Unless you have been living in a sock for the last year, you are probably aware that there is a presidential election rapidly approaching. As always, the age old debate between conservatives and liberals in this bipartisan nation rages on. The issues are basically the same – homeland security, oil, taxes, immigration, education, healthcare, etc. – but the people and the politics are new.
Every politician in every election uses their campaign to bolster his/her image while simultaneously defacing that of their opponent. Unfortunately, the media plays right into this tactic, spending more time discussing Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” comment than important subjects like how he plans to offer health insurance to all Americans if elected.
The media, which seems to have lost its sense of social responsibility, tailors its content to specific audiences, and most audiences are interested in topics that are entertaining rather than relevant. As a result, several Americans are ill informed on the stances their particular candidate takes on several issues and, thus, base their vote on their personality rather than their ideology, on their public image rather than their stance on the issues that matter.
I encourage all Americans to vote, but only if they know why they are voting. If people vote for Obama because P. Diddy tells them to, or for McCain because Rush Limbaugh is their only source of political commentary, then they might as well stay home on November 4.
Do your research. Don’t take this election lightly. The course that our nation takes over the next four years depends on the name you check in the voting booth this November.
To find out whom you really want to vote for in an unbiased fashion, take this quiz: http://www.speakout.com/VoteMatch/senate2006.asp?quiz=2008
Once you find the candidate whose views are most similar to your own, do some more research so that you have points to back up your views. Check out Obama’s and McCain’s views on the issues.
http://www.ontheissues.org/John_McCain.htm
http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm
What was your first summer job?
Mine was at Kundert Volvo. I washed, cleaned and detailed the certified pre-owned Volvos. My father worked at Kundert and got me the job just after my freshman year of high school. In the three summers that I worked in the filthy garage in Hasbrouck Heights, I learned some basics about how to take care of my car, as well as my money and my time.
I was one of the first of my friends to get a summer job. While I woke up at seven in the morning and washed cars, many of my friends were waking up at noon and going swimming. But when it came to money, we all had enough because they were still getting allowances for making their beds and mowing their lawns (which I also did, free of charge).
Parents and future parents, lend me your ears. This is no way to raise your children.
What better way to instill a sense of personal responsibility into your precious offspring than to encourage them to work summer jobs when they get to high school?
They will do better in school because they are learning to be responsible. They will begin to stop relying on mommy and daddy for money because they have begun the trend of making their own money and as a result, your children will learn to handle their personal finances.
Call me old school, but hard work is never a bad thing for a teenager. Part of the reason why so many teens do drugs, drink and drive, or do poorly in school is because they have never worked and never learned how to be responsible.
However, some people enjoy their first summer job so much because of the people they work with or the amount of money they make, that they stick with that job throughout their high school and college careers.
I believe that teenagers should take on a variety of summer jobs over the course of their summer work careers. A wider variety of jobs means a wider variety of experiences, a greater number of personal connections, and a larger arsenal of material to add to your resume.
In addition to detailing cars, I have worked as a custodian, a retail representative, a cashier at Pier 1 Imports, a mover, a flower delivery driver, a host and sever at Chili’s, a stagehand, and done several other odd end jobs. Some paid better than others did and some were more difficult than others were, but I now have a long list of contacts from which I can choose the people who would be my most relevant references at a particular time in my career.
More doesn’t necessarily mean better, but in this case, it does. So teens, while you still have years left before having to choose a career path, go get a job. Hell, get two!
Hello readers. Welcome to my first blog. I am new to the "blogging world" but it doesn't seem like it takes much to become a blogger. All you have to do is have thoughts, the ability to express them into writing, and the will to sit down and write them. I believe I have all three of these skills.
I can't predict the things that I will write in the coming weeks, months or years, but I will warn you that they will be random. Anything from politics to sports to my general views on life can be found in the following entries. Some will be funny while others are serious. Some will be interesting while others are boring. I mainly just want to keep my writing skills sharp while I solidify my beliefs on different subjects by putting them into words.
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