The Big Short #4

Every year over winter break, my family and I drive up to Menasha, Wisconsin to spend time with my grandparents and cousins. At the dinners, the adults always talked about the economy and what was wrong with America. I could hardly keep up because of my limited knowledge of the economy. I sat down with my grandpa, and interviewed him about what he thinks the main causes for the problems of the economy are. He responded, "Loans." I asked him for more specifics and he responded, "Hyper inflated bubble with the housing market." He explained that people were taking loans that were too big for them to pay off. I asked him why the banks would keep giving those people money. He immediately started to talk about a specific bill that changed the way banks gave loans drastically. In 1978, congress passed the CRA (community reinvestment act). This bill, finally enforced around the year 2000, made banks take between 5-10% of their mortgage portfolio and give it to people who would not otherwise been eligible to receive a loan. But this wasn't the big problem. Fannie May and Freddie Mac, mortgage investment underwriters, allowed banks to sell them bundles of these CRA loans. Because these loans were high risk, low reward, the banks continued to sell May and Mac their bundles. May and Mac then sold these bundles to Wall Street. The buyers of these bundles were told that the loans were in much better financial standing than they actually were. Therefore, it created a circle of buying bundles and selling them back to wall street which created a deeper and deeper financial hole. In addition, the bundles of loans were not insured by the government. This means, if the loans were to crash, the buyers would not get any insurance money. It was only a matter of time before the economy crashed.

The Big Short #3

Having little knowledge about Wall Street prior to reading this book, my best answer for "why did the stock market crash?" would be: It's common for the economy to go through cycles. If I had spent the time to think through that answer, I would have quickly realized that the economy isn't mother nature. It's a complex system of capital and investors that have control over what they do with their money. After reading through the book for several chapters having basically no idea what was going on, I decided to highlight the words and phrases that I didn't understand. I realized that the business vocabulary is very small. After quickly learning terms like, hedge fund, allocate...the book became much easier to understand. I quickly picked up on the point of the book (finally...). Part of the reason for the meltdown of the stock market was the face that America was living on paper wealth and not material wealth. Most manufacturers are based outside the U.S. therefore making the U.S. a huge buyer and less of a seller. A lot of big companies in  America were based around Americans' wealth and how to organize it. This is why President Obama is making such a big deal over getting people jobs. Our main goal should be to create our own wealth, instead of living off the paper wealth from past generations.

Invisible Children

It was one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen. We talked about what it meant to us during class, but as the producers said, the true meaning of what goes on there is almost impossible to comprehend without first hand experience. The producers did a fantastic job imitating the normal American kid: Innocent and arrogant at the start, with the ability to immediately grow up and think.

In the middle of our class discussion, I came up with this really good discussion idea. The only problem was arranging it in a way that made sense. I was really close to raising my hand when Mr. Kramer called on Jett. She said the exact thing I was going to say (except in a much sharper and to the point way). If you're reading this Mr. Kramer, then I figured this blog would be the best way to let you know that I was listening and engaged. I was trying to think of a way to add on to what Jett said but...she rarely leaves anything to add on to. Okay, back to the invisible children, deeper meaning stuff.

If a kid ever got abducted in Deerfield, everyone would know about it. For example, a few years ago a girl named Caroline went missing. Hundreds if not thousands of people over the span of about a day and a half, took their ever so important time to look for her in the freezing cold. Caroline showed up at her house the next day. The name invisible children is very literal. These African children, who are invisible to the rest of the world, are getting abducted daily. Their names are swiped off the record, almost as fast as they are dragged away by the LRA. Usually, no one goes looking for them....They are invisible.

Death Penalty Final Blog

My thoughts on the death penalty are very similar to that of Governor Ryan. Before our unit, I was a strong believer in the death penalty because I felt as though the system was solid. After weeks of research, videos, and articles, I have gained a strong dislike for the death penalty. The turning point in my point of view was the article I analyzed that gave graphic details of people killed by each type of punishment. Each of them contained graphics that are far beyond anything I'd imagined prior to the unit. Even hanging someone, which I thought was the most simple way of killing someone, described it as completely inhumane and disgusting. The peoples faces turned purple, their eyes bulged out...that's all I needed to hear. No matter how bad the person was, no one should deserve to die like that. I urge you to check this website out. If for some reason you really want to stay pro-death penalty, then don't: http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/student/c/about/methods/contents.htm

I absolutely agree with Illinois' decision to abolish the death penalty. Along with being inhumane, the justice system is not entirely mistake free. Every day, people are accused of crimes they didn't do. The abolishment of the death penalty, therefore, gives innocent people a chance to be free once again. Once someone receives the death penalty, there is obviously no way to get them back. Because of articles like the one I've posted, Governor Ryan's speech, and videos about the disgusting and inhumane nature of the death penalty, I have forever been changed to anti-death penalty.

Abortion

One of the most debatable topics in American history. There are very equal arguments to both sides. The pro-life side believes that people who use abortion consistently are taking advantage of it. The pro-choice side believes that the government does not have to right to make decisions for the people. After reviewing both websites, I still cannot find a favorable side. I would like to think that people have the right to their own decisions, however, I do not think it's right to kill unborn children. I believe that the people should have the right to make their own decisions for a maximum of 3 children. After three, because they seem to be taking advantage of the situation, the government should have some control in order to discipline the person. As a 17 or 18 year old student, I believe that the family should have the right to know if their kid is having an abortion. At that age, the kid may be considered an adult, but I believe that very few are actually mature enough to fill that role. The same rule applies for the father. Everyone involved in the situation should be educated and allowed to make suggestions.

The Big Short Chapter 2

The very first line in the chapter:

"Writing a check separates a commitment from a conversation" (Warren Buffet).

My first thought:

"Finally, we might be getting into the athletes and their financial situations."

After reading the chapter:

"Crap."

It's not that I don't enjoy the book, I believe that it is really well written, it's just that I don't understand it. If worst comes to worst, I might have to ask my dad for some help. With him, I'm suddenly looking at a 1 hour assignment turning into 3 or 4. Based on what I got from the second chapter, this guy named Michael Burry was a successful finance guy. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I have no idea what's going on. Therefore, I'm starting to dread the fact that my dad's gonna need to step in. Hopefully for the next chapter I'll write about something meaningful.

The Big Short Chapter 1

Having a limited economics background, figuring out what's going on in this book was a challenge, although I do think I've got the hang of it. The first chapter of The Big Short was an introduction to a very smart and strange person, Eisman. The first thing I noticed was that he was Jewish. I'm not exactly sure why this is, but for example, my dad and I would look through rosters of College baseball teams and look for Jewish baseball players. Don't get me wrong, our strange search has a purpose, it's not like we just sit down and look through random rosters counting the number of Jewish athletes. Because I want to play baseball in college, we want to make sure that I would feel comfortable. Also, I became interested in reading this book because it's about sports. I must say, I wasn't expecting it to be all about finance, but hopefully in the second chapter it'll shift to a more sporty feel.

Cubs' Managerial Position

Being a huge Cubs fan and ticket holder for...who knows how many years, my grandpa is always talking about who the next Cubs manager should be. Ever since the firing of Quade, all my grandpa has been talking about is that all important position. Now, out of the 2 people that would even consider reading this (Mr. Kramer and/or Mikey), feel free to let me know who you think the next manager should be. To make the decision a little easier, the "frontrunners" are Mike Maddux, Terry Francona, Sandy Alomar Jr, Pete Mackanin, and Dale Sveum. Not that I want to influence your decision, but my Grandpa and I think that Mike Maddux should get the job, and Greg Maddux (the famous pitcher and brother of Mike) should get the pitching coaches' job. There isn't much else to say now, but when the new manager gets chosen I'll be sure to blog about it.

College Baseball

A few days ago, I talked to my high school baseball coach about me playing in college. We talked about a few different schools I was interested in, and he gave me some insight into the program. One of the schools we discussed had an interesting story. About 7 years ago, my coach explained, they had a pretty bad team and was looking for basically anyone who wanted to play. Now, after winning a national championship a few years back, they are only recruiting the top schools in the country. A week prior to the talk with my high school coach, my dad and I talked with the coach of this team. He seemed cocky and a little full of himself. I really like that confidence in a coach because it makes me feel like a winner being recruited by him. But, at the same time, it made me realized just how fast things can change, which is why I want to be sure about where I want to go to school. The environment of the team can change very quickly, and I therefore have to be comfortable with the school as well.

NBA Lockout

Coming from a big sports fan, I can't tell you how disappointed I am that the NBA is continuing to cancel parts of their season. Plus, being a Chicago Bulls fan, I'm even more pissed because they are so good! I was so excited last year and was hoping to watch my team grow and get better. It's on day 100 and something, I'm not even keeping track anymore,  and they haven't really made any progress. People talk about them getting closer and closer, but in reality it's all about money and it almost impossible for both sides to be happy. There isn't really much to say except that I hope they come to an agreement. The president of the league stated that there will not be a full season under any circumstance. In conclusion, the league better come to an agreement soon if they want their fans like me to stay loyal and attached to the game.

Death Penalty #2

One of the most powerful stats I've seen about the death penalty was on a web page I read about a week ago. I put the same stat in my last post, the one about 17 white people being killed for the murder of blacks. And, 255 black people have been killed for the murder of whites. Now, when anyone tries telling me that race isn't a factor, I just send them the URL of that page. A few days ago, my friend and I got in an argument talking about how race effects the death penalty. He didn't believe it effected it at all, while I differed. He tried telling me that the reason for that stat is that there are more white people. Umm...hello? I'm not trying to be mean here or anything but that helps my argument. My teacher also posed the question, why is it that people of color or lower income people are more often sentenced to death? Unfortunately, people of color and low income people are often connected. One of the biggest reasons for this is that people with less money can't afford to have high level attorneys. And, for the one's that do, the attorneys often threaten them by saying if they aren't paid in full, they'll stop working.

The reason why many people are still for the death penalty, is because they are non educated. I guarantee you, that if everyone in the U.S went through the same research I have in my class, the death penalty would be no longer legal in any state. If you don't believe me, refer to the URL address on my last blog post and read the descriptions. It's unbelievable how creul it really is.

Overall, capital punishment is cruel, untrustworthy, and discriminatory. My mind has been altered to be anti-death penatly. Period.

The Death Penalty

The very first question that comes to mind when thinking about the death penalty is: Does this person deserve to die? This question could mean a variety of things, whether it be was their crime bad enough, or did they even commit the crime. One of the more famous recent cases, the Casey Anthony trial, discussed this question. Even after Ms. Anthony was acquitted, the majority of people believe she is guilty. This poses another question: Is our justice system doing a good enough job? One of the questions Mr. Kramer asked us was, do you believe that this system is sufficient to guarantee that only the guilty are convicted? No. Maybe someday with the advancement of technology we can come very very close, but I don't believe that justice systems can ever become completely clean.

After reading the different methods of execution I was stunned. I couldn't believe how painful each of the methods seemed. Reading about the grueling details (eyes popping out, burnt skin, blood and vomit, drool, and uncontrollable movement of limbs), made me sick. I didn't want to keep reading, that how bad it was. Here's the link: http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/student/c/about/methods/contents.htm, I definitely recommend checking it out. Although none of them are very humane, I would say the lethal injection is the most humane. This is only because the victim feels the least amount of pain (unless the vein is "bad").

I just looked at a variety of charts about the death penalty in terms of race, region, and numbers. The most influential chart I saw was one on racial discrimination. In cases with a white defendant against a black victim, 17 people have been executed. In cases with a white victim and a black defendant, 255 people have been executed. Do you see any problem with that? That means that with these types of interrecial cases, 15 black people die before one white person. After reading about all the information surrounding the death penalty. I have changed my mind. Before I was completely for the death penalty because it was "quicker." I quickly learned that "quicker" doesn't mean better.

Petitioners v. Lindsay Earls

In both court cases, Vernonia v. Acton and Petitioners v. Earl, the students felt as though their rights were being violated. And, in both cases the school's protected their right to detect and deter drug use in their student athletes. The main difference is that Acton was suing because of his personal experience with being suspended due to testing positive in various drug tests. Earl merely felt as though the school was being unfair and nosy with their testing. In both cases, the court ruled that the school's actions were Constitutional because they have a right to help their students. "Finally, we find that testing students who participate in extracurricular activities is a reasonably effective means of addressing the School District's legitimate concerns in preventing, deterring, and detecting drug use" (Justice Thomas Petitioners v. Earl decision). The reasoning behind the courts decision to allow the school to perform drug tests in both cases, is because they feel as though the school has a right to know what is going on with their students. Plus, the court also realizes and that school children are the future of America, and if schools don't set them straight now, then they may never be. The court also ruled that it is not violating kids privacy if schools perform drug tests, in order to make a safe learning environment. I definitely agree with the courts decision to allow schools do carry out drug testing because of the many reasons listed above. Kids that do unlawful acts, should not have the same extracurricular rights as kids who follow the law and are good citizens.

My Favorite Quote

"There are only two types of players; those who keep their nerves in control and win championships, and those who do not" (Harry Vardon).

Greatest quote in the world, that's all I have to say. Although its seems simple, if you think about it, it connects to anything you do in life. Harry Vardon was a the greatest golfer in the world 100 years ago, and his character is played in the film and the book "The Greatest Game Ever Played." What Vardon is trying to say is that if one has the right attitude and effort, then they will more often than not come out on top.

Another great thing about Mr. Vardon was his ability to focus and get rid of his fears. This is especially portrayed in the movie. You are actually able to see him erase everything from his mind and focus solely on his golf shot. This is something everyone should learn from him. Being able to get rid of your fear and focus on the task at hand.

Finding the Right College

One of the toughest and most important decisions one will make is going to the right college. There are so many factors involved: Location, size, athletics, academics, environment, and Greek systems are just a few of the many confusing factors. Being an athlete, one of the biggest factors for me is whether the school has a baseball team. For many others, it is the academics and whether the school offers the degree that he or she wants to pursue. And of course, once you find the right school, you have to get in! Writing colleges essays and filling out the application is the easy part. Opening and reading the letter back from the school is the tough part. Recommendations are also very important. A little word of advice, pick a teacher that likes you. That may affect how your application turns out, just maybe. If you are a sports fanatic, than I would recommend going to a bigger school with a big time sports team, or if your a geek than look more into the ivy's. All of this may seem obvious, but once your in the middle of it you'll understand. Everything matters, and everything will change your opinion.

Contradictory Speech on Campuses

A few minutes ago, I viewed several photos of colleges students messing around and taking inappropriate and offensive photos toward African Americans. Although these photos were overwhelming and shocking, I did not find them to be unlawful or unconstitutional. I believe that this behavior is very inappropriate, and these kids should feel terrible for their actions, however, college students can make their own decisions. They should not be punished by the school or by the government, as these punishments will come down the road when job opportunities are shot down due to their prior decisions. Bad decisions will almost always come back to haunt you, and it is no ones place to punish college students, for only they can punish themselves.

I went to the University of Miami OH's website to check out their speech code policies. What I saw was almost exactly as I expected. Of course they listed all of their violations and the corresponding punishments for them. One of the things that shocked me was how liberal it was. I then looked at University of Texas at Austin, and noticed that their policies were almost identical. This brought me to the conclusion that almost all universities will be liberal and mainly hands off for students speech. Both schools I looked at would have responded to the offensive party in the following way: Neither would have gone out of their way to stop it, however if caught, the kids could have been charged with a variety of things, such as disturbing the peace.

Although schools have been frowned upon for some of their deicsions, because of the difficulty of the situation they have been doing a good job.

Students Right To Free Speech

This is one of those topics where it is much too hard to discuss. The result on an issue is completely based on the seriousness of an issue. For example, the result of an issue concerning drug and sex reference, will result in a much more serious punishment than someone wearing an anti-war bracelet to school. I believe that the punishment should be almost entirely up to the school. Based on the schools policies and beliefs, they should be able to come up with a solution.

It's very tough for me to make connections to the outside world because whether I like it or not, Deerfield is a bubble. I have more or less been "protected" from the outside world. Although Deerfield is a fairly liberal school, many policies are strict because of the reputation and expectation or the school. I believe that overall, schools are a little too strict. This is merely a guess based on the stories we have read in class. I'll be honest here and say that my conclusion was because the majority of our classes decisions resulted in the school being unconstitutional, not the student.

Remembering 9/11

During my Issues class this week, we watched a documentary focusing on the firefighters and their role on 9/11. Immediately following the film, my teacher asked us a variety of questions. The one that struck me the most was, "What did we lose that day?" I responded: We lost much more that day than lives and buildings. We lost a sense of security with in the country, as well as a sense of integrity. Later I acknowledged that we lost our innocence as well. I listened very intently as the rest of my classmates shared their thoughts on the film. After taking in all of the facts, stories, pictures, and faces in the film, I realized how much 9/11 really did shift the way we view things. As a first or second grader, not much can disturb you, therefore 9/11 had little to no meaning to me. This film gave me multiple answers to why America runs the way it does.

The next portion of our task in remembering 9/11, was to look at several articles about the 10th anniversary. The first one that caught my eye, was a title that stated, "We've Taken the Fight to Al Qaeda." This is because it was the only title that had a direct statement toward the terrorist group. It was also one of the few that was not about America and its perseverance. This particular article, based around one of President Obama's radio addresses, talked mainly about the fight and near defeat of the responsible terrorist group. As opposed to warm hearted news such as, "hope" and "trust" by the American people, this was mostly about our victory in fighting evil. After all, doesn't the news excel off of negative and violent news stories?

As I stated earlier, the event of 9/11 when it happened didn't phase me at all. This is not a result of disrespect or carelessness in any way, it is simply due to my age and failure to see things in a mature way. In fact, I didn't realize the effects of 9/11 in a total scale until watching the film. Some things need to be experienced in a near virtual way in order to understand the true effect 9/11 had on everyone, both watching it live in New York, or on the TV at home. But now, after watching such a touching documentary, my knowledge of 9/11 has changed drasticallylly. Now understanding the way our government runs things is easier to comprehend. Also, the way my family lives is much more understandable. I have also noticed that in the past few days I tend not to argue with my parents when they say no to something expensive. Americas being in a tough time in largely in part of 9/11, and the effects can be seen not only nationally, but globally.

Little League World Series

When first glancing at the brackets, one might think about how unfair it is. One bracket is jam packed with American teams, as the other contains international teams. Although it seems as though America has many more chances to win, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, or other international teams are always competing at the championship level. I give a lot of credit to the international coaches and the hard work they put in, but I'm not here to talk about how great and ethically correct they are. Along with problems revolving around the age limit and how many kids are following the rules, the kids' health is also becoming an issue. Twelve and thirteen year old kids throwing 80+ pitches (half of which are curveballs, sliders, or other junk pitches) is terrible for their arms. This is the reason why most pitchers who participate in the LLWS don't have a very successful future in baseball. Of course you hear a few stories about major league players who played in the LLWS but very few pitchers. One way of relieving stress on the kids could be revising the pitch count rules to be far stricter, unless of course the coaches and Little League Baseball really don't care about kids' arms and are only in it for the money or fleeting fame. Watching little kids throwing the ball 76+ MPH and releasing hard sliders that break into the ground is a lot more fun. The game of baseball and Little League coaches should protect talented young players' arms if they wish to maintain a promising future for the kids and the Little League World Series.