Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math

I read an interesting article about schools having to cut back on other subjects to push reading and math. Apparently the new “No Child Left Behind” act, is forcing schools to narrow their base of courses taught in order to avoid being punished for falling below the rising benchmarks of annual testing for the act. It seems kind of crazy to me. I would think we would have smarter people who were exposed to music, art, and history as well as reading and math. What are your thoughts?

Remittances to Mexico Exceed $20 Billion

I found an interesting article relating to immigration. The author states, “In 2005, Mexicans in the United States remitted some $20 billion home. That's 3% of Mexico's entire national income.” The article says that remittances have surpassed that of oil and tourism for Mexico. The author also says that President Bush should not concede to Vicente Fox’s pressures of keeping the flood gates open. Rather Mexico should work on fixing itself and not relying on the US. What are all your thoughts?

AACSB Accreditation

I know I am beating a dead horse, but here is another post concerning this topic of AACSB Accreditation. I am looking at the value of the accreditation. I like to look at the value based on different perspectives.

First, consider being Harvard University versus the University of Phoenix. As you may know, Harvard is AACSB accredited and the University of Phoenix is not. Take the perspective of each school and see how you would view AACSB accreditation.

Next, consider being a business professor versus a business owner. In most cases, the professor understands what accreditation is and the business owner has no idea what it is. Take the perspective of each individual and see how you would view the AACSB accreditation.

P.S. Way to go SUU!

Any comments?

CBS's Slam Dunk on the Web

This year is the first year that CBS offered a free webcast of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Last year they charged $20 for the webcast, but this year it was absolutely free. Over 200,000 people watched the webcast, which was twice what CBS expected. People seemed to enjoy the site, and the ability to rewind parts that they want. Advertisers seemed to appreciate the unexpected demand as well. A representative from Pontiac claims that the webcast, along with TV and other advertisement, contributed to a 10-15% increase in visits to their new site. Other advertisers haven't released a number on how they were affected, but believe that the increase helped them as well. CBS stated that they will work to improve the webcast and offer a whole line of sports events free to the public.

Buyer (And Seller) Beware

This article presents potential problems in today's real estate market. The rise in home values and the fear of increasing interest rates pose problems for anyone involved in real estate. Southern Utah has been experiencing a boom in the market far more than the nation-wide average of 10%. This type of excitement brings in investors looking to make a quick buck. One of the problems that this article points out is that these investors tend to over-price their home. If the market value starts dropping, they slowly will decrease their asking price but will usually still be just over market value. They then get scared that they will lose their investment and dump it.

Buyers need to watch out as well. Take Cedar City for example. The average wage in Cedar City is not nearly enough to be able to afford a home. Renting is still cheap compared to what a mortgage payment would be. Buyers tend to overlook this because of the prestige of owning their own home. If the market drops when it comes time to sell, most will end up losing money. This is a good article to read if you are even remotely involved in the real estate market.

Bush's Temporary Worker Plan

As many of us are aware, illegal immigration is becoming an issue of greater concern daily. The effect that such illegal immigration has on our country’s economy is very powerful. President Bush has proposed a "Temporary Worker" plan which will enable illegal immigrants a chance to legally obtain work in the United States for three years. Afterwards, the workers would have a chance to renew their permits. Although Bush's plan is not without its flaws, I believe it is a step in the right direction. I feel that some type of action needs to be taken in order to change the current situation which is only worsening. After the initial action is taken we can then make the necessary adjustments to correct the flaws. To reject Bush's plan or some version of it and expect that the current situation is going to improve without any action being taken would be pretty stupid of us. The bottom line is that if something is not done soon, illegal immigration will continue to weaken our boarders, thus increasing chances for terrorist acts and will further the strain which it already places on Medicaid.

Yes...'Illegal' Immigrants are Illegal

I saw this post on the Cafe Hayek blog called Are 'Illegal' Immigrants Illegal?. The writer of the post argues that they are not illegal. He goes off on how laws are not really laws unless they are enforced. This is a direct quote from the post, "Someone in America peacefully going about his or her business is not illegal, regardless of whether or not this person has Uncle Sam's permission to be here". This logic can lead us down some pretty scary paths. There are all kinds of arguments we could get into about what this writer has said. In fact, he went into some arguments himself that really did not seem to make sense as the post's title promised to be about immigration. However, I would rather focus on the facts, not on theoretical arguments.

I lived in an area where there were many illegal immigrants...and yes, that means it was not legal for them to be there. These people that "immigrate" into America illegally really have no regard for the law. In fact, they just continue to break the law. On one hand, they knowingly break the law. This is evident by those that falsify their identity and/or their citizenship status. On another hand, many of them do not even know the law. This is painfully evident when they don't follow traffic and pedestrian laws. We don't need to go into what becomes of a society that disregards the law. But if you want a good idea of the result, be my guest and visit any area that is densely populated with illegal immigrants.

Now, I would guess that this writer does not live in an area like the one I described. If he did, I doubt he would write such posts. I have found that it is easy for people who do not have to directly deal with the consequences of illegal immigration to treat it lightly. The problem is that all of us have to deal with the consequences of this issue directly or indirectly. For example, when the illegals come, they often receive government benefits. They don't pay any taxes, but get the benefits of taxes collected from legal citizens. This is a serious issue; not one to be argued in some abstract manner. I do not claim to have the answers to solve this problem, but I think I have a grip on the reality of this issue.

Do not mistake this post to be about a certain race or even about immigrants in general. It is about "illegal" immigrants. These are totally different issues. While living in that area with a lot of illegal immigrants (mentioned above), I also had an "immigrant" neighbor who was in the United States legally. Guess what? He did not stand on the street corner waiting for work. Instead, he owned his own business as well as his own home. He and his family had respect for the laws and the community. This person was also a great neighbor and good friend. What a stark contrast he is from those that immigrate illegally.

GM/Delphi Strike Good For Economy?

GM could be forced to shut its doors at a cost of 1 billion per week if Delphi’s union contract cancellation request is denied. The United Auto Workers Union has said it would be "impossible to avoid a long strike" and that there is no reason to continue talks at this point.

It would seem the union has the upper hand. However, GM and Delphi are sending the signal back that if the union strikes there may not be any jobs to go back to after the strike.

The union is the real loser here. Either way they lose. If they go on strike GM and Delphi will have to file for bankruptcy and shut the doors and their contracts are void. If they offer concessions they still lose because jobs and wages will be cut and they give up power.

GM can win either way. Although chapter 11 maybe bad for publicity it maybe a chance to void union contracts and cut excess fat. If the union offers concessions they still win because GM can still cut and trim costs.

Either way the US economy in the long run will benefit. GM has been run like a government pork project since the 50’s. It’s time they get competitive in the global economy. However, in the short run this shake up will sting.

Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math

I read an interesting article today in the New York Times regarding the impacts on school children due to Bush's signature new law, No Child Left Behind. Federal law requires annual testing on only two subjects, reading and math. It's no surprise then that teachers are only pushing these two subjects. It is sad to think that when my children are school-age, the well-rounded curriculum that they will have the opportunity to choose from will be whatever they would like, as long as it eats, sleeps, and breathes reading and math.

AACSB Accreditation at SUU

Warning...long but interesting post ahead!

I too wanted to put in a few words about the soon-to-be-official AACSB accreditation at SUU mentioned on Dr. Tufte's other blog site. I have to admit that I when I first looked at MBA programs, AACSB accreditation was ranked very high in my search criteria. This is probably due to the fact that I came from an undergraduate business program that was AACSB accredited.

Without knowing that SUU was even in the accreditation process, I decided that AACSB accreditation was not everything. I was able to do this only after I stepped back and analyzed the true value of the AACSB accreditation. When I took an objective look, I found that some interesting insights:

First, the value of AACSB accreditation is very high within the accademic realm. There is a greater acceptance of credits between and among AACSB accredited schools. It does not guarantee this acceptance, but often facilitates it. All of my MBA prerequisite work at SUU was accepted mostly because I held a business degree from an AACSB accredited school.

Second, the AACSB accreditation does not hold the same clout in the business world. Accreditation is probably one of the most misunderstood areas of education by the public. When employers look at resumes, I doubt if they bother to find out whether or not an MBA is from an AACSB accredited business school. On the other hand, it does not hurt to hold the same business accreditation as the more well-known schools like Harvard or Stanford.

Third, the true value of the AACSB accreditation is the higher level of quality that it promotes in the business school. As many could attest to, the AACSB accreditation process is rigorous and intensive. The sheer fact that the accreditation process is undertaken shows the commitment to quality by a business school. This can only be good for both the business school and the student.

I am very happy that the School of Business at SUU decided to pursue this accreditation. I think it tells alot about their commitment to quality and growth. Also, congratulations to all the faculty and staff who made it a success! While AACSB accreditation is not everything, it is something special. Great Job!

Many Accolades to The SUU Business School!

After getting word of SUU's accreditation from one of my professors on Wednesday night, I was very excited and thankful that the accreditation came when it did, just weeks before I graduate! I also gained a reaffirmation for my decision to continue my education at SUU when I read a post on the subject in the voluntaryXchange blog. While having accreditation gives more notoriety and distinction to SUU's business school, I would still recommend getting a business education at SUU to anyone regardless of whether or not it had occured. I have been extremely impressed with the curriculum and experienced faculty here at SUU. I have especially enjoyed my investments class, where class teams get to invest real money in the stock market, which is virtually unheard of. I have learned so much from having the opportunity, and am amazed that a school as small as SUU has such a program in place. Aside from my investments class, I have also been tremendsouly impressed with the school of business's advisement. Paula Alger is extremely efficient, and courteous, and is always encouraging students to do well in school, and pursue more education. I could go on and on about how wonderful I think SUU is, but I will close by just saying I have really benefited from my time here, and I'm glad I made the decision to transfer here upon receiving my associate's degree.

Sad Commentary

As I was reading a March 21, 2006 post entitled "Terrorism Insurance" from the Hypothetical Bias Blog, I experienced somewhat of a rude awakening. While I am all too aware of the horrific acts of terrorism ocuring in Iraq, and all over the world, it had never occured to me that there would be a product offering available for terrorism insurance. However, after reading the article, and becoming aware of such a product, I can see where there would be a genuine demand for it. Sadly, the Iraqi man featured in the post felt that purchasing terrorism insurance was a necessity for him because of his inherent amount of risk due to his job, and family status. It is such a sad commentary on the globe at large that violence, terrorism, and hate has become so widespread that markets are having to provide consumers protection in the form of insurance for terrorism.

Interesting...

Today in The Case for Small Government blog, I read a post that I agree with. The author affirmed that government need not develop more legislation to protect perscription drugs from being re-imported. I couldn't agree more! I'm so sick of pharmaceutical companies asking the American public to cry them a river. They are making billions of dollars at our expense, and often ailing health. If they are so determined to stop "illegal" importing and reproduction of their drugs, they should cough up some of their hefty profits to improve measures themselves! While I understand that a lot of time, and money goes into their research, they are making thousands of times more in profits!!! They are susceptible to the same things other producers of goods are. For example fashion designers create clothing, and accessories that are often reproduced as knock offs in China and sold around the world for a fraction of the cost. Also, movie makers experience piracy of their media around the globe, and lose money as a result. I'm not saying it's ideal, but it is reality, so I highly suggest drug companies come to terms with it, and become proactive, rather than reactive by rubbing shoulders with Uncle Sam to solve their problems.

Not Overly Amused

As I was reading a post from the Market Power blog entitled "Good Things", I felt that the author seemed somewhat sinical. Apparently he has nothing better to do than to rag on the media for reporting on altruistic acts. He seemed to feel like the media should sing praises to businesses that provide society services for a profit. While it is true that businesses do provide products and services that consumers want and need, I wouldn't categorize that type of "service" the same as that of volunteers preparing meals for the homeless, w/o pay. Volunteers add value to society, even though they aren't making revenue that will be taxed, and then fed back into the government. Instead they choose to selflessly give of themselves, providing to society at no charge, ultimately saving money that perhaps the government would have had to shell out anyway. Can't this guy see the merit in philanthropy in some form other than business related product and service offerings that exist because of the profit they make?

Are We Seeing a Trend?

This latest article in Newsweek spoke of a familiar situation. The article explained that more and more people are reading novels over their computer. This situation reminded me of a case discussed in class. Britannica was once an item that had a bulky volume you had to purchase to get all the information you could ask for. Now its something you can get over the internet or a CD. The question is will books be a thing of the past like Britannica and just be read over a computer?

Electricity Price Gouging

I recently read an interesting article entitled Electricity Price Gouging in California? This article talked about how many people were angry with the high prices of electricity in California. Everyone was trying to blame the Government or energy generators, but this article points out that this could just be a normal functioning market. This article also made the point that markets are not perfectly competitive at all times. Energy generators have found a way to exploit a situation of imperfect competion. Everyone was hopping that the deregulation of this market would fix everything, but it many ways it has made it worse. This may only be true in the short run. As more time passes, the high prices will drive more suppliers into the market.

Slowing Down Time

I read a very interesting article on Economist's View about true time management. It talked about how, for years now, we have been figuring out how to do more work in the same amount of time instead of actually altering how we perceive time. The author asserts that it may actually be possible to slow down time. Neurobiologist David Eagleman says, under extreme duress, our minds have the ability to slow down time. He uses the example of a fall or a car crash. He is currently testing this hypothesis by showing people numbers in a rapid sequence, too quickly to comprehend, as they bungee jump off a tower. So far, these people have been able to read the numbers. I'm not sure if I believe what Eagleman states, but it is definitely a new way of looking at time management. Perhaps it will be possible in the future to train your mind to slow down time!

Pharmaceutical companies and AIDS in Africa

Pharmaceutical companies dropped their lawsuit that was designed to stop African countries from importing cheap copies of patented drugs. Africans were pleased with the decision stating even the discounted drugs the companies were offering were too expensive. Now more Africans will be able to get the needed drugs to help fight the disease which is becoming an epidemic.

general motors is looking to increase prosperity with buyouts

General Motors (GM) is looking to become a smaller company by allowing employee buyouts and selling a major part of it's mortgage department. Some analysts believe this is an unwise decision and that GM should invest in it's motor vehicles to help reverse it's loss from last year. The problem with employee buyouts is soaring health care costs for GM.

Who can we blame for high oil prices?

Who can we blame for high oil prices? According to this article by Ben Stein, the oil companies are not to blame. Oil prices are set by the trade market and not by executives of the oil companies. Factors that drive oil prices include expectation of war, weather, or terrorists. These all affect supply and demand of oil and in the end that is what drives oil prices. Some companies benefit greatly from higher oil prices while others only have a moderate profit.