"And they all lived happily ever after... The End"

Final Examination

      When I decided to add this class to my schedule as an elective, Dr. Kachurick asked if I had taken any prerequisites into the course, such as Money and Banking, etc. I have not because I specialize in Marketing, but I remember thinking, “how hard can it be?” Well, needless to say, I was very intimidated at the start of the semester when everyone had knowledgeable input into discussion, except for me. In order to keep up, I would write down everything and take notes of what people said, then memorize the facts and analyze different points of view.

      To say this class was intellectually stimulating would be an understatement because it took a lot of analyzing to create in-depth points of view. Looking back, I am far advanced beyond the mindset and knowledge that I had upon entering this class. I believe class discussions, article topics, and the impact the class had on me, contributed to my success in this course.

Class discussions:

      I believe class discussion is the best way to learn because you provide your own input and opinions, as well as analyze everyone else’s point of view. As a whole, I can honestly say, I saw the class improve week by week. I’ll admit, in the beginning I always thought Ryan was so smart. This is probably because he enjoys politics more than myself. Although we never shared the same points of view, I admired his initiative to voice his opinions. Wendy also impressed me from the beginning, because she was one of the only girls that voiced her opinions, and I looked up to her for that. For instance, I now know that she is very environmentally-conscious (such as our talks about recycling and the Greening of Death). Also, I felt that the two of us brought an emotional aspect into discussions compared to the gentlemen. For instance, we took the side of the poor and middle-class during our debates about tax cuts. It seemed the gentlemen didn’t want to tax the rich anymore, but Wendy and I thought that was absurd. Looking back, we were a little more compassionate towards individuals, than the men, during the majority of discussions.

      Finally, I can say I noticed a difference between two other students in class. Pat started to think before he belted out some obnoxious statement and ceased to flip-flop his opinions. I think he became more professional in the way he speaks and carries himself, compared to the beginning of the semester. The second person that I thought improved was Jon, because he started providing more input into discussion as classes went on. Also, I was very impressed with his choices of articles that he presented. (The first one was about solar panels and the second was about running the internet through the city.) These articles seemed challenging to me, compared to the one I did about Twitter. That is why I was so impressed because I didn’t expect that from him, suit and all. It’s challenging to reflect on the class, but I think we all noticed major improvement in ourselves by the end of the year.

Article topics:

      My favorite topics that we discussed were the articles about economics and the articles about well-known companies, such as Google and Twitter.

Economics:

      I think I enjoyed these discussions the most because I learned so many things that I never knew. For instance, I had no idea that our nation’s banks were bailed out. Although I’m embarrassed to admit that, I’ve learned about it, compared it to Europe’s crisis, and formed my own opinions about it. It’s the bank’s fault and the government should not step in. If every company failed, does the government step in? No. In which case, we need to bail out the little guy. It would be less expensive and I think banks take advantage of the system. The second topic that we discussed a great deal was immigration. I am a very stereotypical person but never formed a full opinion about it until we discussed it various times. In my opinion, immigrants are taking advantage of our opportunistic country. They do not pay taxes, and we have nowhere to send them once they are found out. What’s the point of having Border Control at all? Many people claim we can use immigrants for low-paying jobs that American’s do not want to do. My solution is having the people on welfare work for their benefits. The government is too soft and allows citizens to take advantage of them! Then we wouldn’t need immigrants to do the dirty jobs! Unless these immigrants legalize themselves and get an education, I am not okay with them. Once again, I am very stereotypical and that has not changed during the course of this class.

Companies:

      I enjoyed articles like these because it was fun to compare businesses to one another and discuss their business strategies. For instance, as a Netflix customer, Dr. Kachurick was angry when the company split into two entities. I do not understand why they needed to change, or why they ruined their brand recognition by renaming the other part “Flixster.” In all, these class discussions were one of my favorite because I loved analyzing whether a company’s new, or current, business strategies would work.

Class impact on myself:

      I believe this class was beneficial to me, both academically and professionally. This class provided me with the resources (subscription to Businessweek and an experienced professor) needed to advance my education by exploring current issues and trends in business. I now have the ability to critically analyze any concept that I come across in life. Also, the way Dr. Kachurick handled this class impacted my professionalism. As a college student, I can say that sweatpants were my best friend.  Now I actually want to dress business casual for all upcoming classes next semester. Dr. Kachurick put us on a pedestal above all other students; when you feel professional, it is true that you act professional. (Also, I have tied back my hair for every presentation since the day I led in-class discussion and Dr. Kachurick told me that touching my hair is distracting.) Finally, little things like ‘not generalizing,’ and explaining over and over that a company is an ‘it’ not ‘they,’ are small factors that will lead me to professional success. After the horror stories I shared in the beginning of the year, this class actually turned out to be my favorite this semester. I felt that the class built a relationship and became comfortable with each other; therefore, our experiences together were substantially significant to the knowledge we gained.

Dirrrrty Jobs!

Karen presented the article about Why Americans Won't Do Dirty Jobs. At first, the article didn't attract my attention because it's not a personal issue, nor do I believe it's an issue in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The problem stems from jobs that Americans do not want to do, I believe, because Americans are greedy and lazy. Although I do believe that some of the wages the article explains are ridiculously low, I think that someone of that level has to work for it. My first thought about the article was "Why don't the people receiving welfare do the unwanted jobs?" This may be the best idea since our nation is having a problem with employers hiring illegal immigrants in order to pay them the lowest wages. If we sent the prisoners, or people receiving government aid, to do these jobs in order to receive their benefits, it would have more advantages than not. First, the immigration rate may go down since there will be less opportunities of employment in the United States. Second, the number of people receiving welfare would decrease because they would actually have to work for their benefits. I think this is, by far, the best idea I have ever had. Also, we can look deeper by decreased welfare cutting spending in order to assist our country's hedge.

We also had a quick discussion about inequality in America and the right to vote. I thought, "Does my vote actually count?" I think the biggest concern I have is that I can vote for the President, but it's the Electoral College that actually decides the President. I don't really understand it and I think it turns many people away from voting because they don't believe their vote will change anything. Maybe if we changed the ballot or voting procedures then our population would be more comfortable with choosing our nation's leaders. I understand that it's in my generation's hands to change our nation and voice our opinions, but the government judicial, legislative, and executive systems are so corrupt. I believe this is because some of the same people have been in office for decades; everyone is grandfathered in--it's not what you know, it's who you know. We need new people with new opinions and desire to improve our country. My generation cares because my generation has to live it for the next 50 years, so let's get some new faces!

Natural Gas, Immigration, and Death

Natural gas was a main discussion in class, and continues to be a main discussion in our economy. The finding of the Marcellus Shale, which lies partly in Pennsylvania, is the reason so many gas-drilling and energy companies are moving in on our territory. The question still remains whether to trust these companies or not? Personally, I see the good in them and discussion didn't really change my thinking. I live in a rural area of farmland and woods, and my neighbor town, Benton/Orangeville, has felt the impact of gas-drilling. Although people get paid an incredible amount of money, it could be harmful in a number of ways. Digging into the ground and disturbing the under-layers can cause pollution in drinking wells, and fracking can damage our environment. A few people in class had mentioned that they knew people, who agreed to gas-drilling, that could light their water on fire! Plus, no one knows the long-term affects of being exposed to gas-drilling either. All of these ideas were brought up and truth is, anything could have a negative effect on the environment! I'm sure an airplane isn't environmentally-friendly, but people still use those to take luxurious vacations. Gas is a natural resource that is essential to our economy! In my opinion, do what you have to do!


Rachel led discussion about Chinese Immigration in Italy. This is very strange to me, because I can't imagine why the Chinese would choose Italy as their migrant country. Why don't they expand into other Asian countries, such as Korea or Malaysia? The class quickly changed my thinking on this proposal, because it's true that Asian countries do not like to be associated/mixed with one another. This immigration doesn't affect me personally, but I could only imagine what it would be like to finally travel to Italy one day. I would be very confused if everything was written in Chinese and if there were Chinese restaurants and Chinese symbols on the streets. Because Italy is very culture-oriented, I can't help but picture Italy with cobble stone sidewalks, fountains, and statues. I think from a tourism standpoint this could hurt their economy. All in all, I don't think the Chinese belong in Italy because they are complete opposite cultures.

Wendy led discussion about green funerals. I understand this "movement" provides consumers with more alternatives to burial and funerals, but I don't like this idea. Personally, I would go the old-fashioned way. Moreover, I believe many people today would choose the old-fashioned way because it's what they're used to. (Although, this may be attractive to some; I know a lot of people who are Vegan or environmentalists and would probably consider an environmentally-friendly funeral.) All in all, I think this idea could definitely catch on, just like the idea of solar panels. Consumers are just waiting for a definite "this really works!" Once consumers see other people doing something, it eventually catches on like a trend. Finally, from a business stand-point, I can congratulate the business leaders that opened their companies to this untapped market.

Penn State.

When news broke that legend, Joe Paterno, was fired effective immediately from Penn State's Football staff, it broke a lot of hearts, including mine. I have never been a huge Penn State fan, but I love attending football games and have friends and family that attend Penn State. It's incredible that I even felt the hit of the news. I think it was mainly because I felt bad for him. I mean, by saying that he was a legend, and the face of Penn State, is even an understatement to the impact he has had on the Penn State community and associates. The fact that they made a quick decision within three days and wouldn't even let him attend the last home game was astounding to me! I wanted to cry. This makes me wonder if there are things that the public still doesn't know? Or if the Board wanted to preserve the image of Penn State and decided the best way was to implement their crisis management plan? Either way, they knew they were going to shake up the whole community.

After a few days of discussing this topic in classes, and with family and friends, I think the situation is finally calmed for the most part. Now that they are investigating, the public is just waiting to hear what is next.

I think firing Joe Pa was lawful, but not ethical. A lot of people argue that if it was anyone else, the situation would be different. But we should all agree that he deserved a little more than a phone call. I think the biggest problem was the image of Penn State in a crisis like this. The amount of people that this has affected (current students, fans, prospective students, alumni, stakeholders, etc.) is immeasurable.

Our discussion in class related to the ethics of the matter, not the lawfulness. I think the graduate assistant had no excuse for handling the matter the way he did. I think his career and alterior motives got in the way of the safety of a young child, and the safety of the University at large. He was very unethical! With that, Joe Paterno did what he was supposed to do but didn't investigate it furthur, that is unethical! I think they were afraid of what would happen because they had so much responsibility. But now we can see that pushing it under the rug made it one thousand time worse!

More on Taxes Ahead...

The biggest issue in our country is solving our debt, and I feel like our class has been there every step of the way! We had discussed "Rick Perry's Not-So-Flat Tax Plan" which is another proposal to pay our nation's debt. I did not know much about this tax plan until I had read the article and, once we discussed it in class, I completely disagree with it. At first, I thought everyone in the class had supported it, but after looking into the details, I was surprised that anything like this had a possibility of being passed! First, this tax plan separates the rich and poor by hitting the poor harder and the rich actually end up paying less. I am a believer that the rich should pay more than anyone, because from an economic standpoint, they typically use more of the country's infrastructure than anyone! Second, I think it's ridiculous that the rich would be paying LESS than past years, because how will this solve the debt problem?? The poor will be the ones to pick up the slack when they are struggling to put food on the table for their families. I am all for the rich being taxed the most!!And I'm happy that this tax-proposal was not passed!

I was the first one to present an article and I'm very happy with how it went. When I first saw the Twitter article, it caught my eye because I saw so much more than the simple fascination of Amy Jo Martin being a Twitter coach. I had a field day tearing this article apart, and loved getting opinions from the class. Personally, I do not have a Twitter. I understand the simplistic, innovative social media network and can see why everyone is obsessed, but I grew up with 5 channels and still do not own a smart phone. (I am very opinionated of people who never look up from their cell phones or computers). But anyway, I thought the class had a lot of input to all of my questions, especially the males because they are more into athletes. I believe they now understand the severity of what their favorite athletes post because they are icons. Also, I feel as though they will stop looking at Twitter as a personal social media network and more as a marketing tool for our companies.

Sports in Business!

The Green Bay Packers have recently become a legacy in football. I feel this is because they overcame their "under-dog" label after winning the 2011 Super Bowl. I enjoyed the article, not because I'm a sports buff, but because I'm from a small town, too. It's not Pittsburgh or Miami, it's Lambeau. I think their small town, "for the fans" persona compliments their accomplishments in the NFL. It's almost like their fans come first, but I think that should be the case for any team, league, performer, etc. Without the devoted fans, these people are nothing. The NFL would be nothing if millions of people didn't tune into the Sunday night game. That's just the way I feel.

This article made me think of my experience with the Philadelphia Phillies. I took a tour of the NEW stadium in 2008 (before they won the World Series). Everything the tour guide ended with "for the fans." I was surprised to hear the most expensive ticket price was $84!!! This relates to that "hometown" feeling that all the fans in Lambeau have. Whether or not they don't pay out to shareholders, they shouldn't have to if that's what their NFL rules state. I believe if you become part of the Green Bay Packers, you're okay with not getting "paid back," you're just happy to be part of the legacy!

On the other hand, Manchester United is doing anything but "keeping it hometown." It's no wonder this team is a global giant. Why? They are the best team of the most popular sport in the world. I don't believe soccer is as popular in the United States as in other countries around the world, but everyone in our country has at least heard of Manchester United. Even I have so that's surprising. This article gave me a new appreciation for the sport. I was surprised of the fact that no NFL teams can have advertisements on their jerseys, but soccer jerseys can ONLY have advertisements. It's no wonder why every company wants to be a part of Manchester United, because they are the best way to market. They are well-respected and worldly. It's also good to hear that the team takes pride in their sponsors, too, by creating relationships and preserving that connection.

Ethical or Unethical?

One article that really affected me during Thursday's discussion about New York legalizing gay marriage. It wasn't unethical for them to pass the law just because they will make money from it. I think that's a ridiculous statement. First of all, I don't think gays or lesbians would care if it was ethical or not, because they are just happy to finally have a chance for equality. Second, I think New York legalized same-sex marriages because it's just one more step New York could take to prove their leadership in business innovations in the country. THEN they were like, "Oh, this new market will make us money." The fact that they're doing it to make an extra couple hundred million is absurd. That amount is pocket change! Personally, I am all for same-sex marriages in any state of our country. I have a gay cousin who is over 30 but is so successful in his job and has the best of everything. I'm proud to support them. Maybe this is why my views and ideas are so strong on this topic.

As for Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax-- I wasn't sure what this was when we had discussed it a few weeks ago. I enjoyed the Businessweek article about it, but I don't support it. I think they're asking for too much in American's tax-dollars, especially the poor. A lower-income family would be most affected and I'm a firm believer that we should target the wealthy. If they're so successful, they can stop buying $250,000 cars for their 16-year old kids and put their money back into the economy.. because in most cases, consumers are why they are successful in the first place!!

Students Lead the Way

Jim Beam boasts that even though times have changed, their Bourbon Whiskey has remained the same over the past 215 years (www.jimbeam.com). Their Kentucky Straight Whiskey may have stayed the same, but they've recently decided to target a new market: women. This topic affects me indirectly, because I am a woman, but I do not drink expensive bourbon. I don't really care that they bought out Skinny Girl Margaritas and that I don't associate that brand with Jim Beam. Honestly, I think Jim Beam is losing their legacy as a higher-end Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Some brands just have to target only men. I think Jim Beam is bored with their current marketing and products; they feel like they need to step up their game as society advances. I don't think this is a BAD decision, but if they start targeting women, I believe they will change their COMPLETE brand image that they've carried for over 200 years.

After discussing solar panels, I believe they will become more popular as the photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies advance. I actually know some consumers that have thought about making a solar investment in their homes. I think this is a great idea, and I hope to save energy by investing someday myself. But right now, I think people are scared to try it because there hasn't been a breakthrough in solar heating and electricity. It's a great invention, but some company has to provide the resources and investments to step up and provide "the best" so that consumers know they will get their money's worth. For instance, electric wind-mills have definitely advanced and proved their worth; they were strategically engineered to withstand any weather or condition... you don't see them falling down the mountainsides.

After presenting the article about coal-miners needing workers, my points of view changed. At first I was thinking, no way will anyone in this class say "yes, I would be a coal-miner" but some people took me by surprise. So I decided I would do it, too! $70,000 starting salary is a lot and if I can't get a job my first year out of college, I could use that to pay back my loans and start fresh! I know it poses health risks, but I think just one year underground wouldn't affect me too much. I think I'm just money hungry!

Dr. Kachurick returns!

We started class discussion with the Black Swan article and learned how a Black Swan got its name. I described a Black Swan as something that isn't likely to happen, but it catches people off guard when it does happen. I guess I can see how this applies to the rising prices in our agricultural sector, because we don't want something else in our country to go wrong. Just like we said in class, I feel like our country is falling apart piece by piece. You would think that the agriculture would stay the same because the generations of family farms stay the same. AND when it comes to FOOD as a physiological need for people, I don't believe it's a sector that should be messed with. Let the banks fail because they keep making mistakes, but don't fail on the farmers! They're the true hard workers in this country.

As for our discussion on Lobbyists, I think our government needs a little work. Maybe I'm not fully prepared to discuss my thoughts on our government, but I don't understand why we vote, but then electoral votes actually decide the president, for instance. To me, politics are very unethical. People lie to get ahead and it's all about networking. We need to vote someone into office that has struggled, or someone of middle-class status for different points of view. Anything!

And this may be a little off topic, but I don't understand-- if our country is in debt, why are we still deploying troops overseas to fight the same war after 10 years? Why can't we bring the troops home and focus on our own country??

Terrorism will never go away.

When asked what our definition of terrorism would be, 9/11 came to my mind immediately. It's hard to imagine that terrorism could affect any other country in the world when we experienced the most catastrophic terrorist attack our country has seen. I almost stereotype terrorism with America's fear of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr. Sweetz read aloud the actual definition of "terrorism"-is the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. I was so surprised when he said "to intimidate" because those two words hit the nail on the head. And that is what 9/11 did.

The economic effects of those attacks are still prevalent 10 years later. Airport security is the most noticable and I've flown a couple times in the past 10 years. Those random security checks when they put you in the box and make you take off your shoes and such is definitely scary, because it's happened to me, but it also gives you a sense of comfort. Our cheerleading squad travels to Orlando, FL every year for Nationals so it's funny how long it takes 30 young women to get through security nowadays.

I learned a lot from our talk with Mr. Sweetz, like the stock market experienced the biggest crash on 9/11 since the Great Depression and it took 8 years for the economy to recover. Also, he pointed out to us that after the attacks, every bridge/overpass in the country had an army vehicle in park. I had no idea!!! It really shows how much Americans care to protect each other after such an awful event. And these fears still exist, we call this terrorism.

It's obvious the economic impacts of terrorism include loss of jobs, greater money expenditure on rebuilding and heightened safety, and tourism. I was surprised to hear that Disney spends an extra $120,000/week on extra security! Terrorism can also effect us psychologically as well. My younger brother recently enlisted in the United States Army so my fear of his deployment to Iraq will never go away.

I believe terrorist attacks could happen to us again, but I know America is more prepared than ever.

Rest in Peace Steve Jobs... www.nowwhat.com?

The death of Apple CEO Steve Jobs caused a tidal wave of mourning across the world. A magnificent man who co-founded Apple at age 21 and "nurtured it into the most valuable corporation in the world" says it all. Personally, I am astonished and the only word to come to mind is remarkable. Jobs was truly remarkable.

I think it's funny that Jobs started his first job at Atari, the video-game maker. From the beginning, he loved technology and even joked that he could turn the HP 45 into a stopwatch. I wonder if his managers saw something in him from the start. I wonder if they knew back then, when employees would avoid him, that he would die a legend.

I'm not surprised that Steve left Apple for the first time to start NeXT computer. He seemed like the type that wouldn't settle for any less than the top. He wanted to be the creator, designer, everything all in one. "Staffers at NeXT put up with Jobs's volatility and insults because 'we really thought we had the chance to change the world.'"

Jobs' returned to Apple in 1997 as "interim CEO" because he was still very busy with Pixar. Apple was just a few months away from bankruptcy with annual losses exceeding $1 billion! Three CEOs had come and gone within the decade, but I think Steve Jobs return truly saved Apple from crashing. In 15 years, Jobs had turned Apple into one of the most influential and valuable corporations in the world!! Remarkable.

One of my favorite parts of the article says "What's next? The seeds of the next big thing from Apple are already germinating-- and they have Steve Jobs's DNA at their core." That really displays the unimaginable commitment and determination that Jobs put into this company. In my eyes, he is truly a legend.

"Business leaders are sometimes admired and occasionally revered. Jobs was beloved. The memorials outside Apple stores around the world are a testament to his ability to affect people and expand their sense of the possible." --Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Class on 10/06/11

Is the Kindle Fire a good business strategy for Amazon or will Apple continue to clutch the world’s innovative consumers?

Although I would not buy a Kindle Fire because I’m loyal to Apple, Inc., I think Amazon’s business strategy of releasing a new tablet is a long-term investment on the company’s behalf. First, I think since they already have brand recognition with their first Kindle, people will not be reluctant to buy this “Kindle on Steroids.” Second, it sells at a cheap price because they plan to return profit by the software packages, etc. that users could purchase. I don’t think this is a good idea because they are stepping into financial risk by not even earning profit off the product itself! Even if I got an Amazon account for free, I wouldn’t use it to shop. And from my experience, I don’t know anyone that owns a Kindle.

**Research may contradict my personal views. Current research shows Amazon controls 62% (some say up to 80%) of the entire ebook market and iPad controls 16% of the ereader market (Maselli).  I was surprised to discover that this many people actually own a Kindle and consistently buy from Kindle’s 700,000 titles! This information enlightened my point of view and experience with Kindle to the point where I may actually consider buying one! After reading recent statistics, I believe, more than ever, Bezos is taking Amazon in the right direction by joining the "tablet race."

Maselli, Christopher. "Ebooks, Amazon Kindle, and Apple iPad Statistics." Christopher Maselli. N.p., 2011. Web. 7 Oct 2011. <http://www.christopherpnmaselli.com/2010/10/ebooks-amazon-kindle-and-apple-ipad-statistics/>.

Class on 9/29/11

Netflix has recently split into two separate companies for DVD and streaming movies online. This doesn't really affect me because I do not have a Netflix account, but I can see where Dr. Kachurick is coming from when he says it's not as convenient to access as before. This means that account holders have to go to two different sites and have two different billing statements through the same company! I would definitely be more annoyed!! I think they've decided to do this so they can drop the DVDs and save on postage and warehouses. I believe, in the long-run, they are going to drop DVD services and stick to their main revenue from streaming. We should bring back Blockbuster!!

I'm torn with our next topic of oil drilling in Alaska. I feel terrible that oil companies are barging in on people's lives, but at the same time we need these resources! If they know there are 15 billion gallons of oil under this little town, it makes sense to buy them off and, like Ryan said, have them move their village 20 miles over. But at the same time, it's the way they've been living for generations! I live in a small town and I get mad when I see a new house being built, let alone thousands of oil drillers stomping in with their big boots and machines. But like I said, I'm so torn!!

Class on 9/27/11

Marx discussion: At first I'm thinking, what does this man's philosophy have to do with our economy today? Communist society should replace capitalism? Well, I think he's right. To me, capitalism means the wealthy, ruling class knows where the PROFIT is and how to get it. So the rich get richer and the poor get poorer because they don't stand a chance in reinvesting profits. That's why I believe we should live in a communist society today, where the people that are actually working hold the power. Marx said capitalism is unstable, well look at the national headlines about Greece, the financial disaster, the euro! I hope they can emerge from all of this without U.S. bailing someone else out.

As for Canada and U.S. regulating the border... I get it, 9/11. But what did Canada ever do to us? What did they do to any other country? It makes sense to tighten the borders into U.S. when it comes to tourism and travel, but I think changing products and regulations to impact globalization of companies goes a little far with our friendly neighbor. We can trust them and their location is the most convenient for globalization to keep costs low, so we should stay true to NAFTA and loosen our trade regulations with Canada to jump start our country's improvement!

Class on September 22

Thursday's class brought up an intense discussion about TLO and whether government should place restrictions on personal searches of persons in the United States. I think that it should be restricted to law enforcement, but could be extended to companies and business owners/managers. For this reason, you could be searched for and all of your information would come up at once. It would be so simple! I trust that if put in the right hands, people would not take advantage of the system.

Also, I think that the site should limit personal information, for instance, not showing your cell phone calls, text messages, e-mails, etc.

Our other discussion on Yahoo and AOL made me realize that they truly are the walking dead of the internet. I used to have AOL dial-up and now with new technologies like cable and DSL, everyone switched to a different provider. And I'll admit, I only use Google! AOL and Yahoo have to spend a lot of money to keep pace but they simply lack the profits to grow bigger than their competition. I think they should just give up or unite and implement a new business strategy.

9/22/11

Ryan led discussion today about the workers in Hungary. At first, I thought it was an awful idea to have citizens do hard labor to work for their benefits. When Ryan said, "They are getting paid less than minimum wage." I was like wow, that's a horrible thing to do. But when looking at the big picture, these people have nothing else to do so if the state is giving them free money they should at least work for it. Some people in class said that this idea would never work in America's unemployment program. I raised the point that if you gave Americans an ultimatum of no work, no benefits, that most of them would choose to work for their money.

We also discussed the post office issue about switching to electronic mail. Personally, I don't think it would ever work. Everything is moving to technology lately, but when it's your MAIL, I think it shouldn't be changed from how it has been. There is a problem in our country with identity-theft protection, probably because everything is accessible online and by hackers. If we switched to online e-mail it would be a huge mistake. Maybe a generation or two down the line we can ease in to it, but I think it's completely impossible today.

9/19/11

Class last Thursday, Sept. 15th, was a little more in depth than the previous class.

Bank of America is suffering due to faulty housing mortgages and experienced an $8.8 billion quarterly loss. They plan to sell assets and shares, and cut about 30,000 jobs in NC. They are so guilty of dealing out faulty mortgages to people and not checking credit, income, or having a feasible down payment plan. In the end, people couldn't afford their houses and went into foreclosure and the bank is suffering because they have millions of dollars in faulty mortgages on their hands. How will they cover the cost without the U.S. bailing them out again? I don't think the government will bail them out a second time, absolutely not after made the same mistake. Bank of America is definitely "too big to fail" but at the same time, if they do fail, the whole country will feel the impact. I think they're in serious danger and need help and other banks will start to pull ahead because people simply won't trust BofA anymore.

We also discussed how Congress is planning to pay our nation’s debt by the end of the fiscal year (which I learned is Oct. 1- Sept 30!). They put together a committee to figure out how to come up with $1.5 trillion, but what were they doing all summer? I think it’s ridiculous that they have one of the most important jobs in America and seem so careless about it. All of their projects are delayed or expiring soon. Their two solutions are either to cut spending or raise taxes, but either side can agree on anything at this point. My solution would be to cut spending on small programs or welfare, but that’s just my opinion.

9/15/11

The first class I had was Thursday, Sept. 8th because I recently just added the course. I actually like it! We sat in a circle for discussion and I've never actually had a class like this one. The first question asked was "Why is the stock market down?" and I actually had no idea. I'm not very bright in economic terms and concepts yet. My first instinct was Hurricane Irene, but that actually wasn't a huge factor in our economy at all. Another guess was the recession, but I've only heard that our nation was in trouble without actually knowing what it meant. A recession is two quarters of negative to 0 gain. At least that's what I remember!

Another interesting topic discussed, that actually came about out of nowhere, was the possibility of our government having secrets and actually staging events. A lot of students agreed that the Kennedy assassination was a hoax, but I never really looked into it before. National Treasure is a great movie that points out secrets in our nation that tell stories from centuries before, love it. One thing I do believe is that our first moon landing was set up. This is because I watched a whole television show on it when I was younger and never got it out of my head. Who knows?

I have read a bunch of articles in Business Week so far and I like learning about our nation and its businesses, so I'm excited to discuss it further with my class. It makes me feel more business savvy.

Introduction

Hi everyone!

My name is Brittany, but 99% of the people in my life call me Trini. I was raised in a one-light town where cow crossing signs and tractors slowing down traffic are nothing out of the ordinary. Even if the nearest gas station is 12 miles away, and I have to stand on my recliner to get service, I could honestly say I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I'm currently a senior at Misericordia University persuing my degree in Business Administration. From there, I plan to attend grad school for my MBA. I'm a collegiate cheerleader and it's my life. We cheer at basketball games, get involved with the community and university, attend UCA camp, local competitions and UCA National Competition every year in Orlando, FL. My squad is my family :)

I love country music, fishing, shopping, spaghetti, and I work at a restaurant to make moneyy$$$. All in all, I love lifeee! Thanks for reading!