Thursday, November 21, 2013

CEO

Maybe I am naive. I have been called horrible names because of my political views such as Fascist and Nazi. People have often told me that because of my Conservative political views "I must hate poor people." This bothers me in a way but at the same time it doesn't. The reason it doesn't bother me is because when people make those comments, they are so asinine that I just shrug them off and don't even bother having a conversation with that person, because if they are going to stoop to a fourth grade intellect level and resort to name calling, I have no time for them. On the other hand, it bothers me because even though those people are vastly uninformed and could not be further from the truth, if they spread the false belief that Conservatives are Fascist, poor-people hating lunatics, than it smears Conservatives values and may lead to other, less informed people believing that garbage.

     With that said, I have no problem with CEO's making more money than the average worker. They have probably put in many years and hours of blood, sweat and tears to get where they are today. If everyone were to make the same amount of money, or close to it anyway, then there would be no incentive for advancement with the company, so hopefully a person can work their  way up the corporate structure and one day and make as much money as that CEO.

As long as the corporation is fulfilling its main duty, which is to make money for the shareholders, then whatever pay structure they have, within reason, is fine by me. However, they do have to pay their workers and employees fairly and treat them with dignity and respect.

Monday, November 11, 2013

                                             Detroit


   I have always loved to travel. I lived in Hungary for four months, I was in Croatia for three weeks doing an intensive physical therapy camp a few summers ago, and I go up to the great state of Maine several times a year. I have always felt that traveling is necessary because it enables people to have new experiences that generally enrich ones life. However, as of now, if I die without going to the city of Detroit Michigan, I will be a happy man. No offense to the people of Detroit, but that city is in a deplorable place right now. It is currently a deep, dark, hole!

      Detroit just had a mayoral election in which Mike Duggan was elected. Mike Duggan is an ex-county prosecutor and former director of Detroit's Medical Center. Even though Mike Duggan will be the Mayor of Detroit beginning in January, he will not have much power because Detroit has hired a turnaround specialist named Kevyn Orr, who will be in charge of Detroit's finances and how its spends its money.

So how does Detroit fix its horrible financial crisis? I have always been of the belief that the best way to make money is to cut superfluous expenses as opposed to raising taxes, which is the favored method of President Obama. So, one suggestion that I have for Detroit is to sell off some of the art collection in its museum of fine arts. I know most of the collection is owned by private donors, but if they could convince them to let Detroit sell their donations that would go a long way towards helping Detroit's economic situation. According to some experts, the art collection could be worth 2 billion dollars.

 Another solution that Detroit could do in order to help their economic situation is to sell their sports franchises to the highest bidder. The Detroit Tigers baseball team is estimated to be worth 643 million. The Detroit Red Wings hockey team is worth an estimated 315 Million. The Detroit Pistons basketball team is worth an estimated 360 million. The Detroit Lions football team is worth an estimated 817 million dollars.


I know  that Detroit is in a very bad economic situation right now and I also know that my proposed solutions would not fix the problem entirely, but it might help get Detroit headed in the right direction.
                                              Twitter

                  Twitter has taken the world by storm, with many people having varying opinions of it. Some people, it seams like mostly the older generation, don't like what it has seemingly done to society. They feel like twitter has had a degrading effect on the culture on society. They feel that twitter, and really social media as a whole, has lead to a dramatic deterioration in the ability for humans to interact and have conversations. However, for the younger generation, including myself, I  have always felt that social media is great for society. I feel like social media, twitter included, enables people to not only connect with friends and even celebrities but it also gives people another way to express themselves and their thoughts. Although, I will confess that it does annoy me when some people feel the need to tweet that they just finished a load of laundry and are now enjoying a turkey sandwich. I DON'T CARE! Please, only tweet useful, funny, or insightful information.

   This article about Twitter's IPO and its successful launch has only reaffirmed my belief that social media is a good thing. The fact that a few people could not only come up with an idea such as Twitter, but then get the funding, and ultimately execute their vision and make it a global success, should serve as a lesson to many people, especially my generation. If you come up with an idea that you believe in and are willing to work hard to make it succeed, then do not worry about people being skeptical about it. If you work hard enough, your vision can become reality. Twitter is an example of the American dream.

      Maybe President Obama should call the Twitter people to come to the White House, so they can show him how to build a functioning website!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

                                                                                  Sasquatch
          People these days will do anything to make money, and I feel like that is how the "Bigfoot" scheme started. Once people figured that other people would be willing to spend money to chase the and find the ever elusive monster known as Bigfoot, they exploited that interest in order to make more money. Even though I really do not believe that Bigfoot exists, I have no problem with people trying to make money off this Bigfoot phenomenon. One of the great aspects of capitalism and American business owners is that if they find a niche in the market, they are free to try and make money any way they want.

         As I said, I think this whole Bigfoot phenomenon started because people found a way to make money by exploiting peoples desire to find this monster. Not only do I think this phenomenon was a marketing schemed aimed at making money but I also think this Bigfoot phenomenon has persisted because people want to believe in Bigfoot. People want to believe in the Bigfoot phenomenon because it gives them an escape. What I mean by that is, given the fact that the world is so stressful given the mountain of bills that people have to pay, violent wars, and chaos in the Middle east, people need to find an outlet to temporarily  escape from this slightly depressing reality. If that escape for some people, means that they want to go believe in, go hunting and track down a Sasquatch, then that's fine by me.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

                                                                NSA Spying


   The article that we were tasked with reading this week was about the revelations that the NSA had tapped many phone calls, including those of 35 World Leaders. These startling allegations came to light when whistle blower Edward Snowden leaked classified documents.

      There are many mixed emotions regarding Edward Snowden. Some people believe that he is another Benedict Arnold, and he should suffer the consequences for his traitorous actions. In my opinion, I do not believe that what Snowden did was all bad. Yes, he should not have leaked classified documents. However, he did expose a program that was not legal and needed to be exposed before it expanded even further.  So, in the end I am thankful that Snowden exposed this outrageous governmental spying program but he should have gone about it a different way, maybe through Congressional hearings?

I also find it ironic that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize because of his ability to get along with foreign leaders, and now he has angered many of those same leaders because of this horrible violation of  privacy that was orchestrated by his administration.

Monday, October 21, 2013

                       These latest violent riots in Russia have just reaffirmed to me how divided and chaotic this crazy world is. From the uprising and Libya and the toppling of the ruthless and oppressive dictator Moammar Gadhafi, to the recent terrorist attacks at at mall in Kenya, all the the way to this latest act of senseless violence, this trend is becoming increasingly concerning to me.

In my opinion, which is an opinion shared by most I believe, legal immigration is good. They key word is LEGAL. I have no problem with someone who wants to come into this country legally in an attempt to pursue a better life for themselves and their family. I am of the belief that people interacting from different cultures, religious beliefs, economic backgrounds and other differences, is typically good for society.

However, with the latest incident in Russia just adding to the  long list of acts of violence based on religious and or ethnic differences, it gets me thinking about the policy of isolationism. If the U.S. implements a policy of isolationism, in which we are cut off from the rest of the would, and thus preventing other ethnic and religious groups from coming in, it would potentially  prevent the U.S. from  having similar riots themselves.

Now, let me be clear, I think a policy of complete isolationism for the U.S. would be a bad idea. I believe that we need to remain engaged with other countries not only to build alliances but also to potentially work out trade deals, that could be enriching to all countries involved. Its just, when I read about another uprising/riot in a foreign country, it gets me thinking about ideas to prevent the U.S. from suffering the same fate. However, this idea of complete isolationism is perhaps extreme and should never happen for real.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

                                                                                 ATTACK

              First off, when reading this article, I have an overwhelming sense of sadness. Even though I thought this article was very interesting because it came from the perspective of the people who were there during this heinous attack, I am still filled with profound sadness. I am sad because, obviously. when thinking about the fact that many innocent people were senselessly murdered, it is hard for me to come to grips with such an atrocity. I have always been proud to be an American but an event like this always makes me thankful that I live in America. As an American I do not have to worry about getting killed just because I may not share the same views as other people.

   Also, well reading this, I am also filled with concern. I am filled with concern because as far as I can tell there seems that there will always be some violent, extremists in the world who will persecute and kill people just for holding different views. Sadly, I am not smart enough  to figure out how to stop these extremists
                               

                    The Government Shutdown causes many emotions to run through my veins. The two biggest emotions that I am feeling are frustration and concern.

 
      Frustration is boiling over in me just because of the fact that both sides, the Democrats and Republicans, refuse to talk or negotiate. Both sides should be ashamed of themselves. Instead of playing this game of "political chicken" and waiting for the other side to blink, at the expense of the American people, they need to stop acting like children and work together. I have said this many times before but I think it is worth repeating, if I were President, I would demand that both sides, go in a comfortable room, lock the door, order some Mexican food, some beer, and do not come out until they have come up with a solution. That may seem like a simple solution, however, I really think it could work.  It is just like a parent putting a misbehaving child in a timeout. After a child is forced to go to his room for a while, he usually calms down  and is able to be reasonable. Democrats and Republicans are acting like children, why not treat them like children.


      This shutdown fiasco also fills me with concern. The reason this situation fill me concern is because not only is there intense fighting and bickering between Republicans and Democrats, but there is also fighting within the Republican party. I will be honest, I am a Republican. So for a selfish reason, this infighting in the party really concerns me. If the Republicans do not stop fighting and arguing amongst themselves, they will always remain divided, and therefore hurt their chances to have a clear message. A clear message is paramount if the Republicans ever have a chance to win another Presidential Election.

    All I know is, this Shutdown needs to get resolved quickly.
                            This week for our blog we read an article about the "golden age" of television and, more specifically, sexism in television. This article raised many questions, "Why does their seem to be more men in leading roles on TV shows" Is there indeed sexism towards women in the TV industry? Also, 'why is it that most leading roles in a TV series have the role of "anti-hero"


Firs, let me start off by talking about why most leading men on television play the role of the "anti-hero." In my opinion, this is because it is what people want.  What I mean by that is, given human nature, people want to see violence, action, and drama. That desire coupled with the desire for people to see people on television that make them feel better about themselves, means that the role of the "anti-hero" fits what people want to see.

 Secondly,  I would like to discuss the theory that there is sexism on television and more leading roles are given to men then women. I care deeply about women's rights and I will always be respectful towards women. However, in terms of men getting leading roles over women, who cares. I do not mean to be disrespectful to women but television is meant to be entertaining to people. People need to  take a step back and realize that TV is purely meant for entertainment. Not everything has to be so politically correct all the time. If people want to see more men, and men fit the role, then so be it!

Also, there has been a rich history of women in great leading roles in television history. One example that comes to mind is "Friends" starring Jennifer Aniston. People loved that show and it became one of the most watched shows in history, not because a woman had the leading role, but because it was a funny, well-written, entertaining show. Thats the bottom line. While watching television shows people want to be entertained, and if that means a man is better for the part than a women, so be it.








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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

            After reading this article about the senseless Navy Yard shooting, I have several emotions and thoughts running through my veins.

The first emotion that I feel is an overwhelming sense of anger. I feel anger for several reasons. First of all, I feel anger that the security was not stronger at the Navy Yard. There is no excuse for there not to be greater security. The excuse that was given for there not being the usual number of security guards was because, they needed to spend less money due to government cutbacks. Clearly, we do have a spending problem in this country that we need to get under control, so thinking about cutbacks is a good mindset to have. However, given the unbelievable amount of money that the government wastes on a regular basis, could not they save money by cutting back on some of the rampant wasteful spending rather then putting lives at risk by decreasing security? Especially because this world is becoming increasingly dangerous and there are more lunatics out there than ever before. I guess that would make to much sense for the folks in Washington.

     Secondly, I was angry that this psycho still had security clearance. That is insane. This guy was clearly unstable. First, he had an incident at an airport and was almost put on a no fly list because he would not calm down. Also he was hearing voices in the walls, ceiling and floor. This guy had serious mental problems, and how he slipped through the cracks is beyond me.

   Reading this article, also made me think hard. Sadly, these unthinkable acts by lunatics are occurring at an alarming rate. From Sandy Hook, to the Aurora movie theatre and even all the way back to the Virginia Tech shooting, these tragedies should not be happening. So, whenever something this horrible happens, it makes me stop and think about the gun control debate.

I am an advocate of gun rights, responsible people should be able to buy a gun if they so choose. However, I see no problem with making people who want to buy a gun go through a background check. Also, we need to invest more money in mental health research. Maybe if those steps had been taken, this tragedy, along with many others, could have been prevented.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

                                          I have a lot in common with John Stuart Mill. Not only do I share and applaud his view that blacks are not inferior to whites, but I also believe that some people are not meant to be governed by a Democracy.  I wrote about this very same concept for the rough draft of my first essay.

   This concept of Democracy has been a great concept ever since that masterful document known as the Constitution was drafted in that Summer of 1776. In my opinion, the Constitution is the best piece of writing in American history. That one document has guided our democracy for more then 200 years.

  Democracy is the best type of government in the world. It provides freedom, rights and the ability for anyone to live the American dream. However, some people and countries do not want to live in a democracy. The Middle East is a great example of this

   Even though it may seem logical to us that Democracy is the best type of government, we have to stop trying to enforce a Democracy on other people and other countries. Let people govern themselves.


Monday, September 9, 2013

                                                          THE END OF LOSER LIBERALISM
                                                              MAKING MARKETS PROGRESSIVE
                                                                             BY Dean Baker

(1?.Money does not fall up. Yet the United States has experienced a massive upward redistribution of income over the last three decades, leaving the bulk of the workforce with little to show for the economic growth since 1980. (2). "This upward redistribution was not not the result of the working of the market. Rather, it was the result of deliberate policy, most of which had the support of the leadership of both the Republican and Democratic parties"(Baker,1) (3). Few, people, especially those in important positions, know the cause of this upward redistribution.( 4). "People tend not to see the dark side of politics.


During the first few days of class, our discussion centered around two philosophers named Adam Smith  and Bernard Mandeville.    Adam Smith published a book called "The Theory of Moral Sentiments." I found that book interesting but, in order to gain as much knowledge as I could about Adam Smith, I read excerpts from another one of his famous works called "The Wealth of Nations." I really connected with this piece writing. One of the main themes in this book is Adam Smith's belief in competition in the free market leading to economic growth and prosperity. One quote by Smith that was in "The Wealth of Nations" was "wherever there is great prosperity, there is great inequality" Let me explain myself. This quote may be construed by some to be an awful, hateful quote, that may be disrespectful to the poor. However, I do not think that is what Smith meant. What he was trying to say is that capitalism and the free market help bring about economic growth. With that said, sometimes in a free market, capitalist society, there will be a varying degrees of wealth among people. You earn your success and fortune in a free-market, capitalist society, it is not handed to you. That is similar to the belief that most  Republicans of today hold.
               Bernard Mandeville wanted economic growth and prosperity as well, but he believed that government needs to play a bigger role in "assuring" economic growth.
      Fast forward to the 2012 Presidential election and, when you get down to the core of it all, regardless of what some people might say,  that philosophical difference of how much government should dictate was the main issue.
                 Romney, Republican candidate was an advocate of small government and a more free-market economy, just as Smith was. On the other hand, Obama was in favor of a bigger government, a good example would be the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and more government assurances, just as Mandeville was in some cases.
                 Who new that in hundreds of years the core political philosophies, that, to this day, divide people,for the most part, really have not changed.