Final Blog....for now

I think that social media and business writing go hand in hand.  If you want to portray good things to the media then you better make sense when you are doing it.  Facebook and Twitter are very good social media tools to help promote a business, idea, or anything.  Twitter takes a unique approach by only allowing 140 characters.  This to me helps people become more creative and more to the point in their writings.  The job I have now cannot use social media because of privacy and HIPPA laws.  I do however think that it is a good tool for promotions and sales.  Twitter in my opinion is the best for this because of the 140 character limit you have to be concise and to the point and readers are more apt to check out what you are selling when they don’t have to read so much.  Some drawbacks to social media are that anybody can find anyone.  It is very important to not post too personal of information.  If you post the wrong things then management and the higher ups can see that it could lead to hazardous problems.  Writing varies among everyone.  Social media writing is pretty much a hey what’s up world and for lack of a better phrase giving a play by play of your life so to speak.  When you are writing on paper it seems more personal and professional to me.  It takes a lot more effort in my opinion.  There is more research when you are not writing on social media websites.  The society has been greatly impacted by social media.  All of the influential people of the world have either face book or twitter, if not both.  Each year more and more people are signing up for the social media websites and I feel pretty soon that email is going to be a thing of the past if it isn’t already.  The lingo that is used on social media websites is bad for writing in my opinion.  How many people are going to get a job if they use things like lol, omg, and fyi on their resumes or even in conversation?  That is highly unprofessional and I think that it is scarring us when it comes to writing.  I am not a very good writer as it is and for the social media websites and all the lingo it makes it even harder to learn to write better.  Social media is good for the purpose of having important information on one site.  If you are friends are follow the right people you are guaranteed to stay in the loop on just about any topic.  My writing has greatly improved due to blogging.  It could have been the repetition of constant writing, but whatever it was it sure worked.  I find it much easier to stay caught up on current events now since I am never around during the news hours.  My writing has improved using Twitter because it helped me to shorten up my style and get to my point much faster.  I think that this course took a unique approach to writing, and I think it would benefit many more people like it did me.

Eurozone

I read an article that pertained to the Eurozone Crisis on CNN.com.  Standard and Poor's said Monday that it placed fifteen members of the euro currency union on review for possible downgrade as the debt crisis in the eurozone conitnues to worsen.  The warning is applying to Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, and Finland.  The review was prompted by their belief that sytematic stresses in the eurozone have risen in recent weeks to the extent that they now put downward pressure on the credit standing of the eurozone as a whole.  There were five factors poitned out. They are: tightening credit conditions, rising yields on bonds issued by top rated soverigns, ongoing political deadlock over how to deal with the crisis, high levels of government and household debt, and the rising risk that Europe will suffer an economic recession next year.  That being said, our current state here in the US is quite scary.  What if we end up like the Eurozone?  We are already in debt up to our you know whats!  Let's hope that things will turn around over there and here for that matter.

Tariq Aziz

I know that this article isn't really business related, but I found it to be interesting, having served over seas myself.  According to CNN Tariq Aziz, who was Saddam Hussein's top diplomat, is set to be executed next year.  Saad Yousif al-Muttalibi said "It will definately take place and it will take place after Americans leave Iraq."  Hopefully he means this, and it is not a way for them to get us to leave, just so they can start building their Army again.  The Iraqi government did however enstate a new law that would require the death penalty be ratified within fifteen days of it being handed down.  Aziz was captured by US forces in April of 2003.  A lot of the Iraqi citizens were shocked at this because he served his country for more than 22 years and he even turned himself into the US Forces. 

Why Twitter Will Endure

I recently read the article, Why Twitter Will Endure.  I have to say that I agree with this article.  I to think Twitter will be around for a long time.  A good point was made when the author said that you can catch up on the news and such in the time it takes to get your coffee.  The access that Twitter gives you to different links that people post is astonishing.  You can read a slight post of 140 characters or less and a lot of times there will be links that you can click on that take you straight to the source.  It cuts down on time that you take to surf the web.  They have apps that you can get on your phone, so you can take Twitter wherever you go.  The hashtag feature is another cool thing. This allows people to post to a specific chat that is going on, so if you are looking for something in particular all you have to do is search for the hastag and it will bring up the whole conversation about that topic.

Impulse purchases

There was an article I read written by Tanzina Vega, called With a Click of the Remote, Impulse Purchases.  It talked about Verizon's new application.  It will basically allow viewers of shows owned by the A&E network, such as, American Pickers and Pawn Stars.  Essentially all you will have to do is watch the show if you see something you like on the show, all you have to do is open your phone and click on to purchase it.  I can see this being both good and bad.  Good for the boost of the economy, but bad for the impulse shopper that can never say no.  This is making it easy for someone that has a problem to totally lose control.  On the other hand it makes it easier for someone to purchase something that they really want.  They will signal you with a small icon in the upper right corner of the television screen when there is an item available.  Then when you touch the button the screen will split into two and you can complete your order that way, or you can use your phone the choice is yours. 

Chapters 8-9

The first step in constructing a paragraph is to begin it by announcing your topic.  There are two methods of this, one is the top-down, and the other is the bottom-up.  The top-down method starts with the subject of the article.  It reaches out and slaps you in the face, so you know what you are reading before you start reading in depth.  The bottom-up is like a novel.  You may ready several paragraphs or pages before you know the point the writer is trying to make.  The second step is to present your generalizations before your details.  After that, you can move from the most important thing to the least important thing.  If you are having troubles you can consult conventional strategies when you are having difficulties with organizing.  You also need to consider the cultural back ground of your readers when you are organizing your article.  Adding signposts can help readers create a map of what your writing is about. 

Unemployment for our nation's veterans

On your way home from work, you pass by a man standing on the side of the road.  He is holding a sign that says, homeless veteran.  You quickly roll up your window and pass by as if you didn’t even see him.  One huge problem that is facing our nation is unemployment.  A vast majority of the unemployed are veterans.  I think that it is imperative that this problem is rectified.  A veteran gets the call to defend our freedom, and when that call is answered and the soldier returns home, it is then our turn to protect him or her. Let’s take a look at some statistical data to back up my argument.

                The rate of unemployment for veterans has been a problem facing our nation for quite some time.  I found a statistical break down of percentages of unemployment rates for veterans.  The numbers are very shocking.  The unemployment rate for veterans far exceeds the national average.  About 12.1 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are unemployed. This compares to 9.1 percent of Americans nationwide, according to the Labor Department.  The unemployment rate for veterans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four was a shocking twenty-seven percent.  Non-military adults in this age group were at a rate of 17.4 percent.  Those numbers are alarming, and something needs to be done to help fight against this and unemployment in general.  Unemployment is high, but why is it so much higher for veterans?

                One study showed, between 2002 and 2004, the number of veterans claiming unemployment for ex-service members (UCX) increased by about seventy-five percent, raising concerns that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are having difficulty transitioning to the civilian labor market. This report draws on data from the Department of Labor and the individual military services to examine the reasons for the increase in the UCX caseload. These include the intensive use of the reserve components in the Global War on Terror, which has led to large numbers of reserve personnel becoming eligible to claim UCX; longer deployments, which are linked to poorer health and increased UCX claim rates; and significant numbers of reserve personnel choosing not to return to their pre-activation jobs. Loughran and Klerman discuss these issues and their implications for the UCX program. The Unemployment Compensation for ex-service members (UCX) program provides income assistance to unemployed veterans as they search for work.  There are many other reasons that the unemployment rate is higher for veterans, but this one appears to be the biggest.

 Post traumatic stress disorder is another factor that can lead to unemployment in veterans.  Traumatizing experiences are almost a given when you are placed in a combat zone in a war torn country.  What would go through your mind if you had to pull a close friend out of a blown up Hum-V?  After you get him out, you look, and his legs are gone.  How would you feel if you pulled a trigger of a weapon and ended someone’s life?  These situations are very traumatizing to a soldier, so I think post traumatic stress disorder is another huge reason for the higher unemployment rates facing veterans.  I could dive into this subject, but that would be a whole other article.   There is a bill in place that will hopefully make rid of this problem.

I recently read an article entitled, White House, GOP Advocate Jobs Relief forVeterans.  President Obama stated, “It was an American responsibility to improve the dismal job landscape facing veterans when they return from duty.”  I think it’s about time that someone has stepped up and took a crack at this problem.  There are soldiers that come home from war, fighting to protect our freedoms, and then turn to drugs and alcohol because they can’t find a job, so they don’t have a way to put a roof over their heads.  The bill that President Obama is looking at basically gives companies a tax break for hiring veterans.  This is a very appealing thing to everyone, especially small businesses.  Hopefully this will shine a little light of hope.  I certainly hope that our government will pass this bill and help fight the war on unemployment.

 I think the unemployment rate is outrageous.  Hopefully, after reading this article you to will go to bat for a veteran, so when you are driving home tonight and you see that person standing on the side of the road holding a sign, saying homeless veteran, I hope you will at least see that person a little differently.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a very good way to get started on your writing.  In order to effectively brainstorm it is best to say yes to all of your initial ideas.  Write everything down, and when you are finished brainstorming go back over all of your ideas and start to eliminate the ones that you feel are not important to include in your article, report, or whatever you may be writing.  According to the text book, Technical Communication, there is a brainstorming procedure to follow.  There are five simple points.   Review your knowledge of your readers, determine what you know about the subject, write down ideas as fast as they come to you, when the stream runs dry go back through them, and when there are no longer any new ideas group the items in your list together and see if that inspires any new thoughts.  Brainstorming I feel is one of the most critical parts of the writing process.  It gets everything out on the table and allows you to write a very well written report or article. 

Planning your work

In chapter four of Technical Communication, there are some very useful hints to help you write just a little bit better.  There is a simple three step process to follow when you begin to write.  The first step is to identify the information your readers want.  In this step you want to keep in mind that readers can't use what isn't there.  In order to figure this out you must go beyond and find answers to the questions that you think your reader will ask.  The second step is to organize around your readers' tasks.  This means you should make it to where your readers will find it easy to use.  There are three simple things to keep in mind when doing this, the first is, organize hierarchically, then group items that your users will use together, and give the bottom line first.  Identifying a way to help readers quickly find what they want is the third step.  One thing to keep in mind is that reports generally have two parts they are, a very brief summary, and then the body of the report.  If you can keep these three steps in mind it will help you to become a better writer.