Students learn the perils of cheating by playing a game where they all are international traders. Each student receives an envelope containing a blue card worth $20 million in merchandise and a green one worth $10 million.Both dealmakers assume they can make a great profit by reselling whatever merchandise they receive in the trade. One or more sets of two students go out in the hall to negotiate a deal (or the whole class can discuss what kind of deal to make). They shake hands on the deal and turn their backs on each other while inserting the card or cards in the envelope they'll give to their customer. If, for example, they agree to trade both cards, but one student gives the customer only one card, what will happen, if these two try to make a deal in the future?
Opportunities to cheat tempt young people inside and outside their families and school. If something breaks, one sibling blames another. Students cheat on tests, copy reports from material on the internet, steal clothes from retailers, get "free" food from friends who work at fast food restaurants. Young people lie about staying over at a friend's house, when they plan to do something else. They drive too fast, fail to wear seat belts, and text while driving. They drink alcohol, experiment with drugs, and cheat on their boy/girl friends by dating others.
Ask students if they would be willing to loan $155 million to a company mired in corruption. This is currently a real life case that provides a cautionary tale to students who would carry their cheating habits over into their careers.
Related to a corruption enforcement decision, Odebrecht, an engineering company in Brazil, now owes a $2.7 billion fine to Brazil, Switzerland, and the United States for an extensive bribery scheme that stretched from South America to Central America to North America. On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, the company's construction unit needs loans to repay a $144 million bond within a 30-day grace period. By the end of the month, the company also owes an $11 million interest payment.
A default on these payments could lead banks holding other Odebrecht loans to demand earlier payment, because they see bankruptcy looming. Odebrecht finds buyers for assets it is trying to sell know the company is desperate to free up cash and offer to pay lower prices over extended periods. Not knowing what future assets the company will have for collateral does not reassure potential new lenders. As it is, banks asked for new loans offer less than needed, and Brazil's government development bank is reluctant to guarantee these private loans. In few countries will government officials want anything to do with accepting a bid and letting a contract for a new Odebrecht project that could hint of a kickback or any sort of bribery.
Corruption gives foreign investors an opportunity to gain control of key sectors in a country, when cash-strapped companies convicted of wrongdoing cannot find funds elsewhere. Corrupt Brazilian companies offer this kind of risk to their country. Already, the jointly owned China Three Gorges (CTG) and Portugal's largest company, the EDP utility, run hydroelectric power plants in Brazil. CTG holds a 23% share in EDP and aims for total control. Both companies have assets in other countries besides China and Portugal. EDP, for example, operates in 14 countries, including the United States, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland, where China is perceived as an intelligence and corporate espionage threat.
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News that former Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been jailed on corruption charges for allegedly accepting bribes from Odebrecht has been noted in Angola, one of Brazil's other former territories, as a cautionary tale.
For an excellent overview of international efforts to eliminate corruption, consult Corruption and Misuse of Public Office, published in the UK by Oxford University Press. Cheating of any sort is risky business. There is no guarantee that governments, teachers, parents, and girlfriends/boyfriends will not find out. Trust is a terrible thing to lose.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Turn Place into Career Opportunity
While wondering why I sometimes see the moon in the West when I go to bed and then see a faint moon in the South, when I get up, I realized I never thought about anything like this when I lived in cities. Living with a clear sky over a wide open space in Wisconsin, I was motivated to find a book that explained how the Earth's rotation interacts with the location of the moon as the Earth orbits the Sun.
Place has the power to influence the problems a person, animal, insect, or plant might choose to solve. For example, I remember seeing a documentary about an insect living in the desert survived on one drop of water a day. The bug figured out how to tip its body forward on a slant in order for the water that condensed on its body overnight slid down into its mouth. In a similar manner, South Africa's drought inspired a school to use overnight condensation to provide drinking water for its students.
Researchers, living in a place where two species, coyotes that usually kill red foxes, interact in peace, observed that coyotes and foxes had no reason to compete when an area had an abundance of resources. Other researchers living in a place where mice carry the deer ticks that cause Lyme disease found the number of ticks could be reduced by providing mice with nesting materials treated with pesticide.
Sadly, many who live in places where they have the advantage of knowing the most about a problem fail to think about solutions. In fact, they often choose to contribute to the problem. Drugs and crime go hand-in-hand from West Africa to Amsterdam and from Mexico to New York and places in between. Coal miners are not known for embracing a switch to alternate energy sources. Religious differences lead to conflict rather than peace.
"(F)ar too many of us see the economic status quo as normal. It is not normal," writes John Hope Bryant in his book, The Memo. Then, he asks, "What are we going to do about it?" Bryant was writing about recognizing and changing poverty-prone neighborhoods, but the same can be said about political instability, gender inequality, or heating up the planet. Wherever we are, our places have large and small problems that are not normal. We are in the best place to understand these problems and to change them for the better.
Place has the power to influence the problems a person, animal, insect, or plant might choose to solve. For example, I remember seeing a documentary about an insect living in the desert survived on one drop of water a day. The bug figured out how to tip its body forward on a slant in order for the water that condensed on its body overnight slid down into its mouth. In a similar manner, South Africa's drought inspired a school to use overnight condensation to provide drinking water for its students.
Researchers, living in a place where two species, coyotes that usually kill red foxes, interact in peace, observed that coyotes and foxes had no reason to compete when an area had an abundance of resources. Other researchers living in a place where mice carry the deer ticks that cause Lyme disease found the number of ticks could be reduced by providing mice with nesting materials treated with pesticide.
Sadly, many who live in places where they have the advantage of knowing the most about a problem fail to think about solutions. In fact, they often choose to contribute to the problem. Drugs and crime go hand-in-hand from West Africa to Amsterdam and from Mexico to New York and places in between. Coal miners are not known for embracing a switch to alternate energy sources. Religious differences lead to conflict rather than peace.
"(F)ar too many of us see the economic status quo as normal. It is not normal," writes John Hope Bryant in his book, The Memo. Then, he asks, "What are we going to do about it?" Bryant was writing about recognizing and changing poverty-prone neighborhoods, but the same can be said about political instability, gender inequality, or heating up the planet. Wherever we are, our places have large and small problems that are not normal. We are in the best place to understand these problems and to change them for the better.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Fashion in Today's Political Climate
The political climate dictated the suit President George Washington wore to his first Inauguration. Rather than fabric imported from England, his three-piece brown suit was made of woolen broadcloth woven in the new United States. Centuries later, Dior marked the end of rationing after World War II by using yards and yards of fabric in his long, voluminous skirts.
In today's political climate, a wide variety of elements cause heightened global concern for fashion's marketers and consumers. They are expected to pay attention to their social and environmental responsibilities. Among these concerns are: employment of marginalized workers at fair wages, working conditions, landfill waste, water consumption and chemical contamination, air pollution, energy usage, and animal welfare. To deal with these concerns, brands are developing standards they expect members of their supply chains to meet. Standards might require the use of:
How do consumers know if the products they purchase conform to the standards they support? Besides seeing good and bad publicity, advertising, sales promotion offers, and reviews by other consumers, shoppers check labels for such things as the percentage of recycled material used, faux fur, and which countries they prefer to make their clothes. They notice if marketers give back to the community in service and donations to charities. But they also shop for products marketed by vendors and organizations, such as: Sudara (sudara.org) Punjammies sewn in India by women rescued before they are lost to the sex trade; Combat Flip Flops (combatflipflops.com) shoes, clothing, and jewelry (made from melted unexploded ordinance-UXO) by local entrepreneurs in conflict zones; SERRV (serrv.org) and Novica (novica.com) clothing and handcrafted jewelry; and the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTOMarket.com).
From May 21 to May 25, 2018, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition will meet in Vancouver, Canada, to urge wider use of its HiggIndex hang tags that assign numbers, the higher the better, that represent how eco-friendly garments are.
In today's political climate, a wide variety of elements cause heightened global concern for fashion's marketers and consumers. They are expected to pay attention to their social and environmental responsibilities. Among these concerns are: employment of marginalized workers at fair wages, working conditions, landfill waste, water consumption and chemical contamination, air pollution, energy usage, and animal welfare. To deal with these concerns, brands are developing standards they expect members of their supply chains to meet. Standards might require the use of:
- Fair labor practices outlined by the International Labour Organization
- NO restricted chemical substances, such as sunscreens that contain the oxybenzone that harms coral reefs; and NO animal fur or exotic leather
- Organic cotton and recycled materials
- Humane methods for obtaining down, fur, and wool
- Resource-conserving farming and manufacturing practices in terms of water, energy, and chemical usage
How do consumers know if the products they purchase conform to the standards they support? Besides seeing good and bad publicity, advertising, sales promotion offers, and reviews by other consumers, shoppers check labels for such things as the percentage of recycled material used, faux fur, and which countries they prefer to make their clothes. They notice if marketers give back to the community in service and donations to charities. But they also shop for products marketed by vendors and organizations, such as: Sudara (sudara.org) Punjammies sewn in India by women rescued before they are lost to the sex trade; Combat Flip Flops (combatflipflops.com) shoes, clothing, and jewelry (made from melted unexploded ordinance-UXO) by local entrepreneurs in conflict zones; SERRV (serrv.org) and Novica (novica.com) clothing and handcrafted jewelry; and the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTOMarket.com).
From May 21 to May 25, 2018, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition will meet in Vancouver, Canada, to urge wider use of its HiggIndex hang tags that assign numbers, the higher the better, that represent how eco-friendly garments are.
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Has DON'T Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Gone Too Far?
The absence of other customers in a store, where I was shopping, this week caused me to realize the growing number of options for NOT doing-it-yourself (DIY). Enter information about your style and size on an app, and you'll receive a selection of clothes. Decide what you want to eat and a meal to help you lose weight, a pizza, or the ingredients you need to prepare your own meal will turn up at your door. If you are willing to at least drive to a store, you can email your food, toys, or discount store shopping lists and the store will gather what you need/want and have your package ready for pick-up.
It's not just a matter of creating apps-platforms to engage attention, technology has decided how we manage our lives. Now, there even are apps telling us to stop using apps. It doesn't take a smartphone to ask young people:
It's not just a matter of creating apps-platforms to engage attention, technology has decided how we manage our lives. Now, there even are apps telling us to stop using apps. It doesn't take a smartphone to ask young people:
- Where would you like to travel?
- What would you like to eat?
- What is your favorite outfit?
- What world problem would you like to solve?
- How much would you like to weigh?
- What sport do you like to play?
- What kind of song would you like to hear?
- What GPA would you like to have?
- What kind of movie would you like to see?
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Holes in Russia's Attempt to Project a Powerful Image
If you've seen the current movie, "The Death of Stalin," you've seen the chaos that existed when his successors struggled to replace him. What will happen after Putin's death?
It is April 10, 2018 and the three people intentionally exposed to Russia's "deadly" novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, on March 4, 2018 are not dead. In fact, the detective who was poisoned when he began an investigation at the home where the nerve agent is thought to have been placed on the door handle was released from the hospital on March 22. Yulia Skripal, the daughter of the former Russian military spy, Sergei V. Skripal, who was the intended target of the nerve agent, was released from the hospital today. Her father who continued a slower recovery in the hospital, according to Dr. Christine Blanshard, was released in late May.
Dr. Blanshard described how nerve agents work by attaching themselves to a body's particular enzymes to disrupt their functions. Drugs enable patients to create healthy replacement enzymes.
Although the earlier post, "Hearing Voices from Mexico and Russia," reports some of Russia's successful attempts to kill the country's perceived enemies, it also reports how Vladimir Kara-Murza, like the Skripals, survived a poisoning, in fact he survived two Kremlin-backed poisonings.
It is April 10, 2018 and the three people intentionally exposed to Russia's "deadly" novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, on March 4, 2018 are not dead. In fact, the detective who was poisoned when he began an investigation at the home where the nerve agent is thought to have been placed on the door handle was released from the hospital on March 22. Yulia Skripal, the daughter of the former Russian military spy, Sergei V. Skripal, who was the intended target of the nerve agent, was released from the hospital today. Her father who continued a slower recovery in the hospital, according to Dr. Christine Blanshard, was released in late May.
Dr. Blanshard described how nerve agents work by attaching themselves to a body's particular enzymes to disrupt their functions. Drugs enable patients to create healthy replacement enzymes.
Although the earlier post, "Hearing Voices from Mexico and Russia," reports some of Russia's successful attempts to kill the country's perceived enemies, it also reports how Vladimir Kara-Murza, like the Skripals, survived a poisoning, in fact he survived two Kremlin-backed poisonings.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Student Elections: Training for the Real Thing
Since votes in elections cause or hinder action, student elections offer a meaningful training ground for affecting change. Even massive demonstrations, such as the March for Our Lives of U.S. students demanding actions to eliminate gun violence, cannot have as great an impact as an elections where voters choose or defeat candidates, such as those funded by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Before student elections, urge student voters to discuss the elements of fair and winning elections.
Candidate selection: Should anyone be allowed to run? Should candidates need to get a certain number of signatures? Could committees select candidates? Should there be a primary election to narrow the choice of candidates? What affects a candidate's popularity? Research shows candidates can use status or likability models. Status comes from a person's visibility, dominance, and influence on a group. These candidates gain attention by bullying and disparaging voters and by exercising power over them with control of the media, a commanding voice, and even their height. Likability is related to treating people with respect, cooperating/compromising, and knowing how to help people feel good about themselves. A likable leader connects with people and involves everyone in creating group norms, harmony, and a solution everyone buys into.
Funding: What costs go into an election? Posters, flyers, giveaway items, ballots, voting booths, ballot boxes, travel expenses, communication, staff, including staff for accurate tabulation of ballots. Who pays for each? Should there be a spending limit? Can candidates allowed to distribute candy or some other type of "bribe"?
Date of election and event scheduling: One day of voting or more? How soon after new students enter a school should an election be scheduled? Should those about to graduate vote for those who will attend next year? Select dates that do not conflict with other major events. When should elections be announced?
Length of campaign: Should campaigns have beginning and ending dates? or be open-ended?
Platform: What is most important to voters? Should voters be surveyed to identify main issues?
Can candidates get away with wild promises? lies?
Campaign slogans: What to say? Negative or positive themes. How many words? Include candidate's name? Where to use slogan (posters, bumper stickers, yard signs, T-shirts, commercials)? I still remember this slogan a student used in a high school election campaign, "You will not be forgotten. Cast your vote for Kathy Hotten." Check out student election poster samples at
postermywall.com/index.php/posters/search?s=student election.
Public events: Will each candidate have a campaign kickoff event? Will all candidates give a speech at an all school assembly? Will candidates visit each classroom? Will students be invited to submit questions a moderator could ask candidates at an assembly? How many events?
Dirty tricks: What are some examples? How will hecklers by handled? Misplaced/stolen ballot boxes. Do you need security officers?
Voter eligibility: Need to develop voter lists. If those who check voter lists won't know everyone, how will voters identify themselves and be sure to only vote once? Print official ballots in a way they can't be copied (colored paper?)
If students have an opportunity to watch an election campaign in any country, they could write a short paper about their observations and make a prediction of whom they think will win.
Upcoming presidential elections in 2018
Before student elections, urge student voters to discuss the elements of fair and winning elections.
Candidate selection: Should anyone be allowed to run? Should candidates need to get a certain number of signatures? Could committees select candidates? Should there be a primary election to narrow the choice of candidates? What affects a candidate's popularity? Research shows candidates can use status or likability models. Status comes from a person's visibility, dominance, and influence on a group. These candidates gain attention by bullying and disparaging voters and by exercising power over them with control of the media, a commanding voice, and even their height. Likability is related to treating people with respect, cooperating/compromising, and knowing how to help people feel good about themselves. A likable leader connects with people and involves everyone in creating group norms, harmony, and a solution everyone buys into.
Funding: What costs go into an election? Posters, flyers, giveaway items, ballots, voting booths, ballot boxes, travel expenses, communication, staff, including staff for accurate tabulation of ballots. Who pays for each? Should there be a spending limit? Can candidates allowed to distribute candy or some other type of "bribe"?
Date of election and event scheduling: One day of voting or more? How soon after new students enter a school should an election be scheduled? Should those about to graduate vote for those who will attend next year? Select dates that do not conflict with other major events. When should elections be announced?
Length of campaign: Should campaigns have beginning and ending dates? or be open-ended?
Platform: What is most important to voters? Should voters be surveyed to identify main issues?
Can candidates get away with wild promises? lies?
Campaign slogans: What to say? Negative or positive themes. How many words? Include candidate's name? Where to use slogan (posters, bumper stickers, yard signs, T-shirts, commercials)? I still remember this slogan a student used in a high school election campaign, "You will not be forgotten. Cast your vote for Kathy Hotten." Check out student election poster samples at
postermywall.com/index.php/posters/search?s=student election.
Public events: Will each candidate have a campaign kickoff event? Will all candidates give a speech at an all school assembly? Will candidates visit each classroom? Will students be invited to submit questions a moderator could ask candidates at an assembly? How many events?
Dirty tricks: What are some examples? How will hecklers by handled? Misplaced/stolen ballot boxes. Do you need security officers?
Voter eligibility: Need to develop voter lists. If those who check voter lists won't know everyone, how will voters identify themselves and be sure to only vote once? Print official ballots in a way they can't be copied (colored paper?)
If students have an opportunity to watch an election campaign in any country, they could write a short paper about their observations and make a prediction of whom they think will win.
Upcoming presidential elections in 2018
- Azerbaijan, April 11
- Montenegro, April 15
- Paraguay, April 22
- Venezuela, May 20
- Colombia, May 27
- Mexico, July 1
- Mali, July 29
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 7
- Brazil, October 7
- Afghanistan, October 20
- Madagascar, November 24
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, December 23
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