The blog discusses current affairs and development of national economic and social health through unique idea generation. Consider the blog a type of thought experiment where ideas are generated to be pondered but should never be considered definitive as a final conclusion. It is just a pathway to understanding and one may equally reject as accept ideas as theoretical dribble. New perspectives, new opportunities, for a new generation. “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”—Thomas Jefferson
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Steps to Writing a Solid Paper
Writing papers takes time and can be a daunting task for students. Most students don’t write papers over five to six pages and can be overwhelmed when asked to write ten to twenty pages on a topic. By breaking large projects into smaller steps it is possible to work with focus to get the entire project completed online.
Large papers are a good precursor to larger projects graduates may be required to complete in the workplace. The best advice is to start early and don’t let procrastination take control of the outcome. As soon as you become aware of the project start to work on understanding and exploring your topic.
Once you have a solid working understanding of what is required of the paper and the topic, students can define their main idea into the thesis statement. The thesis statement will act as a guild that allows for the breaking down of the main idea into a number of different justifications that make up the sections of the paper.
Research each of the sections to define and describe the main idea and how it supports the thesis statement. All of these sections should tie together into the conclusion. Write your introduction last as it should "introduce" all of the main topics.
1. Explore Your Topic
2. Define What You Want to Write in a Thesis Statement
3. Create Your Paper’s Sections In Alignment with Your Thesis Statement
4. Research each section
5. Write your Introduction and Conclusion
6. Proofread
Inequality in San Diego Creates Some Unknowns
Will San Diego’s Income Inequality
catch up to us? I had the pleasure of reading Dan McSwain’s article in the San
Diego Union Tribute outline some of the key points contained within a University
of Southern California’s report on in Equality in San Diego. You can read the
report HERE and the article HERE.
The report highlights some concerns San Diego’s leaders should start thinking
about.
In business strategic planners conduct
a SWOT that stands for an analysis of an entities Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats. If someone conducted a SWOT on San Diego they would
find that all of the positive growth also leaves some areas that contain long-term
threats to the local economy. Inequalities do impact the success and
sustainability of a city in both quality of life and economic longevity-how to
handle it is a whole different question.
There are many arguments as they
related to how and why to promote holistic growth among San Diego’s disadvantaged
populations. We can say that demographics are changing and this will put
pressure on governments to change with the times. New ways of doing things are
likely to be more reflective of the entire population. Additional stakeholders
in a city will become increasingly important as access to information improves.
Yet government can’t solve all of
our problems. It is beholden to and relies heavily on current resources and
doesn’t have much ability to generate new resources without the help of the
business class. The entrepreneurial and business community expands existing
opportunities and creates new resources that can be used to employ up-in-coming
employees that can mitigate future risks.
Explanations of how to speed the
economy depends on which of the many theories one chooses that ranges from
Robin Hood type income distribution to complete Laisse-Faire market forces. Regardless of what theory is applied, the
ultimate goal should be to raise business and employment prospects by enhancing
the market value of San Diego’s human capital.
Is it possible to connect skills to
business? It would seem that the greatest challenge is high wage employment.
Enhancing skills and connecting them to expanding businesses seems to be one of
the most plausible ways of improving the lives of a great many people. The
debate rages on…..
I have seen corporate initiatives
where promising people who apply for open positions but don’t have all of the
necessary requirements are put through a training program. Sometimes this may
come with a contract to recap on training costs or with a few years of lower
wages that help companies mitigate expenses. In the end the local human capital
rises and the employee is left with skills that command higher market wages.
Equitable growth requires greater
focus on developing better ways of improving education, training, hiring that
leads to additional investment in San Diego’s budding economy. Once market
relevant skills and knowledge are matched with needy businesses long-term
growth in disadvantaged communities can be realized in a sustainable way. Market
value increases of earned income make their way back into local neighborhoods
through greater expenditures by the local population in housing, retail, neighborhood
aesthetics, and general quality of life.
The 99 Cent Taco is Still Alive!
San Diego
is known for its Seafood and fish tacos are a local favorite. Consider the
seafaring and ocean culture of the area San Diego has some of the best tacos
around. These are not your fast-food variety that come stale in a box but are
made per order. Oscars Seafood still has their 99 cent take Mon-Thurs 2:30-5:30
P.M.
You
might be wondering about, “Who cares about a 99 cent taco?” Considering that
going to any fast food or sit down restaurant is likely to cost you $10 or more
dollars person 3-$3 dollar tacos sounds like a great deal. I bought $14 tacos
for $14, not including tax, and had enough for 4 people and lunch the next day.
It is doubtful you will find that value anywhere else.
From my
understanding, Oscars have been doing this for years. I was originally
introduced to the tacos when a friend showed me the special and I was astounded
at the price. A few months later I wanted to try it again but wasn’t sure when,
if and where the specials occur. With a little help on Yelp I found them again.
646
University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103
http://www.oscarsmexicanseafood.com/
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Pruning Procedures After Growth
Companies that expand and grow do so in a chaotic manner that develops an abundance of unnecessary rules, processes and obligations. Streamlining is an important step after change that allows clunky operations to become more efficient and effective. Companies should consider an overall of their policies and procedures every few years to ensure maximization of resources.
Policies and procedures are not always designed in the best interest of the organization. In many cases they were created to give the designer more control and feed his/her need for self-importance. As people design these operational methods in their favor they inevitably build in unnecessary bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Evaluating all policies and procedures against the strategic plans of the organization can help see where inefficient processes have been created. Where there are too many stops, wasted resources, and ineffective outputs it is beneficial to remove or change those policies. Once each has been reviewed and adjusted the organization becomes more effective.
One has to develop a strategic plan that provides a centralized focus. This focus then becomes the sole criteria for success or failure within the organization. This includes all day-to-day operations of the company. Even common activities such as recruitment and expenditures should directly align to the strategy.
Companies must occasionally look closely at how they function or they will continue to become inefficient and clunky. Organizations that maintain their lean and precise operations will be better at competing than others. The pain of change may be unbearable in the short-run but eventually become an asset later.
Policies and procedures are not always designed in the best interest of the organization. In many cases they were created to give the designer more control and feed his/her need for self-importance. As people design these operational methods in their favor they inevitably build in unnecessary bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Evaluating all policies and procedures against the strategic plans of the organization can help see where inefficient processes have been created. Where there are too many stops, wasted resources, and ineffective outputs it is beneficial to remove or change those policies. Once each has been reviewed and adjusted the organization becomes more effective.
One has to develop a strategic plan that provides a centralized focus. This focus then becomes the sole criteria for success or failure within the organization. This includes all day-to-day operations of the company. Even common activities such as recruitment and expenditures should directly align to the strategy.
Companies must occasionally look closely at how they function or they will continue to become inefficient and clunky. Organizations that maintain their lean and precise operations will be better at competing than others. The pain of change may be unbearable in the short-run but eventually become an asset later.
Using Small and Large Weights to Build Muscle Tone
Fitness should be a daily routine for all Americans. As a growing percentage of people become overweight, renewed effort is needed to ensure a healthy, productive, and a long-living population. Incorporating weights into a daily workout helps to build muscle tone that keeps a person at peak performance for a long time. Whether to use heavy, light, or no weights at all becomes a central question of fitness.
The size and type of weights a person uses depends on their fitness goals. General health doesn’t require much resistance and could be achieved through the use of one’s own body weight. Those that desire to gain bulk in their muscle tone will need to go heavy while those who seek definition should go lighter.
I am a fan of cross-training and not overdoing anything. Large muscles without definition make a person look puffy and reduce overall functionality while a person who uses only light weights may not have enough bulk. Finding a balance between bulk, definition, and overall functionality is important.
Beyond simple cardio exercise it is beneficial to incorporate a variety of large, small and no weights. Using the body in various positions through mat work and yoga helps to create balance and full development of the muscles by filling in areas that were left behind by large weights.
The body needs variety to mimic the natural environment as much as possible. In the past we may have pushed a boulder, picked up small sticks, and lifted ourselves over a river bank. Using large, small and body weight helps to develop a fully developed and defined body that has the most versatility depending on the situation one finds themselves in. Considering variety ensure that you are developing fully with maximum health.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Books and Life Long Learning
Book lovers
are a special breed that seeks to gain, integrate and use new knowledge. They
like to keep their minds active and obtain new knowledge for the pure pleasure
of learning. The type of books a person chooses helps determine what is going on
in their head. With the advent of Kindle, E-Books and electronic format books
will still hold some of the charm of tradition.
Life-long
learning comes from the joy of taking in new information and applying that
knowledge to life. People who engage in life-long learning pursuits have the
intelligence, curiosity and intrinsic motivation to spend their time and effort
on learning projects. Books are an information capsule using an ancient method
of using symbols on papyrus.
The joy
comes from one’s inside that allows for greater discovery of knowledge and
application. A few rare individuals may engage in deep processing where they
surround themselves in their topic to understand its nature in a real life
context rich with information. Such learning changes neuro networks and
transforms a person and their perception of the world.
Books are
the tip of the iceberg in terms of knowledge development. Hungry students read
about theory but must come to a more integrated understanding of that knowledge
through personal experience and practical application. Without reading and
understanding first they would have no context to reflect and evaluate the
quality of a theory.
Books are a
primary beginning and end of a process to develop higher knowledge levels.
Start with theory contained within books, manipulate the variables in that
theory, and then place the knowledge back on the shelf for others to use. Books
have been a method of transcribing what is actually occurring.
Society
should encourage students to learn, explore, and advance society. We have
cultural beliefs that sometimes hold us back from our true development. Today’s
world is one of intellect and the time of pure bronze without the application of
intelligence is gone. Mass consumption of books may be fading into the past but
the love of learning will find its way onto new platforms and methods of
transferring knowledge.
Monday, July 27, 2015
The “Invisible Hand” Slaps China
China is growing at a rapid
pace but that growth comes with a few growing pains. The Shanghai Composite has
been hit an 8.5% loss and this has caused economists to scratch their heads and
wonder why. The government stimulus
package doesn’t appear to be working and this should lead American policy
makers to consider their own approaches.
China has some things that have
led to its economic increase but it has more things starting to work against
it. Cheap labor and growing infrastructure were helped the country spring
forward in its growth. They were growing so fast that they even hoped their own
currency would become an international standard.
Unfortunately, the tide has turned
in many cases. Manufacturing in many countries has reached parity with Chinese
manufacturing based in capital investments and technological improvements. It
is possible to produce products of same or higher quality in other countries.
There are also trade wars and
tariffs that artificially protect Chinese businesses from competition. The tight
government control that lack adequate intellectual property right protections
and barriers to entry are causing difficulties in gather new innovations,
technologies, and intellectual.
The artificial propping of the
economy means that the stock market increased in the short-term to take
advantage of the massive government influx. This influx has run its course and
appears to be poised for major market corrections that put stocks back to their
natural value.
China will have a difficult
next few years cleaning out their economy and making a solid decision to enter
the free market or maintain the heavy controls of the past. Each course will
have its own consequences. For now the nation has decided to jump in and manage
the market correction.
Despite their best efforts
China’s success is based in its ability to engage the world market and engage
in meaningful reform that leads to greater prosperity for its people. This
cannot be bought with government funds and becomes increasingly difficult as
the fundamentals of the economy shift. Greater openness and individual pursuit
of wealth can turn the slap of the invisible hand to a helping one.
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