RRJ

2010-08-06T09:50:00.001-07:00

Title: 12 Million Affected by Pakistan's Historic Floods
Source: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/Massive-Evacuation-Continues-as-Pakistan-Floods-Spread-South-100111059.html?refresh=1
Author: VOA News
Date : 6 Aug 2010
Pakistan hadn’t seen like this floods for a long time, there are a lot of people have been killed by flood waters and the infrastructures and crops were damaged.
Does Pakistani government was ready to face any disasters like this?
How will this disaster effect the world economy?
Pakistani government was not prepared for a big disaster like this one, it is busy with other issues ,furthermore, this issue will affect the price of crops internationally.

2010-08-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

Title: Unemployment report portrays stagnant job market
Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-unemployment-report-20100807,0,5736309.story
Author : Don Lee
Date : August 6, 2010
The workers status is bad, their salary is decreasing, moreover, the unemployed rate is still high. Totally, there are many workers lost their job.
Questions:
Why the unemployed rate have not changed for a long time?
Is there any relationship between the world economy crisis and this case?
I believe that this issue will be solved if the world economy crisis resolve because the world events are linked together by the communication revolution.

2010-07-30T10:50:00.001-07:00

Title: Limited immigration law goes into force in Ariz.
Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38436995/ns/us_news-immigration_a_nation_divided/
Author : msnbc.com staff and news service reports
Date : 7/29/2010
The new law of immigration in Arizona was discontinued by federal judge (Susan Bolton), however , she thinks that will affect the relationship between The US and other countries. There are many people refuse this law, there refusing was appeared when they got together in Washington, DC and other cities to say no for it. Additionally, there are some governors with this new law and others against.
Questions:
1- Why does this law appear now?
2- Why does Arizona state just decide this law?

I think the USA is a strong country, that strength came from the difference, so it should be like this style.

RRJ #5New signs of economic recovery in metro Denver

2010-03-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

New signs of economic recovery in metro Denver

Reference:

Zartler, J. (2010,March3) New signs of economic recovery in metro Denver,Metro Denver http://www.9news.com/seenon9news/article.aspx?storyid=133793&catid=509

Summary:

According to the EDC the metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, there are many good indications of improvement in the segments. The second quarter’s report expressed positive growth in six annual economics signs versus positive in one economic sign in the month before. The good sing here is the growth in the metro area has increased the home prices. The improving in the price will make momey people feel better because they will get a lot of many in terms of raising in the home prices. But Silverstein said that is enough to make them feel happy without getting improve in the job, he added, "When we look at recovery, we look at production primarily and so companies will see increased sales activity and increased demand for their product but they're not necessarily going to be hiring yet. For many people it's not a recovery until there's job opportunity out there.”

That recovery will involve losing a few jobs before improve by the end of the year; metro Denver lost 55,000 jobs in 2009, Silverstein said that there will improving in the job by the end of 2010. She has expected about 1,500 added jobs in 2010, that is better than losing them last year. According to what she said, there are many ground to use for recovery. That means the economic case is growing.

Reaction:

"When we start to see those home prices improve that makes many people feel better because so many people have a lot of their wealth tied up in their homes," she said.

Silverstein says although there are many signs pointing to a recovery, most people will not feel like that is the case until they see job growth.

"When we look at recovery, we look at production primarily and so companies will see increased sales activity and increased demand for their product but they're not necessarily going to be hiring yet. For many people it's not a recovery until there's job opportunity out there," Silverstein said.

On that front, the Metro Denver EDC is expecting a small number of job losses before things are expected to improve at the end of the year.

Metro Denver lost 55,000 jobs in 2009 and although Silverstein does not have an exact prediction for job losses in 2010, the good news is that she sees a turn around by the end of the year.

"We're expecting by the end of 2010 we'll start to see job growth. In fact, we're expecting that we'll add about 1,500 jobs which doesn't sound like a huge number but it certainly is better compared to where it was last year," she said.

Silverstein says 2010 is only the beginning of the long road to recovery.

"We still have a lot of ground to recover. This was a very deep recession so a lot of ground to recover but we're definitely on that uphill climb which is where we want to be," she said.

RRJ#4 New Economics of Marriage: The Rise of Wives

2010-03-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

New Economics of Marriage: The Rise of Wives

Reference :

Fry,R and Cohn, D. ( , 2010, January 19). “ New Economics of Marriage: The Rise of Wives” Pew Researach Center http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1466/economics-marriage-rise-of-wives.

Summary:

The marriages company has been changed recently, the women have became more educated and richer than men . In 1970 the men’s amount of the education and salary was less than in 2007, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of demographic and economic trend data.
In the past the women didn’t work, so if they had gotten married they would be the winner from an economic side; unfortunately. In recent days they become different they were in the past.

In 2007 the average income of the three types of families, married men, married women and unmarried women was higher by 60% than in 1970,but there is a fourth group that has increased in their income by 16%.

The reason for that difference is that the natural structure of humans, in addition to the education factor affects the amount of the marriage people, but the gap increased since 1970 because more education makes the wages higher.

This report tries to explain that there is a first group who completed its education and their age is 30 - 44; they had gotten married and had gone to the work the women are more than men did.

The percentage of the uneducated men who had gotten married form women decreased from 28% in 1970to 20 in 2007.

The women are going to take the half part of the employers their amount of employee increase from 46.5% in 2007 to47.4.4% in 2009.

Education factor is one of the important factors plays a big role in income, the men are the bigger part which earn more money through the salary, they got 56% versus 44% for women who graduated from college. For unmarried adults at each level of education, however, men's household incomes fared worse than those of women.

Unmarried women in 2007 had higher household incomes than their 1970 counterparts at each level of education. But unmarried men without any post-secondary education lost ground because their real earnings decreased and they did not have a wife's wages to buffer that decline.

Unmarried men who did not complete high school or who had only a high school diploma had lower household incomes in 2007 than their 1970 counterparts did. Unmarried men with some college education had stagnant household incomes. But the unmarried women earned income in 2007 more than they did in 1970, Unmarried men who graduated with (15%), versus unmarried women who graduated (28%). In fact, household incomes of unmarried men with college degrees grew at half the rate of household incomes of married men with only a high school diploma -- 33% versus 15%.

Reaction:

The human resources is the most important resources in any economic system, and all of countries try to keep this resource, the reason for caring this resource because the Economic development start from them , by them and it ends with the human resource.

The ways to improve the human resource by training them or educate them, more they get educate, more they make the economy higher, more the earn income , more they spend money more make the economy in good employment . in the past the people used to work in muscular jobs, that required a strong body and Patient men, in this case the women couldn’t endure this kind of jobs, so it is normal to find that men were more than women earning income.

In these days the women become e more educated , so they have more opportunity to get a job than men, especially unmarried women. This explains why the income for unmarried men is less than unmarried women.
In terms of educate factor , many countries increased to care on the education system , especially , the high education . for example , Libyan government becomes aware that it has to improve the human recourse by sending them to the advanced countries to make them more educated .

In terms of the marriage, the educated families gets more income but they are less numbers of children, because they are too busy to take care for children or even to become parents.

RRJ#3 China's economy to expand 9.4% in 2010, report forecasts

2010-02-23T21:10:00.001-08:00

China's economy to expand 9.4% in 2010, report forecasts

Reference:

Xinhua .(2009,November 20 ) China's economy to expand 9.4% in 2010, report forecasts http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90778/90862/6819640.html

Summary:

China’s economy is going to increase; that is expected to pass 9% 2011. That will include the growth of domestic consumption and improving exports, the China's retail sales were 16.2% year on year to 171.3 billion U.S . dollars. The world tries to renew its economy but that is not easy to do, according president of the School of Economics of the university. in other hand the exports declined 13.8%year on year to $ 110.8 billion last month , the smallest decrease in 10 months , while the imports arched $ 86.8 billion which means it backed down 6.4% last year.

Mr. Liu Yuanchun requested from the government to make plan for low rent apartment s and the affordable housing program for next year. The report expected that China will spend this year 8.56% more this year than last year.

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 7.7% year by year, according to the report, the country's consumer price index (CPI), a main measurement of inflation, would dip 0.7 percent this year, the (CPI) decreased last October .0.5%. The economists have hopefulness for China's economy. Fan Gang, director of the Beijing-based National Economic Research Institute expected that the economy will grow between 8 to 9% this year, however , the another economist at Goldman Sachs, expected that China's economy would expand 11.9 percent year on year in 2010.

Reaction:

China’s economy is the third economy in the world, because there are the three important recourses for any economic system; those are the natural resources, the human resources , and the financial resources . All of those resources support the Chinese economy.

In terms of the export and import, if any country exports more than it imports that means its economy is working well, and if the export is less than import, that means economy is going to be weak. The meaning of the export is getting more money, but the import means spending more money.

the growth in GDP should fit the growth in the population and the changes in the prices in the country to avoid the inflation, which is the one of the biggest problems in any economic system.

RRJ# 2 Oxford Business Group to chart Libya's privatization progress in new economic report

2010-02-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

Oxford Business Group to chart Libya's privatization progress in new economic report

Reference:

BI-ME staff (2010, February 7) Oxford Business Group to chart Libya's privatization progress in new economic report. Business Intelligence Middle East Company
http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=44113&t=1&c=35&cg=4&mset=1011/2010, February 7 bime.com

Summary:

Libyan production of oil is going up, and the exports to Europe are increasing, according to Shokri Ghanem, Chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC).That will improve the gas segment following the new energy policy which the most of European countries were followed to explore the gas in the Gulf of Sirt area.

He said that the new policy is going toward privatizing the refineries and the petrochemicals of the oil industry as part of its wider steps to reshape the sector. He added “We began by privatizing the Zwara fertilizer plant and the Raf Lanuf refinery.”

This sector is the most important for the industry segment and the foreign investment. Ghanem said that the he believed that the privatization for the gas segment will work successfully more than the public sector; in addition that will help the local companies to follow the big economic changes in the world. He said when he was meeting Oxford Business Group (OBG) “ere will be a marked increase in the development of local content within the industry and we are doing our best to encourage this trend.”

Reaction:

Libya used to follow the communist regime for a long time which required establish a different policy which meant the government is the director. Also, it has the most recourse of the inputs and the outputs. That implies that it is the unique responded which dominates the prices. That system filled down with URSS did , because it was as model for the old system. Furthermore this system is old; there are few countries still following the communist regime. Libya changed its mind to follow the capitalistic way. It found the communist regime areunsuccessful for its economy. The new system is different from the old.

The capitalists required changing all the sectors form public to private; the role of the government is just organization, and it can’t control the prices or it can’t control the inputs or the outputs. In addition, it can’t intrude in the market, because the market is working in the capitalism according to the power of demand and supply to approach to the equilibrium quantity and price. That means it is in the market equilibrium.

The new capitalism will affect these companies negatively in the first time, but that will change when these companies depend on themselves completely. They used to depend on the government’s funds .That means they will use the finance resources economically. They might give more ages for less employers. I think the good advice e for these companies is following the market changes in terms of the prices , employment, and supply. If they follow that rules (market rules) they will be more safety from the crisis.

RRJ#1Obama Seeks Limits on Banks, Condemns Campaign Finance Ruling

2010-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Obama Seeks Limits on Banks, Condemns Campaign Finance Ruling

Reference:

Ritter, M. (2010, January22) “Obama seeks limits on banks, condemns campaign finance ruling” VOA Special English. http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2010-01-21-voa1.cfm

Summary:

President Obama is trying to help banks and their system by issuing laws or rules to save them from investment dangers by using government-insured deposits. As a result of taking big wastage the banks traded mortgage securities, which affect badly on the bank system.

The President’s declaration guided the bank shares to go down. That reason made financial companies and some members in Congress refuse Obama’s fixing steps. There are some senators, in Congress, such as Scott Brown, who disagree with health insurance system; he will affect the financial system.

The United States Supreme Court has explained the way to use it to get more votes than they need. That made President Obama think that is a “major victory” for big oil companies in Wall Street and other corporations, he recommended them his administration talk with congressional leaders to make a forceful reaction.

Unemployment increased a couple times in two years to 10%; many people waited for the government to save the large banks. Therefore, there are banks that earned record profits, at the same time the others lost their money.

Reaction:

In my opinion there are many factors that affect the banks functions such as money supply, interest rates and demand of the money, and there are other factors, but these are the most important aspects. The central bank’s occupation is determining the right quantity of the money that the system needs. Also, the commercial banks can change the interest rates. In terms of the demand of money, the public will decide that.

On the other hand, the investments is one part of the parts that the economy depends on with other parts such as the saving and expending; these parts influence the economy working together, so if there is any problem in one’s part of them, that will affect the others. The important thing that needs to be mentioned here is, that there are features at work with each part; in this case government-insured deposits affect the banks job indirectly, that made President Obama worry about that.

The other object here is that the unemployment has increased during two years reaching to 10%; that sign is dangerous on any previous economy while the US economy .It was 9.7% in the US in 2009 according to Wikipedia. The normal unemployment rate is between 5.5 and 6. That is exactable for a normal case; if that increased it is the big sign of the economic problem. That will influence some banks by earning and others by losing.

2009-11-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

Do children have stress?

Reference:
David V. Sheslow, PhD, and Meredith Lutz Stehl, PhDon December 2008
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/stress.html

Vocabulary:
Anxious: nervous, worried
Symptom: sign
Patience: composure
Defy: challenge
Authority: power
Overwhelm: crush
Extracurricular: additional
Concentrating: to bring or draw to a common center or point of union; converge; direct toward one point; focus: to concentrate one's attention on a problem; to concentrate the rays of the sun with a lens.
nutrition: the act or process of nourishing or of being nourished
Discussion Questions:
1- what is main idea of the article?
2- According to the article, what are the reasons of the stress in the kids?
3- Do you think stress effect kids’ health?
4- We can treat stress with children, what is the best way to deal that?
5- My daughter, Aisha, is asking you for helping. How can you help her ?

Summary:
Sometimes people thing that kids don’t have any stress, because they believe that they don’t consider about life , job , bill, friends, money,...etc, they eat, play and sleep, that is it. If truth be told, that is not true, kids have complex stress. My daughter Aisha 3 years has stress, I note her behavior every day. She has two sisters going to the school each day, she stays at home, her mother is busy. After her sisters go to school, she start crying, running, cutting and tusking the books until she sleeps. That scenario she does every day even her sisters with her in home. The kids behavior difficult to understand, their thinking is different with others, but we should know their needs, and try to deal them softly. We need to know the reason of their stress to solve it they need our advices to help them. Finally, Remember that some level of stress is normal; let kids know that it's OK to feel angry, afraid, feeling alone, or anxious and that other people share those feelings.

Resources:
Resources for children:
www.kidshealth.com
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Publicat/NIMHgad.pdf
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/afraid.html
Resources for teachers:
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/mhgu/newmhgu14.htm
http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/anxious.htm
http://www.nea.org/crisis/
http://www.healthteacher.com/lessonguides/
Resources for parents:
http://www.mentalhealth.org/child
http://www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/health-public-affairs/mhcs/publications/6420.html
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/mhgu/newmhgu14.htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/stress.html
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/HealthInformation/depchildmenu.cfm
http://www.mentalhealth.org/publications/allpubs/Ca-0022/default.asp
http://www.vh.org/pediatric/patient/pediatrics/cqqa/anxiety.html

Childhood stress
providers and caretakers, adults tend to view the world of children as happy and carefree. After all, kids don't have jobs to keep or bills to pay, so what could they possibly have to worry about?
Plenty! Even very young children have worries and feel stress to some degree. Stress is a function of the demands placed on us and our ability to meet them.
Sources of Stress
Pressures often come from outside sources (such as family, friends, or school), but they can also come from within. The pressure we place on ourselves can be most significant because there is often a discrepancy between what we think we ought to be doing and what we are actually doing in our lives.
Stress can affect anyone who feels overwhelmed — even kids. In preschoolers, separation from parents can cause anxiety. As kids get older, academic and social pressures (especially the quest to fit in) create stress.
Many kids are too busy to have time to play creatively or relax after school. Kids who complain about the number of activities they're involved in or refuse to go to them may be signaling that they're overscheduled.
Talk with your kids about how they feel about extracurricular activities. If they complain, discuss the pros and cons of quitting one activity. If quitting isn't an option, explore ways to help manage your child's time and responsibilities so that they don't create so much anxiety.
Kids' stress may be intensified by more than just what's happening in their own lives. Do your kids hear you talking about troubles at work, worrying about a relative's illness, or fighting with your spouse about financial matters? Parents should watch how they discuss such issues when their kids are near because children will pick up on their parents' anxieties and start to worry themselves.
World news can cause stress. Kids who see disturbing images on TV or hear talk of natural disasters, war, and terrorism may worry about their own safety and that of the people they love. Talk to your kids about what they see and hear, and monitor what they watch on TV so that you can help them understand what's going on.
Also, be aware of complicating factors, such as an illness, death of a loved one, or a divorce. When these are added to the everyday pressures kids face, the stress is magnified. Even the most amicable divorce can be a difficult experience for kids because their basic security system — their family — is undergoing a tough change. Separated or divorced parents should never put kids in a position of having to choose sides or expose them to negative comments about the other spouse.
Signs and Symptoms
While it's not always easy to recognize when kids are stressed out, short-term behavioral changes — such as mood swings, acting out, changes in sleep patterns, or bedwetting — can be indications. Some kids experience physical effects, including stomachaches and headaches. Others have trouble concentrating or completing schoolwork. Still others become withdrawn or spend a lot of time alone.
Younger children may show signs of reacting to stress by picking up new habits like thumb sucking, hair twirling, or nose picking; older kids may begin to lie, bully, or defy authority. A child who is stressed may also have nightmares, difficulty leaving you, overreactions to minor problems, and drastic changes in academic performance.
Reducing Stress
How can you help kids cope with stress? Proper rest and good nutrition can boost coping skills, as can good parenting. Make time for your kids each day. Whether they need to talk or just be in the same room with you, make yourself available.
Even as kids get older, quality time is important. It's really hard for some people to come home after work, get down on the floor, and play with their kids or just talk to them about their day — especially if they've had a stressful day themselves. But expressing interest in your kids' days shows that they're important to you.
Help your child cope with stress by talking about what may be causing it. Together, you can come up with a few solutions like cutting back on after-school activities, spending more time talking with parents or teachers, developing an exercise regimen, or keeping a journal.
You can also help by anticipating potentially stressful situations and preparing kids for them. For example, let a child know ahead of time (but not too far ahead of time) that a doctor's appointment is coming up and talk about what will happen there. Keep in mind, though, that younger kids probably won't need too much advance preparation. Too much information can cause more stress - reassurance is the key.
Remember that some level of stress is normal; let kids know that it's OK to feel angry, scared, lonely, or anxious and that other people share those feelings.
Helping Your Child Cope
When kids can't or won't discuss these issues, try talking about your own concerns. This shows that you're willing to tackle tough topics and are available to talk with when they're ready. If a child shows symptoms that concern you and is unwilling to talk, consult a counselor or other mental health specialist.
Books can help young kids identify with characters in stressful situations and learn how they cope. Check out Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst; Tear Soup by Pat Schweibert, Chuck DeKlyen, and Taylor Bills; and Dinosaurs Divorce by Marc Brown and Laurene Krasny Brown.
Most parents have the skills to deal with their child's stress. The time to seek professional attention is when any change in behavior persists, when stress is causing serious anxiety, or when the behavior is causing significant problems in functioning at school or at home.
If you need help finding resources for your child, consult your doctor or the counselors and teachers at school.

2009-11-03T14:39:00.001-08:00

Hi every body