The very first thing I got paid to do was probably to pet-sit neighbors' dogs. In Ohio, all dogs are bark-y and mean and chained to doghouses. I was so scared because I didn't want to get eaten, so sometimes I failed to go within their "circle of influence" to change the food and water.
Read a good blogpost on one guy's experience corresponding to a convict in prison. Some salient points of the article I will summarize here:
1. The U.S. incarcerates more of its population than any other country in the world - BY FAR! About 1% of the adult population - 783 per 100k people; Cuba is #2 at about 580. 2. From 1925-1975, the US had about 110 prisoners per 110k, in line with most developed countries today. Since then we've increased that population by sevenfold.
So what has changed since then? Has the US gotten 7X more dangerous? Highly doubtful. Since that time there has been a political revolution under the guise of zero-tolerance policies. Sentences have been increased, California has a 3 strikes law, etc. A major component of that increase is due to drug offenders.
I think it's time to ask ourselves: are we handling our "corrections" properly? Are we treating felons more out of retribution for their crimes than with an effort to help them live constructive lives on the outside? The scariest thought is that it is not very politically popular to champion "felon's rights".
We all know that meeting aggressive savings goals can be a little
painful on one's lifestyle, but I feel the pain every time Alexa and I
go out to eat. It's not that I go home with an empty stomach, but I am
acutely aware of the glares and stares that come our way from waiters
when we put in our order to split just one entree with water on the
side. I'm a highly empathetic person and don't want to look like Johnny
Cheapskate in front of other people. Fortunately, we've found that it's
quite possible for a couple to eat out, be satisfied, and not be a
cheapskate.
The trick to successfully splitting a meal with a spouse is sticking to
a few key principles. First, it is an open secret most restaurants
serve more than twice the amount of food an average person needs for a
meal. Psychologically, we feel compelled to eat whatever is on our
plate. But if you take your entree and put it on two plates, it's
actually more than enough food than you need. Secondly, and perhaps
most difficult, is the quest to agree on a dish two spouses would like
to share. There is no easy advice I can give, but the process involves
clear communication about the types of food you desire, affirmation of
the spouse's desires, and the willingness to agree on something that
wasn't necessarily your first choice. In other words, it is wonderful practice for building all the core marriage skills!
Third, and finally, ordering small doesn't mean you have to be a
cheapskate. If Alexa and I split a $15 entree (comes out to $7.50 each)
and we had good service, we wouldn't feel bad about leaving a $4-5 tip,
which equates to roughly $20-30 of food.A generous tip is not really
that much to spare in the big scheme of things, especially when you're
saving $10-20 on the second entree' you skipped. It's just hard
sometimes to assure our waiter of our good intentions at the beginning
of meals.
