Wake up and Smell the Roses

The Internet and the telecommunications revolution have revolutionized our society.  Soldier’s can teleconference with their families in middle of a war zone.  A 6^th grader can research the entire history of United States’ Presidents on his or her desktop computer, and a wife can  do her entire Christmas shopping without leaving the house or window shopping to countless malls. However, there have been problems as a result of the Internet.  Some parents now have been spending more time over the Internet.  I often see a mother watching a T.V Soap Opera on some new smart phones rather taking care or playing with her child.  I have also seen friends who date online with people who have not shown pictures of themselves. They only experience heartbreak and misery. Furthermore, the recent craze of online bullying which is becoming an epidemic in the k-12 school system. In some extreme cases, students actually commit suicide because they are treated so badly.

 It seems that people have forgotten to look outside their laptops, smart phones, and televisions in order to experience life outside of the world of cyberspace. We have become too detached to the real world. We need to slip back into realty it is nice to go out and play games with your son or daughter. Go date a girl or a guy on campus rather than searching for one on Face book or on any dating sites. It is much more intimate and rewarding then talking on instant messenger from a person you have no clue on. In other words, people need to have a balance between the real world and the world of cyber space. It is nice once in a while to check email but to do it every day is excessive. Be polite do not read your emails in a middle of a lecture. All Professors hate it when they see a student who is texting rather than learning during one of his or her lectures. Finally, people should take a day off from being connected to the Internet. These electronic devices have off switch to turn off the machine, so use it. Go visit your friends or family. Travel the world, or at least step outside the house. There is an experience unlike anything you have witness over cyberspace. You can smell, you can touch it, and you can interface with it every day of the week. No, it is not a 3d television or the next Avatar movie. It is something called life, and for the people of the human race, you can live it every day with no computer or smart phones. All it requires from you is to simply turn off the machine and step out the door. Welcome to the human experience.

Vocabulary Words

Intimate

-Adjective

 Close in personal relations, very private, very personal

Engaged in sexual relations, privacy and intimacy

Detached

-Adjective

Separated, not attached, disinterested, unbiased

Aloof, not involved, not concerned

Overworked, Underpaid, Unionize

Over the past two years companies have cut jobs, slashed pays, and reduced benefits for employees.  As a result, employees have been overworked, stressed-out, and demoralized with the firings of their fellow coworkers.  They are treated by the apathy of companies as if they are a beaten horse. The companies try to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of their workers to the breaking point. As a consequence, workers are feeling burnt and are becoming less productive.  Companies should try to treat their workers with some respect, gratitude, and some time off to their workers in that they will be productive, efficient, and proud of their work. However, not many businesses treat their workers well. A lot of workers want to work to support their families and themselves. It is not like that every person is a slacker or slowpoke in doing their job, yet some companies try to take advantage of these for non-union employees by giving them little pay and little benefits. 

Workers are then left with little recourse other than to join a union of workers to protect their workers’ rights in that to a company an employee is an expendable asset ready to use and abuse. However, when a company faces a union, they have to deal with a workforce that could bring damage to their company in money and in reputational terms. Even though employees might be scared to lose their jobs in joining a union, it is a real benefit for them to join. They will have other fellow employees to back them up when it comes to the company trying to take an advantage of the workers. Furthermore, the employee will feel empowered in that he or she can do damage to the company over their abuses on their employees. For instance, when the workers for the hotels in San Francisco a few years back had a strike and protested their employers for not giving them a living wage in the most expensive city in California.  The hotels paid a big price in that it cost them money when they didn’t have workers to clean the rooms and assemble the beds.  As a consequence from the resulting hotel workers strike the big hotels relented and finally gave the workers a pay hike so the workers can live reasonably well in the city by the bay.  California workers should unite in order to show the companies that workers are not just some number on a paycheck but rather a living breathing human being.

Vocabulary Words

Apathy

-Noun

absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.

lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.

Assemble

-Verb

to come together; gather; meet

to put or fit together; put together the parts of

GO GIANTS?

        While I was doing studying in one of my classes, I heard shouting. Giants Win! Giants win! I along with my classmates was all excited to hear the news. The feeling was unbelievable. There was beeping from cars, shouting from fans, and elating strangers who heard the news that our San Francisco Giants won the World Series. Almost everyone was happy to hear the news that the Giants accept of course a few Dodgers Fans. I have never seen the Bay Area so happy and excited since when the last 49niners won the Super bowl back in the 1990s. I think the Bay Area needed this in that with the economy in shambles, most of our teams not doing so well, and the bitter pill of politics in the November 2 election, the region was in deep depression of confidence. I think this win awakened and released pent up emotion to be cheerful and breathe again after so many past disappointments with other teams such as the San Jose Sharks and Oakland Raiders.
        As for the Giants, Even though the Giants fans have repeatedly been disappointed for the last half century dating back to 1954, we have waited patiently to for our uniquely San Francisco Bay Area team to claim that title as the world’s best baseball team. I know because I was watching this team trying for a long time to win this title. I was there watching the television back in 1989 between the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants when the World Serious earthquake struck the Bay Area. They lost to the A’s in a best of seven series. I was also there supporting the Giants in 2002 in the era of Barry Bonds with the bitter and disappointing lost against the Anaheim Angels, which was a very close series. To see our beloved Giants win this World Series to a true fan is like a surreal dream that you think you know what it would look like until you see it. As a true fan for the San Francisco Giants, I wanted to say congratulations to a hard earned World Series. You are now our World Series champions for the San Francisco Bay Area and in the world of baseball. You sweated for it, you fought for, and you earned it. Take it easy guys and enjoy the ride.

Vocabulary words
Verb

Elating
To feel joy, to be prideful

Verb

Awakened
To stop sleeping, to be aroused, to be excited, to be aware of something

I Respectfully Disagree

I have been watching the November election of 2010 for the Congressional and state Governor elections.  It is rather an interesting election cycle: a Delaware newcomer who claims that she is not a witch, a California candidate calling his opponent a whore, and a Nevada Senate candidate who thinks people should barter for health. However, I am concerned about that the level of civility in politics.  I know that politicians tend to demonize their opponents in order to win election. After the elections pass and the winners and losers lick their wounds, the politicians tend to go into normal governing procedure of talking to the other side and making compromises and deals. Unfortunately, I do not see that normal trend in this election. I keep on hearing the Tea Party advocating stopping the government no matter the cost to the country. They argue to shutdown government just as Newt Gingrich, who was a very conservative head of the house in the 1990s, did in 1994. For some of these people, they have been obstinate rather than pragmatic is the order of the day.  If obstruction means getting elected to stop whatever issues that need to be addressed, than they will obstruct which means that the pressing issues that need to be addressed such as the energy, debt, and economic crisis’s will not be solved.  As a consequence, this country will continue to muddle along until a real crisis forces which could cost the big and these political faction to make a deal that nobody wants.  On the contrary, those people who view that politics is mean and nasty should read the history of the Reagan Administration. Even though this Administration was in a period of relative chaotic state of ideologies in the governing policies, they have dealt with Congressional Senators and Representatives with respect and civility. Reagan who had to deal with the Democratic dominated Congress made a dealt on the Issue of Social Security. Even though the conservative Regan and the liberal Democrats were from two different points of the political spectrum, they viewed each other with respect and dignity. Reagan even treated some liberals as friends who argued very intensely during the day and treated each other kindly at night. I hope these future leaders of America can learn from Regan’s example in that they do not need to treat each other as traitors or back stabbers. They should try to focus on the issues and not on the character of his or her opponent. I think then we can finally regain our civilized political discourse that has been missing since the 90s.

Vocabulary Word

Civility

Noun

Plural; ties

courtesy; politeness.

a polite action or expression

Obstruction

Noun

Wall, blocks, barrier

an act or instance of obstructing

Stop Kicking the Can

 I was returning home from a friend’s house to go to work on 880 North, I had a bad run with a pothole which really messed up my front tires and lead to my delay checking in for work.  Every time I go on the San Francisco Bay Area roads there is broken asphalt, potholes, and cracks which happened to ruin my car’s tires.  I am tired to see roads that come from a third world country.  A lot of people complain on this issue, they should have themselves to blame along with the politicians. The United States Highway System was built for defense businesses in the Cold War in the 1950s as a way to provide fast evacuations in case of a nuclear strike.  The road system resulted in economic benefits and a change in life style for Americans.  It was well funded and provided a quality of infrastructure that made America an economic superpower. However, these roads have stopped being maintained in the last four decades with anti-tax revolts and a dogmatic unwillingness to support these massive highway structures form sea to shining sea. This mentality of kicking the can which is delaying maintenance for future generations to pay for it later has resulted in sub par roads.  As a consequence, roads are decaying to the point that it is costing American lives.  The incident in Minnesota in which a bridge collapsed led to the deaths of many people was no accident. Ironically another bridge that is in similar danger is the Brooklyn Bridge.  I wonder a bridge of that much fame might cause us Americans to recognize that kicking the can mentality will result in more deaths.  We have to acknowledge the can cannot be kicked anymore. If you want good roads, you have to pay for it. It will require higher taxes to pay for the roads and firmer commitment to establishing on the state and federal level to properly deal with the back log of roads that need fixing. However, if we do not change, people will have to pay for it in their car bills, and people will die in horrendous situations that should not have been happening.  I think this a solvable situation.

We just need to show people that spending a little money will do a world of good for their lives and their cars.

Dogmatic

–adjective

of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a dogma or dogmas; doctrinal.

asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated.

Horrendous

–adjective

shockingly dreadful; horrible: a horrendous crime.

Amazing Race for the Governorship

I have been watching the race for the California governorship between Meg Whitman, a CEO and founder of EBay, and Jerry Moon Beam Brown who was former governor of California in booming and bustling days in the 1970s. It is turning out to be an interesting tenacious race with two distinct sides. Meg Whitman represents the outsider from Silicon Valley who has expertise to run a big corporation. Furthermore, she is also a tough leader who is renowned for her business reforms. On the other side of the political spectrum, Jerry Brown is symbolic of the old school of politics which is more about the state and governance than it is political points today. In addition, he is a great governing governor in his politics in that he helped balance the budget of California in the 1970s when Proposition 13 was voted in effect by Californians who were sick of high taxes at the time. However, the issue with California today is the deadlock in politics in the State capital of Sacramento, for California to have a budget; it needs to be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of State government. The law had good intentions at the time, but it is now a big obstacle in that it allows extremist on both sides to block the budget process. Furthermore, the State has made a lot of commitments over the last few decades such as health care, education, and law enforcement. As a result, most of the California’s budget goes to these commitments with no room on how to cut or adjust the budget. Add to this proposition 13 which severally limits the State to generate funding, it adds up to a State that has a lot of unfunded commitments and no way to generate new significant revenue for the State coffers.  Given the circumstances, I think Jerry Brown will be a better fit for the job.  Meg Whitman is a leader and a good reformer when it comes to business, but she does know a lot when it comes to politics in the State of California. We already had an outsider who is currently trying to get something done in the stubborn ideologues of the State Congress.  I think we need someone with experience who has dealt with such ideologues on the State level. Jerry Brown should be governor of California because his skills, experience, and connections I think to get the job done in fixing our state.

Vocabulary words

Tenacious

Adjective

holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.

highly retentive; a tenacious memory.

pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.

  

holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough

Spectrum

Noun

A broad range of varied but related ideas or objects

The Grass is always Greener

     While I was doing  legal research for one of my classes, I managed to find an article on happiness which confirms that more money does not buy more happiness. It can buy some happiness, but for a lot of people they need more than just money in order to be happy. For many people who want happiness, it is not just money that makes a person content.  For people, it could be affectionate happiness, security happiness, and social status happiness. Affectionate happiness is when a person who receives love and care from others such as relatives, wives, and lovers.  For some people, their estimation is that they will likely give up the material or monetary wealth if they found a person who actually cares and loves them.  This gives a sort of satisfying feeling to the person. As for the security happiness, it is more on safety from being harmed or being abused from forces beyond their control. For people from the developed world such as the United States and Europe, it can be hard to understand. However, people from the war ravage zones or from third-world countries which have problems of rampant corruption and crime security is considered a luxury. They tend to get abused by soldiers in war zones or by criminals who are not deterred by the few corrupt cops who are meant to protect the people, so in a country where there is no war or little to no crime it can be considered happy for them from being harmed by anybody. Even though people might be happy with these two conditions, they might be still unhappy with their social status or social happiness. This is when a person feels happiness on their social order of life or lacking any happiness. A worker from a fast food chain provides a good example: they get paid low wages, they get disrespected by customers, and they are not valued by their boss who treats them as rather expendable pawns.  Compare this to doctors who are generally respected, are paid high wages and are very valued by society in general.  In sum of all these conditions for happiness, it is very rarely that people achieve all four categories. Even though a human being can be happy in all four categories, we are rarely content. We often push for more of everything wealth, love, security, and status.  It is in our very nature to want more and to push for greater happiness. In other words, the grass is always greener mentally in that your next door neighbor always has a nicer house than you, and the other guy always makes more money than you. However, I think people should try to relax and be glad on what they have whether it is wealth, love, money, or status in the context of their lives. Sometimes the greatest happiness is realizing how fortunate you really are with the gifts of your life.

Vocabulary Words

Ravage

verb (used with object)

1.

to work havoc upon; damage or mar by ravages: a face ravaged by grief.

–verb (used without object)

2.

to work havoc; do ruinous damage.

–noun

3.

havoc; ruinous damage: the ravages of war.

4.

devastating or destructive action.

Expendable

–adjective

1.

capable of being expended.

2.

(of an item of equipment or supply) consumed in use or not reusable.

3.

considered to be not worth keeping or maintaining.

4.

Military . (of personnel, equipment, or supplies) capable of being sacrificed in order to accomplish a military objective.

–noun

5.

Usually, expendables. an expendable person or thing.