Weekend Business on 9/25

According to my course instructor Dr. Noorian, “A better way to be interested in the whole semester or even the whole year is to follow the news.” Now with internet technology, thousands and millions of events come up everyday and wait to be acknowledged and discussed, though some of them repeat themselves time after time. So many upset company owners, depressed students who just graduated, and desperate unemployed workers are still waiting. They are waiting for new opportunities, just like waiting for the next spring comes, because there’s no everlasting rich nor poor. What’s more, along with political leaders with cheerful policies and ideas, they generate not only the money source that solves most of the problems, but also our faith; the faith that pushes each suspended action to move forward.

Backing to the subject, just because we care about what’s happening right now in the world, we make progress from the lesson that we’ve been taught, the pain that we’ve suffered, and the failure that we’ve experienced. Although history repeats itself, at least we can slow down of what we’re not expecting about. Good news are worth to be waited, like people keep waiting for Santa Claus comes to town each Christmas despite you believe it or not. In Weekend Business by New York Times, participants in each week not only provide different views of what we concern, but indirectly disclose something that we may be confused about. For example, Richard H. Thaler, the professor of economics and behavioral science at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, stated his point of view regarding the intention of organ donation registration issue.

In addition, I strongly recommend to spend more time following business news than others in a week. So many political issues and economic trends that we can acknowledge in business news provide broad critical analyses relate to what we may concern. In other words, by viewing business section, we also absorb the information which connected to other news around us. Another good example, according to the content of this week Weekend Business, it’s better to regulate rules of financial products among banks than to be mandated by the government that tells lenders what to do. From this discussion, it’s cleared that what proposal is President Obama trying to promote, and the opposing idea that banks are arguing.

To sum up, there’s no short cut which is faster to make our lives more interesting unless we follow the news regularly. It’s also a basic element which we can take full advantage to communicate with the world.

Information Sources:

Opting in vs. Opting out, Richard H. Thaler, Economic View, The New York Times

Congress Wary of 'Plain Vanilla' Bank Proposal, Politics, The New York Times

Comment to "Gov. Threatens a Hyatt Boycott"

It’s understandable that why Hyatt changed their policy by sacrificing their housekeeping workers and hiring those less wage workers. Since we’re on the button of the economic crisis, there’s no one who can be hundred percent sure to retain his/her job or position in this big recession. As a result, employees, who are chosen to be offered a job should be conscious of any possibility that any happening comes to them.

Today, thousands or millions of labors were unemployed during this economic crisis. The laid-off workers of Hyatt Hotels should be lucky because they will be arranged for a full-time job and offered the same wages as their previous incomes while working in Hyatt Hotels. Even though Hyatt was reluctant to compensate for workers’ loss at the same time, it finally showed it’s sympathy to those employees that Hyatt had discharged after the protest launched by governor Deval Patrick. At this time, I also feel lucky for those laid-off workers. It’s nearly impossible to get any compensation from the employer who fired someone in Taiwan. However, Taiwan government has a financial aid program for newly laid-off workers and provides job training programs to enhance their living skills.

However, the assistance is only offered temporary; economic resources are limited. People need to know how to tap new resources and to economize on expenses. Very often, economists encourage not only investors, but also middle classes to organize their capital systematic in case any emergency occurs, we called, financial planning.

Sometimes it’s inevitable that people are confusing in some uncertainties. They are skeptical about financial planning can make any change for their lives. They may be satisfied with their current condition, and they won’t consider financial planning as the way to manage and to protect their wealth and assets, but we’re not going to sit and do nothing in this uncertain society. A good example from my dad, who was working for his company for fifteen years long, discharged from the position of vice-president ten years ago. He wasn’t desperate about the unemployment; he used his retained capital, which he kept from each month’s salary to start a new business with his friend in Thailand. We went through the hard time without any income for few months and reversed the financial crisis back to normal.

One thing I realized from those angry workers of Hyatt Hotels is that government, sometimes, loses it’s patient by creating more and more jobs to rescue the high unemployment rate and reputation. In a civilian’s view, it’s understandable that we have plenty of reasons to persuade Hyatt to rehire it’s housekeepers, but whom are going to put themselves in those capitalists’ shoes? Sounds ironic but people still do have choice to overcome the negative situation by generating the positive attitude to make the things right. We always have tomorrow. Similarly, any hard time and recession will going to pass, as long as we’re moving forward.

Information Sources:

News Source: The Boston Glove"Governor threatens a Hyatt Boycott"

The New York Times"Massachusetts: New Jobs Offers for Ex-Hyatt Workers"

Vocabularies:

Unceremoniously adv. in a rough or rude way, without caring about a person's feelings

disruption n. stop continuing in the normal way

toss v. to throw sth lightly or carelessly

condemn v. to express strong disapproval of sb/sth, usually for moral reasons

unprecedented adj. that has never happened, been done or been know before

prompt v. to make sb decide to do sth; to cause sth to happen

outpouring n. a strong and sudden expression of feeling

secretive adj. tending or liking to hide your thoughts, feelings, ideas

abrupt adj. sudden and unexpected

attrition n. a process of making sb/sth, especially your enemy, weaker

by repeatedly attacking them or creating problems for them

disillusion v. to destroy sb's belief in or good opinion of sb/sth

heed v. to pay careful attention to sb's advice or warning

rally n. a large public meeting

Complaint Letter Sample

First, I would like to say that I wish I will never make a real complaint letter to show my disappointment. However, no one knows what's going to happen in the next minute because we're facing many incidents that we're unable to control. The truth is, we need to get ready to deal with any negative things that happened to us. In the following statement, which is also a true story that had happened to me, I want to share you a complaint letter that I've contributed after a terrible shopping experience.

Oct. 15, 2008

On Oct. 7, 2008, I bought a brand new COACH wallet from a free trading interface on Yahoo! Taiwan. However, I found what I have purchased was counterfeit after visiting your retailer store and double checking the product.

I bought the COACH wallet from a seller who also sales multiple brands and kinds of wallet on Yahoo! Taiwan. I was enthralled not only by the design of the wallet, but also by the name of COACH. The wallet was sold almost half cheaper than the wallet sold in physical retail stores. In addition, the reputation of the seller on Yahoo! Taiwan made me wanted to bid for the wallet. The buyer made a perfect story how he/she got the product secretly and legally, but it turned out a negative shopping experience.

I firmly believe that COACH is the most famous brand and you have the best handbags and wallets of the world. I don't believe this disappointing shopping experience will change the high quality of your product and my loyalty of COACH products. Nevertheless, I was worried that it will hurt your reputation after more and more consumer suffer the same situation like me.

Last, I would like to thank you for your concern. Please take this seriously because we don't want to see counterfeit dealers make profit that they don't deserve to hurt consumer's right.

Sincerely,

Tsung-Po, Hsu

Weekend Business on 9/18

NYTimes.com Podcasts provides a variety of podcasts that are relating to our lives including culture, ethicist, music, politics, etc. This week we’re focusing on “Weekend Business”, which is also a part of NYTimes.com Podcasts. The program “Weekend Business” runs on every Friday, four times a month, presenting business news that people may concern in the entire week. This week it has discussion on markets and economics, shareholder’s protest, car companies, and the expansion of Amazone.com.

In the first section, the host and two participants discussed the current situation of economics and how recession had influenced the entire financial market and raised the inflation that is unlikely to diminish in a short time. Federal Reserve System, the monetary authority of the United States, which has the authority to control the supply of money and credit, seems like it has the faith to stimulate the market and to deal with the credit crunch. Since everything can be dated back to what we have experienced, let’s see how those officials will help us to get through this economic crisis.

In the second part, another participant talked about that shareholders’ involvement in decision making process. Those shareholders who are at higher lever are looking for opportunities to vote for company’s policies to accomplish their participation. The next report about motor vehicle companies’ incorporation highlighted how new General Motors Company gives Saturn a hand to sell their vehicles. Because of the high competition of motor market and the hard time during the economic crisis, the united corporations are going to find the way to survive.

Amazone.com was one of the largest online bookstores of the world and now it still is. However, it has become more convenient for people shopping online because they can buy not only books, but also 3C products on this modern interface thanks to the rising of sales tax and the electronic commerce. It’s more profitable selling goods online than doing in physical stores nowadays; it also explains why Amazone.com is still expanding its business scale. People are showing more and more enthusiast in shopping in this lower cost and effective way, which is worth people to be aware of.

The Climate Change

There are about eighty days before the conference regarding the climate issue and the regulation of emission in Copenhagen. Committees who will participate the meeting are going to set up a new regulation about emission control, and hopefully we can slow down the green house effect. However, even though the new president Obama shows the ambition that how he will promote the application to save the environment without hesitation, the green house effect will still remain and goes more serious if any country, which has well developed industries can’t control the emission of carbon dioxide effectively.

The rapid development of technology has brought us comfortable and convenient lives that we have been pursuing for decades. Now every industry that we are supporting is expanding day by day and making more convenience for everybody. People enjoy the benefit from those industries and profit that they earn to make our dreams come true. But there is a fact that we don’t ever dream about—the climate change. The climate change is the problem that is easily to be regardless because it’s not apparent enough to catch our attention. In other word, we are living in affluence and watching weather report just like watching a show; the change of climate seems like the ordinary transformation. That’s the common view that most people consider “the climate change”. But it’s time for us to face the truth that climate change has limited our convenience and opportunities to live.

It is well known that the emission of carbon dioxide from industries is the most direct damage to the ozone layer. Those over self-concerned industries are still keep emitting considerable of carbon dioxide will not only cause the acid rain, but also cause irregular ocean currency due to the melt of icebergs. That’s why we need to set up regulations to make people stop looking for trouble.

Environmentalists have always thinking about how we can control the emission of carbon dioxide and the speed that people destroy the environment. The ideas including suggestions of quota on worldwide fossil fuel production, efforts to improve energy efficiency, and limitations of exhaust gas.[1] I believe that will not only improve the conservation of the environment, but also make our technology moving forward upon the achievement we’ve been pursuing. Furthermore, as the super power in the world, it’s time for the United States to be a positive roll model to show its determination on effort.

In summary, it’s a long road to protect place where we live. We are not sitting still waiting for death. We need to stop being selfish and wasting resources; we are aiming not only to make it a better place for the rest of our lives, but also to offer a hope to our offspring. Since we are losing everything that we have, including those disappearing islands and endangered species, we are not looking backward, at least we can remember the lesson that the environment has taught us.

Vocabularies:

trickle accord envoy stride interim explicit ratify scenario summit pact

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[1] Wikipedia, Global Warming, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

His plan, their hope

It was the longest speech that I have listened from President Obama. He was providing his idea and plan for health reform to Congress on Sep. 9th talking about the struggle that Americans have been facing for years and they’re still finding the solution.

I have to say that promoting any public policy in any giant nation like the United States is always a challenge. To be more precisely, such a prominent policy like health care, depresses so many families and individuals in the United States. Even though it’s difficult to enforce Obama’s plan in a short time, I believe every US citizen is ready for the long term campaign.

Taiwan has complete health care system thanks to the small scale of the island, so it was easier to unite and to have agreement among cities and counties than those big nations. Since we’re on the peak of the recession and the concern of budget, every policy and plan has to go step by step to reach each nation’s goal. I think President Obama has already had the idea to make agreement between two parties and those Americans. I feel lucky for the citizen of the United States. They have politic leaders and government who always put people on the first, and have the eagerness to accomplish their American dream.

Wanna know about Hermes?

Greetings,

My name is Tsung-Po Hsu. I like people calling me Hermes, which is also the nick name that I use on the Internet, but I still use Tsung-Po Hsu for any academic use. I'm an international student who come from Taiwan and have been staying in the United States for three months. Before getting enrolled as a full time graduate student, I finished a two-month long English program in CELOP and also took the ITP(Institutional Testing Program) TOEFL right after that. Now I'm studying in Metropolitan College in Boston University majoring in Financial Economics.

Before coming here, I worked for my father in our family business in Thailand. My jobs were equipment maintenance and managerial assistance, the jobs are significantly beneficial for me learning business management and industrial operation. Because I was majored in Accounting Information Systems for my bachelor's degree, it didn't take me too much time getting used to the business environment. In contrast, I introduced an accounting information software and exemplified the use of the program to save more paper and time for our newly risen company.

Well, surviving in this highly competent century only with bachelor's degree is getting difficult. My manager encouraged me to pursue higher quality of education abroad. I also considered that the United States has more educational sources for me to learn some knowledge of modern business administration. In addition, because of the interest in financial management, I decided to major in financial economics in Boston University. Hopefully I can improve our family's financial situation and make our company more successful.

I like to play baseball and watch baseball games not only in my country, but also in the United States. I visited four baseball parks in the United States and also enjoyed all of the games. Besides baseball, I like to go shopping at leisure. Shopping always brings me good mood especially when I struggling against any negative emotion.

I'm an easygoing person and I like to make friends with anyone wherever they from. I prefer face to face communication than any indirect way. I believe that helps us know each other easier and faster. Finally, I hope this self introduction is a positive shortcut for you to know who I am.

Hermes