Greetings !

Hello, everyone !
Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog.
If you have questions, concerns, comments please feel free to channel them.
Ganaa

Monday, May 23, 2011

Regarding artifacts of Vietnam Conflict (1960's-1970's)

Hello? How you all doing on this sunny sunday?
We are moving on to the topic of Vietnam Conflict or better known as the Vietnam War.
As of this blog's intend is to talk about the "artifacts" found along the wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. The purpose of those artifacts from visitors of the memorial is to channel their feelings, views, sorrow, loss, pride, sacrifice and others that have been bottled inside. To see how the artifacts dedicated to the memorial is to see how people see the Vietnam Conflict, and throughtout time the observation of the artifacts, even before the artifacts have appeared say how people's perspective on the Vietnam Conflict have evoled.
Some example, Marita Sturken gives as artifacts on her representation, "The Wall, the Screen, and the Image: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial" were photographs, letters, teddy bears, MIAIPOW bracelets, clothes, and medals of honor.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Last Thoughts on Immigration

Hi? All? How you doing?
We have finished our immigration essays, congrats!
Now, i am ready to post some last thoughts on immigration issues in the U.S.
Before immigration unit started, i felt the immigration was all U.S fault, and immigrants did nothing to deserve to be treated the way they do now. However, after i have read all the things that i have read, i can safely say that immigration issue in the U.S is complicated, in least words.This is not only the problem of the immigrants, but everyone else who involved in it. Crimes that divulge in immigrant communities throughout the U.S have waken up some people, and they channel their voices with demand from politicians to pass tough law on immigration. Some programs, agencies in the U.S really help both citizens and immigrants who are under attack of the crime syndicates from outside the U.S. However, some laws, legislatures only siphoning the immigration problem from one place into another, yet two places are next to each other, so sooner or later the exchange will bring out the worst in both of them. Thus, not really solving the real problem of immigration and its notorious crime rates, violence and gang affiliations. I am happy to say that those who are in the U.S have their rights to protect themselves, their children from crime that comes with the immigration, but the immigrants also have rights to live freely, happily, as long as they do not disturb the communities that they live. In the end, it seems, the violence, crime only give worst for both sides, thus i offer both sides to keep on fighting against violence and crime by exchanging knowledge, information with one another to fight off this common enemy.
Lastly, the SB 1070 of Arizona state law is still under review and discussion with reason. First, this law supercedes the federal authority to rule over immigration policies, laws, legislatures, and most importantly enforce them. Second, this law has many loopholes, crack that it can go wrong so quick that it could deteriorate the communities that it intends to protect. And, for the frontliners who fight in these battles of immigration, crime, gang issues the SB 1070 is making them more busy than ever by diverting their attention into immigrant workers and not letting them work for the most violent, most cruel crimes that still gets carried out in the streets. After reading all that i have read, i feel more confident that there are people who really wants to make difference in this immigration issue, and all we need to do is open our ears, open our eyes so we can hear what others have to say, and we all can understand each other to solve this one problem of ours.

Friday, May 13, 2011

My take on SB1070 and overall (illegal) immigration in the U.S

Hello? Happy Friday? I know i am behind my laptop versus out partying, ooh well this is student life after all, somedays you just have to stay home.
Anyways, i would like to discuss thing or two on immigration in the U.S, specifically on SB 1070 which is a Senate Bill passed in Arizona, however, it hasn't been taken its full effect yet because judge Susan Bolton and the lower division court ruled that some sections of this bill was infringing on the Federal Constitution.
So, lets start off with my feeling on this SB 1070. I feel that SB 1070 is just a political instrument for politician, professionals to have good image on their portfolio for their election and promotional advantage. Because of the SB 1070 is used as Arizona state legislature to suspect people, arrest and detain them based on their "illegal vs legal look." In other words, anyone in the state of Arizona can be investigated by attourney generals, police, immigration agents for being looked suspicious based on their how much American they look like, or how much different they appear, act, talk in the state of Arizona holding can be placed under official order. And, there is federal program that put these "arrested" people's information in the system, so they can be determined whether they can stay in the U.S or not based on their verification of U.S citizen, or legal alien statuses. Just in 2010, U.S have deported 400,000 immigrants out of the country. However, the influx is so big in recent years, specially in the Arizona state, that it would be hard to say whether those 400,000 immigrants have come back to the U.S.
According to the U-Haul, moving truck renting company, more people use U-Haul to move into Arizona cities that moving out of the cities in Arizona state.
Most importantly, i feel the SB 1070 is making immigrant communities all over the U.S nervous, and immigrants in the Arizona state confused, shaken, scared and miserable because it deports people, families, normal working class immigrants, yet those people have simply have no choice but to look back with longing glance on the U.S, and most would come back someway because part of their family is in the U.S or their only home is in the U.S.
Also, i feel strongly about the SB 1070's resolve on crime that it should be dealing mainly, however, in this bill only 1 out of 16 pages is dedicated to sections on crime that is relevant to the immigrants. I have found out that the tendency to commit crime in the U.S by illegal immigrants is no significantly detectable versus legal citizen of the U.S committing crime. Thus, blaming the violence, crime solely on illegal immigrants is wrong.
Lastly, i feel strongly about the fact that illegal immigrants take the jobs of the legal citizens. In some degree it might be true; for example, in farming industry most workers are immigrants, and legal citizens would like to have those job, but the low wage that has been paid to the illegal immigrants preventing the farming companies from increasing the wage to hire legal citizens. However, when it comes to job, i think, if the person has the will to do it, no matter the condition either illegal or legal both would like to work, thus illegal immigrants blocking the way of legal citizens from having job is not that sound theory. On the other hand, if there were no illegal immigrants the jobs might increase the pay and start hiring legal citizens, however, there is possibility that those jobs simply could shipped overseas to make the production cost lower for the company. Thus, it is hard to argue whether having illegal immigrants in the u.S is really blocking the way for legal citizens to have normal jobs.
Lastly, since we are in the recession, in 2011, the high unemployment rate, economic unstability, lack of fiscal confidence and the confidence in the U.S financial system is affecting the minds of the people to have fear and anxiety that demand someone or something to blame all these faults on, and the voiceless, unprotected, weak illegal immigrants are the primary target of that. When the savings accounts are flourishing with money, everybody with jobs, protected from violence people tend to overlook the real life facts and feel secure thinking that what they have is what everybody is having, but in reality even in the "high times" the illegal immigration is still there, it is just less out in the open, if you will. And, people think less of it, it plays minority role on their lives, however, when things gets hard and people are desperate they want and need someone and something to blame it on, and the handy subject of immigration spring into action. Thus, i feel bad talking about immigration, blaming it, and ultimately glossing over the real issue of immigration which is the movement of people from less desired place to more pleasent location, and use immigration as surface political, economic play to subdue the real issue in our lives which are economical, political, systematical not immigrational.
Ganaa

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Immigration in the U.S - Senata Bill 1070 - Arizona's new act

Alright, today, let's get into the immigration issue in the U.S. On April 23, 2010 the governor of the Arizona Jan Brewer signed the Senate Bill 1070 (1) into a law, and have become effective in 90 days from the signing. SB1070 is sponsored by Arizona senator Russell Pearce, and House Bill (HB) 2162 (2) in 2010 made changes to the SB1070.
From the fact sheet of the SB1070 i found that this bill is to require authorities of the state and political subdivisions to cooperate and assist the enforcement of federal immigration laws and gives county attorneys subpoena power(information extraction) in certain investigations of employers, and clamp down on crimes involving trespassing by illegal aliens, stopping to hire or soliciting work under specified conditions, and transporting, harboring or concealing unlawful aliens, and their respective penalties (3). In other words, this bill sanctions that federal immigration agencies and county attorneys the full power to investigate, if necessary "force" the information out of anyone who is suspected of being illegal in the state of Arizona.

links to the URL : 1. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf
2. http://www.azleg.gov/alispdfs/council/SB1070-HB2162.PDF
3. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/summary/s.1070pshs.doc.htm

Friday, May 6, 2011

Car of the Future - PBS - Nova program - This is for you, JERAMY WALLACE

Hello? Happy Friday?
This blog will show video on the future trend and direction the automobile industry, consumption are going. As a consumer, i am intrigued to know the possible concept, approach to what cars would look like in the upcoming years.
And, i dedicate this blog exclusively for Jeramy Wallace who is hunting for information regarding trucks that he would like to have. I hope it helps. Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/embed/q-mVR4F7tfY

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

First Publishing Essay of Mine called "Seed Cannot Outgrow Its Soil"

Hello? All?
How is everybody doing? In this blog, i am going to post my first ever blog essay that i've done. I am going to let you discover it, i will not spoil the surprise. Enjoy!


Seed Cannot Outgrow Its Soil
There is a Chinese old saying, “Seed cannot outgrow its soil,” it means until we change the culture, environment, or the setting the nature of result cannot be altered. To put it into perspective, let’s take the global financial crisis of 2008 as an example. Unless we change the culture of global financial market, the global financial crisis of 2008 is likely to happen again in the future. To address this issue, we must dig deeper to find the possible cause and
contributions, and try to mend and fix it so that it doesn’t happen again.

In 2008’s global financial crisis, the U.S played the major role, thus, it is logical to start from the U.S to make the sufficient changes to improve global financial system. According to Steve Forbes’, CEO, president and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, article “How Capitalism Will Save Us,” global financial crisis ignited as the Federal Government and the Treasury Department of the U.S’ miscalculation and misinterpretation of the U.S dollar value being “strong” they pumped excessive dollar to the market in 2004. It leaded to commodities prices to hike, and started housing market bubble which is made possible by packaged subprime mortgage loans from investment institutions. However, the housing bubble bursted in 2008 dragging the investment institutions along with it, and global financial crisis ensued. Thus, fixing has to go to the Federal Government and the Treasury Department.

However, some might argue that consumers who purchased the subprime mortgages were the ones who should be blamed because they encouraged the trend that was set by investment institutions. But, the consumers usually don’t have the necessary information and knowledge to distinguish between good deal in the long run and the deal that could add up to something disastrous, which in our case was the housing bubble burst.

Others could argue that investment institutions are the faulty bunch, but that is partially true. Investment companies are profit driven, and only there to satisfy the shareholders, but in order them to be successful the comfortable situation must be created, and in our case the feds and treasury department provided them with customers with incentives and environment where investment institutions can take advantage of. Hence, the real blame must go to the feds and treasury department because they created environment for middle man (investment institutions) to create not-so-good deal (subprime mortgages) and watched it unfold without any interference. As Steve Forbes suggested, having a stable, protected, secured and sound global financial market the federal government and treasury department has to be separated and have their few major goals to be set as priorities. The Federal Government should be responsible for regulatory role of financial market and the Treasury Department should be true monetary guardian of the financial market in the U.S. Once we accomplish those goals in the U.S the global financial situation would be in much better position.

However, the well being of global finance is dependent on all aspects regarding global community of each member states. One possibility to improve the whole global finance is to set or arrange ways to make global communities to communicate well with one another. They must interact efficiently, faster, and without any disruption of global financial flow as John J. Mack, former CEO and current chairman of Morgan Stanley-Smith Barney suggested. The governments, government agencies, institutions and third party companies that are overseeing the financial markets all over the world must connect and exchange information with one another to prevent future global financial crisis.

Critics might argue that these information exchange activities might get breached and become fraudulent, or turned into one way to make money out of them by whoever that has information, but if we can monitor the activities that they involved the result can be tremendous.

Also, some might say that activities such as information exchanges might slow down the market flow, but we could assign people, agencies, and institutions to overlook those transactions, thus making things smooth and easier for all parties that are involved in the transaction. After all, worst we could get is something that is different than what we have now which is failing us.

Some might say keep the faith in the financial market by let the “invisible hand” take care of it, but we just don’t want another global financial crisis because we haven’t fully covered from the last one yet.

Lastly, I suggest that the time has come for change, it is well overdue for soil change, hence making significant improvement on our global financial system; to do that we need to change regulation, monetary control, and efficient, secure exchanging of informations throughout the world.

If you have any question,feeling, concern, please feel free to channel them in the comment, thanks.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Last Thought on Global Financial Crisis

Hello? How is your weekend going? I hope, you're having a nice weekend.
In this blog, i will be giving few last thoughts on global financial crisis.
I have done reading and watched videos, now i am ready to conclude.
I felt this last global financial crisis of 2008 needed an explanation.
 People blamed others for the fault of this 2008 global financial crisis, but when i looked into it i discovered most of the accusations surrounding the blame game is from frustration of not understanding the situations, not knowing what other side has gone through, and unable to tell the uncertainty of the crisis caused people to point fingers at each other. Therefore, i would like to share videos that regard the inside view of what happened in 2008 global financial crisis.

First video is former-CEO of Morgan Stanley's John Mack's personal recollection of events during global financial crisis of 2008. Morgan Stanley was an investment firm(they sold subprime mortgage loans) before and during crisis, however, it turned to become a traditional bank after crisis.
Please sit tight because this video is 26 mins long, however, if you want to skip to the critical part then go to directly aroung 18:18 secs. Around 18-19 mins John Mack gives his view on what he thinks the Federal Government and the Treasury Department of the U.S was doing during the crisis(hint: whether he blames them for doing their job or not, you find out). But, i highly recommend you to watch whole duration of this video because this video really gives you the insider view of the global financial crisis in first person perspective. To me it was an eye-opener. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/R9sQtmPAYO0


Also to give you different point of view, i selected CEO of CitiGroup which is an universal bank during global financial crisis of 2008 to share his view on the crisis that happened in 2008. This one is pretty explanatory, so enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/98oR4iYYAsM