Write Well; Keep Track of S

I have so much of these in my shelves. But these ones are my favorites.

Writing is more than just a talent and a passion, for it is a skill that when we master, it could empower us professionally, and it could enrich us personally. And although there are news, or rumors, or both that our writing skills have gone bad in this Digital age, but given the fact that it’s a skill, I am positive that all of us can write. That the only question is; how well we write.

Regardless, there are “rules-of-thumb” that we, writers and aspirants could count on, and must adhere to ensure good writing. They are as follows:

Sentence

Defined by Encarta as a “meaningful linguistic unit—a group of words or a single word that expresses a complete thought, feeling, or idea. It usually contains an explicit or implied subject and a predicate containing a finite verb,” and depending on the clauses, there are four types of sentences:

- Simple sentence contains a single independent clause.

- Compound sentence contains independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunction (e.g. and, for, but), or a conjunctive adverb (such as however, therefore, thus, hence), or a semicolon alone.

- Complex sentence contains a single dependent clause (headed by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun) joined to an independent clause,

- Compound complex sentence contains two independent clauses joined to one or more dependent clauses.

We must keep in mind that when a sentence doesn’t express a complete thought, we are not only hurting our writing, but chances are, we might get misunderstood.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb agreement is one of the “holy commandments” of writing. It means that if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular as well (For example: Lisa is reading, or Lisa reads).

Structure

Structure is the “skeleton” or the framework of writing—for without a clear and organized structure, our paragraphs will not be in coherent with one another. What’s worse, our readers might end up wandering; meandering as to where our writing is going.

Style

Style is the way we arrange our sentences in the most convincing ways. Style enable us to displays our eloquence and intelligence in getting our messages across to our readers.

Spelling

A single misspelled word could hurt our writing substantially. For a simple typo could turn off our readers. So make sure, you use spell checker or a pocket dictionary, along with a thesaurus each time you write.

Succinctness

Succinctness is about brevity, or clarity on how we “neatly” package our words into strong arguments. Ideally, the concept of “short, but sweet” applies in all genres of writing. However, in academics, as one furthers one’s degree, there more numbers of words required in academic writing (the longest I had was twenty-five pages, in double space, excluding work cited for my business law class). But then again, in most cases, what is ideal indeed, is to deliver our messages in the most meaningful, yet shortest ways.

Simplicity

Simplicity is also in the “holy commandments” of written language. In fact, according to the great William Zinsser “Who can understand the clotted language?” He further stresses that with simplicity at scarce, we are nothing, but “a society of strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon.”

Sense of Humor

“Laughter is the best medicine,” says an old quote. However, we don’t have to take laughter so literally. More so, to ridicule anyone, or ourselves (and engage into self-deprecation) when we contemplate of adding humor to our writings. Nonetheless, it really won’t hurt to add a “dash” of fun, for most of us do appreciates sense of humor. In addition, sometimes, the best key in “winning” our audiences is to make them laugh (or smile at least).

Sound of Your Voice

Writing is a conversation. Which means, we should “speak” naturally when we write. For writing doesn’t have to be stiff and uptight for us, neither for our readers too.

Moreover, writing in the sound of our voices doesn’t only make our writing more authentic and distinctive, but through the sounds of our voices, we can write “with breeze” and ease. In addition, we should never copy anyone’s style, more so, anyone’s words. Although we must follow the same rules and mechanics, but we really must carry our respective characters each time we write.

Sincerity

Lastly, sincerity is the soul behind our manuscripts. For writing sincerely, is the most meaningful way to touch our readers’ lives.

Finally, writing is a skill that when we master, it’ll compensate us professionally and enrich us personally. So, write well, and keep track of all the “s” mentioned above.

Happy writing!

The Needed Regard

LIFE is one of the most powerful words connecting us all. Defined by Encarta as the existence in physical world—life, in its simplest term is the force and spirit behind our and all other living things’ existence.

Watching several documentary films and researching about the holocaust and Auschwitz led me to write this narrative–a sentiment as to why we, humans are creating our own destructions? There are countless of them, but the three worst, demonic kinds destructions of wars, illegal drugs, and genocides, are all man-made and caused by greed.

Such anthropogenic took not just hundred millions (maybe even billions) of lives, but also the hopes and dreams of their victims and even their faith. What was worse, perpetrators showed no remorse, and not the slightest of it.

Wars

Defined as a period of hostile relations between countries, states, or factions that leads to fighting between armed forces, especially in land, air, or sea battles, wars, as of press time, approximately reached a hundred-twenty-seven count by occurence. The worst of them all, is World War II (1939–1945)—as its death toll reached roughly seventy-eight millions of people from all over the world. (Wikipedia)

Methamphetamine

Another mean and deadly (and not to mention addicting) man-made destruction of mankind, is also known as ice, shabu and meth–methamphetamine is an illegal drug used as a stimulant.

It massively proliferated in several third world countries of Columbia, Mexico, even in Hongkong, Taiwan and in mainland China.

According to Jeannine Stein of Los Angeles Times, there are approximately“200 million people around the world” so hooked on illegal drugs every year. In third world countries, kids and women are even utilized as couriers and workers in “cooking labs” of triads and all other drug rings or syndicates.

Photo courtesy of Sanja Gjenero

Genocide

Another notorious anthropogenic is genocide—the systematic killing of all the people from a national, ethnic, or religious group (Encarta). The worst genocide ever recorded is the holocaust. From 1941 to 1945, there are about seventeen millions of Jews and all others (from Germany, Poland, and all over Europe) died in the satanic reign of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi chain of command.

Personally, I can’t tell you enough how hard I cried reading and watching films about the sufferings of the victims and the cruelty of perpetrators. I still can’t believe such evil people existed in this world, as I really have zero tolerance for violence. What pierces and tears my heart the most, women and kids, and elders and people with disabilities were the defenseless victims of holocaust. For those are the type of people I work with at Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (every tax season).

Nowadays, atomic war is posing threats (North Korea is ridiculously contemplating). While genocides are reportedly still happening in many parts of the world like Cambodia, China, and the Middle East. And the continued massive proliferation of meth is unstoppable.

In this regard, maybe we can’t do anything drastic on our ends, to stop and completely eradicate such crimes against humanity. However, please be reminded that we are now empowered by the Internet–and we can all use this medium to voice out our stance and be vigilant in upholding and safeguarding life. And mind you, no voice is too little, when one speaks of truth, especially if it is for a cause.

Finally, life and love are the strongest “dots” connecting us all. For if we can just put love on everything we do, perhaps Michael Jackson’s dream to Heal the World isn’t too impossible to achieve. However, if it’s too hard for one to give love, at least, one should respect and value life—for by simply respecting and honoring our differences on our mentality, religions and beliefs, and even on our cultural values, we truly can make this world a better place. Besides, reality is, we are co-existing with one another, so we must work out those differences. Maybe not in the most compassionate ways, or all the time. However, nothing is impossible if there’s a will. Moreover, anything logical could be doable. After all, we are in this very civilized age, and civility nowadays, is simply, but a common sense.

PS (Something borrowed from Lyrics, Sentiments and Me):

Below is a video from my favorite musicians these days–the PianoGuys giving a very wonderful treat to the elderly–such an awesome treat to celebrate life!

America’s Impossible Dream

Sabiniana Balagtas Baliba
Andrew James McCullough, Ph.D.
American Studies 201
23 April 2012

America’s Impossible Dream

Defined by Merriam Webster as the quality of being unequal or uneven; lack of evenness; social disparity; disparity of distribution or opportunity —Inequality in the United States of America is deeply ingrained. The sad part of it, however, is not just it is ill and of discriminatory nature. Rather, inequality is truly hurting our economy; it is hindering our growth and mobility, and it keeps dividing our nation apart.

No wonder, inequality is one of the most prominent themes and the common denominator of the four most influential American novels of Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger Jr., the Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, and a Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, and Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. For through these critically acclaimed novels, four formidable voices, icons of American literature expressed in their most creative ways the screaming inequality that has long been existing and grimly affecting American lives.

In Ragged Dick, a novel published in 1868, inequality is the very reason why the protagonist, Dick (also known as Richard Hunter), a fourteen-year-old bootblack, suffered sleeping on the streets, and working at an early age just to improve his economic conditions. Moreover, Dick has to be submissive to several mentors, who happened to be capitalists, just to overcome poverty.

In the Great Gatsby, a novel published in 1923, likewise the protagonist, Gatsby (also known as Jay Gatsby), a middle-age mysterious millionaire, experienced the bitter results of inequality, as it sets him apart from the woman of his dreams, Daisy Buchanan (who belongs to the upper class). In addition, inequality is what brought Gatsby to do business in the underworld. For in his desperate desire to earn a lot of money, regardless, of any manner, or how, just to get close to Daisy, Gatsby did it all.

In a Raisin in the Sun, a playwright debuted on Broadway in 1959, the protagonist, Walter Lee (also known as Walter Lee Younger) and his sister Beneatha, likewise suffered inequality, as it affects the realization of their respective dreams.

In Mystic River, published in 2001, inequality sets the three protagonists, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus and David Boyle apart. Despite the fact that those four American classics (we covered in class) are all fictional, obviously, there is a screaming truth on all of them—the existence of inequality in United States.

Although to many, Alger seems to be promoting the values leading to individualism, the very fact that his protagonist, Ragged Dick only improved his life by associating himself to his affluent benefactors, therefore, it is safe to say, that Alger do recognizes the presence of disparity and its impact on our lives.

In the Great Gatsby, even if Fitzgerald is somewhat contrasting, or opposing Alger’s theory of American success, the very fact that he created a protagonist who is originally poor, and that Gatsby opted to join the underworld in his desperate will to “win” or attain his “American dream,” it is more than safe to say, Fitzgerald likewise recognizes disparity is very much happening in this Land of the Free.

Even in a Raisin in the Sun, the American dreams of siblings, Walter Lee (owning a business) and Beneatha (attaining higher education) are jeopardize by inequality that African-Americans severely suffered during the mid-twentieth-century. Likewise, their mother, Lena Younger (also known as Mama), who dreams of owning a house in a decent neighborhood (that used to be limited to the white people) is greatly hindered by disparity, that she had to wait for her husband to die to make her American dream to happen. Although the Youngers do have the fervent will to overcome inequality, the mere fact that it is inbuilt already in our culture, and in our systems of government, they cannot do so much, other than pushing themselves (and with all their might) to make their dreams come true.

In the United States, disparity exists not just on income or pay rates, but it is also very much present in income taxes and credits. In fact, we nearly had the fiscal cliff (that cuts the spending of our federal government, along with drastic cuts on most tax credits and privileges that we are or might be entitled of as individual taxpayers). It is all because our legislators, from both parties could not come into terms and reach a consensus, as to who get tax more or less. As both Republicans (pro capitalists) and Democrats (pro middle-and-lower-class) passionately argued (and still arguing) on availabilities of tax credits that could ease the American people.

Moreover, a recent research is showing inequality is indeed unpleasant, and that it is seriously hurting our economy, as Nobel Prize-winning economist, Joseph E. Stiglitz writes, “Widely unequal societies do not function efficiently, and their economies are neither stable nor sustainable in the long term.”

Personally, I think no matter how successful America could and would be, inequality will forever exist in this country, and will forever impose challenges to millions, even billions of American lives. For ironically speaking, inequality is the very reason United States of America broke away from Great Britain in July 2, 1776. As American forefathers unequivocally denounced inequality caused by the latter’s aristocracy form of government. Needless to say, the ideology that “the oppressed” (America) has become the oppressor do applies—as we are unknowingly (or knowingly?) condescending to that long , infamous “saga” of inequality that keep hampering our continued economic growth and ultimate stability.

Similarly, in Mystic River, inequality is the nightmare separating the three protagonists, Sean, Dave, and Jim. Furthermore, in that novel, inequality leads to gentrification (defined by Merriam Webster as “the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents”) that ultimately displace the low-income class people like Dave and Jim. Even the author himself, Lehane once admitted in the news (at USA Today), that gentrification is his motivation behind the story. As Lehane was born and raised, came back and settled in that same suburban area depicted as East Buckingham in Mystic River.

US Inequality Through the Centuries by the Atlantic.com

With all these, should we have an all-out crusade against inequality then? For according to the Atlantic correspondent Jonathan Rauch, inequality is indeed, hurting our financial stability. Rauch writes, “Emerging research suggests that the growing gap between rich and poor harms the U.S. economy by creating instability and suppressing growth.

Also published in National Journal, on September 28, 2012, Rauch further writes, “inequality, as such—the widening gap between top and bottom, as distinct from poverty or stagnation—is harmful to the economy.”

Finally, as inequality continues to threaten our economy, it definitely has detrimental effects on our socio economic status too. The American Psychological Association defines socio economic status as follow: Socioeconomic status (SES) is often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation. It is commonly conceptualized as the social standing or class of an individual or group. When viewed through a social class lens, privilege, power, and control are emphasized. Furthermore, an examination of SES as a gradient or continuous variable reveals inequities in access to and distribution of resources. SES is relevant to all realms of behavioral and social science, including research, practice, education, and advocacy.

Moreover, research indicates that SES is a key factor in determining the quality of lives, especially of women, with resulting effects on the lives of children and families as a whole. Inequities in wealth and quality of life for women are long standing and exist both locally and globally. Low SES among women and its correlates, such as poverty, lower education, and poor health for children and families, ultimately affect societies.

Thus, the mere fact that socio-economic classes exist, and that in the eyes of our government, we are classified based on how much we have in our pockets, inequality is the demon separating us apart.

Finally, in the four American legendary novels of Ragged Dick, the Great Gatsby, a Raisin in the Sun, and Mystic River, the highly significant theme that ties these American literatures, is inequality. Its overprovisions are long denounced by colored people, gays and lesbians, radical women organizations, and by various civic organizations. Perhaps it really seems like an impossible dream to eradicate the seemingly demonic disparity that divides us all, and completely, as too much of our government policies, our cultures, and values are so entrenched to it already. That although we created eminent laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the American Disability Act of 1990, still, it exists and keep hampering our lives. No matter, we should never feel discourage. Although it may take forever, to sweep the grim impact of inequality, but those laws enacted are strong enough to tell the future generations, that on our ends, we strove and keep striving ,and giving our best to eradicate inequality; to make their lives better than ours. That they too have responsibilities to continue our battle in making America totally, the Land of Free, the Home of the Brave, that is completely free of any disparity.

Word Count Required: 1500

Word Count Submitted: 1536

Submitted Attachments

• America’s Impossible Dream.pdf (170 KB)

Additional instructor’s comments about your submission

AINA,

This is excellent work. Very well researched, organized, and argued. You master the writing challenge of integrating your impressive sources into a coherent narrative.
In our efforts to create a more just society that will benefil all, I don’t think we can count on Dems like Pres Obama, who is actively promoting a plan to decrease social security benefits, which are already a disgrace when compared to other rich countries. There are elements in the American elite that seem determined to plunge the usa into third world status–I hope we can harness the essential fair play spirit of he Civ Rts and ADA Acts to defeat them.

Very well done.

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Are We in the Viral Age of Loneliness?

Sabiniana Balagtas Baliba
George Garneau, Ph.D.
English 200
2 May 2013

Are We In the Viral Age of Loneliness?

As technology is vastly revolutionizing our lives, the World Wide Web is pulling us from our world of reality. In fact, Canadian writer Stephen Marche writes, “Social media—from Facebook to Twitter—have made us more densely networked than ever. Yet for all this connectivity, new research suggests that we have never been lonelier (or more narcissistic)—and that this loneliness is making us mentally and physically ill. A report on what the epidemic of loneliness is doing to our souls and our society.”

In the Atlantic article, “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” Marche further writes: “According to the Los Angeles coroner’s report, she lay dead for the better part of a year before a neighbor and fellow actress, a woman named Susan Savage, noticed cobwebs and yellowing letters in her mailbox, reached through a broken window to unlock the door, and pushed her way through the piles of junk mail and mounds of clothing that barricaded the house. Upstairs, she found Vickers’s body, mummified, near a heater that was still running. Her computer was on too, its glow permeating the empty space.”

Marche passionately argues: She lay dead for the better part of a year before a neighbor and fellow actor, a woman named Susan Savage, noticed cobwebs and yellowing letters in hermailbox, reached through a broken window to unlock the door, and pushed her way through the piles of junk mail and mounds of clothing, that barricaded the house. Upstairs, she found Vickers’s body, mummified, near a heater that was still running. Her computer was on too, its glow permeating the empty space.

Vickers’s death indeed, was so horrifying. Because apparently before her passing, she was too hooked on fan Internet sites that she ended up isolating herself from families and friends. (Marche) What was even more horrible, even the coroner could not tell the exact date of her death, for her cadaver was extremely decomposed already when a friend found her.

However, in a research study, science and medical experts Emma L. Pelling and Katherine M. White stress, that the “high-level Social Networking Websites (SNWs) use is influenced by attitudinal, normative, and self-identity factors.” What this study means is that the impact of social networking depends on one’s individuality, and not in general.

Realistically speaking, the account of Vicker’s death is not credible enough for anyone to question the humongous contributions of Internet and technology to our lives. Yes, both do pose some challenges, just like everything else in this world—for in everything, even in everyone (and that includes us), there are always two contrasting sides—for that is the irony of life, the greatest irony of life! Moreover, one should not generalize that all social networkers are like Vickers—who prior to her death have long suffered from depression—as the late former starlet also faced other issues of stardom, aging, and etc. Therefore, to conclude that she died because of social networking, and that all social networkers, like us, bloggers, are either lonely or narcissist, that is wrong, because we are not like Vickers, and it is not fair to compare us to her.

The narcissism that narrow minded and cynical people sees in us, social networkers, is actually self-confidence brought by self-efficacy—as we are now so empowered by a great deal of knowledge and information, that no encyclopedia has ever did to humanity before. Most importantly, the burden of addressing all the dilemmas surrounding the effectiveness of the two powerful mediums of Internet and technology lies in our hands. For we should know better our responsibilities to ourselves—we must ensure that everything works to everyone’s greatest advantage—and that is not being narcissist, rather, that’s being wise.

In fact, another research study for social behavior and personality, published by the Society for Personality Research, scholars I-Ping Chiang, Yi-Hsuan Chiang, and Yu-Chi Lin, of the National Taipei University, discovered that on blogging (which is one of the most popular social networking activities): “People prefer to leave messages and make recommendations about Sites that are within their realm of interest, such as the blogs of friends or people with similar interests.” What this means to me, is that blogging and all social networking activities are enriching our lives.

Personally, terrified of Vickers’s death, I honestly pondered if writing and blogging is doing me any favor at all. As I actively write and submit articles to various websites. In fact, I have accounts in all blogging sites too. I also send essays and my creative works, poetries and sentiments to Yahoo! However, deep solitude made me realized the blessings of this medium. Moreover, it is my nature, that when I am in doubt of anything, I always use my two hands in gauging all issues in life—on my right, I weigh all the goodness—and on my left, I weigh all the evilness. If the goodness is more than the evilness, then I will strive to straighten the latter. However, if it is the other way around, then I drop; I quit; I junk and get rid of anything that will not make me a better person.

Therefore, and in response to the statement of Marche, that “the drive for isolation has always been in tension with the impulse to cluster in communities that cling and suffocate,” that is not true at all. For in the blogosphere, we highly support one another. In fact, we subscribe to one another’s Sites. Yes, we may not see likes and comments all the time, and it is not because, we do not like each other’s posts, it is just that, we have personal lives to tend to. On our dealings with one another, we, of course, put cautions, as we know there are also limit to social networking too.

Regardless, the truth of the matter is, we, social networkers, bloggers, are not lonely creatures on earth. Moreover, the Internet is not in any ways making us lonely, neither, narcissist. In fact, we are passionately, and unselfishly sharing our knowledge and expertise (e.g. photography, arts, and writing; even our poetries, along with our personal journals), and we are truly enriching the World Wide Web. Because our blogs mirror how the Internet is enabling us to speak truthfully about our joys and tribulations, our successes and failures, even our dreams and downfalls. Our readers can cherish and apply the good lessons they learned from us—and they can avoid our mistakes and blunders in life, to make theirs better than ours. We, bloggers, are the new and fresh faces of journalism. We are making the Net humane.

In conclusion, indeed, the Internet and technology revolutionized and continuously revolutionizing our lives, and that the World Wide Web is pulling us from our world of reality, the old, boring, lonely and boxed reality. Thanks to Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, for through their ingenuities, and the proliferation of social networking sites, we are able to keep our passions burning, thereby, enriching our lives, thereby, enriching the World Wide Web, and in our most unique and humble ways. The Net is making us more knowledgeable and sociable. Most importantly, through social networking, through blogging, through this blessing, we are making ourselves great collaborators—for collaboration is a trait and a virtue, a major key to succeed in all walks of life and professions. We are thankful for our blogs! We are thankful for the Internet!

Works Cited

Barbour, Michael, and Cory Plough. “Social Networking In Cyberschooling: Helping to Make Online Learning Less Isolating.” Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning 53.4 (2009): 56-60. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

Doohwang, Lee, Kim Hyuk Soo, and Kim Jung Kyu. “The Impact of Online Brand CommunityType On Consumer’s Community Engagement Behaviors: Consumer-Created Vs. Marketer-Created Online Brand Community In Online Social-Networking Web Sites.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking 14.1/2 (2011): 59-63. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

I-Ping, Chiang, Chiang Yi-Suan, and Lin Yu-Chi. “The Antecedents and Consequences of Blogging Behavior.” Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 41.2 (2013): 311-317. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

Marche, Stephen. “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? (Cover Story).” Atlantic Monthly (10727825) 309.4 (2012): 60. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

Miller, Robert, Kristine Parsons, and David Lifer. “Students And Social Networking Sites: The Posting Paradox.” Behaviour & Information Technology 29.4 (2010): 377-382. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

Pelling, Emma L., and Katherine M. White. “The Theory of Planned Behavior Applied to Young People’s Use of Social Networking Web Sites.” Cyberpsychology & Behavior 12.6 (2009): 755-759. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

Porter, Alan L., et al. “Research Coordination Networks: Evidence of the Relationship Between Funded Interdisciplinary Networking and Scholarly Impact.” Bioscience 62.3 (2012): 282-288. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

The Xinjiang Procedure

I am sharing this to you, for I know the subject matter is highly significant to us all.

I highly recommend reading Ethan Gutmann’s:

China`s Gruesome Organ Harvest

and

ORGAN HARVESTING OF DISSIDENTS IN CHINA
(A Congressional Testimony)

Thank you for viewing, please bear with the images’ uploading.

* * *

A PowerPoint presentation required in academia;

A comprehensive analysis

of

THE XINJIANG PROCEDURE

by Ethan Gutmann

(Click the title, for it is the link to read the referrenced article)

What Is Wrong with Apple?

An informal essay required in academia

Sabiniana Balagtas Baliba

George Garneau, Ph.D.

8 April 2013

What Is Wrong with Apple?

I am a big fan of Apple products. In fact, and modesty aside, I have an iPod, iPhone, iPad, and a MacBookPro—call it addiction, or obsession, but I am guilty as charged. I love Apple products not only because, they are trendy, techy, and that they do boost productivity, but also, they are durable (they do offer guaranteed satisfaction) and very user-friendly. However, there is one fact about Apple that I am not so pleased about: “Apple’s retail army is long on loyalty but short on pay,” just as David Segal wrote in the iEconomy of the New York Times.

I am disappointed with how Apple is treating its employees unfairly. This is because, considering Apple’s “highly phenomenal” success, I do not understand why the company is not sharing the just “slices of pie” to its workers. Moreover, I believe in the saying: Greed is (such) an ugly default.

I first learned about Apple’s alleged greed for money, through my Accounting professor, Steven Young. Young, in his lecture, sometime last spring of 2012, he told our class a brief story about the increased on dividends that Apple paid to its shareholders (because he is one of them) last year of $2.65 per share. (1) Back then, Apple never paid dividends to its shareholders since 1995. (1) What was worse, Tim Cook (the company president who replaced Steve Jobs), along with the board of directors, even approved the financial strategy of buying back $10 billion worth of stocks or shares (to take full control of the company). (2) Thus, after reading Segal’s well supported-article, it aggravates more this worsening disappointment. This is because it seems that Apple is not observing any corporate social responsibility at all—for a company so successful, that is very disappointing!

I remember watching a documentary film, about how well Google is treating its employees at its corporate headquarters at Silicon Valley, California. Google offers and provides lucrative pay rates, free meals (served in a buffet), and the best working environment—why can’t Apple do the same? For I believe, Apple is more successful than Google, and it is very much capable of providing the best benefits to its workers, to whom it should acknowledge owing the unparalleled success it is now enjoying (and would most likely enjoy indefinitely).

I really wish I know what’s wrong with Apple, that keeps the company holding back to treat its employees fairly. For with a “pay rate of $11.25 per hour,” most likely, Apple’s retail army and their families would end up eating apples and candies (3).

Finally, if Apple won’t shape up, frankly speaking, I would stop patronizing its products already. For I can’t deal with companies or people who treat others unjustly and do business like monkeys.