Re: Young Workers Struggling in Recession

Due to the recession, the number of unemployed teens in the workforce have hit an all time high. It's rated at near 28% as of October, which is the highest it has ever climibed since the amount has been recorded, and is near triple the 10% which the whole workforce in general is suffering. It seems that now many retailer and construction sector affiliated job openings are now only being reserved for those of 18 years of age or older.

This strikes me as lame, because I as teenager am always being nagged by my superiors to "get off my lazy a** and get a job," when there aren't even all that many job opening's out there which are available to me. But this situation strikes me even more as ultra super mega lame because I think about people who dropped out of school for a reason like an unplanned pregnancy who are going to have an even tougher time now that they can't find a way to financially support themselves.

Slain Child's Father: "The Monster's in a Cage Now"

Recently, a man accused and known of slaying a family was arrested thanks to a television program. Paul Merhige was accused of shooting his two twin sisters, a 6 year old girl and his 79 year old aunt. Merhige and his crime was featured on an episode of America's Most Wanted, and it wasn't the program itself that led to a call and inevitably and arrest of Merhige, but a commercial for the show, where a viewer recognized the accused.

I've always loved America's Most Wanted and this story just make me feel good inside. I like the show because it has an entertaining appeal, but it brings attention to the viewers of criminals who are on the run and over the years America's Most Wanted has been responsible for the capture of hundreds of criminals, and this story just features the ability that the show has, and I like it.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/05/florida.shooting.arrest/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Response to Ellen Johnson's Post: Google sues work-at-home scams

http://ellen-ellen-blog.blogspot.com/2009/12/google-sues-work-at-home-scams.html?showComment=1262402398217_AIe9_BEyozgGMsoNGZApaycxlmxtNi58ROYWSPZfvLpmJXhKa9GFOEzSr9belQ9BD9VUYgi50CD78Y9Ldb16z7kKqJYy1XPm5FVxCPqPNR56OId5XfS0-d5vjjGERSiBsGuE3y0Q-TxLlqEX49wVPl9M8iq1w-fPIcogwt3GWfNaZ21x9mtsaoHz38ZR3RDcLMMJFEAjY4ZxUJRp0t4R7hXy1QZR1IVjPYMzsVKhwFqQSdapNHRebdoywfEPGor5K9v-1oC0uJlM#c2252809431997627386

Google has take action against certain get rich quick schemes that have used Google's coloring and letters. These programs have promised to garner people money but then charge the user a hidden fee, all whilst using Google's name.It's estimated that 95% of these work-at-home programs that use Google's name are scams.

Ellen goes on to explain her feelings about how she's proud of Google for acting on these schemes, which I can agree with. We both feel that by using Google as a cover, these scammers can build a trust with the people who sign up for them because Google is such a highly reputable company that people will believe that the program is reliable, and then they suckle the money from there on. So hopefully these actions by Google will be able to stunt these scams in the works.

Issue #1: All Things Being Unequal

In the past years, there have been conflict between upper and middle class wage earners pertaining to what they should be paying for taxes. It isn't known whether we should stay with the system we have or change it. The reason some feel that it shouldn't be changed is because it has been shown that some inequalities help the economy by creating motivation for lower class wage earners to work harder. However, some proponents feel that there should be increased taxes for the wealthy. Others feel that the problem could be solved by creating more job retraining programs or increasing unemployment benefits to aid the lower class.

I feel that our government should tax the wealthy moreso than the lower classes. How much you earn should determine how much you pay in taxes. The people who make more money have more things with they need to protect: consumer items, larger savings, etc. When you pay taxes you're paying largely for the government to aid or protect you and what you have, because taxes pay for systems like the police and fire departments. If you have more which needs to be protected, your taxes should be increased in order help yourself through the government's aid.

A political activist with a similiar view would be Ivan Lewis.

Issue #2

Issue #3

Russian Train Wreck "an Act of Terror"

A recent derailment of a train in Moscow, Russia has been claimed to have been caused by a terrorist attack. Investigators have claimed to have found "elements of an explosive device" near the site of the crash, although no details have been told as to what the "elements" may in fact be. There was a crater found beneath the track about 1 meter wide which could help to support this idea.

This does sound rather clearly to me to be a terrorist attack, but the only thing of which I'm skeptical is why no details have been released about these so called "elements of an explosive device." Terrorist attacks just seem to be the biggest fear of the world so blaming this on a terrorist attack could in some form be an easy way out, but then again, who am I to tell.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/28/russia.train.crash/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Issue #3: Safe to Eat?

Back in 2006 there was a very publicized outbreak of E. coli from bagged spinach produced in California. People came to belive that the outbreak was caused due to the fact that the FDA had not properly regulated the release of the food and that the problem could have been avoided if the FDA processed more adequately. Some belive that there should be one agency in charge of the safety of American food, that agency could properly set regulations and standards for the release food. Some belive that one organization could threaten businesses, so some fight that the industry can be more able to address issues than one federal organization.

I feel that putting one agency in charge or regulation food distribution in America would be a good idea. This way, there could be dedicated officials of under the contract of the government focussing on the well-being of the food in we eat. If it were left in the hand of the distributors, they may get wishy-washy about the being completely sanitary about their food and they may cut corners if it means that they could make more profit or get their food on the shelves faster. An agency in charge would be a lot safer.

A write with a similiar idea is Byron J. Richards

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Social Insecurity

Social Security is a very large and very complex federal system that gives benefits to many people who are in different forms of need. Beneficiaries of Social Security can include retirees, disabled workers and families of deceased workers. Medicare is a branch of the Social Security system that helps with things like paying for nursing care and medical services to the elderly and disabled. But as of recently, extra money from Social Security has been used to for other programs and has not been paid back. As well as the number of people becoming eligible for Social Security benefits are increasing faster than the number of people joining into the workforce. For the benefits of Social Security to be continually eligible to everyone, the government would have to repay all the borrowed money.



Social Security is a socialist concept that in its current state is very likely not to succeed. It was originally intended for the benefit of retired Americans, but with the significantly larger amount of workers from the baby-boomer generation now becoming eligible, there is no way that the rate of birth for this generations new workers to compete with the rate of oncoming retirees. It is with this that is evidently clear that Social Security is very vulnerable to failing.

One political figure with a similar view: Rush Limbaugh

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