May 11, 2007
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Language: Does it bother you that more and more consumer goods contain packaging that is printed in both English and Spanish?
Q2 - Selective Service: Last weekend, the owner of a Louisville, Kentucky, restaurant said he didn't want OJ Simpson in his restaurant. "I said I'm not serving you," said Jeff Ruby, owner of Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse. "And then this blonde comes up to me, I guess it's his date, and says 'It' s a free country, he should be able to eat where he wants!' I said, 'Listen now, you're a blonde. You'd better be careful he doesn't slit your throat.'" What's your take on this? Should the owner of a restaurant be allowed to selectively choose whom he does and does not serve or should everyone be served so long as they are not breaking any laws or reasonable house rules?
Q3 - Standby: Have you ever flown standby? If so, was it a good experience and would you do it again? If you said you'd never fly standby again, would you change your mind if the ticket you were flying on was free?
Q4 - Problems: What do you think is the most important problem facing the United States today? The economy in general, fuel/oil prices, unemployment, federal budget deficit/federal debt, taxes, wage issues, high cost of living/inflation, the gap between rich and poor, foreign trade/trade deficit, corporate corruption, the situation in Iraq, immigration/illegal aliens, terrorism, environment/pollution, crime/violence, drugs, the media, race relations/racism, care for the elderly, or something else entirely?
Posted by Mikal at May 11, 2007 12:02 AM
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Q1 - YES!
Q4 - Illegal Immigration
Matt, you missed two questions. Or were you deliberately trying to look like an idiot? You could have had the decency to explain WHY - or is that too much for you to accomplish?
Q1 - Language/Consumer Packaging: It is something I have noticed recently but it does not bother me, per se. I choose to look at it as an impromptu Spanish lesson.
Q2 - Selective Service/OJ Simpson: While I recognize the restaurant owner's right to ask someone to leave, I happen to believe he was dead wrong. From everything I read about the situation, Mr. Simpson and his group was seated and were not causing any problems whatsoever. Under those circumstances, I see no reason for why the group was asked to leave, aside from the owner's personal attitude/prejudices.
Q3 - Flying Standby: While I have never flown standby, if someone offered me a free ticket and I really wanted to go (and I could afford the time associated with waiting it out), I wouldn't hesitate.
Q4 - Important Problems: I think the biggest problem facing our nation is the overwhelming dissatisfaction we have with government, Congress, politicians, and the constant stream of unqualified candidates who run for public office. Poor leaders generate poor results and corruption, and that affects everything else.
My answers are posted at my blog.
Q1 - Language: I think they should start teaching Spanish to everyone in schools in America. Let's have everyone learn Spanish, AND then we also have everyone learn English. Might as well embrace a dual language culture, it's here already.
Q2 - Selective Service: Businesses can choose their customers. I guess part of that choice might be based on wrong ideals, but still should have a choice, but didn't need to act like a punk in doing it.
Q3 - Standby: I've flown standby a couple of times before, and always got the seat. I wouldn't do it now, not worth the hassle, even if the ticket is free.
Q4 - Problems: Agree with Mikal on this one, we need leaders and problem solvers in office, since all of the issues listed are important. Great empires of the past come and go, why would anyone think it couln't happen to the blessed USofA? Better start solving our "empire's" problems before it's too late.
1. Nope, not at all.
2. It's his business and he can decide to serve whoever he wants, but I hope that his little stunt backfires on him. I certainly wouldn't want to eat at a place owned by a person who seems to be so mean-spirited and intentionally rude in a way that seems calculated to get him free publicity.
3. I've never flown standby, but I have volunteered to surrender my seat when the plane is overbooked. As long as I wasn't on a tight timetable, I'd do it again.
4. I'm with Mikal and Jeremy on this one. Our current election system increasingly favors the person who can most afford to buy his or her office, leading to representation that is mediocre at best, and horribly negligent when it comes to representing the best interests of the population rather than their circle of backers.
Q1 - I think Jeremy's got it partially right. Since everything official in this country is done in English, we need to make it legally our official language requiring everyone to learn it. We also ought to make second languague skills a part of our education systems starting from kindergarden, and while spanish would be a smart choice, there ought to be a couple of choices.
Q4 - To immediately follow that up... education is a biggest problem in America. For the work and results we expect of our teachers, they are severely underpaid, and that's without increasing the system beyond its current mediocrity. If we eventually want to have strong, charismatic leaders, we need more of our population to be educated enough to understand all of the issues, and subsequently have more people capable of addressing those issues.
Q2 - Its the legal system's job to punish criminals, not business's. If the owner didn't want to come out looking like a ____ (insert your own favorite synonym for idiot) he should have addressed OJ's group before they were seated.
Q3 - I've never done standby, and when I travel, my plans are rarely flexible enough for it. Besides, I said last week that I switching to train travel. :)
Mine are up, have a great weekend!
Q1: I don't mind. Grew to love the Spanish language playing soccer amongst the bronzed-faced children in the multi-colored bricked plazas in Spain.
Q2: My wife and three daughters are blond. Let's just say, I wouldn't let OJ near them.
Q3: My father was a pilot for 20 years in the Air Force, and then American Airlines for 15, so I have flown standby all of the world. I've had good and bad experiences, but the memories of things seen and heard are priceless and would have never been possible without the discounted prices of flying stand by. For example, my last trip was to China. I flew round trip, 1st class, on a 777, where the seats recline to flat, for $500.
Q4: The biggest problem facing America is the fact that there are so many big problems.
1. Food or other products labeled in multiple languages does not bother me at all. I actually kind of like it.
2. I'm not sure of the legality of refusal of service (without specific, legal grounds), but I would not, as a business owner, or as a person, treat people differently because of actual or perceived behavior or characteristics. The owner's comment to OJ's guest reflects poorly on his attitude and personhood. If we replace the owner's attitude about OJ's guilt with, say, skin color, gender, or actual or perceived sexual orientation, I think most people would find it unacceptable and illegal.
3. I have, indeed, flown standby. Both experiences were fine, as I made the flights that I wanted, and because I was upgraded to 1st class on one of them.
4. The biggest problem facing America (& the world) at this time is misperception and misunderstanding. My favorite quote, from Plutarch's "Lives," is "The only thing new in the world is the history we don't know." If we could learn from our history, then all the other issues mentioned, such as elections, immigration, social security, & the like, would be addressed in a reasonable way by a civil society in a civil and compassionate manner.
1. Language: Not in the slightest. They can put Klingon on there for all I care, as long as the english is there with it (being that english is the only language I understand). Qapla'!
2. Selective Service: The blond was right. This IS a free country, which means the restaurant owner has the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason that doesn't violate the law. So maybe the guy is a wanker. He has a right to be a wanker. But imagine being him... you truly believe a murderer has walked into your restaurant. Being that murder is something you're staunchly against (if not, imagine it's Jar Jar Binks), would you go ahead and treat him like anybody else?
3. Standby: I don't even know what standby is. Does that mean you get the seat next to the monster on the wing?
4. Problems: That's a tough one. I'd probably say it's a lack of love for the country we live in. If politicians really love the country they serve (instead of the power they obtain) then I think it would help a lot. Then perhaps they'd spend less time debating over what color to paint the White House fence while the representative from [wherever] pushes the interest of his state's wealthy paint store owner.
Q1. Dual language instructions donít bother me at all. What does bother me is when the product was clearly manufactured in another country and the English instructions are very poorly translated and practically incomprehensible ń which also seems to be happening more frequently. Attention all foreign manufactures: Plugging your instructions into Google translator is not good enough!
Q2. I like what Stu said. It is a free country, which gives him a right to refuse service. However, I hope that in a free market society, consumers would punish businesses that refuse service to the wrong people or for the wrong reasons.
Q3. Iíve never flown standby, but if I had the time and opportunity, I think it would be cool. If Iím prepared to wait, I donít mind waiting ëcause Iíll just bring a book, laptop, and ipod and thatís enough to keep me content and entertained for days.
Q4. I think the biggest problem America faces is apathy towards political issues among the general populous. Itís not so much the politicians, itís the fact that the majority of ěWe the peopleî donít really care enough about all these big problems to become actively involved and try to do things and work with the people we elect. We just want to let someone else deal with it while we numb our brains with TV.
Q1 - Spanish: Yes, it does bother me, but don't tell my wife--she's a former Spanish teacher and now ESL coordinator. I think having a single language unifies us. It makes America more of a melting pot. Having said that, I do think that learning a second language is very important, and that having an influx of Spanish speakers is certainly motivation to learn a second language. One reason I can think of for labeling foods in Spanish and English is that if some kid in a Hispanic family has a food allergy, it could be life-threatening not to have the ingredients in Spanish. Of course, where do you draw the line? Hindi? German? French? I'm confused, can you tell?
Q2 - Selective Service: The restaurant owner can like it or not, I think he still has to treat Simpson outwardly with some courtesy if not respect. I just wouldn't give him any real sharp knives.
Q3 - Standby: Never did, but I have volunteered to get bumped to get some freebie flight at a later date. If I were flying alone and had no pressing commitments, I'd probably fly standby all the time... assuming I could get some bargain out of it.
Q4 - Problems: Apathy. People complain about the way things are and rarely care enough to do anything meaningful to change things. I do agree that we need new leadership, but I'm afraid that the way we choose to elect people will never allow the right people to get in power. Read Plato's Republic. The people running for office are usually not the ones who should be elected--they're the people who are skilled at running for office, not necessarily at running the office.
A1: Nope... it's a FREE country (besides, as far as I know, we don't have an official, government language on record) and any company is free to print what they want (doesn't this fall under 1st amendment rights?!!), so long as it doesn't infringe upon the consumer/trade act.
A2. Slippery slope! If he's a private business owner, he has reasonable rights to refuse service to whomever he wants. How does this play out when, let's say a gay couple want to rent an apartment and are refused, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.
A3. love flying standby! Great benefits, and I'd do it frequently.
A4. ummmm, errrr, uhhhh, bleeeeeeeeppppp!!! Perhaps environment, followed by the gap between rich/poor... ok, I give up! Many, if not all of thses, are equally important; just the value placed on them varies by group, geography, how your affected in everyday life, proximity, etc.
1. Nope
2. Business owners should be able to reserve the right to refuse business to whomever they wish; but shouldn't be an ass about it.
3. Yep, didn't mind it...stayed overnight in an airport and was compensated appropriately. I would do it again anytime, as long as the reason and date of traveling were flexible with the adjustment.
4. People should be required to go through an exstensive interview process with me as one of the interviewers before they are allowed to make babies.
Fact: There are millions of stupid people out in public daily across the world.
Fact: These stupid people are made by stupider people.
Disclaimer: I am not trying to say that I would act as a supreme being in any way.
1. I have noticed it, but it doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I would like to learn to speak Spanish since it is a common language in the U.S.
2. I have no interest in OJ and could care less about him. Eventhough he was found not guilty, I believe he is. I wouldn't want him in my restaurant, but I guess you can't refuse someone just because you don't like them. It's not as if he is going to be eating in Louisville, KY on a regular basis.
3. I would only do it if I wasn't on someone else's schedule. I don't usually like waiting around when I travel. It would be fun to fly standby if I was traveling with a companion who was easygoing and didn't mind waiting.
4. All of these problems/issues are caused by people who are fearful. If we all thought about others instead of being selfish and greedy (not saying everyone is that way, but a vast majority are) then the world truly would be a better place.
Q1 - Language: Doesn't bother me.
Q2 - Selective Service: While I believe that any private business owner should have the right to choose whom they will or will not serve, this guy handled this situation very poorly. First of all, Simpson was acquitted of the charge, and therefore was not believed to be guilty of the charge according to the judge and jury. Regardless of what people think, Simpson is, according to his verdict, not guilty of murder. Secondly, the woman didn't deserve to be treated that way; and the man had no right to tell her what he did.
Q3 - Standby: See Joba's answer.
Q4 - Problems: Race Related Issues as well as issues with homosexuality are in my opinion the biggest problems facing this country. I don't believe that there are as many of these problems as many politicians think there are and their preoccupation with solving the problems in these areas slow down progress on a lot of other legislation.
It's been far too long since I've done this. Good to be back.
senorpez.com/archives/2007/05/11/648
Q1 ď Better English and Spanish than only German. The companies think they are earning more by catering to the growing Hispanic population, but how many sales are they losing to Gringos who won't buy the stuff because they think Illegals are being catered to?
Q2 ď I'd think an establishment owner should have that freedom to choose who he wants to serve. But the manner in which one carries out this preference could affect those considering whether or not to support his business.
Q4 ď Greed and debt, from the personal to the federal level and the distancing of our Nation from the very values upon which it was founded.
Q1 ď Better English and Spanish than only German. The companies think they are earning more by catering to the growing Hispanic population, but how many sales are they losing to Gringos who won't buy the stuff because they think Illegals are being catered to?
Q2 ď I'd think an establishment owner should have that freedom to choose who he wants to serve. But the manner in which one carries out this preference could affect those considering whether or not to support his business.
Q4 ď Greed and debt, from the personal to the federal level and the distancing of our Nation from the very values upon which it was founded.
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