IT IS FABULOUS FRIDAY with the 7 New Wonders of the World

The Roman Colosseum

2000 Years old, battered and beaten, 

but still impressive in all its ancient glory.

High Court, High Tech???

When technology meets the Supreme Court

Cisco patent case before SCOTUS

Check out the latest New 7th Wonder

The Great Wall of China

      was the first border control device,

      was built for protection.

      was built to enforce tariff laws.

      is as much as 2000-2500 miles old.

      and is many thousands of miles long.

Check out the map below.

What happened to the Ebola crisis?

Answer:  It still exists, but not in the U. S.,                                     so the media and public quickly lose interest.

Excellent Q & A from the NYTimes


This link gives us a detailed look at many aspects of the Ebola crisis.

It's TECH Tuesday and MORE Robots

Is there a Robot in your future?

as your servant?

or your coworker?

or your employer?

Will Robots increase unemployment?

or make life so good we won't care?

In Japan wages are high, population growth is low, and productive robots would be a real asset.

Check out this friendly sales person in the story.  Can robots sell machines?

How low will oil and gas go?

Return of $2 Gas Seen for Some in U.S. as OPEC Stands Pat

Gas prices in the future.

$60 oil or lower?

Grand Jury: No Indictment in Michael Brown Shooting.

Reports on Ferguson, Mo events from various sources

Des Moines Register Report

Omaha World Herald Report

St. Louis Post Dispatch

Washington Post

CNN.com

FOXNEWS.com

President Obama's Statement

On Tech Tuesday THE ROBOTS ARE BACK

When we think of robots, we tend to think in terms of use by the consumers, in the home and other places. However business is also hard at work developing robots for business and industrial purposes. Check out these two examples.

Meet your favorite robot at Lowes

Amazon has thousands of robots. Click to view the video.

How Will the Markets Perform in 2015 (part 1)

One of the features of stock market related stories as we approach the end of the year is predictions for the next year.

We will feature several of these as we discuss the Business Cycle during the rest of the year.

This prediction is by an analyst at Goldman Sachs, one of the largest and most prestigious       financial firms on Wall Street.

Market Prediction for the S & P 500 for 2015

This analyst believes growth in 2015 will be approximately 5%, and future years will also bring modest growth.







Is a Dow 20,000 in our immediate future?

But this prediction is for a DJIA of over 20,000, which would need a  more, aggressive growth pattern of over 10% for 2015.   Will either prediction be accurate?

Would would need to happen for these predictions to come true?

It's FABULOUS FRIDAY: Take a look at the 2nd most visited site in Mexico

                 Chichen Itza

El Castillo dominates the center of the Chichen Itza archaeological site.

It's WEDNESDAY: What happened in Washington

Keystone Pipeline Vote Fails in Senate

Keystone Pipeline advocates failed even though they had a 59-41 majority.

Why didn't it pass?   Will the Republican majority bring it back next year?

Will the result be different? How did Iowa Senators vote?

Is it "all politics" or are there real issues to proponents and opponents?

It's Dangerous? TECH Tuesday

Elon Musk, inventor and entrepreneur, is concerned about the future of Artificial Intelligence.

He is also one of the investors in Vicarious, a Silicon Valley startup involved in developing advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies.

You have no idea how close we are to killer robots

Our 3rd New 7 Wonder in Brazil

Christ the Redeemer

Created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the engineer Heitor da Silva Costa Brazil in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. 30 metres (98 ft) and 38 metres (125 ft) tall with its pedestal

It's Fabulous Friday in Jordan--One of the New 7 Wonders of the World

Check out Petra in modern day Jordan

Let's GO TRAVEL to Korea

What's UP in North Korea?

North Korea's news agency KCNA published this photograph in 2013 showing North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un visiting what it said was a local smartphone factory








North Korea Becomes Tech Savy
An interesting article about technology in a country in which the government tries to control all access to the internet.

New North Korea nuclear facility
This article tells about North Korea's continuing effort to become a full-fledged nuclear power.

It's a RED, RED, Republican, Washington Wednesday

Joni Ernst of Red Oak is one of               100 U. S. Senators.

The Republicans gained control of the U. S. Senate in the November 4 elections by winning enough seats to gain at least 53 of 100 votes.

The Republicans increased the number of Republican seats in the U. S. House of Representatives.

Most commentators attributed much of the Republican success to voter dissatisfaction with    President Obama, whose approval rating has dropped considerably.

IOWA Results

Alaska, Oregon & Washington D. C. voters voted to legalize marijuana for recreation purposes.
Florida voters voted against legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.

Nebraska, Illinois, Arkansas, & South Dakota all voted for measures to raise the minimum wage.

Excepting Wisconsin, every state on Iowa's border now has a minimum wage higher than the national minimum wage of $7.25.

Nationally, voter turnout was low, which usually happens at midterm elections.

CNN.com election results.                         Politico.com election results.

Senator Ernst Leads in Iowa Poll

Des Moines Register Iowa Poll Results

Every major election brings a familiar cry by some candidates, "The polls are wrong"; or "the polls don't accurately predict the way our supporters will turn out".

Occasionally they are correct, but usually they are wrong. In recent decades in election after election, pollsters prove to be surprisingly correct, given the margin of error that everyone acknowledges.

In the latest Iowa Poll, Joni Ernst has a 51-44 percent lead that appears to be unbeatable. It would seem likely, that barring a political earthquake, the race is over and that Republicans are winning, not only in Iowa, but also in many other states with close elections.

But, of course, until the votes are counted, it is never over.

It's Fabulous Friday and Check Out the NEW 7 Wonders of the World

One of the all-time beauties produced by any culture.

Which of these can you answer?

Name?    When?   Why?   Where?







Taj Mahal (crown of palaces)       1632--1653     Grief     Agra, India  

An Apple for Iran

Apples Sales in Iran?

Read this article and answer the questions below.


1. Why isn't Apple already selling phones in Iran?
2. What has changed?
3.What are U. S. trade policies with Iran? Why do we have these policies?
4. Should we change our policy
5. Do these pictures fit with your preconceptions of Iranian citizens? Explain what your preconceptions were and how these pictures fit with them.

Tech Tuesday Brings Cool Pics in Iowa and other Places

Look at Google Data Centers in Council Bluff

A Mistake often Made by Investors

Investors frequently miss the rally

Buy low--sell high is the mantra for investors, but frequently investor nervousness results in just the opposite.

How can investors avoid this pitfall?

What are the risks that investors face?

It's Fabulous Friday and Look at Dubai

Look at Dubai

Google Map of Dubai

It's THURSDAY: Let's TRAVEL to Northern Syria

What is happening in Kobane and Why do we care?

Where is Kobane?

Is anyone winning?

What is the U. S. doing in this fight? Should we do more?

What does Turkey think of all this?

What is the UN and why are they involved?

What is Iran's involvement?

Is Iraq involved with this effort?

It's Tech Tuesday and Apple Pay is Online

Apple Pay @ McDonalds?

Big Banks Support Apple Pay

Is this the future for the American consumer? Is this a positive or a negative?

Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Iiiiiiiiiit's Market Monday AND

Get ready for another blast of stock volatility

When we come back to class next Monday do you think the  S & P will be higher or lower.

Tell us in the comment section what you think will happen?

Ebola in West Africa

The latest on ebola from CNN

Ebola in West Africa

It's Market Monday and the Markets may be suffering from the "correction virus."

What caused the turmoil in the markets last week?

And will that turmoil continue?

For most of the year some analysts have been saying we will have a correction soon.

Why are they saying that and is that good or bad?

 Watch the video on EDpuzzle

It's FABULOUS FRIDAY and the Nobel Peace Prize has been announced

An Indian Man and a Pakistani teenage girl have been awarded, what is generally regarded as the most prestigious international award. American President Theodore Roosevelt, and Iowan Norman Borlaug are among the past winners.

2014 Nobel Peace Winners

Nobel Committee Web Site

Everything you never wanted to know about the Nobel Prizes

The Ernst & Braley Race Continues

The Campaign between Joni Ernst and Bruce Braley for the U. S. Senate continues in Iowa, with polls continuing to show a very tight race. Large scale advertising expenditures increase; the rhetoric grows more heated; and the attempt to discredit the opponent grows more ugly. National names like Mitt Romney and Michelle Obama continue to draw attention and crowds, even as the voting has already begun under Iowa's early voting laws. The stories below deal with these issues

Romney Campaigns for Ernst; Michelle Obama for Braley

Montgomery County Contracts Questioned

Equal Pay for Equal Work? : Attack Ads Continue

Young & Appel Meet with the Des Moines Register Editorial Board

Part of the Iowa campaign ritual is for statewide candidates to meet with the Editorial Board of the Des Moines Register. The Register usually endorses one candidate for each office the week before the election. The videos below are posted by the Register and not the candidates.

Young statement to Des Moines Register

Appel statement to Des Moines Register


Sometimes candidates say things in a way they come to regret. Unfortunately the competitive nature of our campaigns leaves us shaking our heads at the way these "mistakes" are discussed.
The article below discusses this problem in the Appel/Young contest of the 3rd District.

Are candidates allowed mistakes?

Washington Wednesday Brings A Surprise from the Supremes

Supreme Court refuses Gay Marriage Cases from Five States

On Tech Tuesday Check out the Greenest of the Green

Apple is building a new headquarters building in Cupertino, Ca, that is designed to be the "greenest office building" on earth.

What do you think?

Green buildings of the future

It's Market Monday

DJIA company Hewlett Packard announces a split into two companies.

This will result in a split into two large companies. Will HP be replace by a Apple in the DJIA?
What is the impact on HP stock price? Why did they do this? What role did activist investors play?

HP splits itself into two countries.

What impact will this have on employees? Will there be greater job cuts, then currently planned?

HP Employee impact

2014 Forbes 400

You might find the background of these people interesting.

The Complete List and Much More

Ebola and the United States

Ebola has spread to the United States and there probably will be more to come. Previously, the only cases, were infected U. S. doctors who were brought to the United States for care after being infected while treating patients in West Africa.

Exactly what is Ebola?
How do you contract the disease?
How did it come to be in the United States?
When is a stricken patient capable of passing on the disease?
Should the U. S. take any special precautions?
How concerned should we be?
These questions and more are answered in the two USA today stories.

More cases in USA likely

Ebola in Perspective

West Africa Map

It's Washington Wednesday

Who will control the U. S. Senate in 2014?

Check out the predictions of political scientists who work for the

Washington Post Election Lab.

What does Nate Silver believe?

Does Silver agree with Real Clear Politics?

If the election were held today which party would control Congress?

Republicans  or  Democrats  ? ?

Governor Branstad Headed Toward Reelection?

Iowa Poll and the Governor's Race

e

Joni Ernst and Bruce Braley First Debate

Iowa's U. S. Senate candidates squared off in their first debate Sunday afternoon in a lively exchange of negative sparring.

Read the DesMoines Register report here.

Register political writer Kathie Obradovich gives her view. The headline described the debates as "full of attacks, skimpy on specifics."

Transcript of one exchange on rules and regulations printed in the Register.

Transcript of exchange on climate change printed in the Register.

Debate show on Youtube.

On Saturday the Register reported Iowans opinion in the Iowa Poll.

Joni Ernst Leads Bruce Braley in Iowa Poll 44-38.

Have you voted in the Congressional Election?

The Election is November 4, but you can vote today.

Iowa law allows people to vote either by mail or in person, 40 days before the election.

You can request an absentee ballot or go to the county auditors's office in the courthouse, assuming of course, you are a registered voter.  That's not a problem, you also can still register to vote.

Early Voting Starts Today In Iowa

IT'S TECHNOLOGY TUESDAY

Will solar power be nearly free in the future?

Read the article below and see why futurist Ray Kurzweil believes this to be true.

Is Free solar electricity in your future?

What does solar development have in common with other technological developments?

What are the credentials of the people making these predictions?

Are you convinced?

Go to the comments below and give your opinion.

It's Market Monday

How did Alibaba (baba) do on Friday?

The article linked below and the Yahoo chart show you what happened to Alibaba stock when it opened for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange?

Read below to find the original offering, the opening price, the closing price, and the percent increase. Are there details of importance in the article?

First Day trading for IPO Alibaba

The article below tells of more action as a result of the high demand for the stock.

Alibaba’s Banks Said to Boost IPO Size to Record $25 Billion

Should we work with Iran in the Middle East and do they want to work with us?

What does Iran think of U. S. involvement in Iraq?

Do we want to work with Iran?

Does Iran want to work with us?

Will we add more troops to our forces in Iraq?

How many people do we have there now?

What is our goal in our fight with ISIS?

What countries have the most internet connections?

World Map Showing Internet Connections

Is there a connection between this map and map showing income?

World Income Map

Why does the Chinese economy affect the U. S. Markets?

The Global Economy

Will the U. S. Markets be lower today?

Why are they predicted low?

Read the article for clues.

What other factors might make U. S. investors cautious?

Chinese Markets Are Down

It's FABULOUS FRIDAY--but not so much for epileptic children in Iowa

       

Legislative panel backs medical-marijuana expansion

Last year the Iowa General Assembly passed legislation for very limited legalization of medical marijuana in Iowa. One problem has developed, however. It seems it is unworkable and the families in need of the help can't obtain the medicine. 

Why was Limited medical marijuana approved in the first place?

Should medical marijuana be expanded in Iowa?

Do politics play a role? What position do conservatives and liberals take on this issue?

Would it affect your view, if you knew someone desiring relief from great pain?

Medical Marijuana approved in Iowa

Burdensome medical marijuana regulations? 

Legislative committee recommends medical marijuana expansion

Who (what) is Alibaba and why should we care?

You may know the story of Ali Baba, and the Forty Thieves. Ali Baba, "open sesame," and a loyal slave make Ali Baba a very rich man.

For a good look at a modern day Ali Baba (Jack Ma) this article, The Jack Ma Way, gives detail.

This story will give you more information than you want, but the first part gives you a picture of the Alibaba IPO (whatever that is).

The business media is making a BIG deal over this and it involves wealthy Chinese, Japanese, & U. S. investors.

So what is the modern day Alibaba?. Who is Jack Ma? What is an IPO and how does that impact us?

Meaningful Changes Every High School Needs To Make????

Would these changes be good for the High School?

If you could make any of these changes, which ones would you make?

Choose your top three.

Go to the comment section and briefly explain, which of these changes would be most beneficial to the high school.

WHY DO WE STUDY THIS STUFF?

How many people are invested in the stock market?

Check out the results of this survey by the famous Gallup Poll.

What is the Gallup Poll?  What percent of Americans were invested in the stock market in 2011?

Will you ever invest in the stock market?

Boots on the Ground? What should we do about ISIS?

1. Who is this guy and what is his role in this process? Is he a politician? Where is he from?

2. Read the article and discover the answer to some of these questions?

3. What, if anything should we do about ISIS? In the comment section below give your opinion and then check out the view of others?

4. What should the U. S. do about ISIS?

Is Negative Campaigning "Evil"?

What is negative campaigning? Why do we tolerate it? Is it effective?

Do all candidates use negative campaigning?

This Des Moines Register article discusses negative campaigning and the race for the Senate between Joni and Bruce.

Expect Negative Campaigning in U. S. Senate Race

What's a Twitch???

Amazon just purchased Twitch for $970 million?

What are they getting for their money?

What does it say about the business world??

Amazon buys twitch.

Is their an ISIS in your future?

There has been a great deal of discussion of ISIS the last couple of months, especially since the public execution of U. S. photojournalist, James Wright Foley.  What do you know about this group?

If anything, it shows us why we study history, geography, and world religions. The region of the Middle East, which seems to be continually occupying United States policy makers, seems to have complex problems, some of which are rooted in thousands of years of political and religious history.

What role should the U. S. play in this region? Check out the article linked below?

The ISIS Problem

Should Minors be banned from tanning beds???

The American Cancer Society wants to withhold tanning privileges from minors in the state of Iowa and other places.  Should the Iowa Legislature take action next year?                

What's Up With That?

Check out this article in the Des Moines Register.

Cancer Society should target tobacco and tanning beds

Amazon Drones--Productivity or Novelty?

Amazon

Points to Ponder????

Is this practical?      Efficient?    Dangerous?     Expensive?      A Publicity Stunt?    ????

Amazon will reportedly start testing its delivery drones in India as soon as October, sources tell The Economic Times of India. 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos first announced the company's drone delivery ambitions back in December 2013, which would let customers receive packages in as little as 30 minutes.
The company hit roadblocks in its initial testing because commercial drone use is currently illegal in the US. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently dictates that only hobbyists can fly drones outdoors, while all commercial experimentation needs to take place indoors. (The FAA was originally expected to lift its ban on commercial drones starting in September 2015, but The Washington Post says "technical and regulatory obstacles" will delay that deadline.)
To avoid these domestic regulatory constraints, Amazon will reportedly start drone trials in India, which doesn't have any laws about drone usage. The Economic Times pinpointed two Indian cities, Mumbai and Bangalore, where Amazon already has warehouses.
The testing would likely bring big publicity to Amazon in India, where the company is currently battling it out with Flipkart, an e-commerce company that recently raised $1 billion. The next day, Bezos announced that Amazon would invest $2 billion in its Indian operations.
Amazon told The Economic Times that it wouldn't comment on the rumors.
Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-testing-delivery-drones-in-india-2014-8#ixzz3B1Sd3WhS

Amazon Drone video from "60 Minutes"

Why is there a bidding war for Family Dollar and does Red Oak care?

The economic pressure on lower income Americans has led to an increasing number of stores that target the limited dollars available. Recently 3 main competitors, two of which do business in RO are publicly bidding for dominance. When a merger occurs how will that impact RO, which has two of those competitors. I certainly has gained international competition?

New York Times describes possible merger

Is your heart being monitored?

In Dubuque High School students are wearing heart monitors to help determine their grade in PE class. ARE YOU WORKING HEARD IN PE?



Heart monitors in High School PE?

Dubuque students wear heart monitors in PE

Des Moines Register reports

Politics, Politics, and More Politics

Joni and Bruce have released dueling military ads. Which is most effective iyo? http://washingtonexaminer.com/iowa-senate-candidates-try-to-out-veteran-each-other-in-new-ads/article/2551993

Meanwhile Governor Terry and Senator Jack debated on IPTV.  Guess what the back drop was? I guess it was their version of a hay ride. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/08/14/terry-branstad-jack-hatch-iowa-state-fair-debate/14080919/

Iowa Sen. Jack Hatch, left, debated Gov. Terry Branstad during the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014, in Des Moines.(Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/ThGas Budtime=24