Chicken-Shit-Fil-A Day

Today is August 1st, 2012, and Mike Huckabee, esteemed former Governor of the great state of Arkansas has requested that everyone go out and support Chick-Fil-A today in response to a public backlash towards anti-gay statements made by its CEO, Dan Cathy. 

Dan Cathy said that Chick-Fil-A supports the traditional, Biblical family and family values.  His company gives millions to support organizations who work towards the goal of keeping this intact.  Many of these organizations also actively strive to restrict the rights of the LGBT community.

So today, my Facebook newsfeed is filled with postings and pictures of people celebrating "Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day" under the guise of supporting "free speech and 1st Amendment rights".   I think it is totally embarassing, and doing it in the name of "free speech" is a cop-out. No one is saying that Dan Cathy shouldn't have been allowed to say what he said...the outrage stems from the bigotry that filled the statement. I'm proud to say that I will never go to Chick-Fil-A again, and that none of my dollars will ever indirectly support the active marginalization of a cross-section of Americans who deserve the same rights that I am able to enjoy.

I'm from Arkansas, and so many of my Facebook friends are saying they support Chick-Fil-A because they support free speech - it is totally infuriating, because we all know that Mike Huckabee called for this showing of support to demonstrate some sort of distorted mainstream American notion of the importance of "family values." Um...I have values that are equally as vaild, and they are nowhere near the same. This conservative hijacking of the word "values" is much more offensive to me than two people loving each other, no matter who they are.

To be an American is fantastic, mostly because of the freedoms guaranteed to us by our Constitution, including the freedom of speech (which is NOT under attack, here, by the way).  But our Constitution also holds two other very important clauses, the Establishment and Exercise Clauses, which are my favorite two.  They state that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an organization of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  So basing any legislative or constitutionality arguments on any religious doctrine should be deemed moot from the beginning.

Dan Cathy and the bevy of organizations which his company supports have an agenda that is in direct conflict with these two clauses.  They want to legislate bigotry and create a second-class of Americans who are not eligible for the same rights as other Americans.  America is a representative democracy and a republic, not a theocracy.  We are not a Christian nation, we are a nation made up of many different religions, Christianity being the majority.  There is a huge difference, and this crusade to impose religious ideology through legislative means is one of the biggest reasons that the statements made by Dan Cathy have caused such an uproar. 

So, Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day attendees:  I hope you enjoy your combo meal of tasty fried chicken, bigotry, and hate with a side of that delicious Polynesian sauce that I will never taste again.

Carrying the burden of the burden of proof

i guess i just figured out that i cannot post blogs here from my new ipad. it will not let you in the field where the actual content is typed.

anyway, i feel like i should comment on the casey anthony case and verdict, not because i know a lot about it specifically, but because everyone in the world seems outraged by the outcome of the trial. casey anthony was accused of murdering her daughter, caylee, and recently on trial for a litany of charges. there was a guilty verdict rendered on only 3 charges of lying to authorities, but she was not found guilty of murder.

i'm not really sure why this was surprising. in our courts system, innocence is presumed and the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. the defense only has to cast reasonable doubt on the prosecution's presentation of the facts or scenarios. the defense is not responsible for proving innocence.

i am also amused at how many people are convinced that she did it based on media reports. if the prosecution couldn't prove that she did it with a barrage of evidence and a parade of expert witnesses, maybe they should have just done a 10-minute newscast in front of the jury, since that is all it took to convince most of the country. seriously, people, there is a lot of information we were not privy to, and beyond a reasonable doubt is a pretty high bar.

My feelings on the question of releasing the photo...

Photos and video of Americans landing on the moon have not silenced detractors. The mere mention of JFK invokes great conspiracy theories. Barak Obama has released two forms of live birth certification, yet the "birthers" still shout. There are pictures, video, and recorded cell phone calls of the events of September 11, 2001, and a video of Osama Bin Laden claiming responsibility for the attacks, and people around the world still argue that he had nothing to do with it. This type of evidence does nothing in the way of convincing those who do not want to be convinced. Releasing a photo of a dead Osama Bin Laden, his skull blown apart by a Navy SEAL's bullet, will not help the American cause abroad, nor will it silence any who do not want to believe.

Obama made the right call when he sent SEAL Team 6 in via helicopter rather than bombing the compound in Pakistan, and he made the right call when he decided not to release the photo. I am proud of that decision, and am embarassed by those Americans who call for the release of it, just as I was embarassed by the victorious, celebratory chants of "USA! USA!" following Obama's announcement Sunday night that Bin Laden had been killed.

I remember the outrage across America when a newspaper ran the photo of dead Americans hanging from a bridge at the beginning of the Iraq war, as well as the outrage when videos were made public of Iraqis celebrating the deaths of American soldiers by dancing in the streets, laughing and burning American flags and likenesses of then-President Bush. How could we turn around and do the same thing?

I hope it is obvious that I am not condemning the actions ordered by President Obama and carried out by the U.S. military, and that I am not upset by the outcome of said actions. I just wish that Americans would realize how important it is that we pay attention to the way we react to things like this, because the entire world is watching.

quick hello...then i'm out.

wow...it has been over five months since i last posted anything. that is terrible, and basically means one of two things: i have been very busy or very lazy. maybe it means both.

i am still bartending at datz and still in school, both of which have kept me pretty busy and also worn me out, in turn making me very lazy during the limited free time i come across. this semester has included a pottery class, so that is taking up a lot of time, mostly because i would rather be there than doing other things. comp 2 also takes up a tremendous amount of time since i am constantly having to write papers. intermediate algebra takes up more time than i would ever want to spend on any and all things math, mainly because i hate it and am terrible at it and i really really really have to work at it to squeak out a passing (70%) grade. ugh. luckilly my biology class is as easy as showing up and halfway paying attention, so it doesn't take up much time at all.

since i haven't posted anything on here for the past 5+ months, i should have tons to say, but i don't. to tell you the truth, i am posting right now in effort to avoid my algebra homework like the plague - which is quite possibly the worst idea ever since i am so god-awful at it. i should spend any free time i have working on it, getting better at it, but all i care about is doing well enough in that class to not have to retake it. that's bad. don't care.

i will attempt to come back here soon and write something of some substance. for now, i feel like checking in and rambling is good enough.

a few TIPS for dining out...

i'm sure most of my friends know how to act in restaurants and bars since many of them have worked in the industry or have friends or relatives who have worked in the industry and have passed along guidelines for acceptable behavior when out...or have chastised them for bad behavior.

unfortunately, i am not friends with everyone in the tampa bay area, and am therefore not able to pass along my wisdom, since passing along said wisdom to strangers/customers while they are at my bar or table is frowned upon and will likely result in termination.

on the flip side, i have a blog and have given myself the okay to start an ongoing, constantly updated and/or revised list of things to do and probably more things not to do when you go out to eat or drink in a bar or restaurant.

first, the basics...

1. don't be stingy. 20% is the standard for good, solid service. servers and bartenders make only about four bucks an hour and depend on tips to make a living.

they also typically have to tip out, which means they share a portion of their tips with support staff like hosts, food runners, bartenders, barbacks, and such. these tip outs are usually derived using a percentage of their sales, so when you leave a shitty tip we don't get to keep all of it, and when you stiff us, we end up paying for having waited on you.

if you don't feel like you got decent service, leave a 15% tip and let a manager know. many times there are factors that you don't know about and we aren't allowed to tell you about...maybe there is a shortage of knives or glassware in the restaurant. maybe the kitchen is weeded and fucked up your order and we had to send it back. maybe the hostess just triple sat my section, meaning i just got 3 brand new tables all at the same time and everyone wants everything all at the same time. a manager will probably be able to explain what happened, but your server is not allowed to.

if you got really good service, leave at least 20% and let the manager know. trust me...this will lead to good things for your server, like better shifts, better sections, which lead to better money.

regardless, you should always leave a tip, and if you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat in a restaurant or drink in a bar.

2. if you and your entire table order water, throw a couple extra bucks my way. if you'd ordered soda or tea, your bill would be about $2.50-$3.00 more per person, and you'd tip accordingly...well - newsflash - refilling your water seven times takes the same amount of work as refilling your tea. tip on the waters, buddy.

3. if you bring your kids to a restaurant that has a bar, a wine list, no playground, no video games, and no kids menu, make sure those kids are behaving like tiny adults. no temper tantrums, no throwing food, no screaming, and absolutely no running loose. this type of behavior makes all of the other customers in the place miserable. if you bring things like cherrios for your baby, clean them up after baby throws them all over the floor and table.

order for your kids. your server does not have 10 minutes to wait for your kid to overcome his or her sudden shyness. you know what that kid will eat, so just tell me and we'll all move on. my other tables are dehydrating while i am stuck at your table because your kid doesn't want to commit to a grilled cheese or a hot dog.

do not sit at the bar with your kids. many bartenders will say kids are not allowed at the bar because they do not want a kid at their bar taking up a seat that could be making them much more money. sit at tables with your kids.

if you do bring your kids to a real restaurant, your server would be greatly appreciative and would probably forgive the mess you left behind that rivals the aftermath of any given tornado if you added five bucks to the 20% you should already be leaving...no matter what the cost of the bill was.

okay, i'll stop there and will continue at a later time...

i need to see something that is NOT numbers...

it is finals time, and i have been studying for an algebra test. my brain is hurting and my eyeballs feel very stressed out. they have not stared at things like radicals and denominators and letters in math problems in a very long time. i do not like anything math-related, and this intense hatred includes all math classes. despite my loathing of said subject, i am actually doing rather well in the class, and only have two more tests to go before i can move on to the next level of horrible math. ugh.

anyway, i am basically here to relieve myself of math homework and take a break. so i will do a quick catch-up of what i've been up to lately.

i am working a lot...i only have one day off this week. thank you, heather. no, that is not sarcasm, it is a genuine thank you!

i just created a profile on dailymile.com in the hopes that it will force me to fit in at least one mile per day like the name alludes to. we will see how well it works.

i have been so busy with work and school lately that those are the only things i've had time for...and i miss my homies! shout out to d and c-dogg...

i signed up for three summer classes...nine hours...what an idiot! i've GOT to fit in a trip home at some point...i haven't been home in nearly two years. not okay.

i am still waiting for the day to come when i drive by hot tuna and see it all closed down. i really hope the owner loses everything. as much as i hate cliches...karma is a total bitch...he deserves to have bad things happen to him for the way he treated a lot of really awesome people.

i still regret not figuring out a way to take a picture of said asshole's ex-girlfriend (who he is still totally in love with, by the way) making out with an old guy at my new bar while completely shitfaced and send it to him. yep...i'd revel in the chance to crush him...it would make my day.

i miss my sister. and i'm totally jealous that she gets to live in germany!

i did an extra credit project for my modern american history class that was all about downtown little rock and it made me really sad! i miss the rock!

two hands makes some of the best shiraz ever. i will be buying bottles of gnarly dudes and angel's share very soon.

one of my headlights on my prius is out, and i don't know why...it isn't the bulb, which is a major bummer.

we got our tickets for dave this year...wednesday show in tampa and friday saturday in west palm. i'm super pumped and have been listening to live dmb ever since i got the package with the tickets in it.

i have yawned about four times in 45 seconds, so i think that is the sign for me to hit the sack.

late night inspirations are such a pain!

i just finished writing and typing a paper for my introduction to philosophy class titled "an examination of 'values' in today's political climate" and am, of course, all fired up and want to keep ranting and raving!!! i really need to go to bed since i am going to try to get up early enough to get a run in before i have to get ready for work and go pull a double.

but, as you can see, no such luck. so here i go...

as much as i like my philosophy professor, i despise the class. it is painfully boring and completely pretentious, but i have managed to fake it through every test. luckily, for the gordon rule requirement, my professor requested that we write a paper focusing on some aspect of philosophy and how it is applied to some subject we are interested in. not a research paper or any sort of pseudo-scholarly attempt at a paper...basically an op-ed piece. slam-dunk! i got this, son!

so i examined the frustration i have with the republican party hijacking the term "values" and making it synonymous with their own ideals. it was a fun paper to write.

but i did not sign on tonight to further write about this paper. during this particular class, i am often struggling to stay awake, and must occupy my mind and body so as not to pass out from sheer boredom. so i write things that i fully intend to type up here later. this keeps my mind away from the line seperating "learning mode" from "dormant mode" and gives me something to do with my hands. it also serves two other, bigger purposes: it keeps me from looking like a slacker who sleeps in class AND it makes me look like an engaged, eager to learn student who is a champion note-taker. score two points for me and my awesomeness.

flipping through my philosophy notebook tonight, making sure i didn't miss any important information i'd intended to include in my "values" paper, i came across several blog beginings and thought i should at least log on and write something...it has been over a month, after all.

given my propensity for politically-charged rantings, i had plenty of material to write about the latest goings on: a debate i had with a bar customer at the shithole i don't work at anymore, an open letter to the entire democratic party (which needs some fine-tuning...i really wanna get that one right), and a response to the latest controversial decision handed down by the supreme court regarding campaign finance.

i fully intend to come back to all of those rough drafts and post them soon. but for now i have gotten my blog fix...even if it was pretty unsubstantial and really didn't acheive much in the way of conveying ideas.

i told you late night inspirations are a pain! seems like such a good idea until you're knee-deep in shit. like i am now. good-night, friends...i'll write again soon.