Do Immigrants Harm Societies?

The immigrants do not harm societies.  They benefit them by creating jobs, demands for products, and mobilize economic activities.  But the critics of the immigrants may disagree.  In their views, immigrants replace jobs for the locals, hence creating unemployment and put stress on the economy.  Anti-immigrants also believe that immigrants increase crime rates, lower standard of living, and drive down the housing value.

To dispel these claims against the immigrants, their contribution to societies must be examined empirically and with evidenced-based case studies.  The immigrants may create a short-term unemployment, but in the long-run they create employment by driving up the demands for products they buy from their earnings; they take jobs that are considered menial for the locals, hence creating management positions to manage the general labor force.  So, instead of driving down the wages, as the critics for the immigrants would argue, they actually create competitive wages.

The immigrants create vibrant communities.  They create a positively competitive environment where locals strive to excel socially and economically.

To read more about the impacts of immigrants on communities, please click on the link below.  Giovanni Peri at the University of California, Davis conducted a thorough and evidence-based study to dispel the myths we have about the immigrants.

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/Peri-June2010.pdf

Courtesy: Migration Policy Institute

If I Rise: a brilliant and inspirational theme song from 127 Hours

Danny Boyle's 127 Hours is an inspirational movie based on true events. But it is inspirational in a way that one can be inspired to admire his/her everyday surroundings, people he/she loves, things he/she does. And all these do not have to be after effects of a particular moment or a momentary lapse of reasons. We need to be who we are every moment in our lives; love the ones we do unconditionally.

127 Hours is not a movie about a loss. It's about gaining every bit of who we are when we confront the precipice of no return. It's a movie that tells us not to fear the precipice but to confront it. It's a movie about who we love; who we forget to love; how we forget to love; when we forget to love. And then somehow finding an absolution. This movie tells us this much.

The song "If I rise" is a fitting tribute to a brilliant movie and an unforgettable cast. Here's the beautiful song by Dido -- If I rise.

Creative Destruction: a theory at work

Joseph Schumpeter, the famed Austrian economist, in discussing capitalism’s market power illustrated the consequences of such power – “creative destruction” of the smaller firms by the larger ones.  This phenomenon occurs due to the economy of scale, meaning larger firms leverage the power and innovation of technology, human resources, and other forces to establish cost-efficient production operations.  In doing that, larger firms are able to reduce their marginal costs below the prices, thus setting up a direct or indirect monopoly in the market.   Unable to compete, smaller firms are eventually forced to leave the market.

Carvajal and Castle (2009) article in The New York Times illustrates such a remarkable case.  Please follow the link below to read the full story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/business/global/06smithfield.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Courtesy: The New York Times

Mac Air: a new air apparent

Someone with a last name Jordon ruled the air.  And a distinct image of him soaring through the air has become a worldwide logo, know as Air Jordon.  His days of flying through the air have long gone.  His logo still lives on.  But there’s a new kid in town now – another air apparent possibly, Mac Air.  It’s a new 11-inch razor thin mac notebook creating a lot of buzz this Holiday season.

Here’s a review of the new Mac Air from The Washington Post.

Courtesy: The Washington Post

3D Technology: it's here!

The electronic stores like Best Buy have got a new facelift.  Its walls now adorn with a new generation of TV -- 3D TV.  The viewing cubicles now have oversized 3D TVs instead of just 720p or1080p TVs.  The 3D TVs are much slimmer and more powerful with some more than 1 to 3 million contrast ratios, a resolution that offers ultra-clear images.  3D TV requiress specialized requirements like 3D glasses and compatible movies and programming.  While it is still in its infancy, the 3D TVs are catching on fast and who knows what the personal entertainment would look like by next Christmas.

Here's a video from The Washington Post about 3D technology.

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/08/16/VI2010081603065.html

Source: The Washington Post