It’s tricky finding healthy fast food

In this article, Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz focus on whether the "healthy" options at fast food restaurants are actually healthy. They claim that it is possible to find good and quick choices at most fast food restaurants, but it is easy to make foods, like salads, unhealthy with things like salad dressing. But, it is important to be careful because some things that claim to be healthy are actually far from it. It is noted that when actually going in to the fast food restaurant, it is much harder to order healthy foods than order the enticing unhealthy items.
The fact that fast food has become so integrated in to our society has shown how rushed our society is, with little down time. It also is leading to a huge decrease in family meals and is having an impact on family relationships. Although it is good that people are looking for healthier foods, fast food restaurants affect other aspects of our society as well. This is something that could be researched further.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/youdocs/10124970-452/its-tricky-finding-healthy-fast-food.html

Paul Kugman Societal Views

Kugman's political views seem generally to be more liberal than conservative. He made multiple remarks about Republicans, most of which seemed implicitly negative, as his views side more with the Democratic party. Through his informative and sometimes condescending writing, it is evident that Kugman feels that he must convey his knowledge to the public. He focuses more on the future of our society rather than the present and feels that our society worries too much about the present.

Nobody Understands Debt

Paul Kugman states that the government has a misplaced focus on reducing the budget deficit, rather than the disastrously high unemployment. He claims that the people in Washington are deficit-worriers who are scared of a future in which the United States is impoverished by the need to pay back our debt. According to Kugman, America's debt is not as great of a problem because it does not need to be paid back, and a large portion of it is money we owe ourselves. Although the debt does matter, there are other problems that are more important right now. The government needs to spend more in order to get us out of the disastrous unemployment that our country is suffering from.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/opinion/krugman-nobody-understands-debt.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Keynes Was Right

In this article, Krugman uses the ideas of John Maynard Keynes to explain that the government needs to spend money, rather than cut spending, in order to help the economy. Although Obama's stimulus package failed Krugman blames this on the amount of money put into it. Had it been enough, it would have been successful. Ireland demonstrated how "slashing government spending" hurts, rather than helps. According to Kugman, it is more important to put money into the economy and create jobs, rather than worry about the short-term deficits.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/30/opinion/keynes-was-right.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Springtime for Toxics

In this article, Paul Krugman writes about the Environmental Protection Agency's new standards on mercury and air toxics for power plants. He explains how beneficial this is, as mercury can cause nerve and mental damage, and for pregnant women, can damage the developing nervous system of their babies. The mercury from the power plants is polluted into the water where it builds up in fish, which we then eat. The new regulations would also reduce fine particle pollution, which is known to cause many health problems. Krugman then talks about how Republicans are generally against these kinds of regulations, contrary to "those who care about the health of their fellow citizens."

 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/opinion/krugman-springtime-for-toxics.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

My Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage

According to polls from "An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate," most people that oppose this marriage are people who go to church. This would make it seem as though the problem that people may have with the marriage is religious-based. "Five Key Reasons for Marriage Equality" made a logical point: our country was founded on a separation between religion and government which does include religious freedom. Same-sex marriage does not interfere with the practice of religious marriages, and according to Leah Solo, there is nothing in the constitution that would justify a ban against it. According to "Five Key Reasons for Marriage Equality," same-sex couples are denied rights that other couples can enjoy, and therefore, same-sex marriage should be legal in all places in our nation.

Five Key Reasons for Marriage Equality

This source first makes the point that by being barred from marriage, same-sex couples are denied many rights that straight couples enjoy. It then says that when same-sex couples can not marry, they often must leave their homes and families and also causes business problems.The reason that many people are against same-sex marriages is religious beliefs, but this source says that this marriage does not interfere with that as they are still allowed to practice their religious freedom and can marry people consistent with the principles of their faith. Lastly, the case is made that in Massachusetts and 28 different nations, same-sex marriage is legal and "the sky hasn't fallen." It is also against the "freedom and equality" that our country has stood for since its creation.

http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/factsheets/five-key-reasons-for-marriage-equality.html