Mother Jones article: how every part of American life became a police matter

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/12/american-society-police-state-criminalization-militarization?page=2

UN Climate Change Reports

Today, the New York Times posted an article discussing a leaked UN Climate Change report that hasn't been released yet. And basically it says that, if nations don't take action in the next 15 years to mitigate climate change, there will be irreversible damage, and extremely expensive actions will need to be taken to avoid further ecological and economic damage. I shared the article on Facebook and Twitter, but I believe it is very important, so I will share it here as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/17/science/earth/un-says-lag-in-confronting-climate-woes-will-be-costly.html?hp

The World and Human Society and My Life

I just wrote this. Pages says it has 926 words. I have not proofread, edited, or revised it. I don’t suffer, but many do. There are other people on this planet who don’t have the things they need, and that’s a serious problem. My mission is to fix that - that is my overall goal. Some would say that I should ignore the problem, and just go about my life in pursuit of my own personal gain. They say that the system will work if just given a chance. I say that’s not true because of laws and regulations, and because of the actions of criminals and multinational corporations that don’t care about anything other than profits. I also say that to leave poverty unattended also sows the seeds for extremism and terrorism, which affects me. I have to care, because I don’t want to be killed. Another reason I have to care is because if my goal is to have a lot of money, then my goal should also be a prosperous, sustainable world economy. That way I can make investments that will be hugely successful. So the starting point here is the fact that, all over the world, there are people who do not have enough food to eat. And they don’t own land, so they can’t grow their own food. And they never went to school, and they can’t get a job that pays for the things they need. So we have all these human beings all over the world who can’t get what they need. That’s a problem. Let’s step back and think about farmers for a second. What if we stripped the world economy down until every single person was a farmer, spending all day growing food for themselves to eat. Maybe have some extra food to sell. That would all be fine from a basic human survival perspective, assuming that there was enough land, equipment and water, and assuming that the farmers never get sick. Because the minute someone gets sick, it’s possible that a world-class 21-st century hospital is the only thing that can save them. So it’s impossible to even contemplate that most basic kind of society, because healthcare is arguably the most advanced thing that human beings do. We haven’t come close to mastering it. Let’s zoom back to today, and contemplate a person living in a city. This person has zero education, because there is no school. This person does not own land, so either they have some money to buy food, or food is given to them, or they go hungry. Or food is withheld from them, but we’ll ignore that criminal scenario. This person is also at risk because let’s assume that this person is homeless and doesn’t have anywhere to shower. Maybe they can get access to water, but we don’t know if we can trust the water because there are garment factories and electronics factories putting whatever they want into the rivers. And the garment factory owners have a big, powerful association because they represent most of this country’s economy and the politicians don’t want to sacrifice jobs in the name of safety. So now we’re getting to some of the big-picture topics. We’re getting to democracy versus dictatorship. We’re getting to the rule of law, and pollution, corruption, broken markets... So now we get to me. What do I want to do with my life? Well, I can become a lawyer and then fight for the underdog. Or for a powerful, multinational corporation. Or I can become a politician and still fight for the underdog or the tycoon. I can become a businessman and either do good or do harm. So the question is: what do I do? Which degrees do I get? And since college is expensive, should I just go ahead and take the most lucrative job I possibly can so that myself and my children and my grandchildren can all have access to good, healthy food, clean water, new clothes, a comfortable house, great schools, a college education, and high-quality healthcare for life? This also gets to the safety net. If every person is provided with a free college education, would that solve everything? What if a person does not want to go to college, even when it’s free? What if they’re not a good student? I think we can all agree that providing free college to every student in the world is a good idea for each person and for the whole economy. Providing free college to every student in the United States is good for each person and for the whole economy. Or have the government provide loans to every student at a rate of exactly 2%. I think that would be a no-brainer. So in that sense, I want to be a politician to enact common-sense reform such as this. And such as implementing higher fossil fuel taxes and a cap-and-trade system. That would protect the environment and give the wind and solar industries an opportunity to take over. But then there’s the problem of defective solar panels. And then we can ask: is climate change really so bad, as long as we give help to the people who are flooded out of their homes, whose homes are destroyed by storms, and whose crops are devastated by heat waves, droughts, and floods? And what can I, as one person, do about it, short of persuading a legislature to change the way the system works, or creating the world’s largest business that operates in every industry and makes the whole world a better place. My challenge stands.

Wall Street

This is the status that Robert Reich just posted on his Facebook page: Wall Street's six largest banks are far bigger than they were in 2008 when they were deemed "too big to fail," now accounting for more than half of the assets of the entire financial industry. Their combined profits rose $70 billion over the last year, a 30% increase over the year before. Yet much of the Dodd-Frank law that's supposed to prevent another "too big to fail" bailout is still on the drawing boards because the banks are delaying and watering it down. Last week Treasury Secretary Jack Lew threatened stricter measures if they won't allow Dodd-Frank to be fully implemented, but it sounded like empty bluster to me. The banks are also too big to nail (the Attorney General admits he doesn't have the resources to prosecute them); too big to jail executives or traders (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission won't even go after a JPMorgan executive who allegedly lied about rigging energy prices); too big to derail their market manipulations (not only energy prices but aluminum, copper, and other commodities, according to yesterday's Times); and too big to curtail their trading on inside information (as they buy warehouses, pipelines, and ports they also gain inside information about firms and industries that no other investors have). What should be done? (1) Senators Warren and McCain have just introduced a new version of the Glass-Steagall Act, to separate investment from commercial banking. We all need to get behind it. (2) The Fed is becoming more serious about capping the size of the biggest banks, a measure long overdue. Fed member Daniel Tarullo is pushing this. (3) In addition, a small tax (say, 1/10 of 1%) should be imposed on all financial transactions to both slow speculation and raise funds that could be used for, say, our schools (human capital is more important than financial capital). But will reform really occur before we face another Wall Street disaster?

My Political Platform

If I run for office, this will be my platform: • Increase solar production by 200% per year. • Increase wind production. • Get rid of all loopholes and subsidies for fossil fuels. Impose taxes on fossil fuels. • Raise taxes on the wealthy and on corporations. • Lower student loan interest rates so that the federal government is not making a profit off of students. • Increase education spending. • Zero gerrymandering. • All political spending must be 100% transparent. • Impose a tax on financial transactions (even if it’s 0.01%). • 60 mpg for cars.

Criticism of Republicans

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=549199785095802&set=a.297095436972906.93385.174319502583834&type=1&theater Quote from Pulitzer and Tony award-winning playwright Doug Wright: "I wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest. They all say they're voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice, and say, "My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood."" There's a bit more to the quote, but it's the best I've seen so far.

Inspiration

What is inspiration? Is it an automobile rolling off the production line? Is it an empty stage? An empty field? Is inspiration an aircraft lifting off the ground? Is it walking across the stage and shaking the dean's hand? Or is inspiration something that comes from within? Maybe inspiration is the team that designed that automobile. The actors who live and breathe the stage. It's the athletes who play their game on the pristine field. Inspiration is a soldier coming home. It's the feeling of completing something amazing. Inspiration is lift. Poise. Grace. Freedom. Inspiration.

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family

Research and Projects at TJ

I want to create a website (or even just a Google Doc) that includes all of the research/projects that are going on at TJ. That way, students can come up with new projects. They can also band together with people who share their interests, skills, and/or goals. They would be able to collaborate better. If an actual website was created, there could be forums on which students can communicate (that could just be a Facebook page for each tech lab).

I'm planning on going into the CS lab, so maybe my senior tech lab project could be the creation of the website I described above.

I want to create iOS applications for Intranet, and a desktop application for Intranet. Students can also created software to rival BlackBoard, Turnitin, WebAssign, LoggerPro, and grading systems. They can contribute to open-source communities such as SourceForge, Linux, Google Code, Intranet, TJ's websites, and TJ's computer systems (well, I suppose those aren't open-source). Students can design new hardware and software that can benefit all other students in all fields of study.

Daniel Perkes, SGA Communications Coordinator

SAC

Today at Woodson High School, the FCPS Student Advisory Council chose next year's student representative to the FCPS school board. I believe that this is the fourth year that the position has existed, and three of those terms have been served by TJ students: Arvin Ahmadi (two terms, now at Colombia University) and Keegan Cotton (Class of 2011). I didn't win the election. I lost to one of the twelve or so other candidates. Eugene Coleman won the election, and I completely agree with the decision made the SAC. The election was very close and I had a fantastic time speaking and meeting people from all around the county. It was a truly rewarding experience and I hope to attend school board meetings and participate in the SAC in the future.

Daniel Perkes
Class of 2012
SGA Communications Coordinator for TJHSST, 2010-2011 school year

Politicians in Safety

Should politicians surround themselves with more security in order to prevent injury or death? Mark Warner, Senator from VA, doesn't think that they should separate themselves further from constituents. I think that maybe it is a good idea to have security. At least hold your speeches in buildings where the audience has been security-screened, people.

Degas

I just visited AChou's blog for the first time, and saw her latest post about Degas. I Googled him and realized that his work is absolutely beautiful.

Me

I'm a highly successful individual who is motivated by whipped cream, free gasoline for my car, and mugs that hold my coins together in a nice way.

JLC Library Use at TJ

Daniel Perkes 1/6/11

It’s a bad idea to limit all computers (or all library computers?) to 20 minutes, because now instead of some people not getting computer use, now more people will get computer use but nobody will get anything done. A better idea is to set 5 or so computers aside for printing only.

Maybe in the lab you get it long enough to do something or other. Make it so that people don’t have to sign in to the printing computers.

Printingstudent
Library

or, just Student
Student

Use those dividers to separate documents. On the special printing computers, you should be able to tell it what your name is.

Mrs. Carpenter said that there’s a problem with too many students in the library (during JLC). That’s a fire hazard. That’s why Mr. McCormick was standing at the door today limiting flow.

Maybe we should have a system in which students sign up for use of the library during JLC, just as we do for 8th period. That way, we could regulate how many students are in there at a time, allow students to get more done with less stress, and regulate who gets to use the library.

Communication

I've created a Facebook page for the TJ Student Government Association (SGA) and a Twitter profile @tjhsstsga

I've created a Facebook event: Back to Broadway: TJ's Choirs Perform Songs of the Stage. Our concert takes place on January 11, 2011 at TJ's auditorium (6560 Braddock Rd. Alexandria, VA). It's at 7 PM.

Innovation at TJ

TJ students could make computers, tablets, and phones. All of the tech labs use and create technology, so the connection of all of that would be incredible. Computer science can go very far allowing student scientists to study and share quickly and effectively. Computer science is the key to an amazing Intranet, with iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X applications as well as mobile sites.

The Poetry of Music - Poems needed!

Each year, Fairfax Choral Society does a partnership with FCPS. One school is chosen, and that school holds a contest to determine which poem will get sent to FCS so that a piece of music can be commissioned. This year, nobody applied. I think TJ can do it. I'm going to write poetry when I get a chance, but you should write some!

Contact fcsyouth@gmail.com to submit your poem. Or, just send it to me! danperkes@gmail.com

South Africa

During Winter Break I travelled to South Africa, where my dad grew up. He was born in Johannesburg, and moved around a bit. He lived in places such as George, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town (all of which we visited on our trip). Originally, we were scheduled to fly to Jo'burg through London. However, because of the snow, our flight was cancelled and we had to fly through Sao Paulo, Brazil. I've posted 70 pictures to my Facebook profile (facebook.com/danielperkes), and my sister posted 80 to hers. She took 1,000 photos, so I still need to upload her pictures to my Facebook profile.

Twitter and YouTube username: musicman0494

Collisions and Motion WebAssign

Will anyone help with WebAssign? I'm having trouble with #3. I don't want to have to complete this WebAssign before 10 PM tonight (that's when my flight leaves). I told Mr. Rose that I would be leaving on Friday night for my trip to South Africa, and luckily I have time to do the WebAssign because last night's flight was cancelled. I should not have to complete my WebAssign before 10 PM tonight. That's much less time than other students are being given. This WebAssign should be due at 11 PM the night before school starts again (after break).

Airlines

British Airways cancelled our flight from DC to Johannesburg (stopping in London). They won't refund it unless we cancel our return flight. They should be able to give a refund or credit with the airline without canceling the return flight. There should be a law that requires airlines to give refunds or credits without canceling return flights. I've heard arguments like, "Oh, they treat it as one booking. That's why." I'm sorry, but that doesn't cut it. If you have to make your system work better to comply with that law, then a lot of good will have been done by the law, and a lot of computer programmers and engineers will have a good problem to work on: allowing airlines to keep track of flights, not trips. If I cancel one leg of my trip, I should not have to cancel the rest of it to receive a refund or credit with the airline.