Suzie's RRJ

Reference

The Associated Press (2009, May. 02). Hard On Needy. Korea Times. Retrieved Dec. 10, 2009, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2009/11/202_44058.


Summary

The domestic banks are making lower interest rates for poor people and bigger interest rates for rich people. It could be harmful to poor people. And bankers think it is right according to market principles and covering the costs of attracting cash-laden depositors. They should think who helped them when they suffered from the 1997-98 financial crisis. It was a lot of working-class people. The rich-become-richer, poor-become-poorer banking practices can make lots of bad situations. That is why nationwide banks need to try their business for lower-income working-class customers by reinvigorating micro-financing systems, the government should try to check discriminatory practices, and the regulators also need to provide a lot of information for their customers. It can bring about the rehabilitation of working families' finances.





Reaction

In Korea, poor and normal people cannot make big money well even though we save money a lot in the bank. Our interest rates are too low and our salaries are always similar. It is difficult to get big money suddenly, so poor people are always poor and rich people are always rich. Because of these problems, some people try to buy land and sometimes, they think they can get big money by buying interest in a company. However, it cannot also solve our serious situations and cannot be a good way for them. In addition, in Korea the costs of renting and buying a house are too high. Even though poor or normal people try to save money to buy a house, it takes too much time. On the other hand, rich people don’t care about that. They can get a lot of money easily and can buy a house easily with high interest rates. With problems like these, the rich-become-richer, poor-become-poorer banking practices can come about the number of serious accidents, such as borrowing money from loan sharks, human trafficking, and suicide. I really agree with author’s suggestions that banks need to try orienting their business toward lower-income working-class customers by reinvigorating micro-financing systems, and the government should try to check discriminatory practices. If the banks and government don’t try ways like these, our economy will be going down more and more and will have many problems. I hope they can care more about these things for their citizens who always sweat at their job and work hard to walk a path strewn with roses.

Abbas's RRJ

Reading Reaction Journal #2

Reference:

Winterbottom, J and Kim, s. (2009, November 4). Chrysler offers revival plan but skeptics remain Reuters. Retrieved November 5, 2009, from www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE5A34GX20091105


Summary:

According to the article, Chrysler's new chief uncovered a good outlook for the company future to automaker on Wednesday. He said that they are going to have more than double sales. Then, he said that they are going to get dozens of new cars, which were built on Fiat Platforms. So, they will be willing to pay to the United States taxpayers during the next five years. Sergio Marchionne, who is the executive chief of Fiat, said that Chrysler is going break by a net basis by 2011. Fiat's management thinks that Chrysler needs to find a new international market under the jeep brand. When he was in the stage, Marchionne he said that a lot of people were wrong because they misjudged Chrysler’s ways for reducing costs. Even after the Marchionne speech, many people did not believe that it would be that easy for Chrysler to rebuild interest in the United States market. Last October, the company sales were decreased by thirty percent and thirty-nine percents from the beginning of the year until today. Marchionne did not speak about an important question, which is where they are going to build the cars. He also said, by doing this business, they will provide fuel-saving technology and engine technology. Twenty percent of Chrysler’s stakes were given to Fiat for repairing and renewing the company investment. Also, he said that by 2014 half of Chrysler cars will be built by Fiat, and forty percent of them will have Italian engines, so Chrysler will be able to save 2.9 billion dollars.

Response:

I think that Chrysler got a great deal with Fiat. Chrysler lost a lot of money in the financial crisis, so they were trying to reduce their costs. One way that they will use to reduce the costs is to start building their cars in Fiat factories. I agree with this idea, because a lot of companies are doing it to reduce the workers salary expenses, which is good for these companies. Another way that the new boss mentioned, is by 2014 forty percent of the cars are going to have Italian engines. I belive that this is not a good idea for an important reason. People overseas loves American cars because of the American engines. So by doing that a lot of people are going to stop buying Chrysler cars, because they lost the most special thing that they have. Form my experience, Chrysler cars are not useful. My father bought a 2002 Van and during the first two years we were spending a lot of money to fix it from different problems. Because I’m majoring in business, this article interests me by telling me how companies solve financial problems.

Mohammad Dashti's Reading Reaction Journal - "From Couture to Conversation"

Reference

Michault, J. (2009 November 17th ). “From Couture to Conversation” The New York Times, Retrieved on December 2nd, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/fashion/17iht-rsocial.html

Summary

This article is actually talking about fashion media publicity nowadays. Today the biggest buzz in fashion is not the clothes or anything of that, it’s all about the social media , and how they represent their fashion by their own networks! Fashion designers spread their trends and accessories everywhere, from Youtube to Facebook. The article mentions a lot of examples about famous designers in the world, and how they manage to deal with the social media for their own agenda! And also how can they attract people by these networks to enter their fashion world of publicity.


Reaction

It’s all about image. Nowadays the biggest interest in the fashion industry is not about the trends for the next season or the fabulous celebrities styles, but what are they wearing? And whose fashion designs are they talking about? It’s all about publicity, and when I say publicity I mean the media, the social networks that represent fashion nowadays.

The social networks have a humongous effect on the fashion industry. In the past ten years they have represented their fashion sense and style by shows, Fashion Weeks and models, but now it’s very different. The internet and social networks have a really major affect on them; from Youtube to Facebook, we almost have the whole world on them, so it’s very easy to spread anything there. According to Mr. Gabbana: “Blogs are very important for us,”. Fashion designers and big fashion companies are using the social networks and blogs for their own publicity, and it’s working pretty well.

The article mentioned that the designers, Demonecia Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, moved some buyers out of their usual front row seats to give the spots to four fashion bloggers and installed laptops so the writers could blog and tweet during the show, and when you think about it you‘ll say, are they crazy? But if you think about it clearly and carefully, you’ll figure out that those bloggers are more important than the buyers. The bloggers are bringing the whole world to his show, live! And Mr. Dolce admits that: “The Web, for luxury brand, is not the future, but the present,” and that’s true people would like to see the latest collections of famous designers on web, but what is more exciting than seeing the upcoming collections live streaming on famous websites?

Youtube is a worldwide video center. Giant designers like Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen are using Youtube for their own good image. Facebook also has a very big effect on people and it’s doing a very amazing job since it was founded 5 years ago, and it’s doing a very big favor for fashion designers, to sell their own work. Then there is Twitter the biggest network since 2007; according to the article, Louis Vuitton streamed his fashion show live using his Twitter feeds; and there is Lady Gaga, the real example of the power of social media, the article mentions her tweet cause on people from the live streaming of Alexander McQueen’s show, which led the site’s servers to crash, it was really fascinating!

Then, we have what Gucci did for his own publicity; he published his latest collections on his site and let the visitors upload their own photographs to see the pictures as a reflection of his styles and collections. In my opinion I think that people are becoming a little bit obsessed with these things; I agree with the article that “People are getting really excited about social media without really asking themselves if there is any reason to really get excited”, and that’s true, we know it’s fascinating and it’s a very beautiful thing to share and to look at, but it’s getting a little wild nowadays: for example, what Mr. Gonsorcik’s agency found about the Louis Vuitton Facebook page, that 760,120,000 fans are registered.

In the end of the article he mentioned other examples by other designers and authors, but it’s the same situation. I think that it’s true, the social networks are growing very fast, and it’s like everyone has his own Blogger or Facebook or even a Twitter or a Youtube account, and some how it terrifies me how the world has become very fast like this depending on these social networks and blogs; maybe it’s good, but there are always side affects for everything, so I think that it’s time that we need to slow down, and just take a break from all these things.

Muslim Americans Still Struggle for Acceptance

Hanan Bahri
EAP1
Refrains:
Sullivan,A. Poll: “Muslim Americans Still Struggle for Acceptance”. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1921298,00.html
Summary:
According to Sullivan article “Muslim Americans Still Struggle For Acceptance” the attacks on 9/11 still effecting Islam image in America especially Muslims American women it became hard for them to practicing the religion such as wearing hijab .However the president point out the deferent between Muslims and terrorist . the author mention that people thought that Islam encourages violence but year later the Iraq ware start witch change people idea about Islam. Furthermore, 44%of American where more open about convert to Islam .wearing hijab become an issue for Muslim women they can’t work in any place or have a driver license, and in some schools it is forbidden to wear hijab . 52%of people who know any Muslim they seemed to be more understanding for the religion than those who haven’t mat any Muslims. The authors tell us about what Muslims women hop from the society and they want the people to be more respected and understanding. Even though, in Amerce it is still better than Franc and Ital.

Reaction:
As Muslim girl I fell sad about this because I understand my religion and it the most peaceful religion it does not encourage violent .America known for “freedom” so I think treating people for what are they wearing or what they believe in it not right .if same one comet crime dose the hole world have to safer for his miss take .I had American friend that think that Muslims kills christen because they are Christian her teacher told her ,we don’t kill people because they have deferent religion believe we have streak roles about treating other people from deferent religion the Prophet Mohanad (peace be upon him )that we have to give the past we have to people even if they heart you or if they ware from deferent religions .in the other hand I put most of the blame on the media it gives a negative idea about Islam . I hope that every one read about Islam and understand the meaning of Islam before thy gauge Muslims.

Vocabulary:
1-Unfavorably: rise up
2-battles: wore.
3-violence: when you beat same one
4-hijab: something to cover your hare