Fighting Unemployment: The Cure

Alexander Birkel

The effects of government intervention in the economy.

OPEC Alliance

Government regulation in an economy can, in the short term, be beneficial to protecting the consumer and the economy from downward spikes. However, long-term effects often prove to become problematic. When in control of the economy itself, many bureaucrats are tempted to alter decisions due to personal interests. This can be seen in the OPEC which is an alliance of the largest oil-producing countries in the world.  They regulate the price of oil to gain the most profit (which mainly goes to the countries government leaders). This restricts the oil economies within these countries to the wealthiest, not only making oil more expensive for nations around the word but elevates the poverty rates of these countries due to the exploitation of the working class. On a smaller scale government intervention within almost any sector of industry ends up with monopolies resulting from the government subsidies to that business “for example, the deregulation of AT&T which previously functioned as a regulated national monopoly, in the 1980s provided consumers with more competitive telephone rates” (Seabury Investopedia.com). If AT&T had never been given such a head start our telecommunications would be higher quality and cheaper today. In conclusion, government intervention in markets often creates monopolies and an increase in poverty.

Positive Effects of a Free market.

On a national level, while competing against all types of government subsidized businesses in a global economy, a free market approach can help to decrease the price of imports and exports, as well as increasing the quality of goods through the lowering of government involvement, avoiding things such as trade wars, high tariffs and an increase of local competition. On a global scale, a total switch to a free market would allow those that were formerly oppressed by large government businesses to compete in a global market. Along with this, businesses subsidized by their governments will no longer have the advantage over smaller foreign competitors putting them and their workers out of business. On both a global and national scale, one of the main attributes is the avoidance of monopolies lacking competition or “fat cats” who are able to run their business without competition. These businesses are able to make cheaper quality goods and group production to decrease labor usage, increasing unemployment. Along with this, smaller businesses can no longer survive and create more jobs. However, the real benefit to a free market is not just higher employment. It isn't enough to just

How does this solve unemployment on a national and global scale?

On a national level, while competing against all types of government subsidized businesses in a global economy, a free market approach can help to decrease the price of imports and exports, as well as increasing the quality of goods through the lowering of government involvement, avoiding things such as trade wars, high tariffs and an increase of local competition. On a global scale, a total switch to a free market would allow those that were formerly oppressed by large government businesses to compete in a global market. Along with this, businesses subsidized by their governments will no longer have the advantage over smaller foreign competitors putting them and their workers out of business. On both a global and national scale, one of the main attributes is the avoidance of monopolies lacking competition or “fat cats” who are able to run their business without competition. These businesses are able to make cheaper quality goods and group production to decrease labor usage, increasing unemployment. Along with this, smaller businesses can no longer survive and create more jobs. However, the real benefit to a free market is not just higher employment. It isn't enough to just employ everyone, they must be self-sufficient as well. Are you really solving any problems employing everyone at one dollar an hour? The competition a free market creates drives up the demand for labor and innovation. With both of these increasing people are: employed more often, paid more, poverty decreases, and the standard of living increases.

Glossary

Real wage- average wage of a worker based on the buying power of their currency, not the currency
itself and adjusted for inflation

Buying power- How much the currency in the area is worth compared to the cost of living in the area.
Example: you could buy a burger in MacDonald’s for 4 USD in the USA due to the price of wages
and ingredients, however, due to these same factors you could buy the same burger in Mexico for
around 2 USD.

Bubble- A good situation in the market unlikely to last and likely to have exaggerated results.

Bibliography:

Armstrong, Martin, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: Burgernomics: The Price of a Big Mac in Global Comparison.” Statista, Statista, 21 Jan. 2019, www.statista.com/chart/13672/burgernomics-the-price-of-a-big-mac-in-global-comparison/.

“Austria to Host 7th OPEC International Seminar.” BRENTEX PETROLEUM SERVICES LIMITED, www.brentexpetroleum.com/oil-gas/austria-to-host-7th-opec-international-seminar/.

Batra, Raveendra N. End Unemployment Now: How to Eliminate Joblessness, Debt, and Poverty despite Congress. Palgrave Macmillan Trade, 2015.

COLONIAL PRINTERS, www.j-bradford-delong.net/Econ_Articles/ucla/ucla_marshall2.html.

Ebeling, Richard M. “The German Economic Miracle and the ‘Social Market Economy’ | Richard M. Ebeling.” FEE, Foundation for Economic Education, 1 Apr. 2008, fee.org/articles/the-german-economic-miracle-and-the-social-market-economy/.

The Institutional Structures of German Federalism / Uwe Leonardy. - Teil 8, library.fes.de/fulltext/bueros/sofia/00621002.htm.

Seabury, Chris. “The Cost of Free Markets.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 4 Oct. 2018, www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/free-market-regulation.asp.

Blog # 3, Why do we Wonder?

How Wonder Has and Still Does Drive The World

     Why would someone spend time writing an essay on a topic so different than the normal conversation? Wonder not only is a great conversation starter, but wonder also is one of the main pathways to success today. Providing past success, current status, and describing the future involvement this essay will allow the reader to understand what wonder will be after tomorrow.

     Including the past in any aggressive argumentative paper places the author in a position to explain the future. Just some of the past success relating wonder are companies like Apple, economic investments like stocks, and leadership mentioning the president. Apple is a current thriving company that was started by Steve Job's intense work ethic and ability to always ask what happens next. Steve job's created many products with tereckly designs. Steve Job's not only built and designed the first computer but also allowed the ones who had access to such technology to have the power to ask any question and unleash their creative and curious minds. Creating web browsers, Steve not only tested his drive and wonder to create such a computer but also allowed random people to use their wonder. Looking up different search topics and filling in the bored holes in our knowledge releases the ability for anyone (who can purchase a computer) to use their wonder within them and gain knowledge to succeed in the future. The United State's economy has a large part sectioned out called stocks. Investors give money to companies in order to speed up their success to make more profit and not end up with their bank accounts desist. Anyone who has money and is interested in stocks has to wonder what company will utilize their money the best, which most commonly leads to more information gained in the future. Although the future is unknown, "Just a matter of time" (Hurston 83). The doctor informed Janie that they were going to need time to find out the result. This directly supports my statement that we cannot see the future.

     This image depicts one of the current stock markets cites that are thriving today. Investors place their money in other people's hands because the investor's wonder leads them to believe that, one company will make more money than others, therefore returning fair to the investors and more. Once success is met in stocks, there are many boisterous investors who want to pull their stocks.

     

    An advantage that humans have over others is that no one knows what comes in the future. This is an advantage because the ones who remain curious and the ones who use their wonder for the better will have better outcomes in the unknown future which may lead to coquetry actions. The future can only be described as a theory because no one knows what will happen. A pretty large impactor for this country would be the president. With his large impact, he should be able to trigger wonder of the people, and rub off ideas for dreams and wish for the future. The president of the United States himself uses wonder to improve the future for all Americans. His ideas of what the unknown future can hold, allows him to connect pathways and solve problems to achieve that future, he has in mind.

     Humans create neurologic pathways in their brains to become smarter because the human brain always asks why no matter what situation it is in. Not only are humans physically built to ask the question, but when finding something out, or understanding something of interest there is dopamine that is released in our brains which tells us that it is good to use our wonder to answer the question. Humans use their wonder to ask questions that are positive and negative because no matter what the topic, the reality is, is that we humans are supposed to find the answer even if it is harmful. 

1) Bore

Def. = making a hole in something with a tool

In text = "...then her pugnacious breasts trying to bore holes in her shirt" (Hurston 2).

Suffixes = none

Affixes = none

2) Desist

Def. = to stop doing something

In text = "She saw the terrible agony and the lips tightened down to hold back the cry and desist" (Hurston 14).

Suffixes = none

Affixes = none

3) Boisterous

Def. = noisy, energetic, and cheerful

In text = "He laughed boisterously" (Hurston 39).

Suffixes = ous

Affixes = none

4) Tereckly

Def. =  clean, attractive, organized

In text = "Oh, we'll have dis town all fixed up tereckly" (Hurston 40).

Suffixes = ly

Affixes = none

5) Coquet

Def. = Flirtatious intentions

In text = "Mrs. Bogle who was many times a grandmother, but had a blushing air of coquetry about her that cloaked her sunken cheeks" (Hurston 69).

Suffixes = ry

Affixes = None

Bibliography

      www.mac-history.net/top/2011-01-24/the-history-of-the-apple-macintosh.

"What's Moving." CNNBusiness.com, money.cnn.com/data/us_markets/.

Wired.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York : Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print.

The Positive Effects of Music

It has been scientifically proven that music has a powerful effect on the brain. Recent research has revealed that music can help many aspects of the human brain, including stress relief, pain reduction, memory, and brain injuries. For stress relief, it was discovered that it depends on the kind of music you listen to, “relaxing music can alleviate stress by lowering cortisol levels, which is the hormone released in response to stress” (The Tabernacle Choir). Studies convey a link between listening to music and decreased stress in pediatric emergency room patients. Music also helps with pain reduction as it was discovered that music is very helpful for fibromyalgia patients. This study also revealed that your own choice of music heavily effects your reduced pain and increased functional mobility. This is believed to be caused by music triggering opioids in the brain. This was confirmed in a 2013 study when, “people given the opioid blocking drug, Naltrexone, experienced less pleasure while listening to their favorite song, suggesting music activates the release of pain-relieving opioids” (The Tabernacle Choir). Music has similarly been closely linked with improving memory. Listening to music can take your mind back to memories that you may have stored deep in your brain. In a study with patients who have dementia, the results showed that listening to music and singing improved mood orientation, remote episodic memory, attention, executive function, and general cognition. Singing also enhanced short-term and working memory of the patients. Music has had a large impact on the recovery from seizures, strokes, and other brain injuries. It was reported that people with epilepsy respond differently to music than people who do not have epilepsy. “Persons with epilepsy synchronize before a seizure. However, in our study, patients with epilepsy synchronized to the music without having a seizure”, said Christine Charyton. Stroke patients who listened to music in the early steps after a stroke showed a major improvement in recovery. Music helped to better the verbal memory of the stroke victims by 60 percent. This information was what led a treatment called Melodic Intonation Therapy, that was developed to aid stroke survivors to be able to communicate again. The purpose of it was to convert singing in to speech. Music has many positive and negative effects that have helped create the debate if it is good or not. I believe that the benefits of music on the brain outweigh the detriments that it has and if listeners are responsible then music will positively affect them.

Works Cited:

"Music Lessons Combat Poverty's Effect on the Brain." Scientific American,

     www.scientificamerican.com/article/
     music-lessons-combat-povertys-effect-on-the-brain/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2019.

"The Powerful Effect of Music on the Brain." The Tabernacle Choir, 1 Feb. 2018,
     www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/
     the-powerful-effect-of-music-on-the-brain.html. Accessed 28 Jan. 2019.

Blog post #3

Hugo Engelhardt

Mr. Collier

The Importance of Being Challenged

In my last two blog posts, I gave advice on how to succeed in the classroom, and on the sports field. In this blog post, I will talk about the benefits and importance of challenging yourself, which will enable you to transcend the competition. To be met with the most success, it is imperative to exert yourself mentally and physically. Here is why:

A picture exhibiting adversity and opposition

The average high schooler can often find themselves falling into the abyss of repetition. Wake up, go to school, do homework, sleep, repeat. While a repetitious life can be very boring, this repetition can also stint the brain and reduce brain activity in the individual. Therefore, it’s imperative to challenge the mind by switching up your daily routine or attempting a task that requires you to think critically. Some things that can easily be done to sharpen the mind and break the cycle of repetition include: Reading books aloud, taking new routes to avoid your brain going into autopilot in the car, and simply trying new things. Challenging yourself like this will build your mental toughness which is “the most important attribute a person can have” (The champions mind pg.49). Mental toughness and hard work are crucial to everyone one no matter age, occupation, or background because someone who never quits will keep on getting opportunities and eventually those opportunities will lead to success. Challenging yourself mentality is the easiest way to build mental toughness, to become a better competitor, to reach your goals (SP8).

Whether you’re a professional athlete or just like to get some exercise at the gym, challenging yourself is a necessity. Challenging yourself physically means doing anything from a few extra reps at the gym to playing against a better opponent to improve your own playing at a sports game. But it all comes down to one thing: Hard work (SP10). Challenging yourself and hard work are synonymous when it comes to sports, and just like I stated in the paragraph above, with hard work and mental toughness more opportunities will come your way, which will lead to success in the end. 

As humans, almost all of us are driven by something and almost all of us have an inner drive to succeed at the task at hand. Therefore, we look up to people who have proved themselves in our field or activity and we admire the skill they possess. But what many people don’t see in the famous athlete or brilliant mathematician is the hard work they have put in and the countless hours they have spent challenging themselves. No one is incorrigible, some are just better at hiding it than others.

Glossary:

Transcend: (n.) to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed:

Exert: (n.) vigorous action or effort:

Stint: (n.) a length of time spent in a particular way. (v.) to restrict or limit in amount or number

Incorrigible: (adj.) incapable of being corrected or reformed

Works Cited:

Afremow, Jim. The Champion's Mind. Rodale, 2015.

Rosengren, Curt. “Why You Must Challenge Yourself.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/02/18/why-you-must-challenge-yourself.

Challenging Feats 2006 John Holcroft (b.20th C. British) Computer Graphics . Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. 
quest.eb.com/search/107_3364896/1/107_3364896/cite. Accessed 27 Jan 2019.

Minimum Wages: Should they be raised or lowered?

                                                             

Alexander Birkel

Benefits of Raising The Minimum Wage.

One common system of solving unemployment is raising the minimum wage, Ravi Batra,  in his book End Unemployment Now: How to Eliminate Joblessness Debt, and Poverty Despite Congress explains the theory that, “Productivity is the main source of supply and wages are the main source of demand, and the rise in the gap creates… overproduction and layoffs” (Batra 7). Through this book, Batra is explaining to the reader is the simplest terms how he believes the economics of waged labor works. If productivity is the supply and wages are the demand, then when supply (productivity) outperforms demand there becomes a surplus of goods (profit), and businesses are able to rely on less labor and pay lower wages creating unemployment. For instance, if MacDonald’s, a large chain restaurant, was to pay their workers 5 dollars an hour to complete 10 dollars’ worth of work, then a surplus is created per worker, though let’s say customers are only going to spend 40 dollars’ worth of burgers an hour, so as the business owner, to make money you cut your fifth worker to become profitable. This cutback creates people who are jobless and are demanding wages, even if they are at lower prices, further driving up the surplus and creating more joblessness. Batra's theory is that if you are able to increase the minimum wage, this cycle will not happen, because the minimum wage lowers the gap between supply and demand.

Correlation Between Areas With High Minimum Wage and Unemployment

Benefits Of Lowering The Minimum Wage

The second strategy thought to solve unemployment through a minimum wage is to stop raising it, or even slowly lowering it. There are clearly defined problems with lowering the minimum wage, however, a productive method would be keeping the minimum wage where it is and slowly letting the economy and inflation devalue it. A study in Seattle shows that when confronted with a minimum wage hike; businesses, “Cut their payrolls, putting off new hiring, reducing hours or letting their workers go” (Toggle.com). The study shows that increases in the minimum wage in an area eventually lead to unemployment and poverty. There are two main reasons for this phenomenon, prices for living in the area would go up, and as shown in Seattle, businesses would downsize to compensate and try to get more productivity out of workers. For instance, a jar of honey would cost around 160,000 dollars if bees received minimum wage, and a business forced to pay that would fail. Along with businesses not being able to afford an enforced wage they also will be less competitive with foreign marketplaces. This is why China has such a dominance in the global marketplace, they have low minimum wages and low unemployment. When more foreign and domestic business is attracted through the lower operating cost people will be able to make more money for their labor and will pay more for workers and hire more of them. Also, the cost of living in the area would remain stagnant so poverty would decrease. This decreased poverty allows for more individual purchasing, increased demand for labor, and in effect strengthens the economy and decreased unemployment.

Glossary:

Demand- Want for a stock of an item, in this instance that would be a wage.

Surplus- Extra Stock, in this case, it would be productivity.

Works Cited

Batra, Raveendra N. End Unemployment Now: How to Eliminate Joblessness, Debt, and Poverty despite Congress. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.

Ehrenfreund, Max. “A 'Very Credible' New Study on Seattle's $15 Minimum Wage Has Bad News for Liberals.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 June 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/26/new-study-casts-doubt-on-whether-a-15-minimum-wage-really-helps-workers/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.199f5b82f573.

Kiersz, Andy. “Here's Every US State's January Unemployment Rate.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 17 Mar. 2016, www.businessinsider.com/state-unemployment-map-january-2016-2016-3.

Lerner, Michele. “Find the Minimum Wage In Your State.” Bankrate, Bankrate.com, 18 Dec. 2017, www.bankrate.com/finance/jobs-careers/state-minimum-wage.aspx.

Millsap, Adam. “A Statewide $15 Minimum Wage Is A Bad Idea.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Mar. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/adammillsap/2017/03/10/a-statewide-15-minimum-wage-is-a-bad-idea/#5dca95595d4a.

“Pros and Cons of Raising Minimum Wage.” Toggl - Free Time Tracking Software, toggl.com/pros-and-cons-of-raising-minimum-wage/.

The Negative Effects of Music on the Brain

Although music has many benefits for the brain and body there are still harmful effects due to various factors. The most important negative effect music has on the body and mind is based on the quality and type of music. It is different for everyone, as a song that is upsetting to one person may have no effect on someone else; a listener whose passions are strong, will be influenced differently than a listener who is emotionally dull and unresponsive. A person in love will be more excited by erotic music than when their passion is dormant. This can be good for a listener but in extreme cases, when listeners are overly sensitive, music can cause issues for the body and mind. Another issue that can arise is the arrangement of the music played. When different impressions are made in succession, this can arouse “confusing and conflicting emotions” (The Unbounded Spirit). Common scenarios when this happens are when the soothing effect of a piece is destroyed by the energetic effect of the following piece and when the joyful stimulation of a piece is neutralized by the depressing influence of another. These experiences are mostly seen at concerts and can also be the cause of an excessive amount of music played during a long concert. The excessive amount of music “can cause nervous fatigue and psychological indigestion” (The Unbounded Spirit).

The type of music played can also have a negative effect on the brain. A popular type of music that produces this effect is music that arouses the instincts and excites people because of its sensual enchantment. This kind of music can have injurious effects on a human, causing harm to the body and mind. Another harmful type of music consists of those that are very depressing as they can cause grief, distress, agony, and despair. This kind of music may have artistic merit and may have given relief to the artist but will act as a psychological poison to the listener. With proper precautions music can be enjoyed without negative effects coming in to play.

Works Cited

Depressing Music. www.flickr.com/photos/rbochet/6160237496. Accessed 11 Dec. 2018.

"The Harmful Effects of Music on Body and Mind." The Unbounded Spirit, theunboundedspirit.com/the-harmful-effects-of-music-on-body-and-mind/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2018.

Study Music Alpha Waves. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEEHdaRo5mE. Accessed 11 Dec. 2018.

How Wonder Allows you to NOT to be THAT GUY.

How Wonder Is Used Everywhere

Being that guy is not the ideal position. An action that can help you avoid being that guy, is simply asking yourself questions. You never know what you could learn or what you could further mature and develop to be. Asking question to your favor can show confidence. Asking a question about your health can help prevent sicknesses, infections, and out of place subcutaneous bacteria. Asking questions can also do more than what you think it can. When sick, it is important to ask your self-are you hydrating, or are you desiccating yourself? Going on trips, achieving good grades, and much more good can come from simply asking questions to better inform your future self. In a daily life of school, sports, and friends, your safety, fun, and physical state and noxious situations are always in question. every minute of everyday questions is being asked. Even though it's a simple and easy action, asking questions is used in kindergarten classrooms and even the oval office. The point is, there is no place where questions aren't accepted or used because humans will not and would not of advanced or succeeded life to this day without asking questions to obtain different answers to better inform the future for others. An example of this is in the novel Into Thin Air, "I sat down to rest on a broad, sloping edge, but after a few minutes a deafening BOOM!" (Krauker 200). The author was aware of the surroundings, heard a knack from up the mountain, and was able to ask the question what was that so the author could identifies what was happening and what they could do to avoid any inconvenience or injury. Another example within the oval office is that making decisions is critical for the country's benefits. In this link, President Barack Obama gives his final speech to promote the drive, focus, and positivity towards the future for the people of the United States. If you could graph just the United States on who asks questions, you would have a motley sheet of paper, because every single person does. From the lowest social class to the riches of the rich, everybody makes choices, and asks questions every day, every place. Humans have come to evolve into problem solvers which address the issue or unknown first handed. 

Asking questions and informing yourself is how you will succeed. I went on a trip to Costa Rica and asked myself, what is different here than at home? Why is this trip so different than the last one? The answer sometimes is hidden right in front of you and sometimes it is hidden within many layers of camouflage and answers. 

1) Noxious

Def. = adj. harmful, poisonous

In Text = "... I decided to escape the smudge by moving into the tent ..." (Krauker 62).

Suffixes = ous

Affixes = none

2) Motley

Def. = a cloth woven from threads of two or more colors

In Text = "... was a motley city of nylon domes" (Krauker 63).

Suffixes = none

Affixes = none

3) Desiccate

Def. = to deprive thoroughly of moisture.

In Text = "It was as if there were an unspoken agreement on the mountain to pretend that these desiccated remains weren't real..." (Krauker 111).

Suffixes = none

Affixes = none

4) Knack

Def. = a sharp sounding blow

In Text = "Both men had boundless energy, irresistible charm, and a knack for making women swoon" (Krauker 135).

Affixes = none

Suffixes = none

5) Subcutaneous

Def. = taking place under the skin

In Text = "I'd also burned up all my subcutaneous fat, making me fastly more sensitive to the cold" (Krauker 145). 

Affixes = sub, which means underneath or below.

Suffixx = ous 

Bibliography

     "noxious, adj. (and n.)." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/128858. Accessed 3 December 2018.

     "motley, n. and adj." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/122723. Accessed 3 December 2018.

     "desiccate, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/50815. Accessed 3 December 2018.

     "knack, n.1." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/103881. Accessed 3 December 2018.

     "subcutaneous, adj." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/192547. Accessed 3 December 2018.

     Krakauer, John, Into Thin Air, Villard, 1997, novel

     Iha, James, Villa for rent in Ojachal, Iha.com, https://www.google.com/search?lr=&safe=strict&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=579&tbs=sur%3Afc&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=zZoFXPeHO4S-tQWm94rQAg&q=costa+rica+howler+monkeys+on+zip+ine&oq=costa+rica+howler+monkeys+on+zip+ine&gs_l=img.3...102494.107915..108119...0.0..0.95.1761.26......1....1..gws-wiz-img.......0j0i67j0i24j0i8i30j0i30.bkgw5VUJwUA#imgrc=FEIigAPkE8gn7M:

     Read Barack Obama's final speech to the united nations as president, Time, December third, 2018, http://time.com/4501910/president-obama-united-nations-speech-transcript/?scrlybrkr=8b0228b0

     Advanced necrotizing faciitis, microbewiki, December third, 2018, https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/File:Advanced_necrotizing_fasciitis.jpg