Archive for the ‘Insights’ Category
A couple of tips for driving in the snow
Posted in Insightson Jan 27, 2009
I’ve been learning more and more how to drive in the snow. Here are a couple of techniques or strategies that I’ve developed for driving in the snow:
- If what you are doing isn’t working, don’t do it harder. Stop and try again. This is especially true for breaking and accelerating. If you push down on the accelerator and you aren’t moving like you should, don’t press down harder. Lift your foot up and try again. If you push on your break and you don’t stop, lift your foot up and try it again.
- Only do one thing at a time. Don’t try to change your speed while turning. Don’t speed up or slow down while turning. If you know your turn is coming up, slow way down before you even start your turn. Complete your entire turn before speeding up again.
- Use your headlights. While you may be able to see just fine, other drivers might not have entirely cleaned the snow off their windows, and your lights will help them know that you are there
And the most important thing about driving in the snow, is knowing when not to drive in the snow.
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- Tags: car, driving, snow
Tanker trucks
Posted in Insightson Jan 20, 2009
Flickr Stock Photo
Why are there different types of gas (premium, regular, and super) but it seems like there is only one gas tanker?
Although the tanker truck looks like one big tank, inside it is actually subdivided into a series of smaller tanks carrying gasoline of different grades. When a tanker trunk refuels the gas station, it can deliver all three types of gas.
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- Tags: gas, Interesting
Just hang up and drive
Posted in Insightson Jan 13, 2009
Flickr Stock Photo
On September 11, 2001, there were 2,752 people who died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. Because of that attack, thousands of soldiers have gone to war costing the U.S. billions of dollars.
Every year, an average of 2,600 people die because of car accidents related to cell phones, nearly the same number of people ever year who died in the terrorist attacks. An additional annual 12,000 serious injuries have also occurred because of talking on the phone while driving.
But what are we doing about this to save lives?
Laws could be passed making cell phone use illegal, but it really should start with personal responsibility.
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- Tags: death, driving, phone
Recently, I’ve heard a few comments like, “If there is ever a food shortage, I know exactly where to go: my nearest Mormon neighbor.”
Those who think this might find themselves in a very long line when crisis strikes. The problem likely is, there are not yet enough Mormons in your neighborhood to feed the neighborhood.
Everyone should have some sort of food storage beyond the week supply that might be in your cupboards. It is easy to get started, simply buy a few extra packages of food every time you go to the grocery store. Slowly you will buy more food than you eat and you will find yourself with a few extra weeks or months of food to help in food shortage situations.
When thinking about food storage, you may want to think of these scenarios:
- You can save money on food by stocking up on items that are on-sale.
- There could be a problem, such as strikes or storms, that prevent you from obtaining food from your grocery store for a few days or weeks.
- In a bad economy, there could come a situation where you have less-stable income, and you could use your food storage as a type of savings, to allow yourself to eat even without income.
- And then there is the apocalyptic scenario where society and economy fails.
There are many strategies about what foods you should buy and how much. There are many stores on the Internet which sell home storage food kits which may or may not be worth it. I recommend starting with a couple months of food storage of things that you commonly eat. After you see how you use that, then you can think about medium and long term storage.
For more guidelines on storing food, I recommend the Family Home Storage webpages from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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- Tags: food
Job potential and marriage
Posted in Insightson Nov 18, 2008
I had a roommate once who wasn’t currently in school, and he was working a low paying food service job. And get got married and I am really happy for him and his wife.
But at the same time, I thought his wife was kind of crazy for marrying him when he didn’t even have a decent enough job to provide for himself. Read the rest of this entry »
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- Tags: employment, marriage
Marriage is not a human right
Posted in Insightson Nov 17, 2008
A couple of days ago, I discussed the definition of human rights. I argued that a human right is something that applies to all humans, regardless of age, gender, race, or nationality. It a right shouldn’t be given to a particular set of humans, then it probably isn’t a human right.
It is with that definition that I wish to argue that marriage is not a human right. Many people claim that it is a basic human right to marry the person they love, but they are wrong.
Consider a child, to whom the human rights of food, shelter, education are given. If a child is in love with someone, should they be able to marry? Of course not.
Marriage is not a human right. Human rights don’t need licenses or certificates. There isn’t such thing as a license to eat. But marriage licenses and marriage certificates do exist.
Marriage is instead a privilege afforded by governments and/or religions.
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- Tags: human rights, marriage
What is a human right?
Posted in Insightson Nov 12, 2008
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the phrase, human rights. What are human rights, and what do these rights include?
Wikipedia defines human rights as:
Human rights refers to the “basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled.” Examples of rights and freedoms which are often thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education.
Additionally, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes the wording, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
It seems to me that a human right is something that is applicable to all humans, regardless of age, sex, race, or nationality.
One test to see if something is an actual human right is to ask, “Should a child be given this right?” Should a child be given the right to food? Yes. Should a child be given the right to be able to learn? Yes. Should a child be given the right to have shelter? Yes. Should a child be given the right to drive a car? No!
There are some things which a child should not have the right to, such as driving a car. In these cases we can redefine the right as a privilege afforded by government and our own ambitions to achieve the privilege.
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- Tags: human rights
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