"Never Say Never " is a truely inspiring song!
The experience of the teen sensation Justin Bieber
is a good illustration of his own song.
Setbacks are just bumps in the road.
"Whenever you(fate) knock me down
I will not stay on the ground".
It is a matter of preparation and opportunities.
When both are ready, your time will come,
just be patient.
"I am strong enough to climb the highest tower,
and I am fast enough to run across the sea"
Can a butterfly "cross the seas" ?
Sounds like mission impossible?
"Never Say Never " !
Never Say Never lyrics
See I never thought that I could walk through fire
I never thought that I could take the burn
I never had the strength to take it higher
Until I reached the point of no return
And there's just no turning back
When your heart's under attack
Gonna give everything I have
It's my destiny
I will never say never
(I will fight)
I will fight till forever
(Make it right)
Whenever you knock me down
I will not stay on the ground
Pick it up, pick it up
Pick it up, pick it up
Up, up, up, up, up and never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
I never thought I could feel this power
I never thought that I could feel this free
I'm strong enough to climb the highest tower
And I'm fast enough to run across the sea
And there's just no turning back
When your hearts under attack
Gonna give everything I have
'Cause this is my destiny
I will never say never
(I will fight)
I will fight till forever
(Make it right)
Whenever you knock me down
I will not stay on the ground
Pick it up, pick it up
Pick it up, pick it up
Up, up, up, up, up and never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
Here we go, guess who?
J Smith and JB
I gotcha lil bro, I can handle him
Hold up, aight? I can handle him
Now he's bigger than me, taller than me
And he's older than me and stronger than me
And his arms a little bit longer than me
But he ain't on a JB song with me
I be trying a chill
They be trying to side with the thrill
No pun intended
Was raised by the power of Will
Like Luke with the Force
When push comes to shove
Like Kobe with the fourth
Ice water with blood
I gotta be the best, and yes
We're the fliest like David and Goliath
I conquered the giant
So now I got the world in my hand
I was born from two stars
So the moon's where I land
I will never say never
(I will fight)
I will fight till forever
(Make it right)
Whenever you knock me down
I will not stay on the ground
Pick it up pick it up
Pick it up pick it up
Up, up, up, up, up and never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
I will never say never
(I will fight)
I will fight till forever
(Make it right)
Whenever you knock me down
I will not stay on the ground
Pick it up pick it up
Pick it up pick it up
Up, up, up, up, up aad never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
Ne-never say never
Never say never
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
mybossisweird
Yesterday,Jimmy Fallon started a hashtag game #mybossisweird on twitter.
Below are my tweets:
#mybossisweird He asked me "What does IDK mean?" "I don't know" I replied. "Obviously no one knows! I asked 5 people already." He said.
#mybossisweird He just asked me if I would like to get my next paycheck from another company after he found out I shared his story on twitter.
#mybossisweird She asked for my paycheck every month and asked me to whip her every night.
#mybossisweird He would rather read my jokes and my blog posts than read my work reports.
#mybossisweird He thinks I am too funny to function as a logical being.
#mybossisweird He was too busy to meet with us,not even during lunch time.Finally we caught him in the bathroom and got to discuss pay raise.
Those were just jokes, not necessarily true stories.
Below are my tweets:
#mybossisweird He asked me "What does IDK mean?" "I don't know" I replied. "Obviously no one knows! I asked 5 people already." He said.
#mybossisweird He just asked me if I would like to get my next paycheck from another company after he found out I shared his story on twitter.
#mybossisweird She asked for my paycheck every month and asked me to whip her every night.
#mybossisweird He would rather read my jokes and my blog posts than read my work reports.
#mybossisweird He thinks I am too funny to function as a logical being.
#mybossisweird He was too busy to meet with us,not even during lunch time.Finally we caught him in the bathroom and got to discuss pay raise.
Those were just jokes, not necessarily true stories.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
My Dad's Advice
My Dad once told me:
Better let yourself touch your own wounds than let others touch it, because it would hurt less. Better let your friends point out your weaknesses than let your enemies attack on them. If you want to grow, you need to face your weaknesses and failures and get over them one by one. Eventually, the pain will decrease as your immunization increases.
Does it make sense?
Better let yourself touch your own wounds than let others touch it, because it would hurt less. Better let your friends point out your weaknesses than let your enemies attack on them. If you want to grow, you need to face your weaknesses and failures and get over them one by one. Eventually, the pain will decrease as your immunization increases.
Does it make sense?
History of Rap, Part 2 (7/19/11) - Video
I watched this on July 19 on Late Night show.
Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake were talented and funny!
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - History of Rap, Part 2 (7/19/11) - Video - NBC.com
The lyrics are here
http://www.songonlyrics.com/justin-timberlake-history-of-rap-part-2-lyrics-feat-jimmy-fallon
Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake were talented and funny!
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - History of Rap, Part 2 (7/19/11) - Video - NBC.com
The lyrics are here
http://www.songonlyrics.com/justin-timberlake-history-of-rap-part-2-lyrics-feat-jimmy-fallon
Father and Son: In The Pool - Funny Video
Last night I watched this on the Late Night show with Jimmy Fallon - "Father and Son: In The Pool "(7/25/11)Hilarious !
A dad tries to explain to his son the importance of feeling comfortable in your own skin.
" Someday, you are gonna grow up strong with all the chest hair like me, son." LOL
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - Father and Son: In The Pool (7/25/11) - Video - NBC.com
A dad tries to explain to his son the importance of feeling comfortable in your own skin.
" Someday, you are gonna grow up strong with all the chest hair like me, son." LOL
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - Father and Son: In The Pool (7/25/11) - Video - NBC.com
Monday, July 25, 2011
Debt Limit Debate III
Tonight, Pres. Obama talked about his proposal of spending cuts and tax increases on the top 2% wealthy, whereas House Speaker Mr. Boehner talked about cutting entitlement programs and it would be bad to increase taxes on small businesses. However, did Pres. Obama propose tax increases on small businesses or on the top 2% wealthy?
Mr. Boehner said that “The solution to this crisis is not complicated: if you’re spending more money than you’re taking in, you need to spend less of it.”Both parties agree that spending should be cut. What they disagree is cutting entitlement programs and tax increases on the top 2% wealthy.
Cutting entitlement programs or tax increases on the top 2% wealthy? Now it is time for America to choose.
“To give a voice to the voiceless！”
Mr. Boehner said that “The solution to this crisis is not complicated: if you’re spending more money than you’re taking in, you need to spend less of it.”Both parties agree that spending should be cut. What they disagree is cutting entitlement programs and tax increases on the top 2% wealthy.
Cutting entitlement programs or tax increases on the top 2% wealthy? Now it is time for America to choose.
“To give a voice to the voiceless！”
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Key to a Debate
Logical thinking and critical thinking is the key to a debate.
Logic is “systematic study of valid inference and correct reasoning”.
Inference is reaching logical conclusions from premises. And reasoning concerns analysis of "cause and effect, true and false, and what is good or bad “.
To reach a logical conclusion, one needs to analyze the relationship between the premises. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/02/
Furthermore, one needs to avoid logical fallacies that are vulnerable to attacks. http://learn.lexiconic.net/fallacies/index.htm
Critical thinking encompasses the ability to examine the two sides of the same coin, such as pros and cons, statement and counter-statement, arguments and counter-arguments, evidence and counter-evidence.
It is said that love is a fallacy. Therefore, the argument between a couple is more of a power struggle than a rational debate. That's why ladies always win. :)
Logic is “systematic study of valid inference and correct reasoning”.
Inference is reaching logical conclusions from premises. And reasoning concerns analysis of "cause and effect, true and false, and what is good or bad “.
To reach a logical conclusion, one needs to analyze the relationship between the premises. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/02/
Furthermore, one needs to avoid logical fallacies that are vulnerable to attacks. http://learn.lexiconic.net/fallacies/index.htm
Critical thinking encompasses the ability to examine the two sides of the same coin, such as pros and cons, statement and counter-statement, arguments and counter-arguments, evidence and counter-evidence.
It is said that love is a fallacy. Therefore, the argument between a couple is more of a power struggle than a rational debate. That's why ladies always win. :)
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Debt Limit Debate
Today, Republicans would not accept the package of spending cuts and tax increases that Pres. Obama was proposing. House Speaker Mr. Boehner said in his letter that “As a former small businessman, I know tax increases destroy jobs.” But the Democrats were proposing tax increases on the top 1% wealthy rather than on small businessmen. Reasonalbe tax increases on the top 1% wealthy would not affect the wealthy much,nor would they hurt the economy.
Furthermore, Mr. Boehner wanted to substantially cut entitlement programs including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. That would negatively impact lots of needed people. In one word, Mr. Boehner was not willing to tax more on the wealthy but preferred to take away the benefits from the needed.
Furthermore, Mr. Boehner wanted to substantially cut entitlement programs including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. That would negatively impact lots of needed people. In one word, Mr. Boehner was not willing to tax more on the wealthy but preferred to take away the benefits from the needed.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
About the Debt Limit
I just read this report this morning:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/17/politics/main20080225.shtml
The idea is that GOP lawmakers will propose a plan for a $2.5 trillion increase in the debt limit, then the plan will be approved by the Senate, after that, it will be approved by the president and be executed. Is that right?
It sounds like the plan is more likely to be approved by the Senate than by the Congress. That's why it needs to be done without the approval of the Congress. The questions are: Are both parties happy with the plan for a $2.5 trillion increase in the debt limit? Is it sufficient to cover benefits programs like Medicare and Medicaid? What are the benefits and potential disadvantages for each party?
When it comes to negotiating a deal, I would consider the purposes, benefits and potential disadvantages of the deal for the two parties involved. If the benefits are greater than the disadvantages and risks, then go for it. The question is how to evaluate each of those factors?
What if we list a few possible scenarios of the outcome and weight their benefits and potential disadvantages? For instance, if scenario (S)1, then benefit B1 and disadvantage D1, if S2， then B2 and D2… It would be helpful to use a mind map to brainstorm those possibilities.
Here is another example of using that scenario model to solve problems.
Question: Are we brothers and sisters or not?
Let’s find out.
Scenario (S)1: if we buy the theory that our ancestors were related to the monkeys tens of thousands of years ago,
then the answer 1 is: since human beings are more related to one another than to monkeys, a few hundred years ago, perhaps the ancestors of our family were somehow related to those of other families too. Therefore, nowadays we are essentially brothers and sisters who are remotely related.
Scenario (S)2:
If we don’t buy the idea that our ancestors were related to the monkeys, then we are all children of God and we are brothers and sisters.
Conclusion: We are brothers and sisters.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/17/politics/main20080225.shtml
The idea is that GOP lawmakers will propose a plan for a $2.5 trillion increase in the debt limit, then the plan will be approved by the Senate, after that, it will be approved by the president and be executed. Is that right?
It sounds like the plan is more likely to be approved by the Senate than by the Congress. That's why it needs to be done without the approval of the Congress. The questions are: Are both parties happy with the plan for a $2.5 trillion increase in the debt limit? Is it sufficient to cover benefits programs like Medicare and Medicaid? What are the benefits and potential disadvantages for each party?
When it comes to negotiating a deal, I would consider the purposes, benefits and potential disadvantages of the deal for the two parties involved. If the benefits are greater than the disadvantages and risks, then go for it. The question is how to evaluate each of those factors?
What if we list a few possible scenarios of the outcome and weight their benefits and potential disadvantages? For instance, if scenario (S)1, then benefit B1 and disadvantage D1, if S2， then B2 and D2… It would be helpful to use a mind map to brainstorm those possibilities.
Here is another example of using that scenario model to solve problems.
Question: Are we brothers and sisters or not?
Let’s find out.
Scenario (S)1: if we buy the theory that our ancestors were related to the monkeys tens of thousands of years ago,
then the answer 1 is: since human beings are more related to one another than to monkeys, a few hundred years ago, perhaps the ancestors of our family were somehow related to those of other families too. Therefore, nowadays we are essentially brothers and sisters who are remotely related.
Scenario (S)2:
If we don’t buy the idea that our ancestors were related to the monkeys, then we are all children of God and we are brothers and sisters.
Conclusion: We are brothers and sisters.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Philosophical Questions
I tried to get into the office building yesterday, but I didn’t have my ID card with me. To my surprise, the security guard asked me three ultimate questions in philosophy---
Saturday, July 16, 2011
" Brighter Than the Sun" by Colbie Caillat
I watched this song on Jimmy Fallon's show the other night. Awesome! :)
" Brighter Than The Sun" by Colbie Caillat
Lyrics
Stop me on the corner
I swear you hit me like a vision
I, I, I wasn’t expecting
But who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go with it?
Don’t you blink you might miss it
See we got a right to just love it or leave it
You find it and keep it
Cause it ain’t every day you get the chance to say
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, it could be the stars, falling from the sky
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun
I never seen it, but I found this love I’m undefeated
You better leave, I’m … better than anything I’ve ever had
Cause you’re so damn beautiful read it
It’s time and deliver it let’s seal it
Boy we go together like peanuts and paydays and molly and reggae
And it ain’t every day you get the chance to say
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, it could be the stars, falling from the sky
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun
Everything is like a way out, cause we … shine down
Even when the light’s out but I can see you glow
Got my head up in the rafters, got me happy ever after
Never felt this way before, ain’t felt this way before
I swear you hit me like a vision
I, I, I wasn’t expecting
But who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go with it?
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, it could be the stars, falling from the sky
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun, yeah
Oho, yeah, oho
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
" Brighter Than The Sun" by Colbie Caillat
Lyrics
Stop me on the corner
I swear you hit me like a vision
I, I, I wasn’t expecting
But who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go with it?
Don’t you blink you might miss it
See we got a right to just love it or leave it
You find it and keep it
Cause it ain’t every day you get the chance to say
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, it could be the stars, falling from the sky
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun
I never seen it, but I found this love I’m undefeated
You better leave, I’m … better than anything I’ve ever had
Cause you’re so damn beautiful read it
It’s time and deliver it let’s seal it
Boy we go together like peanuts and paydays and molly and reggae
And it ain’t every day you get the chance to say
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, it could be the stars, falling from the sky
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun
Everything is like a way out, cause we … shine down
Even when the light’s out but I can see you glow
Got my head up in the rafters, got me happy ever after
Never felt this way before, ain’t felt this way before
I swear you hit me like a vision
I, I, I wasn’t expecting
But who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go with it?
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, it could be the stars, falling from the sky
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun, yeah
Oho, yeah, oho
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun
Thursday, July 14, 2011
"Options“ by Gomez
Songs from the album
"Whatever's On Your Mind" of Gomez
1.Options Lyrics
2.I Will Take You There Lyrics
3.Whatever’s On Your Mind Lyrics
4.Just As Lost As You Lyrics
5.The Place And The People Lyrics
6.Our Goodbye Lyrics
7.Song In My Heart Lyrics
8.Equalize Lyrics
9.That Wolf Lyrics
10.X-Rays Lyrics
11.Ember Lane Lyrics
I saw the band "Gomez"
performing this song"options"
at David Letterman's Late Show
tonight. Great song!
Below are the lyrics and the song.
1.Options Lyrics
I could be the guy at the end of the street
high on caffeine
Ranting and raving, baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
Or I could be the one who gives it all up
and moves back to the parents’ house
Live in the basement baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
All the things you’ll see
And the place you’ll go
All the people you need
Everybody wants you
Or wants to be you
I could settle down be responsible
Be a good man
And Learn how to fix things, baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
Or I could try and learn what I unlearned
Moving to business
And make loads of money for gullible people
That’s OK
At least I've got options
All the things you’ll see
And the place you’ll go
All the people you need
Everybody wants you
Or wants to be you
I never wanted to change you
I only wanted to share
I don’t believe, I don’t believe
Starting over and over again,
Over and over again
Somebody who understands and loves me
Despite all my weakness' baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
All the things you’ll see
(All the things that you wanted see)
And the places you’ll go
(All the places that you wanted to go)
All the people you need
(All the people you wanted to need)
And the lovers you've known
All the lovers that you wanted to know
Everybody wants you
Or wants to be you
"Whatever's On Your Mind" of Gomez
1.Options Lyrics
2.I Will Take You There Lyrics
3.Whatever’s On Your Mind Lyrics
4.Just As Lost As You Lyrics
5.The Place And The People Lyrics
6.Our Goodbye Lyrics
7.Song In My Heart Lyrics
8.Equalize Lyrics
9.That Wolf Lyrics
10.X-Rays Lyrics
11.Ember Lane Lyrics
I saw the band "Gomez"
performing this song"options"
at David Letterman's Late Show
tonight. Great song!
Below are the lyrics and the song.
1.Options Lyrics
I could be the guy at the end of the street
high on caffeine
Ranting and raving, baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
Or I could be the one who gives it all up
and moves back to the parents’ house
Live in the basement baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
All the things you’ll see
And the place you’ll go
All the people you need
Everybody wants you
Or wants to be you
I could settle down be responsible
Be a good man
And Learn how to fix things, baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
Or I could try and learn what I unlearned
Moving to business
And make loads of money for gullible people
That’s OK
At least I've got options
All the things you’ll see
And the place you’ll go
All the people you need
Everybody wants you
Or wants to be you
I never wanted to change you
I only wanted to share
I don’t believe, I don’t believe
Starting over and over again,
Over and over again
Somebody who understands and loves me
Despite all my weakness' baby
And that’s OK
At least I've got options
All the things you’ll see
(All the things that you wanted see)
And the places you’ll go
(All the places that you wanted to go)
All the people you need
(All the people you wanted to need)
And the lovers you've known
All the lovers that you wanted to know
Everybody wants you
Or wants to be you
Friday, July 8, 2011
Bad Jokes.MP4
I make a living by telling jokes.
Some are good, others are bad.
If you go to Washington Square Park to crack some bad jokes,
you can pretty much get all the ingredients of a salad bowl...:-D
Some are good, others are bad.
If you go to Washington Square Park to crack some bad jokes,
you can pretty much get all the ingredients of a salad bowl...:-D
A Joke about Economics
“How would you help yourself better understand the definitions of “recession” and “depression”?” In his economics class, the professor asked my cousin.
“Let me see. Well, the economy is just like relationships with ups and downs. “He replied.
“Recession refers to the state when my girlfriend stops talking to me and we recess."
He then continued,
"Depression takes place when she breaks up with me and I feel depressed.”
“Let me see. Well, the economy is just like relationships with ups and downs. “He replied.
“Recession refers to the state when my girlfriend stops talking to me and we recess."
He then continued,
"Depression takes place when she breaks up with me and I feel depressed.”
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Approaching a New Subject
General education for college students can be challenging and transformative. For instance, academic reading/writing courses are more than just teaching literacy skills. They should foster critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem solving skills. As a result, those courses may lay a solid foundation for the intellectual capacity of the students who can learn different subjects and skills throughout their lifetime.
I can show you how to quickly and effectively approach a completely new subject/area of knowledge. Just use myself as an example, I have never taken any classes in Economics. The other day, however, using my speed reading, academic writing, and critical thinking skills, I successfully wrote a short essay to explore the topic of “employment and subprime mortgage crisis”. To write that essay, I spent 3 hours in researching and reading, and 1 hour in writing it up. Please check out my essay entitled “The Priorities of Economy”:
http://www.yuehaixiao.net/2011/07/priorities-of-economy.html
I regularly offer workshops on Speed Reading and Academic Writing.
Below is the information, just in case you are interested.
Thank you.
#####################################
I. Speed reading skills can be widely used in
1.various standardized tests such as the GRE，GMAT，LSAT，SAT,TOEFL…etc.,in which the time limit is a major concern for the test takers;
2. office work demanding the fast reading of large amount of materials on a daily basis;
and 3. daily reading assignments of bachelor’s and master’s students.
The speed reading workshops aim to:
1.get rid of some of your bad reading habits such as fixation, regression,
and auditory reassurance (saying words in the head);
2. improve substantially the outcome of reading, namely, reading
comprehension and retention through top-down processing and other effective techniques;
and 3. double your reading speed in about two weeks.
II. Academic writing skills can be widely used in test taking, office work,and school work (from high school to graduate school)
The academic writing workshops will cover such topics as:
brainstorming, freewriting, content development, organization,
outlining, drafting, thesis statement, topic sentences, introduction,
conclusion, critical thinking, using synonyms, sentence structure and variation,grammar, word choice, how to conduct research online and in the library, and documenting sources in APA or MAL format.
III. The speed reading workshops last for 6 hours in total
and the academic writing workshops last for 10 hours.
The hourly rates are reasonable depending on the content and your needs.
For further information, please check this out:
http://www.yuehaixiao.net/p/nyu-phd-teaches-grespeed-reading.html
I can show you how to quickly and effectively approach a completely new subject/area of knowledge. Just use myself as an example, I have never taken any classes in Economics. The other day, however, using my speed reading, academic writing, and critical thinking skills, I successfully wrote a short essay to explore the topic of “employment and subprime mortgage crisis”. To write that essay, I spent 3 hours in researching and reading, and 1 hour in writing it up. Please check out my essay entitled “The Priorities of Economy”:
http://www.yuehaixiao.net/2011/07/priorities-of-economy.html
I regularly offer workshops on Speed Reading and Academic Writing.
Below is the information, just in case you are interested.
Thank you.
#####################################
I. Speed reading skills can be widely used in
1.various standardized tests such as the GRE，GMAT，LSAT，SAT,TOEFL…etc.,in which the time limit is a major concern for the test takers;
2. office work demanding the fast reading of large amount of materials on a daily basis;
and 3. daily reading assignments of bachelor’s and master’s students.
The speed reading workshops aim to:
1.get rid of some of your bad reading habits such as fixation, regression,
and auditory reassurance (saying words in the head);
2. improve substantially the outcome of reading, namely, reading
comprehension and retention through top-down processing and other effective techniques;
and 3. double your reading speed in about two weeks.
II. Academic writing skills can be widely used in test taking, office work,and school work (from high school to graduate school)
The academic writing workshops will cover such topics as:
brainstorming, freewriting, content development, organization,
outlining, drafting, thesis statement, topic sentences, introduction,
conclusion, critical thinking, using synonyms, sentence structure and variation,grammar, word choice, how to conduct research online and in the library, and documenting sources in APA or MAL format.
III. The speed reading workshops last for 6 hours in total
and the academic writing workshops last for 10 hours.
The hourly rates are reasonable depending on the content and your needs.
For further information, please check this out:
http://www.yuehaixiao.net/p/nyu-phd-teaches-grespeed-reading.html
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Questions for Pres. Obama
President Obama hosts a twitter town hall today. I have got some questions to ask him.
Ever since the recession, economic growth has been falling behind government spending. That is why the budget deficit exists. My general question is: To respond to that, what measures would be taken to spur the economy and cut government spending (both of which could be the focuses of resolving the deficit issue)?
Furthermore, I have a few specific questions pertaining to budget cut, the Financial Crisis, the subprime mortgage crisis, the real estate market, raising taxes, creating jobs, and soliciting ideas from people.
1. The Congress and the President are negotiating the Discretionary Spending , which accounts for 40% of the budget.
The Discretionary Spending is determined by the appropriations that are passed every year.
What areas in the Discretionary Spending are you proposing to cut? Why? Why not cut others?
Military expenditures account for nearly half of discretionary, that is nearly a quarter of total budget in FY 2012. Is there any room for cutting this part of the discretionary spending? It sounds like a lot!
2. Below is a quick analysis of the causes and effects of the Financial Crisis:
Easy credit + subprime lending (nation wide) -> overleveraging with MBS -> subprime mortgage crisis -> CDO defaults -> job losses -> foreclosure -> further job losses -> vicious cycle.
What can be done to regulate the financial market and banking system to build a healthy economy and prevent the following from happening again-- Easy credit + subprime lending (nation wide) and overleveraging with MBS ? What intervention measures can be taken to break the vicious cycle caused by the subprime mortgage crisis?
3. Mortgage defaults triggered a series of severe chain effects. Due to the devaluation of the Mortgage-Backed Securities they purchased and the high insurance payments, lots of investment banks were facing bankruptcy. To keep that from happening, the Federal Reserve purchased $1.25 Trillion of Mortgage-Backed Securities. What would have happened without the government bailout? Would the economy have been better off if those investment banks went bankrupt?
4. According to the National Association of Home Builders, on average,” three jobs and $90,000 in taxes are created for each home built.”
In contrast, if fewer homes are sold, some jobs will disappear. About 2.2 million construction jobs have disappeared since the house prices went down. In addition to creating jobs in such fields as construction, real estate, banking, home sales may spur the economy because home owners tend to buy new furniture and appliances with second mortgages.
Do you think the real estate market is important to the economy? What can be done to improve the real estate market?
5. I heard that people had some concerns about raising taxes because they would have less money to spend. And consumer spending accounts for 70% of GDP growth. What’s your opinion on this issue?
6. what are the causes of unemployment? What Solutions do you propose to create jobs?
7. Are there any mechanism and channel in place for people to contribute their ideas to the government?
Ever since the recession, economic growth has been falling behind government spending. That is why the budget deficit exists. My general question is: To respond to that, what measures would be taken to spur the economy and cut government spending (both of which could be the focuses of resolving the deficit issue)?
Furthermore, I have a few specific questions pertaining to budget cut, the Financial Crisis, the subprime mortgage crisis, the real estate market, raising taxes, creating jobs, and soliciting ideas from people.
1. The Congress and the President are negotiating the Discretionary Spending , which accounts for 40% of the budget.
The Discretionary Spending is determined by the appropriations that are passed every year.
What areas in the Discretionary Spending are you proposing to cut? Why? Why not cut others?
Military expenditures account for nearly half of discretionary, that is nearly a quarter of total budget in FY 2012. Is there any room for cutting this part of the discretionary spending? It sounds like a lot!
2. Below is a quick analysis of the causes and effects of the Financial Crisis:
Easy credit + subprime lending (nation wide) -> overleveraging with MBS -> subprime mortgage crisis -> CDO defaults -> job losses -> foreclosure -> further job losses -> vicious cycle.
What can be done to regulate the financial market and banking system to build a healthy economy and prevent the following from happening again-- Easy credit + subprime lending (nation wide) and overleveraging with MBS ? What intervention measures can be taken to break the vicious cycle caused by the subprime mortgage crisis?
3. Mortgage defaults triggered a series of severe chain effects. Due to the devaluation of the Mortgage-Backed Securities they purchased and the high insurance payments, lots of investment banks were facing bankruptcy. To keep that from happening, the Federal Reserve purchased $1.25 Trillion of Mortgage-Backed Securities. What would have happened without the government bailout? Would the economy have been better off if those investment banks went bankrupt?
4. According to the National Association of Home Builders, on average,” three jobs and $90,000 in taxes are created for each home built.”
In contrast, if fewer homes are sold, some jobs will disappear. About 2.2 million construction jobs have disappeared since the house prices went down. In addition to creating jobs in such fields as construction, real estate, banking, home sales may spur the economy because home owners tend to buy new furniture and appliances with second mortgages.
Do you think the real estate market is important to the economy? What can be done to improve the real estate market?
5. I heard that people had some concerns about raising taxes because they would have less money to spend. And consumer spending accounts for 70% of GDP growth. What’s your opinion on this issue?
6. what are the causes of unemployment? What Solutions do you propose to create jobs?
7. Are there any mechanism and channel in place for people to contribute their ideas to the government?
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Priorities of Economy
For grass root people to tell whether the economy is good or bad, there are a few things to consider, such as: The unemployment rate, salary (pay raise) , housing/house value, money value (inflation),markets of stocks and bonds, pressures of debts and loans, personal consumption, customer spending …and so forth. Among them, the most important factors are employment and housing/house value. Therefore, the government’s priorities of economy might be creating jobs and tackling the subprime mortgage crisis.
Employment and housing affect each other. People need jobs to pay bills and mortgages. When they lost their jobs, or the house prices go down or the interest rates change, they won’t be able to afford their mortgages. When the mortgages fall into default, the houses will be foreclosed.
On the other hand, if the housing/real estate market is improved, lots of jobs can be created. According to the National Association of Home Builders, on average,” three jobs and $90,000 in taxes are created for each home built.”
In contrast, if fewer homes are sold, fewer jobs will be added to the economy. About 2.2 million construction jobs have disappeared since the house prices went down. In addition to creating jobs in such fields as construction, real estate,and banking, home sales may spur the economy because home owners tend to buy new furniture and appliances with second mortgages.
Foreclosures affect not only the housing market and the banks, but also the financial market.Derivatives of financial products such as Mortgage-Backed Securities, ( MBS ) are circulated in the market to attract the investors’ money. The MBS are created based on the premise that the value of the houses are increasing constantly and the default rate is very low. Derivatives of financial products constitute a long chain in the financial market.
Now the reality was that house value went down and the default rate was much higher than expected. Each mortgage default entailed an insurance payment of $ 5 billion. Mortgage defaults triggered a series of severe chain effects. Due to the devaluation of the MBS they purchased and the high insurance payments, lots of investment banks were facing bankruptcy. If they all go bankrupt, the consequences would be devastating.
To keep that from happening, the Federal Reserve purchased $1.25 Trillion of Mortgage-Backed Securities. That is to say, the government paid the insurance of mortgage defaults with tax payers’ dollars. As a result, the loss of the opportunists in the financial market was transferred to all tax payers.
Furthermore, when home prices went down, home owners would not be able to use second mortgages to pay for other products such as furniture. As a result, consumers spent less and GDP growth (70% of which relies on consumer spending) slowed down. When that happened, it became a vicious circle.
In one word, the subprime mortgage crisis caused financial crisis, which in turn, led to the recession. To improve the economy, I thought the government might need to examine the causes of unemployment and the subprime mortgage crisis before taking intervention measures to break the pernicious circle and put the economy back on track.
Employment and housing affect each other. People need jobs to pay bills and mortgages. When they lost their jobs, or the house prices go down or the interest rates change, they won’t be able to afford their mortgages. When the mortgages fall into default, the houses will be foreclosed.
On the other hand, if the housing/real estate market is improved, lots of jobs can be created. According to the National Association of Home Builders, on average,” three jobs and $90,000 in taxes are created for each home built.”
In contrast, if fewer homes are sold, fewer jobs will be added to the economy. About 2.2 million construction jobs have disappeared since the house prices went down. In addition to creating jobs in such fields as construction, real estate,and banking, home sales may spur the economy because home owners tend to buy new furniture and appliances with second mortgages.
Foreclosures affect not only the housing market and the banks, but also the financial market.Derivatives of financial products such as Mortgage-Backed Securities, ( MBS ) are circulated in the market to attract the investors’ money. The MBS are created based on the premise that the value of the houses are increasing constantly and the default rate is very low. Derivatives of financial products constitute a long chain in the financial market.
Now the reality was that house value went down and the default rate was much higher than expected. Each mortgage default entailed an insurance payment of $ 5 billion. Mortgage defaults triggered a series of severe chain effects. Due to the devaluation of the MBS they purchased and the high insurance payments, lots of investment banks were facing bankruptcy. If they all go bankrupt, the consequences would be devastating.
To keep that from happening, the Federal Reserve purchased $1.25 Trillion of Mortgage-Backed Securities. That is to say, the government paid the insurance of mortgage defaults with tax payers’ dollars. As a result, the loss of the opportunists in the financial market was transferred to all tax payers.
Furthermore, when home prices went down, home owners would not be able to use second mortgages to pay for other products such as furniture. As a result, consumers spent less and GDP growth (70% of which relies on consumer spending) slowed down. When that happened, it became a vicious circle.
In one word, the subprime mortgage crisis caused financial crisis, which in turn, led to the recession. To improve the economy, I thought the government might need to examine the causes of unemployment and the subprime mortgage crisis before taking intervention measures to break the pernicious circle and put the economy back on track.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Firework by Katy Perry
A good song to celebrate the 4th of July!
Lyrics:
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting throught the wind
Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe-awe-awe"
Lyrics:
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting throught the wind
Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe-awe-awe"
A Joke about Freedom
The other day, the NYS just passed the law for same sex marriage. Congratulations, folks! This is exactly what I like about America, a country that embraces diversity and tolerates differences and disagreements.
I just heard this today: upon the passage of the law for same sex marriage, A man in NY spent lots of money on a transsexual surgery...
Happy Birthday, America ! :)
I just heard this today: upon the passage of the law for same sex marriage, A man in NY spent lots of money on a transsexual surgery...
Happy Birthday, America ! :)
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Beyond - 光輝歲月“Glorious Days”
In 1991, the HK band “Beyond” dedicated the song entitled “Glorious Days” to Nelson Mandela who was still imprisoned at that time. The lyrics were amazingly inspiring and insightful. Prior to that, most of the pop songs in HK shared the common theme of romance. The band “Beyond” produced original music that covered a wide variety of themes including romance, the love for mom and for dad, friendships, fight for freedom, caring about grass root people, politics…etc.
I would just like to translate a few sentences of the lyrics into English:
可否不分膚色的界線
願這土地裡 不分你我高低
繽紛色彩閃出的美麗
是因它沒有 分開每種色彩
If people are not divided by the colors of skins
we will all be equal rather than being judged in this land
Beauty shines through the colors of the world
because the world is not separated apart by colors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYh3JrGUY5g
《光輝歲月》歌词 Lyrics
鐘聲響起歸家的訊號
在他生命裡 彷佛帶點唏噓
黑色肌膚給他的意義
是一生奉獻 膚色鬥爭中
年月把擁有變做失去
疲倦的雙眼帶著期望
今天只有殘留的軀殼
迎接光輝歲月
風雨中抱緊自由
一生經過徬徨的掙扎
自信可改變未來
問誰又能做到
可否不分膚色的界線
願這土地裡 不分你我高低
繽紛色彩閃出的美麗
是因它沒有 分開每種色彩
年月把擁有變做失去
疲倦的雙眼帶著期望
今天只有殘留的軀殼
迎接光輝歲月
風雨中抱緊自由
一生經過徬徨的掙扎
自信可改變未來
問誰又能做到
I would just like to translate a few sentences of the lyrics into English:
可否不分膚色的界線
願這土地裡 不分你我高低
繽紛色彩閃出的美麗
是因它沒有 分開每種色彩
If people are not divided by the colors of skins
we will all be equal rather than being judged in this land
Beauty shines through the colors of the world
because the world is not separated apart by colors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYh3JrGUY5g
《光輝歲月》歌词 Lyrics
鐘聲響起歸家的訊號
在他生命裡 彷佛帶點唏噓
黑色肌膚給他的意義
是一生奉獻 膚色鬥爭中
年月把擁有變做失去
疲倦的雙眼帶著期望
今天只有殘留的軀殼
迎接光輝歲月
風雨中抱緊自由
一生經過徬徨的掙扎
自信可改變未來
問誰又能做到
可否不分膚色的界線
願這土地裡 不分你我高低
繽紛色彩閃出的美麗
是因它沒有 分開每種色彩
年月把擁有變做失去
疲倦的雙眼帶著期望
今天只有殘留的軀殼
迎接光輝歲月
風雨中抱緊自由
一生經過徬徨的掙扎
自信可改變未來
問誰又能做到
Friday, July 1, 2011
Good Life
Good Life
Sung by Beverly McClellan and Ryan Tedder
Popularized by One Republic
Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone
New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say
[Chorus]
Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life
Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
[Verse 2]
To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado
Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about
[Bridge 1]
When you're happy like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in
[Chorus]
Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life
Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
A good good life Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
[Bridge 2]
Sung by Beverly McClellan and Ryan Tedder
Popularized by One Republic
Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone
New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say
[Chorus]
Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life
Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
[Verse 2]
To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado
Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about
[Bridge 1]
When you're happy like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in
[Chorus]
Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life
Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
A good good life Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
[Bridge 2]
"Man in the Mirror"
"Man In The Mirror"
Sung by Adam Levine and Javier Colon
Popularized by Michael Jackson
I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change)
(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah)
I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?
A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
(Starting With Me!)
Sung by Adam Levine and Javier Colon
Popularized by Michael Jackson
I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change)
(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah)
I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?
A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
(Starting With Me!)
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