27 February 2012

This article is about how SAT scores have become more than a requirement for college but now a requirement for some jobs. More and more employers are asking for SAT scores because they believe that it is a good reference on how someone will do at their job. It serves as a tool to wade out the large amount of people who apply for a job. Those who don’t have a high enough score get thrown out quickly bringing the number down from hundreds. These tests are so important because they test people on a verity of subjects. All different types of math, reading, grammar, syntax, and many more related groups are tested on. These tests tell colleges how much you know about simply topics. The better you do the smarter you seem. However some colleges don’t require the test scores, probably because some argue that it’s unfair to those who don’t test well.

                In my opinion it is very unfair to hire someone based on their SAT scores. Most of these people who are looking for new jobs are freshly out of college so why are we basing their knowledge on what it was 4 years ago in high school? The point of college is to further your education, to get a higher level of education, so giving them a job based on what they knew before they went seems stupid. I agree with Kristin Carnahan that employers should base their decisions on grades. They are a more recent display of someone’s abilities.

                Colleges take the SAT test into consideration because they believe that high test scores show that a student is willing to work harder to not flunk out of college. Colleges don’t like it when people drop out because they can’t get their money, so they want people who will stay in school to attend. Colleges look at more than just SAT scores though. They also look at different extracurricular activities you participated in, they classes you took, and your overall grades in school. In my opinion colleges should request scores for reference but a particular score should not be mandatory. Also I do not think that employers should ask for them. That just doesn’t seem right.

6 February 2012

Copy Cop is an article on a man who has created an internet based engine to eliminate cheating among high schooler and students in college. iParadigms works very simply; the students upload their papers electronically to the site, where is scans and marks any copied parts. It runs each paper against 3 databases. The first is one that it compares it to every internet site; the second is books, encyclopedias and even the classics like Moby Dick. The third is any paper that has been turned into them since day one or operation.

                I am not against teachers using this program. Why should kids get recognition for something they didn’t do? As Barrie said its “making sure all students are playing by the same set of rules”. Ever students should be graded equally so the work they turn in should be based on their own skills, not a stranger. Plagiarism is not okay!! It is perfectly acceptable to use information from someone else if you give that person credit for it. Using quote from a person, and work cited paged can greatly prevent plagiarism. I think the punishment for plagiarism should be a zero for the assignment and some sort of harsh punishment like detention for kids in high school and having to partake in some undesirable activity for college students.

                In my opinion institutions take this so seriously because they don’t want students to get grades for something they didn’t do. If a medical student is assigned a paper on the biology of the human body, and turned in someone else’s work, would you want them to end up being your doctor? I don’t know about you but that’s a without a doubt no on my part. That’s why I think institutions are so harsh on the subject. For Stetson University the punishment for cheating in an automatic failure of the coarse and then you must appear for student’s court. Other high level students will judge you based on your records at Stetson to see whether or not they want to expel you. Cheating can cause loss of scholarships, participation in athletics, and other consequences.

24 January 2012

                “Fast Break to China” is an inspiration story about a man named Yao Ming who changed the world of basketball for China. At 7’ 5” Yao was already a local start, playing for the Sharks who started as a local high school team until the NBA signed them as a pro team. This opened the way for many business operations for the NBA in China. After much negotiating the U.S was finally able to steal Yao from the Chinese to play in a U.S NBA team. At first Yao wasn’t very popular among the young American players, however they warmed up to him quite nicely. The Chinese used Yao as an opening, as if they were saying “We are open for business”.

                Yao is so important to the NBA and its sponsors because he is a brand new business profit! He not only brings in money from his American fans but also from his Chinese fans. There are players in all sports that come from different places, such as Germany, France, and Africa. These players show that it’s not about whom you are, it’s about how you play! I think Yao is an inspirational man, showing kids around the world that they shouldn’t let where they come from stop them from reaching their dreams.

                In 1992-1993 the NBA had 21 international players, in the 2011-2012 draft 186 international players were drafted into the NBA, most from European countries. These players are important to the MBA for a few reasons. First reason being this, they are obviously good players and if not it must be easy to make them good players. Second reason, the better they play the more competition the sport has, the more competition the sport has the more likely us dumb Americans are going to watch it! The NBA has explored teams overseas to make more money but no one wanted play for them because they knew they could make more money working inside the U.S. Pulling players from overseas into the U.S teams has gained them more money because they are willing to work for a little less than the greedy U.S players, however if they open teams in these countries they won’t have the expense of moving them here and could pay them much less.

18 January 2012

Walid Mahmoud wanted nothing more in life but to open his own pizza shop. After spending two years in Italy preparing pizza at a common pizza shop he knew he could do it. He opened up his first pizza shop in June under an Italian flag with Arabic writing on it. It was a block down from the “green zone” of central Baghdad. Business did great for a while until the terrorist blew up the United Nations compound. Business slowly got worse and worse. He didn’t last long as an Iraqi soldier before coming home. Once he made his way home he went to Jordan to run a pizza shop with his cousins. After a while of turning out 500 pizzas a day he heard some exciting news on the radio, the Americans overtook Baghdad. Returning home he opened up his finally pizza shop and has been in business ever since.

What made Mahmound’s idea so brilliant? Well he took a bad situation and turning it into a profit. He knew Americans would be in his area for a while, if not forever, and he knew they liked pizza. So using his training he opened up the only pizza joint around knowing that these Americans would go there to eat without having competition. He involves his family not only from borrowing money from them but he also uses there labor.  His brothers put on the toppings, a nephew puts them in boxes, and a brother-in-law runs the cash register.

I think a burger join such as Burger King or McDonalds would do well over there during war. With all the Americans over there they are bound to make businesses. Americans are known to be the fattest people right? So why not feed off of that? You know they want greasy burgers and fries so give it to them and you will make tons of money. I personally would not go into business overseas, especially during a war! It is way too dangerous and I am not willing to risk my life for money.

To open a business you first must decide whether you want to open in the free zone or the UAE market. In the market the regional people are more willing to buy your products and it is easier for you to buy theirs. However the government also takes part of your profit and decides what you can and cannot sell. In the UAE zone anyone can buy your stuff, however it’s a far stretch because people do not want to be out there. You get to keep your profits and sell what you wish but less people are going to be willing to buy. King Rent A Car is a car rental service in Iraq. It originally started here in the United States, the owners opened a franchises overseas knowing that many tourist would need rides places. It has become a very successful business.

9 January 2012

A very common question is whether or not you should hide your body art during a job interview, many professionals say yes. Although some people are okay with body art some are not and you are more likely to get the job if they don’t see your tattoos or piercings. People want to hire people who can represent their companies in the best way possible and body art might conflict that, so to save your own butt, cover it up! I think it is okay to cover up your body art for an interview. You want people to focus on your qualities as a worker not your personal views that are shown as a tattoo or a lip piercing. Although I believe that it is your body and you should be able to with it as you please, I can also see where an employer comes from. If I walk into Wal-Mart and my cashier has her face covered in tattoos I might be spooked, which isn’t good for the company.

                I don’t believe that this is a form of discrimination at all. Yes some people truly dislike tattoos and piercings but I don’t think asking you to cover them up for work is discrimination. I don’t believe that they truly care if you have them, its whether or not you can cover them up in a tasteful way for those people that come into the business that don’t like body art. For example if a little old granny walked into her favorite craft store and saw a person with green hair, rings coming out of their mouths, and a tattoo on their forehead, she will probably have a heart attack. I think business owners have the right to hire whoever they like and not who they dislike, as long as they dislike them for a valuable reason such as they don’t have the education, he seems unsanitary, or he will drive away customers.

                If I owned a business I would hire the people appropriate for the job. If I am opening a skate shop in the mall my restrictions will be less than that if I were opening an accounting firm. I think standards about tattoos are much different now than it was 15 years ago. Back then if you had a tattoo you were a hippy or delinquent now and days you can’t even spot the “types” of people who have body art on them.  In my opinion it is okay to deny someone a job if their body art is offensive and it is okay to ask them to cover it up.

                Suing people in the work force for discrimination has its ups and down. For example Lily Ledbetter lost her right to sue because she had not made a complaint the first time her pay was deducted due to sex discrimination. Because of this she couldn’t do a damn thing about the fact that she was not getting equally treated. Along with Ms. Ledbetter is Mr. Humphries, a man who worked at a thriving Crackle Barrel between 1999 and 2001. When he got a new supervisor he complained about racist remarks and was fired soon after. When Humphries first brought forward his case against Crackle Barrel for the racism and some technical issues it was first dismissed. But he didn’t give up! He changed his strategy and went back to work. After a while of fighting the claim he finally got the verdict he wanted, Crackle Barrel owned him money for discriminating against him for being black and firing him for unfair reasons.

4 Janurary 2012

Dogtown South is an article about a young man named Lincoln Ueda. Mr. Ueda is a pro skateboarder who came off the streets of Brazil $180,000 a year. Now this isn’t much compared to the soccer players of his home town but it’s what he loves to do and has paid off his father’s auto shop and pays for his diabetic father’s medical bills. Mr. Ueda’s career started when he was 12 years old. His father had fought to purchase him and his brother skateboards for Christmas in 1988. He would skate and compete for 4 years before having to take a break due to injury and a recession. After getting back into the game in 1996 he reached the finals of the “Slam City Jam”. After this he moved to California in 1998. He now has sponsors from Nike, Hurley, Element, Etnies and Electric Sunglasses.

            Skateboarding is so popular in Brazil because it is the sport for the underdog. At home basketball is one of the most popular sports in the U.S; all you need is a ball and net. In Brazil that sport is skateboarding, all you need is a set of wheels. As the article puts it “Brazilian skateboarders are like the American black man was in basketball.” It is important for business to recognize when products are popular in other countries because they can see what kinds of activities these people are taking part in. By doing so they know what they can sell to these people and what they can get back from them. Mr. Ueda’s first sponsor was a Guarulhos surfing and skateboarding shop. This was important because the shop allowed Ueda to practice for free at the skating facility. If they hadn’t Ueda might not be able to do as many of his tricks.

            Skate boarding is popular because it is fun and full of suspense. People flying into the air, making 360’s, grinding on bars; it is probably one of the most exciting games out there. In my opinion skateboarding is awesome. I cannot ride myself but I love to watch and see the cool stuff people can do. It takes lots of hard work and practice so I give respect to these people.

            Skateboarding was started in southern California in the 1950 when surfers got the idea to “surf” the streets. They took boards of wood and put wheels on them. Many different forms all came out at the same time so there has never been any proof of the first person to create one. Different people used different forms to come up with the best way to surf the streets. Frank Nasworthy created urethane wheels which are close to what most people use today. He flourished the skating industry when it took a drive into a recession in 1972. Slave Skateboards is the most profitable company in the skateboarding industry.

5 December 2011

Frugal NBA is an article explaining the cut backs franchises have had to make to save money due to the falling economy. The NBA is in a pinch financially because the economy has dropped over the years. The franchises are not making as much money as they use to so they must make cut backs such as limiting assistant coaches, expensive holiday cards, and holiday socials. Most of their cuts backs are more of becoming efficient instead of cutting things back. Scouts from the New Jersey Nets have been grounded due to these cut backs. Instead of traveling to watch upcoming opponents play they are staying home. The Grizzlies have eliminated their whole scouting department.  Some teams are even limiting their players to 13 or 14 compared to their usual 15 players. By doing this they are saving about $1 million a year; however it is also taking away their wiggle room. Coaches won’t be able to rest their key players like they use to or have certain plays.

                NBA teams make money in a few ways. First they are granted some money for each game they have, which included ticket sales, concessions and so forth. Second they are paid off by the TV programs such as ESPN and TNT, which pay each team an average of $28 million a year. Then they get money from merchandise sales and local contacts. Each team gets about the same about for each of these categories; here is where they differ from large, medium, and small markets, sponsors. Large markets make more money from their sponsors, about $30-$40 million. Small markets only make about $10 million with their sponsors. In my opinion I think NBA teams are doing a good job at cutting back on unnecessary spending which is a good start to saving money, but what happens when you run out of things to eliminate? They need to find ways to pay their employees less. So you play a sport for a living, why do you need to make $15 million a year????