Monday Matters #15

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/is-the-us-focusing-too-much-on-stem/383353/

Is the U.S focusing too much on STEM

• S: Science, T: Technology, E: Engineering, M: Math
• The authors claim is that the U.S should be focusing more on STEM
• The U.S has fallen behind in education
• US has to step its programs up for STEM

Monday Matters #14

For Accomplished students, reaching a top college isn't that hard by:Kevin Carey

• Colleges tend to scare students with their low acceptance rates
• Ivy League schools on average accept 5.9 %
• Students enroll in many colleges so there is a higher chance of acceptance
• Question isn't if you will go to Harvard or Stanford, but if you will get accepted into college
• 4 out of 5 colleges you choose WILL except you!

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/upshot/for-accomplished-students-reaching-a-top-college-isnt-actually-that-hard.html?ref=education&_r=0&abt=0002&abg=1

Monday Matters #13

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/us/obama-high-speed-internet-access-schools-child-care.html?ref=education&_r=0


Obama makes a pitch to increase high-speed internet in school

• Obama is a bog advocate for technology use in schools
• Obama is having Superintendents of the countries districts to sign pledges
• Obama is setting up an amount of money form the Federal governement to give to schools

Monday Matters #12

During the Midterm Election, apparently there was quite a strong stalemate between the Republicans and Democrats! According to Fox News, the Senate was won by the Senate! States like Utah are one run by Republicans in the state legislature and Governor. Many Democrats bash on the heads of Republicans for being racist and sexist. However, Utah voted for the first black woman to become the Governor of Utah. And amazing win for the Republicans!!

Monday Matters #11

http://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/elections-forecast-2014/

• It seems there is a true deadlock now between the Republicans and Democrats
• Democrats have slightly taken Senate, but with some tossup states
• Republicans need to step it up

It seems like in this cartoon, midterm elections were based upon Democrats(helpers of Obama), 

and Republicans, who want him out and tell the American people to vote for anyone else besides Obama's friends!

http://comicallyincorrect.com/2014/09/04/midterm-2014-election/

Monday Matters #10

2014 Midterm Elections:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-takes-blame-democrats-midterm-elections-losses-article-1.2004545

• Republicans win Senate
• Republicans win House of Representatives
• Republicans win Governor
• Obama  blames himself for Democrat losses

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/11/09/elections-bring-in-group-trailblazing-lawmakers-with-potential-to-reach-new/

• Mia Love, a Republican, won Utah for Governor. She is the first black woman as governor in the country!!

Monday matters #9

Today, is November 4, 2014!! It is the midterm elections to determine Congress's balance in Republican and Democrat issues.

Both republicans and democrats are predicting what could happen, and how they can cease power in the Senate and the House of Representatives

The first opinion, is of Fox News, a Republican news organization:

• it will be a stalemate
• Republicans need to take the House
• if republicans take these seats, Obama will be helpless
• http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/11/04/decision-day-voters-head-to-polls-to-determine-control-congress-state-capitals/

The second opinion is of CNN, a more democratic view on these elections:

• even democrats agree that the Republicans will win the Senate
• Republicans will elect a black Senator in the South'
• the elections will be a surprisehttp://www.cnn.com/2014/11/03/politics/7-things-will-happen-election-night/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Monday Matters #8

This is a cartoon portraying the defects of Obama Care. David Brookes is a republican, and is against Obama's Obamacare.
In this cartoon, Obamacare is shown as an ambulance. It is falling apart, with its wheels flying everywhere. Obama realizes that it actually hurts the economy, but acts as if it is fine!!

Monday Matters #7

David Brooks' synthesis:

David Brooks has spoken actively of the problems of Liberalism, and the necessity of conservatism. In the issues of ISIS, Obama, and the American Economy, Brooks has showed that liberals have a low sense of reality. It is necessary to have order, and economics based on reality, not what is politically correct.

Monday Matters #6

The Sorting Election

The Sorting Election

David Brooks talks about the differences in economic pluralism in the West Coast, and the midterm presidential elections in 2014:

• Both San Francisco Bay Area and Houston are economically growing exponentially
• The rise of economic pluralism, but negatively contributing to political segmentation
• Bay area more for the rich, appealing to the 'hipster' generation
• Houston appealing to industrial workers

David Brooks, a Republican, is appealing mostly to the conservative audience. Economically, Brooks is in favor of economic diversity. He explains the correlation of how the economic and political state of America is being affected not by the government, but by the people themselves and their desires of life, whether it be raising a family in the child-friendly Bay area, or setting a stepping stone for oneself in industrial prosperity in Houston. The next elections will change!

Monday matters #5

David Brooks speaks of Lewis Mummford's in-depth view of the liberal morality in politics:

• Liberals are driven more by emotions
• Liberals pay attention to scientific and factual evidence, rather than theological and literature texts
• Emotions and feelings are blinding liberal pragmatists, who see only one side of things
• Liberal pragmatists are always pacifists when faced with danger

The Problem with Pragmatism

Clearly, we can see in this editorial of who seems to be Brooks' favorite writer, Brooks is on the conservative side of the American political spectrum. One thing that I have noticed of Brooks' writing is that he always begins with some kind of historical allusion. In this case, he refers to the loss of people belonging in a political circle, and more individualistic in their views on politics. Thanks to the internet!! Very well written!!

Monday Matters #4

David Brooks, a columnist for The New York Times, tells of Obama's speech to the U.N

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/26/opinion/david-brooks-routine-creativity-and-president-obamas-un-speech.html?_r=0

• Different types of artists do different things to trigger their creativity in their daily
• Order is essential in the daily family, community, and world around us
• Order creates security, trust and infrastructure
• Obama's speech to the UN of the dangers of ISIS and Putin, stating that it takes military actions to defeat a military threat

Monday Matters #3

This political cartoon is of the recent Ukraine/ Russia conflict that has been going on for the past year:

• Russia, being the older wife, is taking her husband(Ukraine) from the dinner table with the west
• Russia is portrayed as an older Russian woman
• The west, is portrayed as a modern, beautiful younger woman. 
• This cartoon is geared for the western audience
• mostly comical
• The topic is so unjustified, yet the cartoonist is very satirical in his view

Monday Matters #2

Senator Feinstein: Confront ISIS now

Why US must confront ISIS now:

• ISIS is now a sophisticated military group, and is only growing
• ISIS is sending threats specifically to America
• ISIS has killed thousands of women and children, participating in a complete ethnic genocide. 
• Although US does not want to get into another war with Iraq, this one is necessary. 

Monday Matters #1

U.S strikes ISIS targets near 2nd largest Dam in Iraq

As of this past weekend, the U.S military military has sent massive amounts of missiles to key points of ISIS activity in Iraq. This Sunday, the military has sent missiles around the Haditha Dam in the west of Iraq. This Dam is the second largest dam in all of Iraq and is really important. Right now, the Iraqi government forces are still in control of the dam, but ISIS has tried to seize the dam, failing to do so. Right now, this is the priority to not let ISIS get that dam, because if ISIS seizes it, they will have control of the water and electricity supplies through this dam. If destroyed, the dam could be used to flood cities, and end electricity in a number of areas. The more offensive there is on these terrorists, the better it is for the world.