Upcoming Election

With the election coming up soon I will finally get my first chance to participate in it as I will be able place a vote. With the competition between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney I have a hard decision to make as I believe both candidates would make a good fit to run the decisions being made in the country and I am still undecided on who to vote for. On Obama's side there are several things that I agree with him on on several different issues which makes it seem as if I am leaning towards him and his democratic views. But on the other side I like what Governor Romney has said with his policies in which he is trying to make different changes to improve this economy. In President Obama's four years as the leader of the United States he has not made many improvements to the economy even though he was put in a rough spot at the start of his presidency. The economy is the most important part of these candidates in the presidential race as I think it has the biggest impact on my personal life when it comes to jobs and the different opportunities which can get the economy going again and will increase the spending within individuals in the country when these opportunities are given. As I agree with more of the policies included in Obama's campaign this may not be enough as Governor Romney has many methods to improve the economy such as tax cuts so spending for individuals goes up and businesses have a better chance at economic growth. When the election time comes around I will decide which is more overpowering and as I continue to look at the candidates I will make my decision on what I think will be the best candidate for myself and the rest of the country.

Stocks Near Biggest 2 Day Slide Since June

Over the past few days the stock market has dropped at a vast rate as the DOW industrial has been slipping due to some terrible earning reports by several companies. This has effected me personally because I have become very involved in the stock market over the past year as I own several stocks and have invested a decent amount of my money in the market. On friday one of my stocks Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) reported their earnings and had a huge earings miss as the stock went down over 15%. Due to the increasing competition from other food stocks such as Taco Bell and Yum Brands, Chipotle seems to not be able to keep up with their high priced stock that is around 250 after the recent drop, as the competition within the restaurant industry is increasing. Though this stock has slipped from its earnings as well as the market overall in the past few days, I have done pretty well with my stocks as the stock market has increased over the past year and stocks such as Amazon and Polaris Industries that I own have done very well for me. I love investing in the stock market because everyday you do not know what will happen with your money and it is very interesting to see how different events around the world effect the market as a whole. I am so glad that my father introduced the market to me and gave me some prespective on it, as it has become a daily habit that I enjoy following and I get to see how the economy is progressing. I believe this is an important way to invest money as I would rather have a portion of it invested in the market then to have it all sitting in the bank, because even though it is risky it is another way to make money without having to put manual labor into it.

Pakistan Girl nearly killed by Taliban

A 14 year old girl named Malala Yousufzai was recently targeted and shot by the Taliban for supporting education for girls in the community. In the Pakistan culture the women are trained to be housewives and in the community the women are not seen to a freedom to their own education. Not only are they not allowed to have the freedom to their own education, but they almost have no freedoms. Many of the women in these Middle Eastern countries are forces to wear Burqa's in which all there skin is enclosed and not exposed to the rest of the population. The women in this culture are only expected to be housewives and take care of their familes, and if they try to expose out of this social norm and fight for their own rights such as this girl Malala they will end up with such consequences even if they are not trying to spark any violence. This just proves that America is such a safer country in which all citizens are given the ability to have several freedoms and are not faced with the adversity of being forced into certain situations. I feel very fortunate to be living in the United States because I do not have to face violence such as these citizens are facing everyday in the Middle Eastern countries like Pakistan where friends and family could be killed or injured on any given day for crossing such barriers that are part of the social mean. As this young girl was shot and nearly killed by the Taliban for fighting for a right to education, it is unfortunate that all the women in this society cannot explore their interests and strive in a succesful career and learn more things about themselves as an individual. This is the great thing about America where everyone has the oppurtunity to explore several interests and strive in success in different places.

A-Rod Struggling in Playoffs

Over the past decade Alex Rodriguez has been known as one of the best third baseman's in the game of baseball, but he has consistently had troubled hitting well when it counts, during the postseason. He was given the biggest contract of all time in 2007 when he agreed to a $275 million contract over 10 years as the Yankees went all in on this superstar. He has been great over the regular season, but as shown once again he has been struggling in the playoffs as he so far has been 1 for 9 in his at bats against the Orioles. In pressure situations he has had the most trouble as he has been a career hitter of .175 with runners in scoring position in the postseason and has ended several games striking out for the last out allowing the opponent to beat them out. In my opinion it seems like A-Rod just cannot handle the big pressure situations that are included in these postseason at-bats. When players are given these huge contracts like the one A-Rod got, it seems like the players never live up to the expectations because they are suppose to continue their vast success from the previous seasons as they continue to grow in age. I have had experiences with baseball as I played competitively for over 7 years and it is a game that takes over your mind mentally. Players must have a positive mental attitude everyday if they want to succeed, and I believe A-Rod's struggles in the postseason are due to a mental collapse in these pressure situations. I stopped playing baseball because the mental aspect was too much for me and I stopped enjoying the competitiveness as a whole. I give props to all the players that have been able to succeed in this mentally-filled sport by pushing through the negative thoughts in their minds and continuing to prosper in the sport to make a living for it as a career.