Alan Lewis, chief executive of Grand Circle Travel. Hank Lewis, Alan’s younger brother, who runs Vantage Travel in Boston. Both of them are successful businessman. They were good brothers. They bought a cruise ship together, and purchased a vacation home together on Purgatory Road in Middletown, R.I. They donated several million dollars in honor of their late father to fund the West End Boys & Girls Club in Allston. Alan provided millions of dollars in support of educational, cultural, and humanitarian organizations in Boston.
Last year, Alan borrowed $10 million from his brother Hank Lewis. Alan used the money into his business, but last year’s economy is bad. So Alan couldn’t give back the money to his brother. At last these two brothers suited each other on court.
After I read the news, I felt a little bit sad. People can easily break up the friendship, the brotherliness because of money. This happened to my family too. My grandpa has 4 apartments, each of them are different sizes, he want to give each of his child one apartment as a gift. My other uncles fought with each other to get the biggest apartment, except my Dad, who believes that brotherliness is much more important than money. In the end, my youngest uncle got the biggest apartment. From then on my older uncle has never talked with him. Every time they met, looked like the enemies. My grandpa was so sad, he gave the apartments to his children as gifts, he didn’t want them became enemies. My dad got the smallest apartment but we are happy.
I think for Alan and Hank, 10 million dollars is not a very big deal. They can easily donate several million to a club. For them, it’s not worth become enemies just for 10 million. If they can get together and get through the bad economy, I believe they can earn more money in the future. Hurt each other and no cooperation in the future is too bad.
Now Hank does his own business without his brother. And he is going to get rid of the vacation house which he shares with his brother on Purgatory Road. Just like the husband and wife begin to divorce. Maybe several years later, Hank and Alan will find out that two brothers work together is much better than work alone. And then they can forgive each other and understand each other. As people get older, they will become more mature. They will find out what is more important than money.
I hope they can recover the brotherliness soon.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Who's happier, women or men?
Today I listened to CBS news, there is a research about: Who is happier, Women or Men? The journal of Happiness Studies says that women are happier than men, but only until their late 40s. The journal takes an example: Hugh Hefner, a man who gets happier as he gets older-and his girlfriends get younger.
Amy Dickenson, the advice columnist for the Chicago Tribune, said that middle age could be a turning point. The study surveyed 47,000 people, considered happiness levels of men and women. The result is women are happier than men in their 20s. Because men’s lackluster love lives and low-paying first jobs. After 48, men are happier, because by then men are married and better off financially.
Tom Smith, the professor of Chicago University, said women make the transition to adulthood much easier than men. When women hit 48, they worry about raising kids, and worry about aging parents, also worry about aging themselves. They use Botox and body shapers to keep youth.
When women and men get older and older, they both become very happy, that’s the good news. They begin to realize what is important in life. They become maturity.I think the most important thing in people’s lives is not good-looking. It’s should be happiness, virtue, and self-satisfaction. I can’t understand so many film-stars in order to keep the beauty to do a lot of surgeries which are bad for their health. No worth to do that. Finally we will be old. I will not worry about getting old. It’s the nature circulation. I hope all the women will be happy when they get old.
Amy Dickenson, the advice columnist for the Chicago Tribune, said that middle age could be a turning point. The study surveyed 47,000 people, considered happiness levels of men and women. The result is women are happier than men in their 20s. Because men’s lackluster love lives and low-paying first jobs. After 48, men are happier, because by then men are married and better off financially.
Tom Smith, the professor of Chicago University, said women make the transition to adulthood much easier than men. When women hit 48, they worry about raising kids, and worry about aging parents, also worry about aging themselves. They use Botox and body shapers to keep youth.
When women and men get older and older, they both become very happy, that’s the good news. They begin to realize what is important in life. They become maturity.I think the most important thing in people’s lives is not good-looking. It’s should be happiness, virtue, and self-satisfaction. I can’t understand so many film-stars in order to keep the beauty to do a lot of surgeries which are bad for their health. No worth to do that. Finally we will be old. I will not worry about getting old. It’s the nature circulation. I hope all the women will be happy when they get old.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Good Luck Chinatown!
The first month I arrived in Boston, I have been eating a lot of times at Chinatown because I haven’t used to eating American food. The food of Chinese restaurant delivered is not the authentic Chinese food. They have already changed to American style. The chef puts more sugar and less pepper. To be honest, I don’t like Chinatown. As a Chinese I should like it, but all the streets of Chinatown are very filthy, the trash bags are dancing on the roads. I still remember the worst experience I had at Chinatown. Last year I went to a Vietnam restaurant in Chinatown, I ordered a bowl of extra large shrimp noodle. At the first spoon, I saw a piece of hair, so I asked the owner to change a new one for me. 10 minutes later, the owner brought me a small size noodle, her excuse was I have already ate, I couldn’t get the same size. I was so mad, because I was still hungry after I had that little noodle. After that bad experience, I have never tried again.
I don’t believe the words written in the article. The shops and restaurant can’t attract such a big group of consumers. The jade jewelry sold in Chinatown is fake, the quality of the commodity is low. I have a friend who were born at wakefield said Chinatown is the Combat Zone. It was a red light district full of strip joints and hookers and pimps doing business on the sidewalk. He explained the word hooker means prostitute. Chinatown has a bad reputation in native American’s heart. They feel scared of Chinatown.
In my opinion, the first stuff Chinatown should do is clean the street, each owner of each shop should take care of the front area. Maybe after they clean the roads, they can attract more customers. For travelers it is appealing go to the nice restaurant. I have been to North End so many times, every time after I finished the food I got a nice mood. Because the environment is wonderful, the people there are polite, everything is better than Chinatown. I think that’s the reason North End can attracts more consumers.
It’s very interesting that American areas are very distinct from each other. Like brookline live the Juish people, Dochester gathered the African Americans. And the good area and bad area are extremely different. Chinatown was assumed by Bostonian the “Bad Area”. It is very hard to change the bad reputation in people’s heart which is already exist. Like the bad area Dochestor of Boston. When people hear the name, they will assume the place where the crimes happen frequently. Chinatown is in the same situation. When people hear the name they always imagine the word disgusting. I hope Chinatown will become better and better. But it takes time!
I don’t believe the words written in the article. The shops and restaurant can’t attract such a big group of consumers. The jade jewelry sold in Chinatown is fake, the quality of the commodity is low. I have a friend who were born at wakefield said Chinatown is the Combat Zone. It was a red light district full of strip joints and hookers and pimps doing business on the sidewalk. He explained the word hooker means prostitute. Chinatown has a bad reputation in native American’s heart. They feel scared of Chinatown.
In my opinion, the first stuff Chinatown should do is clean the street, each owner of each shop should take care of the front area. Maybe after they clean the roads, they can attract more customers. For travelers it is appealing go to the nice restaurant. I have been to North End so many times, every time after I finished the food I got a nice mood. Because the environment is wonderful, the people there are polite, everything is better than Chinatown. I think that’s the reason North End can attracts more consumers.
It’s very interesting that American areas are very distinct from each other. Like brookline live the Juish people, Dochester gathered the African Americans. And the good area and bad area are extremely different. Chinatown was assumed by Bostonian the “Bad Area”. It is very hard to change the bad reputation in people’s heart which is already exist. Like the bad area Dochestor of Boston. When people hear the name, they will assume the place where the crimes happen frequently. Chinatown is in the same situation. When people hear the name they always imagine the word disgusting. I hope Chinatown will become better and better. But it takes time!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
I am proud of China!
Last week about 60 Chinese students of BU watched the TIANAN’MEN parade, we got together to celebrate our motherland’s 60 years anniversary. When we sang the national anthem of China, I cried. I am so proud my motherland is becoming stronger and stronger. More and more Chinese students can study abroad in the best universities in the world.
At the same time I read a lot of analysis from the newspapers and journals of America, the one really impressed me is one comment from New York Times. It was published on October 2, 2009 on New York Times. The comment first describes the parade and cites President Hu Jintao’s speech. And also it cites some comments from professors of universities. Most of the words the journalist used is negative. I don’t agree with the journalist’s views.
First, he said the 60th-anniversary celebration was kitschy and indisputably retro. For me the celebration is great, we want to show the world now we stood rock-firm in the east of the world. We already stop the time conquered by other countries. I think for the Europeans like Italians, English, they can’t imagine how bad the country was occupied by others, they can’t imagine Chinese people’s feeling, from 1840, the Opium War, to Oct. 1,1949, Chinese people suffered 110 years war. People were killed by the foreign military, culture relics were robbed by the foreign military, girls and women were raped by foreign soldiers, gold and silver were robbed by foreign military. Even today, I have seen a lot of precious culture relics are stored at England Metropolitan Museum. We suffered for such a long time. The reason why we were conquered by other countries is we were so weak, my motherland were so weak at that time. We have no guns, no cannons to protect our country. Backwardness leaves China vulnerable to attack. Now, for the 60 years development, Chinese people have made unremitting efforts to realize the goal of rejuvenating the nation. The aim of the 60-years celebration is show the world China is not weak any more, we will not let other countries occupy our country again. Now we are an independent country.
Second, the journalist seemed totally disagree with communism, maybe for westerners China’s Communist Party, and the communist country looks like the monster. They are so scared of communist. Last year, when I first arrived at Boston, so many American ask me: Is China very poor, so you escaped from China and come to America? I told them No, now more and more Chinese students come to America to study, they can afford the expensive tuition, even better than some of Americans. For example, BU charge a lot of tuition every year, it is expensive for American families too, but Chinese students’families can afford it. This proves that there are a lot of Chinese families not poor.
Until now I still keep my view that China was poor not because of the communist, it is because the over 100 years war. When America developed the economics, China was fighting with other countries, we did not have chance to develop our economics. We use 60 years to develop our economics and now China becomes the biggest developing country in the world. The progress is not easy, I am so proud of it.
Support my motherland!
Long live China!
At the same time I read a lot of analysis from the newspapers and journals of America, the one really impressed me is one comment from New York Times. It was published on October 2, 2009 on New York Times. The comment first describes the parade and cites President Hu Jintao’s speech. And also it cites some comments from professors of universities. Most of the words the journalist used is negative. I don’t agree with the journalist’s views.
First, he said the 60th-anniversary celebration was kitschy and indisputably retro. For me the celebration is great, we want to show the world now we stood rock-firm in the east of the world. We already stop the time conquered by other countries. I think for the Europeans like Italians, English, they can’t imagine how bad the country was occupied by others, they can’t imagine Chinese people’s feeling, from 1840, the Opium War, to Oct. 1,1949, Chinese people suffered 110 years war. People were killed by the foreign military, culture relics were robbed by the foreign military, girls and women were raped by foreign soldiers, gold and silver were robbed by foreign military. Even today, I have seen a lot of precious culture relics are stored at England Metropolitan Museum. We suffered for such a long time. The reason why we were conquered by other countries is we were so weak, my motherland were so weak at that time. We have no guns, no cannons to protect our country. Backwardness leaves China vulnerable to attack. Now, for the 60 years development, Chinese people have made unremitting efforts to realize the goal of rejuvenating the nation. The aim of the 60-years celebration is show the world China is not weak any more, we will not let other countries occupy our country again. Now we are an independent country.
Second, the journalist seemed totally disagree with communism, maybe for westerners China’s Communist Party, and the communist country looks like the monster. They are so scared of communist. Last year, when I first arrived at Boston, so many American ask me: Is China very poor, so you escaped from China and come to America? I told them No, now more and more Chinese students come to America to study, they can afford the expensive tuition, even better than some of Americans. For example, BU charge a lot of tuition every year, it is expensive for American families too, but Chinese students’families can afford it. This proves that there are a lot of Chinese families not poor.
Until now I still keep my view that China was poor not because of the communist, it is because the over 100 years war. When America developed the economics, China was fighting with other countries, we did not have chance to develop our economics. We use 60 years to develop our economics and now China becomes the biggest developing country in the world. The progress is not easy, I am so proud of it.
Support my motherland!
Long live China!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Climate policy of Obama administration is delayed
An article “Obama Administration Pushes Climate Talks into 2010” published on The New York Times September 17 introduces the Obama administration’s plan for new emissions pact which will be billed on the coming United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen this December. From this article, we can see Obama administration is not ready for the new emission pact. All of the preparation work for it, called “Plan B” is trickled into 2010.
Why cannot the Obama administration give a prompt and effective solution to response to the new emission pact? Certainly, you can say now the Council has more important bill to be discussed. The health care reform called “Plan A” has squeezed much time and vigor from both the House and the Senate. But climate-change legislation as a significant part of Obama's first-year accomplishments is the same important.
As we know, how to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission has become an important economic problem. “One percent of global GDP is required to be invested to mitigate the effects of climate change, and that failure to do so could risk a recession worth up to twenty percent of global GDP.” So Bush administration didn’t ratify the Kyoto Protocol in 2001 just after Bush was elected as president in order not to increase the economy strain, which led to GHG emission of USA in 2004 increases 15% comparing with that in 1990. To control the GHG emission, the Obama administration promises US will enter a cap and trade system to limit global warming. On June 26, 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act, a cap and trade bill was passed in the House of Representatives. This act shows Obama administration’s attitude and goal. But how to implement the act is still a challenge for the Obama administration in the current economic situation.
Economic factors are more prominent and more critical in the climate problems, in spite there exist political factors. It will be expected how Obama administration controls the GHG emission without impeding the USA economy recovery.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Vote and Employment
This Wednesday Massachusetts State Governor Deval Patrick said he wants to organize Massachusetts employees to boycott Hyatt hotels after the failure of his third attempt to persuade the company to take back its decision to replace the housekeepers at three Boston-area Hyatt hotels with lower-wage workers from a Georgia staffing firm.
I think this is a conflict of politics vs. economy. As a statesman, Patrick surely hopes every employee could keep his/her job during the worst economic period in decades, especially at the period of his hotly contested race for reelection. He hopes to get more people’s support and needs more votes from the populated employees. But the current economic situation is not optimistic. Many companies have to reduce their sizes, even get bankrupt. Unemployment has become a serious social problem. More and more people lose their jobs since last October.
As a star in the hotel industry, Hyatt also cannot avoid the business depression. The layoff appeared in Boston area last month proves Hyatt has the same economic problem with many other companies. Otherwise it will not fire 100 sophisticated housekeepers who have serviced for it for more than 20 years at the risk of violating the employment law and suffering the criticism of the public.
Given profit is the only seek of each company, the layoff from Hyatt is reasonable. But the layoff will unavoidably bring negative effects to Hyatt. First it will definitely affect the company’s fame at least in the great Boston Area. People cannot accept such a big chain company fired the sophisticated workers only for saving $7 per hour. Especially, the fired employees have been hurt. They get so angry. The plea for boycotting Hyatt has also got the support from other politicians and business owners. Second, the business in this area will be affected. “The National Employment Lawyers Association canceled its contract with the Hyatt Regency Boston and is searching for another Boston hotel to host its October seminar.” So I don’t think this is a good way for Hyatt to fire these housekeepers.
Of course, I don’t support Patrick’s decision. As a sitting Governor, his decision will influence the judgment of many innocent people who don’t know the truth, because he is a State politician with much power. His calling for a boycott will possibly lead the employment to a worse direction. In addition, his behavior will probably be regarded as his private aim – for votes. So the criticism to Patrick’s decision from different people is predictable.
Based on the above analyses, I neither agree with the Patrick’s decision or the Hyatt’s coldhearted layoff. Patrick should take advantage of his personal influence and administrative power to look for more employment chances for these fired housekeepers. Hyatt should do some positive things to amend the bad effect due to the layoff. All in all, the government and the private companies must be in good cooperation to avoid more unemployment.
I think this is a conflict of politics vs. economy. As a statesman, Patrick surely hopes every employee could keep his/her job during the worst economic period in decades, especially at the period of his hotly contested race for reelection. He hopes to get more people’s support and needs more votes from the populated employees. But the current economic situation is not optimistic. Many companies have to reduce their sizes, even get bankrupt. Unemployment has become a serious social problem. More and more people lose their jobs since last October.
As a star in the hotel industry, Hyatt also cannot avoid the business depression. The layoff appeared in Boston area last month proves Hyatt has the same economic problem with many other companies. Otherwise it will not fire 100 sophisticated housekeepers who have serviced for it for more than 20 years at the risk of violating the employment law and suffering the criticism of the public.
Given profit is the only seek of each company, the layoff from Hyatt is reasonable. But the layoff will unavoidably bring negative effects to Hyatt. First it will definitely affect the company’s fame at least in the great Boston Area. People cannot accept such a big chain company fired the sophisticated workers only for saving $7 per hour. Especially, the fired employees have been hurt. They get so angry. The plea for boycotting Hyatt has also got the support from other politicians and business owners. Second, the business in this area will be affected. “The National Employment Lawyers Association canceled its contract with the Hyatt Regency Boston and is searching for another Boston hotel to host its October seminar.” So I don’t think this is a good way for Hyatt to fire these housekeepers.
Of course, I don’t support Patrick’s decision. As a sitting Governor, his decision will influence the judgment of many innocent people who don’t know the truth, because he is a State politician with much power. His calling for a boycott will possibly lead the employment to a worse direction. In addition, his behavior will probably be regarded as his private aim – for votes. So the criticism to Patrick’s decision from different people is predictable.
Based on the above analyses, I neither agree with the Patrick’s decision or the Hyatt’s coldhearted layoff. Patrick should take advantage of his personal influence and administrative power to look for more employment chances for these fired housekeepers. Hyatt should do some positive things to amend the bad effect due to the layoff. All in all, the government and the private companies must be in good cooperation to avoid more unemployment.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Comments on Obama's Speeh!
Last Friday I watched President Obama’s Speech to Congress, in the speech, Obama first analyzed the economy situation of America, and then he encouraged Americans to get through the difficult times. Obama hoped the congress can pass the new health insurance bill, he said there are a lot of problems which should be solved in current health insurance. He promised the new health insurance would help the recovery of the economy.
I support Obama’s proposal, American’s health insurance now has many disadvantages, people pay a lot of money, but get not good service. The new health insurance will help people pay less money and get more better service, many countries in Europe have very good health insurance, compare to them American’s health insurance need to improved. I don’t know why so many Americans protest on the street to against Obama, Obama already promised that the tax for the family which less than a quarter million won’t rise. But the middle class people don’t trust Obama, they think the money for the new health insurance have to get from their pocket.
I think the other thing is American people scared of socialism, they believe Obama’s new health insurance will change American into a socialist country. The poor people who can’t afford the health insurance will get benefits from the new health insurance bill, about 15% Americans don’t have the health insurance. So many Americans have never out of America, they imagine the socialism is very bad, they think China is very poor because of socialism. I come from China, the reason Chinese people are poor is not socialism, the reason is from 1840 to 1949 China suffered over 100 years wars, and we have large population, it’s not easy to feed 1,4 billion people for a country, even for America, if America has to feed 1,4 billion people, it’s not easy too.
I think president Obama wants every American citizen has health insurance, he does not want to see American only belong to rich people, his purpose is very good, poor people also have the rights to go to college, go to hospital, have health insurance. On the back of every dollar, there is one sentence “In God, We Trust”, I think it is the spirits of American’s founding fathers, I hope Obama will win, and it’s very important for him during his political life. I support him!
God bless him!
I support Obama’s proposal, American’s health insurance now has many disadvantages, people pay a lot of money, but get not good service. The new health insurance will help people pay less money and get more better service, many countries in Europe have very good health insurance, compare to them American’s health insurance need to improved. I don’t know why so many Americans protest on the street to against Obama, Obama already promised that the tax for the family which less than a quarter million won’t rise. But the middle class people don’t trust Obama, they think the money for the new health insurance have to get from their pocket.
I think the other thing is American people scared of socialism, they believe Obama’s new health insurance will change American into a socialist country. The poor people who can’t afford the health insurance will get benefits from the new health insurance bill, about 15% Americans don’t have the health insurance. So many Americans have never out of America, they imagine the socialism is very bad, they think China is very poor because of socialism. I come from China, the reason Chinese people are poor is not socialism, the reason is from 1840 to 1949 China suffered over 100 years wars, and we have large population, it’s not easy to feed 1,4 billion people for a country, even for America, if America has to feed 1,4 billion people, it’s not easy too.
I think president Obama wants every American citizen has health insurance, he does not want to see American only belong to rich people, his purpose is very good, poor people also have the rights to go to college, go to hospital, have health insurance. On the back of every dollar, there is one sentence “In God, We Trust”, I think it is the spirits of American’s founding fathers, I hope Obama will win, and it’s very important for him during his political life. I support him!
God bless him!
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