Online Journal August, 2010

Aug
31
2010

Written by:
Thomas Loeffler

On the Edge of New Marketing Strategies

America’s freedoms and capitalist ideals provide entrepreneurs with a plentiful plate of opportunity to make a living without entering the coporate world. Multi-level marketing (MLM) is one of the methods people forgoing the corporate American lifestyle have found successful. Sometimes known as a pyramid program, MLM is a ground works strategy in which friend referral acts as the primary basis for a sales growth. High school and college students are often targeted as individuals who might be of interest in such a strategy because it is an effective way to make money – if you’re good at it. Reputable companies sporting the MLM strategy include Mary Kay and Avon Products. Although the number of lesser known companies outweigh these successful MLM brand rarities, the companies built on the multi-level marketing strategy have caught the attention from Corporate America’s finest.

Aug
28
2010

Written by:
Reem Hassani

Pakistan: A Flood of Political and Economic Disaster

In a country that has already suffered political instability, poverty, and now one of the greatest natural disasters in history—Pakistan is unfolding a tragedy affecting millions of people both inside and outside its borders.

According to the United Nations, the recent floodwater triggered by extra-heavy monsoon rains have now classified 8 million people as needing urgent humanitarian relief, and has destroyed the homes of 4 million Pakistanis. Unfortunately, these incredible numbers are still rising, and with 2 weeks left in the Monsoon season, they are expected to grow. The floods have not only devastated properties over 15 million people, but have claimed the lives of over 1600 Pakistanis—with a promised aftermath of disease and starvation that will likely affect millions more.

Aug
25
2010

Written by:
Kanwar Anand

The Great Recession & The Greater Recovery

Economists, politicians & journalists have repeatedly compared the current recession to the Great Depression. There are certainly some similarities between the two business cycles. The Great Depression dramatically impacted people from all walks of life, there were major bank runs & severe panics in the credit markets that brought the economy to a complete halt and there was uncertainty as far as newer regulations were concerned. But we responded with fierce resilience to get ourselves back on the path to recovery. This included enactment of laws such as the Glass Steagall Act of 1933 which strengthened the financial regulatory framework, implementation of programs such as New Deal that improved our infrastructure & ultimately our decision to enter the Second World War that uplifted millions out of poverty & enabled the US to become a super economic power in the world.

Aug
23
2010

Written by:
j_laughridge

The True Cost of Online Education

If you walk into any grocery store, you’ll see the same thing in almost every aisle: you’ll find “name-brand” choices, you’ll find generic products, and you’ll find multiple size options for nearly every product available. If you want a small bag of fruit, you can get it. If you want (or need) a large bag, you can get that, too. While it costs more on the front end, once you do the math you’ll see that the price per piece is actually better on the larger bag - - so if you need that much fruit, it’s really the only way to go! I’d like to suggest to you that your education works the same way - - the more education you have, the higher your potential earning power tends to be, and so while it costs more on the front end, the pay-off in the end is more than worth it!

Aug
22
2010

Written by:
Jordan Harris

U.S. Colleges and Universities Say No to Illegal Students

In the midst of the U.S. Immigration Reform, a larger public debate has surfaced. The nation's people are outraged by the vast number of illegal students attending U.S. state colleges and universities. The dispute was ignited by the arrest of the Kennesaw State University student Jessica Colotl in late March. Colotl was an illegal immigrant attending KSU on in-state tuition costs. KSU later reclassified Colotl as a non-Georgia resident, while immigration authorities deferred action on Colotl's status for one year, granting her time to complete her degree.

Illegal students occupying seats at American post-secondary institutions is a growing trend. An untold number of undocumented immigrants attend schools in the Ivy League, especially.

Aug
20
2010

Written by:
Orlando Remak

Japan: The Current Economy, Politics and Response to the Yen Situation

Its official: after talks of their losing ground in the international competition for second-place in GDP size, Japan has finally become third to the ever-growing China. This article lays out the Japanese politico-economic situation and their next step.

Current Japanese Economy

Japan’s economy has grown only 0.4% in the last quarter, which is trailing behind every one of the six largest industrialized nations; U.K (1.1%), France (0.6%), Germany (2.2%), China and the U.S. (0.6%). This meager growth is one-fifth the averaged estimated growth reports Bloomberg has determined. Though China does not compile quarter-on-quarter reports, its annualized growth was over 10.3% in the last year.

Aug
18
2010

Written by:
Ankita Kochhar

Could Unemployment Benefits cause further Unemployment?

The Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson in an interview with Good Morning America in February this year said that the economy is well on its path to recovery. ‘The Economist’ in July suggested that the recession may well have ended last year. Either way, we appear to be making a slow but steady climb out of the biggest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. This climb out of the recession is primarily reflected in terms of the positive GDP growth rate, which was -6.8% in December 2008; with the 2008 average being -2.73%. The 2010 average currently stands at 3.05%, with a 5.6% growth in the last quarter.; the fastest growth rate in 6 years.

How is this positive change reflected in the employment?

Aug
17
2010

Written by:
Jusvin Dhillon

Circuit Breakers and High-Frequency Trading

On May 6th of this year, one trillion dollars of market value were erased from 2:42 – 2:47 pm. Entire funds traded for one cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average crashed 1,000 points, but by the end of the day, companies’ prices again reflected their value. Known now as the “Flash Crash”, this five-minute fallout sparked public interest in modern trading and a recent change in the regulation of stock exchanges.

In the spotlight are high-frequency traders, who use microsecond-fast computers to trade on and clear out price discrepancies. 73% of U.S. equity trades are now high-frequency, and competition between traders to be the first to fill orders has led to closure of the bidding price and selling price gap in the 21st century, a modern boon which reduces to fractions of pennies transaction costs for all investors.

Aug
15
2010

Written by:
Reem Hassani

New Credit Check Laws to Help Students Get Jobs

For college students and recent graduates, the prospects of finding a job in this harsh economy is intimidating to say the least. With a job pool that is oversaturated with applicants of all ages, employers are looking for anything to eliminate candidates and make decisions quicker. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, a factor that over 60 percent of employers consider today is something that negatively impacts the recruitment of college students—a Credit History Report.

Let’s face it: “High Credit Score” isn’t exactly at the top of our resume when we’re fresh out of college. Most of us are just beginning to pay off student loans, don’t have much job experience, and are still recovering from outrageous bills accumulated from laptops and liquor tabs. A degree from a reputable university may not be enough to land a job right off the bat—and many states want that to change.

Aug
12
2010

Written by:
Thomas Loeffler

The Gulf Region: Potential for Brain Drain? Try Brawn Drain

The term brain drain refers to a massive emigration of a group of humans containing intellectual or technical skill sets. For example, if people are living in a region where jobs are scarce, many will choose to migrate to another country where their skills will be recognized as valuable contribution with monetary return. Known throughout the world as the land of opportunity, America has often benefited from brain drain in the last 200 years. Today, however, Americans face the possibility of bearing the costs, rather than benefits, associated with this type of exodus. The Gulf region’s series of misfortunate events have left enough job instability to cause serious concern for another type of occurrence called brawn drain.

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