Billions Spent To Teach C.E.O.'s to WRITE?

R. Craig Hogan received e-mail from prospective student. Student needed help. Boss wanted him to help improve workers writing skills. Employees write more on the job than previously. Study by NCW concluded a third of employees in blue-chip companies wrote poorly. Businesses spending as much as $3.1 billion on remedial training. Problem shows in e-mail and reports. Businesses need people who write clearly, many fall short. Millions of e-mails clog corporate computers and many are chaotically written, results in confusion. Even C.E.O.’s need writing help. Many write in inflated language.

What Do you think? Everyone believes that the internet has been nothing but good news for this generation, but is it detrimental to our writing skills as educated people?

Minimum Wage: Can We Help?

In my sociology class, I have an assignment in which we must discuss minimum wage. Minimum wage is an issue in this country, especially for those living with a family. A show called 30 days, is a show in which a man lives in conditions that most would seem hard to live, but does it for a cause. He does it to show the average american the issues that are barely discussed, and he wants to expose the average person to the issues, because in the end, we can help. Minimum wage was set up in 1938 for one reason. So people could live at the bare minimum living styles. It was setup so that one could just barely get by, and not have to worry about being dirt poor. Unfortunately, minimum wage was set up for a single person themselves, and did not take into consideration the fact that one working for minimum wage may start a family. Since 1977 minimum wage has only increased $2.10.

The man in the show tried living a month off of a $7.25/hr income, and found himself living in inhumane conditions, and a huge factor that seemed to affect him and his wife was healthcare. He found himself wasting a day in the free-clinic when he could have been working, and didn't even get to see a dr. because the line was so long. He was then forced to go to the emergency room. He got the bill at the end of the month, and it was over $500, which was more than his entire month's income. My point is, can we help those in any way living under minimum wage? As time passes, it seems that the people in this country act oblivious to issues unless they are the ones affected. What can we do to help the minimum wage affects?

Dreams Foreshadow?

I left a commented response to sunshyne's blog about her recent dreams. Visit her blog and express your thoughts about dreams at , http://sunshyne8701.blogspot.com/

Tattoos: Acceptable in Society?

What do you think about tattoos? Being a person with a couple of tattoos, I am usually scorned for having them. I don't understand why. Tattoos are a way to express yourself and even show that you are artistic and maybe at the same time a little bit different. People use blogs, people use clothing, and some use tattoos. Nearly all adults that I have some affiliation with that see my tattoos seem to hate on me. They ask why I would ruin my body with stupidity. I tell them that the tattoos I have are worth sentimental value to me, and I have them because I never want to forget the meaning behind them.

Honestly, yes I can do without my tattoos, but let me explain further. On my left shoulder, I have my initials: MCU III. I am proud to have the family name, and I consider it an honor. I wanted to make that public. On the other shoulder, I have a bulldog and the initials JYD under it. It stands for Junk Yard Dog. My family owns a scrap metal business, which is basically a junkyard.

My father got the tattoo when he was 35 years old, and my brother and I both thought that since one day we will be running the business, that we both get the tattoo my father had. When my brother and I showed my father, he seemed touched. My brother and I both wanted to express to our father that no matter what happens in the future, we will still be junk yard dogs at heart because the yard is what made our family what it is.

At first I used to think tattoos were for Harley riding bikers, perhaps this is why a vast amount of people have harsh opinions about them. But as I grew I realized the true reason. People get "tatted" up to express themselves and express the things they care about. I know a girl in my English and Psychology class that has some pretty serious tattoos. The colors alone on one of them is enough to surely catch one's eye, and just the design overall. While we were walking to our english class that followed our psychology class, she told me about how excited she was to be going to the tattoo parlor later that night to get a new tattoo she has been dying to get. When I listened to her explain exactly what she wanted to get, I could see a twinkle and sparkle in her eye. People who feel that tattoos are unacceptable, you need to realize why people do it and have respect for their reasons why. Don't be so quick to judge.

SHOUT OUT TO MY PSYCH AND ENGLISH BUDDY.....YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE