America, are you ready to purchase products with a “Made in U.S.A. or Made in America” seal on it? CNN Politics released an article that President Trump just signed and passed the executive order on the Buy American and Hire American policy. President Trump believes that by doing so, it will help protect the lives of workers in America and students. What does this mean for current workers, immigrants, and workers with visas or green cards? Does this mean the U.S. is now cutting ties with international business owners or international working relationships? Photo Credit: YouTube I can understand that immigrants currently make up a majority of the U.S. population. As a result, the employment rates have been declining and leaving many Americans without a job. I know President Trump wants the best for Americans, and he is doing so by keeping his campaign promises. However, deporting and firing current hardworking employees from the job is simply not the solution. What about the workers’ families? Can you imagine being separated from your family and loved ones because the president pushes for the Buy American and Hire American policy? Moreover, the cost of craftsmanship will skyrocket; for example, CNet published an article that the new iPhone 8 will likely cost between $850 and $1,000 because it will be made in the United States. Eventually, the lower and middle class families will not be able to afford necessities or household appliances. Photo Credit: SawPanse Instead of a working policy made for just Americans, how about more funding toward higher education so that more students can gain work experience through internships and part-time jobs? In 2017, almost all jobs require a college degree, either Associate’s or Bachelor’s. How about making work experience a graduation requirement at all universities? This ensures that every student graduates with work experience, a post-graduate plan, and students will have something they can be proud of on their résumés. How about supporting and encouraging start-up companies to invest in the youth and the future of America? (i.e. more internship opportunities, hosting a career fair at colleges, etc.). Photo Credit: YouTube ©2017 shirleytoy.weebly.com. All Rights Reserved.
Who else is annoyed by the ads before every YouTube video, especially the ones you cannot skip? CNet News published an article saying that Google announced on BBC Reports will now remove the ads that are unskippable; however, the five-second ads will remain. You are probably wondering, when will this happen? Next year and that means only nine more months to go! Photo Credit: Pinterest Watching my favorite content creators should not be a punishment, where I have to commit to a 30 second ad that is not of interest to me. I suppose YouTube has to generate revenue in some way for giving us access to their videos. I have to admit that I have learned a lot from watching a tutorial. Great news for dedicated subscribers like myself, who are on a budget and will brace through the ads. But what does this mean for YouTube Red subscribers? People are paying top dollar to watch exclusive content from their favorite creators, and they are getting access to an exclusive feature by watching YouTube ad-free. Because of Google’s new plans for 2018, is this a step backward in terms of profit for YouTube? Will subscribers begin to unsubscribe because it is no longer an exclusive feature? Will YouTube Red phase out? Photo Credit: FileHippo Although I am not a YouTube Red subscriber, I know I am excited yet, grateful to watch YouTube in a somewhat ad-free way. It will take me a while to get use to not seeing ads, and I will be a lot more happier because I will no longer have to sit in front of an ad that I am forced to watch. ©2017 shirleytoy.weebly.com. All Rights Reserved.
Did you know that President Donald Trump can be removed from office without being impeached? An article on TIME thoroughly explained the rights stated in Section Four of the 25th Amendment. I, personally, do not think our vice president will take action and go against our president. At the same time, he may do the unthinkable. The 25th Amendment came to light when Minnesota’s Democratic Senator Al Franken and some of his Grand Old Party (GOP) colleagues proposed that President Trump is “not right mentally.” Because of what Senator Franken and several of his colleagues said, he gained the support of 35 mental health professionals from psychologists to social workers. These individuals claim that [President Trump] is demonstrating “grave emotional instability.” As a U.S. Citizen, this is a combination of good news and bad news. Although my views may not align with President Trump, I do not want him to be removed from office for many reasons. One of the main reasons why I want the president to stay in office is what America will have to face with Vice President Pence in lead. Our president has only been in office for a little over two months, and the U.S. is already suffering in many ways (Muslim ban, deportation, repealing of Obamacare and the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA), etc.). Our vice president is a well-educated individual with numerous years of experience in politics; this means he will do everything in his power to make President Trump’s plans come to life, or he will incorporate his plans as well that are not yet publicized to Americans. Huffington Post once wrote an article about Vice President Pence’s views on the issues, and President Trump is nothing compared to our vice president. I think that we need to take a step back and re-evaluate if this is the right step to take. We need to think about the consequences and what we are willing to undergo as a result. Do we want President Trump for four years, or do we want Vice President Pence for four years? It is easy to say, “I want an impeachment” or “I do not want him in office for four years,” etc., but I rather play it safe than looking back with regret. ©2017 shirleytoy.weebly.com. All Rights Reserved.
Who would have thought that a drone can replace taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft? Drones, as far as I know, are the latest gadgets and perfect for capturing photos and videos from a bird’s eye view. TechCrunch posted an article about Dubai’s plans for the summer, and it involves flying drone taxis. The technology fanatic side of me is screaming with joy, but the citizen side of me is a bit concerned about the safety of the passengers. Also, the flying drone taxis can potentially lead to increased unemployment because people will begin transitioning away from ride-sharing or taxi services. At the same time, I am pleased that Dubai is taking advantage of the technology at their disposal and conceptualizing new and innovative ways to use the drone. I never thought that a drone can carry someone from point A to point B, nor did I ever thought that cars will become a thing of the past. I know that there will be plenty of trial and error prior to the launch. What concerns me is that this concept is still new and at its early stages; however, seven months from now, I am very excited to hear all about Dubai’s flying drone taxis in action. The autonomous quad-opener electric drone, also known as the EHang 184, can carry a passenger up to 220 lbs. at 31 miles in distance and can travel up to 100 miles per hour. The EHang 184 was featured at the Consumers Electronics Show CES 2016 in Las Vegas; this drone is the future of technology, and it is the safest, smartest, and eco-friendly autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV). YouTube launched a concept video detailing the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai’s plans to launch EHang 184 this summer in July of 2017. The concept video also provided a sneak peek of what the EHang 184 has to offer; in the video, I learned that the passenger is the pilot of the AAV, and the drone will know exactly where you are headed to just by tapping the navigation button. The drones will be monitored by the Dubai officials remotely, and drones will take off at a centralized command center. With a plan to kick start in the summer, Dubai is not wasting its time and has already begun its tests over the air. I am thrilled to see where the flying taxi drone service will take us, whether it can potentially replace airplanes, how it will improve the commute and lives of many, and Dubai just proved to the world that nothing is impossible and the sky is not the limit. I wish them the best with their launch this summer; hopefully, we can experience this in the United States too. How cool would it be to ride in a drone on your way to work? The views will be breathtaking. ©2017 shirleytoy.weebly.com. All Rights Reserved.
After a long and exhausting day from work and school, Robert, my Uber driver, talked politics. I was in a carpool with two other passengers, and he initiated a conversation about President Trump’s Inauguration. “I am surprised there are no protestors out here tonight; maybe it’s a little late in the evening,” said Robert. “Well, they were protesting at my school today,” I responded. On Jan. 20, 2017, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) students stand in solidarity while chanting, “No Trump. No KKK. No Fascist USA!” “It’s an inconvenience. Do you think Mr. Trump cares? It’s not like he is going to step down,” exclaimed the millennial. “Probably not. He is currently residing peacefully in the White House,” I said. Honestly, that was not what I wanted to say to Robert. It was 10:00 p.m. on a Friday night. All I wanted to do was get home and curl up in bed, and I was not in the mood to talk about politics or cause trouble. After I arrived home safely, I posted a Facebook status about the encounter with him. My Facebook friends had mixed reactions. My post has been liked 21 times. Two friends were angry that this happened, there were 17 comments, and only one saw the situation from a different angle. To be honest, I don’t entirely disagree with my friend. I agree that we should stand together and the presidency is inconvenient. I strongly believe that this is a race issue because it can influence how you view the world. The Democratic National Convention (DNC) also played a role on the outcome of the election. Minorities, primarily, are targeted because we don’t look like, share the same cultural values, or come from the same roots as our president even though we are “American”. I find people selfish and ignorant for complaining about their commute taking a little longer than usual. It’s like, “I am so sorry you have to go through this, but that is the least of my concerns compared to what is happening as we are speaking (i.e. people are being detained at the airports, healthcare is no longer affordable to approximately 90% of the population, and the list goes on. Then we have millennials who are complaining about their commute times; America is known for freedom of speech, people should be able to go on the streets and peacefully protest what is happening, and all protestors know that this is not going to be easy. So, hearing someone tell you that ‘Mr. Trump doesn’t care’ is not only unsupportive but they are too privileged to see outside of their bubble what others are coping with.” Based on what I am seeing in the 21st century, we are NOT one people, and I strongly disagree that all races will suffer. Obviously, we will all suffer to some degree, but there are those who will be suffering more. Lastly, when people blame this on the voter turnout is what makes me mad; the entire election was a close race. People like my mother came out to vote for the first time ever in her life, I consistently voted as soon as I turned 18, and my father finally voted for the first time since Ronald Reagan – so what? The elections are as rigged as the DNC, the people’s vote does not matter compared to the electoral college. It is a slap in the face to hear that because I volunteered several hours, days and nights to help get out the vote, convince my friends and family to vote, and I am already traumatized by the outcome. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality that we live in. Although my values do not align with President Trump, I want to congratulate him. Many individuals doubted him throughout his campaign, and despite the criticism he received, he never gave up. ©2017 shirleytoy.weebly.com. All Rights Reserved.
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Shirley Chimes In On Ramifications
The purpose of this blog is to merge my love for writing and technology. I will write free-spiritedly on a range of issues including politics and technology trends. Archives
April 2017
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