Thoughts on the Fast Food Wage Protesters
I’ve had some thoughts on these strikers. There have been protesters with signs demanding a living wage and saying that the minimum wage is equal to poverty. But generally people don’t remain on minimum wage for long. They get raises and promotions,
The unions want the minimum doubled because most, if not all, of their contracts are based on some multiple of the minimum wage.
There is no hope of actually unionizing these workers, there are far too many “management units”. McDonald’s has corporate stores, but it also has far more franchised stores. These franchisees can own one or more stores. Some own quite a few, but most probably own under 10. It would cost far too much to bargain with each of those “management units”, more than the union could possibly collect in dues. Multiply that by all the different fast food outlets and their franchisees and the unions would probably actually go out of business.
The workers that the unions are goading into trying for a doubling of the minimum wage (and hopes of unionization) really don’t realize what that means. It means giving up part of your paycheck for dues and perhaps giving up your entire paycheck because smaller franchisees can’t keep as many employees at the higher wage, or if they do, won’t keep a lot of their customer base due to higher prices. The workers could lose their jobs due to the franchisee going out of business. But unions sound so good, we all hear about the grand union paychecks, and super good benefits…
I think that the sheer number of “management units” is why we haven’t seen food service or retail workers unions before. I’ve heard talk about unionizing the stores in the mall, but it’s always been only talk. And I’ve heard this for decades. There was talk about it when I used to work in stores at malls when I was in high school and just out of high school. Back when minimum wage was $3.25 per hour.
So, I think the main goal of the unions at this time is to get the minimum wage increased because of the ripple effect it will have on their actual members (not these non-member fast food workers).
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I’m Sorry Dave, You Got it Wrong
Dave Weigel writing for Slate says: No, President Obama Didn’t Support a “Stand Your Ground” Law in Illinois. He says this comparing what he says is the Illinois law that was amended by SB 2386. He says:
No: “Stand your ground” is substantively different than what Obama backed in Illinois. He backed a tweak to the “castle doctrine,” which reads like this:
A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to prevent or terminate such other’s trespass on or other tortious or criminal interference with her real property (other than a dwelling) or personal property, lawfully in his possession or in the possession of another who is a member of his immediate family or household or of a person whose property he has a legal duty to protect.
“Stand your ground” takes the concept of the castle doctrine and turns it into a traveling force field of sorts. Here’s Florida’s language:
A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.
It’s a pretty obvious difference, which probably means that the “Obama used to support this” theory is essentially trolling.
Public Act 093-0832 has 3 sections, each of which were amended by SB 2386. Weigel quotes section 3, but ignores section 1 which states:
Sec. 7-1. Use of force in defense of person.
(a) A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or another against such other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, he is justified in the use of force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm only if he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or another, or the commission of a forcible felony.
Nothing in either section 3 (quoted by Weigel) or section 1 (quoted above) mentions any limitation of place. Weigel is saying that section 3 is tied to place because he says Stand Your Ground becomes a “traveling force field of sorts”. The only section of the Illinois law that is tied to place is section 2 which says:
Sec. 7-2. Use of force in defense of dwelling.
(a) A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to prevent or terminate such other’s unlawful entry into or attack upon a dwelling. However, he is justified in the use of force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm only if:
(1) The entry is made or attempted in a violent, riotous, or tumultuous manner, and he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent an assault upon, or offer of personal violence to, him or another then in the dwelling, or
(2) He reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent the commission of a felony in the dwelling.
Only Section 2 actually relates to a “Castle Doctrine”. Only Section 2 is tied to a place. All three sections were amended by the same wording from SB 2386:
In no case shall any act involving the use of force justified under this Section give rise to any claim or liability brought by or on behalf of any person acting within the definition of “aggressor” set forth in Section 7-4 of this Article, or the estate, spouse, or other family member of such a person, against the person or estate of the person using such justified force, unless the use of force involves willful or wanton misconduct.
The law does not state a duty to retreat, therefore in Illinois there is no duty to retreat. Illinois is one of 33 states with no duty to retreat. No duty to retreat IS Stand Your Ground.
Links: SB 2386 Public Act 093-0832, 720 ILCS 5/
Instalanche! Thanks Glenn!
Bumper Sticker
Bumper sticker seen recently…
Happy Birthday to Me!
I was born on Fathers’ Day, and every so often my birthday falls on Fathers’ Day again. It did last year.
It was the Queen’s Birthday a few years ago (the date the UK celebrates, not her actual birthday which is in April).
I share my birthday with MC Escher, Newt Gingrich, Mohammed El Baeredai, the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Erin and Diane Murphy (Tabitha Stephens from Bewitched), Venus Williams, Barry Manilow, Greg Kinnear, Jason Patric, Thomas Hayden Church, Bobby Farrelly, Mark Linn Baker, Ralph Bellamy, Joe Piscopo, Kimber Eastwood (Clint‘s daughter), James Shigeta, George Clinton, Kami Cotler (the Waltons – Goodnight Elizabeth), Will Forte (SNL), and more.
I also share my birthday with Twitter friends @onefinejay and @littlebytesnews!
Some Bags I Made
| I made a bag for my “Rollator” walker-cart. There is a basket that fits below the seat, but it doesn’t hold a lot, and can interfere with the seat. So I made this bag that will hold water bottles, lunch, and has a bottle holder on the side for convenience. The main bag zips shutand there are three pockets on the front for smaller items that I want quick access to such as a phone or camera. I can still use the basket if I want.
It attaches to the cart with some buckles that were salvaged from an old pair of snow pants and velcro attaches on either side of the seat for stabilization. It’s easily removable for travel. |
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| I made a purse in the same fabric with an adjustable strap. It has a small pocket insideand two zippered pockets on the outside, one on each side. |  |
| I carry this black purse a lot. It has a couple of pockets inside for my Kindle and Nexus 7. My iPad Mini is too big for those pockets by just *thismuch*. I didn’t have the iPad when I made the bag. It also has two outside pockets on each side and another zippered pocket inside. |  |
| This one is a convertible bag that can be worn cross-body or around the waist. It has clips so the bag can be detached from the belt when worn around the waist. Detaching the bag can make it easier to find something |  |
Daylight Saving Time
Set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to sleep tonight. It’s Daylight Saving Time. 
Of course, if you’re up, you can set them to 3:00 am when the clock strikes 2:00 am.
Many clocks in your home will change automatically, the cordless phones, the cable boxes, computers.
Don’t forget your programmable thermostats, microwaves, stoves, coffee pots and other appliances when changing the clocks.
Don’t forget your vehicle too.
Change your clocks and you won’t be an hour early to church.
Now is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
Spring is just around the corner!
Paperman
The full video is now available at YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTLySbGoMX0
This is so sweet. I saw it at the theater before Wreck-it Ralph last November and I was very moved by it.
Great Song
We sang this song at church last week and again yesterday. I love it.
Roadside Memorials
I’m sorry you lost your loved one to some kind of accident. You and your family have my condolences.
But that’s it. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who your loved one was. I don’t know the circumstances of the accident. I don’t know when it happened. All I know is that some time in the past someone’s loved one died nearby.
I don’t know if the deceased was old or young, male or female, married or single. I don’t know if she was a mother or he was a father. I don’t know if the children left behind were young or adults. Maybe this person was a beloved uncle or aunt. Had just started college or just finished. Finally had that dream job. Just got married. Just found out the family would be growing.
I also don’t know the circumstances of the accident. Was it a single- or multi-vehicle crash? Was the driver responsible drunk or high? Had she just broken up with her boyfriend and was driving angry and with tears in her eyes so she didn’t see the oncoming car? Were the road or weather conditions dry and clear or wet, icy or slippery? Was it night or day?
I don’t know any of this from a roadside memorial. I might see a cross. I might see it covered with limp balloons, dying flowers, and rotting stuffed animals. All that it tells me is that someone died there.
It doesn’t help me avoid whatever caused that accident.
If you must buy a teddy bear or other stuffed animal, take it to the police station, fire station, or a local hospital or emergency room. Put a note on it to say who it’s in memory of. Police and Fire personnel can give it to a child who is need of comfort. Maybe their house just burned down. Or there’s a domestic or criminal issue going on and the child needs to be removed for his or her own safety. Maybe a child’s been in an accident and brought to the emergency room. Her parent is hurt as well. Other adults in her life can’t get to her right away. A teddy bear can help comfort her or keep her company while she waits. A stuffed animal can help a child in chronic care in the hospital too. The nurses will know which child would be best served.
The child can be told that the gift is from an angel in heaven. And it will be.
