it's just a t-shirt

Title: Controversial Compton Shirts

Source: Huffington Post

Author:  Alexis Kleinman

Article date: 9/25/13

What? Forever 21, has made shirts that say Compton, and N.W.A (which is a famous rap group from Compton) and a lot of people were upset. Many took to twitter and were outraged not only at the exploitation (?) of Compton but the fact that the models sporting the shirts were skinny white girls. One person even said that a skinny white girl would know what N.W.A was. But all misplaced anger aside, the uproar worked. Forever 21 pulled the line. Losing money and needing to replace a line will cost forever 21 greatly.

Quotes:

·      “A quick google search for "Forever 21 Compton tee" leads to a page on the store's website that reads "We're sorry. This item is no longer available." The same thing happens if you search for "Forever 21 NWA tee."

·      From Twitter:

“got the three skinniest, whitest looking models they could find and dressed them up in NWA shirts. WTF”

“They didn’t even use a black model"

“these little teenage white chick’s have no idea what NWA is.”

Argument:

Its “cultural appropriation.” Pull the line V.S who cares, it’s just a city, just a music group.

This relates to economics because consumer is king. All these people who supposedly shop at forever 21 were upset so forever 21 listened and pulled the Compton line. The people voted with their money for the product to be removed so it was.

This will also affect forever 21’s budget. By spending money on design and production and making none back from consumers they are losing large amounts of capital. Perhaps future production will suffer.

 Personally I feel that it shouldn’t matter. I mean I understand why forever 21 pulled the line – they want to be on the good side of media etc, but it’s equally as wrong to be upset that the clothes were on white models as it is to exploit a culture. I feel that forever 21 did what it had to, but the whole thing is just kind of stupid. Like what’s the big deal really? Maybe it’s a good thing; maybe it will actually spread the word of Compton. Couldn’t Compton use good publicity after so much negative?

*** Also, Mrs. Boettcher please check your email, I emailed you about some grade issues. ***

Thanks Home Depot

Title: Part-Timers Losing Health Insurance May Want To Thank Their Companies

News source: Yahoo News

Article date: Fri, Sep 20, 2013 5:03 PM EDT

Author of article: Rick Newman

Summary:  Home Depot (HD) and Trader Joe’s have decided to stop offering health insurance for part-time employees, moving them over to Obamacare instead.

Issue: Employees who are having their health care dropped so that they can get ObamaCare are worried. But their employer’s choice could actually save them money.

·      Argument: It’s an excuse to drop their employee’s health care vs. they are actually looking out for their employees.

Supporting evidence:

·      “A single parent with three kids and an annual income of $25,000, for instance, could get an $8,800 insurance plan for a total out-of-pocket cost of $500 per year. Subsidies, in other words, cover 94% of the cost. Try to beat that on part-time pay.

·      “You only qualify for such deals if you’re not able to get coverage through your employer. So if you’re a part-timer whose company canceled your watered-down insurance coverage, it may have actually done you a favor.”

Claims: Obamacare was designed to make decent health insurance affordable for people who otherwise can’t afford it, the program subsidizes the cost of insurance based on your income, with the largest subsidies going to those with the lowest incomes.

Analysis: It seems clear to me that, they are being nice. Companies like Home Depot and Trader Joe’s have a really good reputation for employee benefits even for their many half time employees. It seems to me that they wouldn’t just flip in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde way and just become evil and not want the best for their employees. It seems like they are really trying to help and doing them a favor by dropping them. According to the statistics and data if they weren’t dropped they would either pay a lot more or get a lot less benefits. Not to mention they’ve have to actually understand what kind of insurance they want while choosing from the many coverage options. This is a good thing.

Relate to economic concepts: Obamacare will economically improve people’s lives on a personal level.  As someone who didn’t have health insurance for year up until this year I know that it’s always in the back of your mind that if something bad happened to you – you wouldn’t have that much money to fix it. On an economic level people will be paying less for insurance (or getting insurance for the first time) but when people pay less they have extra money. This extra money will go towards other things and help the economy grow. We’re going to have a healthier economy because of Obamacare, not to mention healthier people.  

I don't have granite counter tops

Date: 9/15/13

Title: Solar Panel Is Next Granite Countertop for Homebuilders

News source: Yahoo News

Article date: 9/13/13

Author of article: Justin Doom

 

Summary: This article explores the idea that solar paneling and other “green” additions to homes are becoming very popular, especially in places like California, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, and Texas. These amenities are being compared to granite counter tops in the sense that they will become a “no brainer” when it comes to buying a house that one wants to live in for the long run.

 

Issue: This new trend may be helping consumers and architects and home builders specialized in the practice but it is hurting electricity companies and has the potential to cost those who stay with the electric companies a lot of money.

Argument: While electricity companies feel that increasing rates is the right thing to do, it is going to encourage their consumers to convert to solar panels and such. Converting to solar panels is the best choice, it is better for the environment, and will save the purchaser money not only immediately at “month one” but prevent them from paying increased electric rates down the line.

 

Supporting evidence:

• “SunPower has supplied components for more than 10,000 U.S.homes, including 4,000 built last year in California, the biggest solar state. As many as one in five homes built in the state this year will have solar, Werner said.”
• "Economically, there's absolutely no reason not to do this," Parris said. "Solar's the only way to go."
• “In response, utilities are raising rates, a burden that's a slightly heavier burden for people without solar power. In California they may eventually pass on as much as $1.3billion in annual costs to customers who don't have panels.”

 

Claims: “KB sells solar as an option on homes in Nevada, Texas and Colorado and plans to offer it in Arizona beginning next month.” V.S Megan McGrath, a real estate analyst with Stamford,Connecticut-based MKM Partners LLC, said building new homes with panels is still mainly a California phenomenon.  

 

Analysis: Electric companies are creating a self fulfilling prophecy, by raising their rates and creating an environment where their costumer will chose to switch to personal solar panels for their homes. Because this is happening in California the trend is likely to spread as often much of the United States follows in California’s early adopter footsteps.  

The statistics show the rising popularity and inevitable spreading of personal solar power.

 

Relate to economic concepts: This is relatable to the production possibilities frontier. At the moment we have more people using less of the solar panels but we are still at “full employment” but as the number of people who use traditional power companies decreases the number who use the personal solar power system will increase. It’s like the guns and butter chart, there will be a point at which they are even but soon it seems like there will be way more using the solar panel system, and in my opinion there’s not much opportunity cost on a personal level.