on the bus. It has yet to be signed by the mayor.
The idea of banning cell-phone ringtones on the bus is ridiculous, and is an overreaction to something that is extremely minor.
The bus isn't a library, a classroom or a private space for meditation.
If we ban cell-phone rings, what next? Do we ban all conversations between passengers?
Also, if someone who is in a hurry to go to work (or another appointment) and forgot to put the phone on vibrate, that person will suffer the humiliation of being expelled from the bus.
And that person will suffer just for the sake of petty tyrants who complain about extremely minor issues!
We need to encourage Mayor Mufi Hanneman to veto Bill 71.
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu
Friday, December 01, 2006
The End of an Era
Tower Records will soon be going out of business.
Part of this is due to the popularity of downloading songs off the Internet. The younger generation prefers to downloads songs from iTunes instead of buying a CD (which might have 2 good songs, and 8 songs to take up space)
Still, I'll really miss going to Tower's!
I remember when I was attending McKinley High School, I would sometimes walk to Tower's after-school! (side note: being able to walk to Tower's was one of the great benefits of attending McKinley High School)
I would go to Tower's and usually stay there for at least an hour. I can look at the new CD's, read the magazines, and sometimes buy the CD's.
But the BEST THING ABOUT Tower's was the listening stations. Listening stations had a group of CDs you can listen to before you buy them.
Sometimes, the listening stations had the really popular albums. Other times, they had albums that have been over-looked by the mainstream media!
The listening stations were separated by categories, so that there were listening stations for hip-hop, reggae, heavy metal/hard rock, jazz, techno, Hawaiian, etc. There were also listening stations reserved for musicians who were ignored by radio & MTV!
With listening stations, I could find out which CD was worth spending my limited funds.
Sometimes, I hear a good song on the radio, and I find out from the listening stations that the rest of that musician's albums is just junk!
Other times, the listening stations had albums that from musicians that have been over-looked by radio stations & MTV! However, when listening to the album, I loved it so much, I bought it!
Many of the other record stores, like Sam Goody's, either DONT have those listening stations or dont have as many as Tower's did!
I used to go to Tower's every week, but time limits have reduced how often I went to Tower's. Soon, I would no longer able to go there!
I would be really saddenned when Tower's is closed forever! It was such a big part of my teenage and young adult years! It was where I would sometimes run into my friends and acquaintances! It was a place which my family know I love! The staff members there recognized me when I went there! It was one of my favorite places!
To the folks at Tower Records, thank you for so many good years of service! I will forever miss you!
Tower Records will soon be going out of business.
Part of this is due to the popularity of downloading songs off the Internet. The younger generation prefers to downloads songs from iTunes instead of buying a CD (which might have 2 good songs, and 8 songs to take up space)
Still, I'll really miss going to Tower's!
I remember when I was attending McKinley High School, I would sometimes walk to Tower's after-school! (side note: being able to walk to Tower's was one of the great benefits of attending McKinley High School)
I would go to Tower's and usually stay there for at least an hour. I can look at the new CD's, read the magazines, and sometimes buy the CD's.
But the BEST THING ABOUT Tower's was the listening stations. Listening stations had a group of CDs you can listen to before you buy them.
Sometimes, the listening stations had the really popular albums. Other times, they had albums that have been over-looked by the mainstream media!
The listening stations were separated by categories, so that there were listening stations for hip-hop, reggae, heavy metal/hard rock, jazz, techno, Hawaiian, etc. There were also listening stations reserved for musicians who were ignored by radio & MTV!
With listening stations, I could find out which CD was worth spending my limited funds.
Sometimes, I hear a good song on the radio, and I find out from the listening stations that the rest of that musician's albums is just junk!
Other times, the listening stations had albums that from musicians that have been over-looked by radio stations & MTV! However, when listening to the album, I loved it so much, I bought it!
Many of the other record stores, like Sam Goody's, either DONT have those listening stations or dont have as many as Tower's did!
I used to go to Tower's every week, but time limits have reduced how often I went to Tower's. Soon, I would no longer able to go there!
I would be really saddenned when Tower's is closed forever! It was such a big part of my teenage and young adult years! It was where I would sometimes run into my friends and acquaintances! It was a place which my family know I love! The staff members there recognized me when I went there! It was one of my favorite places!
To the folks at Tower Records, thank you for so many good years of service! I will forever miss you!
Cell phones on the bus
Here is my letter to the Star Bulletin on the idea of regulating cell phone use on the bus
http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/22/editorial/letters.html
Don't ban cell phones on city buses
There is a bill in the City Council to regulate the use of cell phones on TheBus. That is a step in the wrong direction, and is out of touch with the lives of average bus riders.
If I'm riding the bus and there is a traffic jam, I'll be late for wherever I'm going. I'll need to notify those who I need to meet. I'll need to use my cell phone!
Another scenario: I am almost never home in daytime. But someone might need to contact me during the daytime. That is why I carry a cell phone. If I'm on the bus, I'll need to speak to that person on the cell phone!
I might need to get important information out to someone. But the only time I could do so is when I'm not busy. And when I'm on the bus, I'm not busy, so that's the time to call!
I don't use the cell phone every single minute while I'm on the bus. I also understand common courtesy and will not discuss certain subjects in a public space.
But I also believe bus riders need to understand that the bus is not a private space, nor should they feel entitled to having every single moment on the bus as a silent moment.
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu
And here's a response to my letter
http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/25/editorial/letters.html
We do need ban on cell phones in buses
In reference to the Nov. 22 letter by Pablo Wegesend about cell phones on city buses: It is about time a cell-phone ban takes place. I have been a bus rider for 20 years -- 10 years with the presence of cell phones. It is hell riding on the bus with someone sitting next to you chattering about personal business for more than one hour at 7 o'clock in the morning or going home late in the afternoon. God help you when that person is using a walkie-talkie type cell phone! And imagine if you have someone next to you and behind you talking on cell phones at the same time. When that happens, I usually find another seat and move. Why should I be forced to do that?
I understand the need for cell phones in emergencies. Other than that, people should shut them off. Business can wait. Unless you commute to the countryside, bus rides usually are short.
So shut off those cell phones, and meditate or read. This applies to bus drivers as well. This is the very same reason why radios are not permitted in the bus. Imagine if everyone turned their radios on?
Rosita Sipirok-Siregar
Makakilo
---
My response:
Listening to a fellow bus passenger talk on the cell phone is just like listening to 2 friends on the bus talking to each other!
What, we cannot talk while we're in the bus?
Here is my letter to the Star Bulletin on the idea of regulating cell phone use on the bus
http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/22/editorial/letters.html
Don't ban cell phones on city buses
There is a bill in the City Council to regulate the use of cell phones on TheBus. That is a step in the wrong direction, and is out of touch with the lives of average bus riders.
If I'm riding the bus and there is a traffic jam, I'll be late for wherever I'm going. I'll need to notify those who I need to meet. I'll need to use my cell phone!
Another scenario: I am almost never home in daytime. But someone might need to contact me during the daytime. That is why I carry a cell phone. If I'm on the bus, I'll need to speak to that person on the cell phone!
I might need to get important information out to someone. But the only time I could do so is when I'm not busy. And when I'm on the bus, I'm not busy, so that's the time to call!
I don't use the cell phone every single minute while I'm on the bus. I also understand common courtesy and will not discuss certain subjects in a public space.
But I also believe bus riders need to understand that the bus is not a private space, nor should they feel entitled to having every single moment on the bus as a silent moment.
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu
And here's a response to my letter
http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/25/editorial/letters.html
We do need ban on cell phones in buses
In reference to the Nov. 22 letter by Pablo Wegesend about cell phones on city buses: It is about time a cell-phone ban takes place. I have been a bus rider for 20 years -- 10 years with the presence of cell phones. It is hell riding on the bus with someone sitting next to you chattering about personal business for more than one hour at 7 o'clock in the morning or going home late in the afternoon. God help you when that person is using a walkie-talkie type cell phone! And imagine if you have someone next to you and behind you talking on cell phones at the same time. When that happens, I usually find another seat and move. Why should I be forced to do that?
I understand the need for cell phones in emergencies. Other than that, people should shut them off. Business can wait. Unless you commute to the countryside, bus rides usually are short.
So shut off those cell phones, and meditate or read. This applies to bus drivers as well. This is the very same reason why radios are not permitted in the bus. Imagine if everyone turned their radios on?
Rosita Sipirok-Siregar
Makakilo
---
My response:
Listening to a fellow bus passenger talk on the cell phone is just like listening to 2 friends on the bus talking to each other!
What, we cannot talk while we're in the bus?
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Election Results
Hawaii Results
1) Linda Lingle got re-elected as governor of Hawaii. However, the Democrats kept control of the state legislature, as well as Hawaii's entire US congressional delegation. So it means that Hawaii is still mostly Democrat, though a moderate Republican can win if the Democrat candidate is really weak.
National Results
Democrats took over Congress. That means several things!
1) The US will probably withdraw from Iraq before the 2008 elections.
2) Remember when Rush Limbaugh was mocking Micheal J Fox's ads for several Democrat candidates? Fox was supporting the Democrat candidates who supported federally funding stem cell research! Limbaugh said Fox's Parkinson's symptoms shown in the video was fake! Those comments from Limbaugh got a lot of controversy.
One of the candidates supported by Micheal J Fox was Claire Caskill who was running for Missouri's seat in the US Senate! She won, and she said Limbaugh's comment s indirectly helped Fox's cause and her candidacy.
3) Some Republican candidates made anti-immigration ads in hope it will make Democrats be on the defensive for their pro-immigration views.
One of those candidates was Vernon Robinson, a Republican from North Carolina. He calls himself the "black Jesse Helms". His ads portrayed Mexican immigrants as criminals, illegal aliens, flag burners and said they'll take American jobs. Robinson was encouraging people to be afraid of immigration!
Those ads didn't work! He lost!
Some Republicans haven't learned the lesson of the 1990's. Republicans in California were promoting anti-immigration laws in the early 1990's. Many Latinos who didn't vote before, woke up and started voting. They helped the Democrats win in California in the late 1990s. Then-Texas governor George W. Bush took notice, and thought that the Republicans need to be more pro-immigration. Bush won the Presidency TWICE without hating on immigrants.
Meanwhile, the Republican senator from Virginia, George Allen was mocking the Democrat campaign volunteer who happened to be of Indian descent as a "macaca", and told him "Welcome to America". Ironically, that Indian guy was born in Virginia. It was Allen who migrated from California to Virginia!
The Democrat running for the same position, James Webb, was falling behind until Allen mocked the Indian guy. Then Webb gained momentum because of Allen's comments! Webb ended up winning the Senate seat in what was once a mostly Republican state!
Racism doesn't help you win elections anymore. It didn't even help those 2 Republicans running in the former Confederate states!
The Latino and Asian population in America is growing. And they're no longer just confined to the coastal areas or the Southwest. Some whites and blacks still fear them coming! But as time goes by, more people get used to the larger presence of Latinos and Asians. Politicians can no longer mock them with impunity.
4) Some of the Democrats who won were culturally conservative on issues like abortion and gay marriage. Many of them were from the usually Republican Southeast and Rocky Mountain areas. So the liberal Democrats will have to acknowledge that!
However, some of the newly elected Democrat representatives were also left-wing liberals. So the conservatives pundits should acknowledge that too!
For more info, check out this article by John Nichols
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=139093
Hawaii Results
1) Linda Lingle got re-elected as governor of Hawaii. However, the Democrats kept control of the state legislature, as well as Hawaii's entire US congressional delegation. So it means that Hawaii is still mostly Democrat, though a moderate Republican can win if the Democrat candidate is really weak.
National Results
Democrats took over Congress. That means several things!
1) The US will probably withdraw from Iraq before the 2008 elections.
2) Remember when Rush Limbaugh was mocking Micheal J Fox's ads for several Democrat candidates? Fox was supporting the Democrat candidates who supported federally funding stem cell research! Limbaugh said Fox's Parkinson's symptoms shown in the video was fake! Those comments from Limbaugh got a lot of controversy.
One of the candidates supported by Micheal J Fox was Claire Caskill who was running for Missouri's seat in the US Senate! She won, and she said Limbaugh's comment s indirectly helped Fox's cause and her candidacy.
3) Some Republican candidates made anti-immigration ads in hope it will make Democrats be on the defensive for their pro-immigration views.
One of those candidates was Vernon Robinson, a Republican from North Carolina. He calls himself the "black Jesse Helms". His ads portrayed Mexican immigrants as criminals, illegal aliens, flag burners and said they'll take American jobs. Robinson was encouraging people to be afraid of immigration!
Those ads didn't work! He lost!
Some Republicans haven't learned the lesson of the 1990's. Republicans in California were promoting anti-immigration laws in the early 1990's. Many Latinos who didn't vote before, woke up and started voting. They helped the Democrats win in California in the late 1990s. Then-Texas governor George W. Bush took notice, and thought that the Republicans need to be more pro-immigration. Bush won the Presidency TWICE without hating on immigrants.
Meanwhile, the Republican senator from Virginia, George Allen was mocking the Democrat campaign volunteer who happened to be of Indian descent as a "macaca", and told him "Welcome to America". Ironically, that Indian guy was born in Virginia. It was Allen who migrated from California to Virginia!
The Democrat running for the same position, James Webb, was falling behind until Allen mocked the Indian guy. Then Webb gained momentum because of Allen's comments! Webb ended up winning the Senate seat in what was once a mostly Republican state!
Racism doesn't help you win elections anymore. It didn't even help those 2 Republicans running in the former Confederate states!
The Latino and Asian population in America is growing. And they're no longer just confined to the coastal areas or the Southwest. Some whites and blacks still fear them coming! But as time goes by, more people get used to the larger presence of Latinos and Asians. Politicians can no longer mock them with impunity.
4) Some of the Democrats who won were culturally conservative on issues like abortion and gay marriage. Many of them were from the usually Republican Southeast and Rocky Mountain areas. So the liberal Democrats will have to acknowledge that!
However, some of the newly elected Democrat representatives were also left-wing liberals. So the conservatives pundits should acknowledge that too!
For more info, check out this article by John Nichols
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=139093
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