Financial News 2.29

• Bay Area survey: Most residents are unhappy with our quality of life (San Jose Mercury News)
• Coronavirus already sending shock waves through global economy (New York Times)
• Here's three things Millennial are doing correctly with their money (NerdWallet)
• Just how wealthy are 2020's presidential candidates? (US News and World Report)
• Unions want in on California's burgeoning marijuana industry (Los Angeles Times)
• How Gen Z shops Instagram (Glossy)
• On the market: A $50 million Bel Air mansion complete with vintage bowling alley (Architectural Digest)

  

Reflection 3: You Poor Thing⁠—Songs for the Down and Out

For such a bleak subject, impoverishment is a surprisingly common theme for singers and songwriters. Perhaps the topic is so broadly relatable because most of us, at one time or another, have experienced financial stress. For their part, artists have harvested all aspects of monetary destitution for their songs, from desperation to denial to hope.

For this reflection, you will examine, in depth, the lyrics of two iconic songs about being poor. Choose two of the songs from the set of your birthday month to write about.

January - March:

1. Phil Collins, "Another Day in a Paradise"
2. Tom Jones, "I Who Have Nothing"
3. Arrested Development, "Mr. Wendal"  
4. Anaïs Mitchell, "Wedding Song" 
5. Sade, "Jezebel" 

April - June:

1. Loretta Lynn, "Coal Miner's Daughter" 
2. Bruce Hornsby and The Range, "That's the Way It Is"
3. Crystal Waters, “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)
4. ABBA, "Money, Money"
5. Dolly Parton, "Coat of Many Colors"

July - September:

1. Stevie Wonder, "Living for the City"
2. Merle Haggard, "If We Make it Through December"
3. Loggins & Messina, "Danny's Song"
4. Billy Joel, "Allentown" 
5. Tennessee Ernie Ford, "Sixteen Tons"

October - December:

1. "It's the Hard Knock Life" from Annie 
2. Lorde, "Royals" 
3. Tracy Chapman, "Fast Car" 
4. Bobby Gentry, "Fancy"
5. Simply Red, "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)"

Note: You will be responsible for sourcing the lyrics for your songs. It is recommended you find more than one source per song as online lyrics are notoriously inaccurate. Additionally, you should credit the lyricist—which may or may not be the singer—for the words.

Required:

• MLA Style
• Approximately 300 words
• Works cited 

Due: Wed 3.4
 

Week 6 - Mon 2.24/Wed 2.26

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend about 1% of their gross annual income on alcohol—about $565 a year for the average household.

Week 6 - Mon 2.24/Wed 2.26
Read: Nickel—Introduction: Getting Ready - One: Serving in Florida
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch—Excerpts from Generation Wealth (2018)
Due: TOULMAN METHOD

Upcoming:

Week 7 - Mon 3.2/Wed 3.4
Read: Nickel—Two: Scrubbing in Maine
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Inside Kenneth Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad”
Due: REFLECTION 3

Toulmin Model: Should Churches Pay Taxes?

For the past 30 years, a debate has raged over the whether or not churches in the United States should pay federal, state, and local taxes. Proponents often argue that churches do many good works, including attending to the needs of the less fortunate in society. Meanwhile, opponents point to the massive financial reserves and real estate holdings of many churches, all of which is tax-free. What do you think? Should churches’ tax-exempt status remain or must they assume tax liabilities, like everyone else?

For this assignment, you will utilize the Toulmin Model to construct a rhetorically-sound claim for or against churches paying taxes. You will construct ONE claim that will be supported by TWO distinct sets of grounds, warrants, backings, etc.

Note:

• Include a Works Cited below your Toulmin Model
• Utilize at least three sources: Two articles from the eReader AND one source from your own research.

Use THIS template to present your model in outline form.

Required:

• Works cited 

Due: Wed 2.6

Financial News 2.18

• Whaddup, freedom fam!: YouTuber Jake Paul is offering online "financial freedom" courses (Buzzfeed)
• Texas bartender takes to TikTok to highlight the realities of living in a "tip credit" state (Buzzfeed)
• Here is who the ten richest Americans are supporting in the 2020 presidential race (Yahoo! News)
• The 110-year-old Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy (CNN)
• Here is what every American generation spends on dating (CNBC)
• $10 billion: The world's richest man pledges billions to fight climate change (BBC News) 

Week 5 - Mon 2.17/Wed 2.19

Sofia Vergara earned $44 million in 2019, making her TV's highest-paid actress.

Week 5 - Mon 2.17/Wed 2.19
Read: eR—“Why Churches are the Gold Standard of Tax-Exempt Organizations” (Forbes), “A Case for Why Churches Shouldn’t be Taxed” (Colorado Springs Independent), “Why Don't Churches Pay Taxes?” (Los Angeles Times), “We Should be Taxing Churches” (Slate), "Televangelists" (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), "Churches and Taxes: What John Oliver Got Wrong (and Right)" (American Magazine)
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“Inside the Toulmin Method” and “Citing Sources in MLA: The Basics”
Due: REFLECTION 2

Upcoming:

Week 6 - Mon 2.24/Wed 2.6
Read: Nickel—Introduction: Getting Ready - One: Serving in Florida
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch—Excerpts from Generation Wealth (2018)
Due: TOULMAN METHOD

Financial News 2.15

• Finland also has a capitalist economy, so why are they so much happier than Americans? (Business Insider)
• The advice most older Americans would give their younger selves? Start saving sooner! (MotleyFool)
  
• Parasite frighteningly highlights Korean inequality, but it is even worse in America (Washington Post)
• What does $1.3 million buy in San Jose versus Portland and Oregon (NBC Bay Area)
• $200+ a Day: Disneyland admissions are going up again (MotelyFool)
• Save money by auditing your streaming services subscriptions (TechHive)

Reflection 2: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?—Reflecting on Our Attitudes Toward Homelessness

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),  there are currently over 500,000 homeless individuals in this country—and it's getting worse. This is most evident in our nation's biggest (and wealthiest) cities, where homelessness has become pervasive. And while many Americans consider homelessness to be a national shame, an increasing number of us are becoming indifferent, even hostile, toward the homeless. In surveys, Americans routinely say they are concerned about people living on the streets, but in practice, suggestions of a homeless shelter in our neighborhoods is often swiftly met with NIMBYism. Meanwhile, many cities, at a loss to deal with the epidemic, have fashioned anti-homeless laws, designed to curb the presence or behavior of homeless people. What are your own views of the homeless. Do you engage  with them? Do they scare you? How empathetic or indifferent do you find yourself being toward them?

Cite from at least two of the following:

• "Study Tracks Changing Perception of Homelessness" (Yale Daily News)
• "Americans Want to Help the Homeless—As Long as They Don't Get Too Close. This Explains Why" (Washington Post)
• "Rethinking Your Encounters with Homeless People" (Psychology Today)
• "Attitudes Toward the Homeless Affect Us All" (Daily Californian)
• "Homeless Deserve Opportunities, Not Contempt" (The Daily Texan)
• "The City That Will Never Let You Sleep" (Topic)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Approximately 300 words
• Works cited 

Due: Wed 2.19

Week 4 - Mon 2.10/Wed 2.12

American women spend nearly 76% more than American men on clothing per year.

Week 4 - Mon 2.10/Wed 2.12
Class: DIAGNOSTIC; Presentation partner and topic assignments; Lecture—“Building a Better Multimedia Presentation: An Annotated Look,” “MLA Style 101”

Upcoming:

Week 5 - Mon 2.17/Wed 2.19
Read: eR—“Why Churches are the Gold Standard of Tax-Exempt Organizations” (Forbes), “A Case for Why Churches Shouldn’t be Taxed” (Colorado Springs Independent), “Why Don't Churches Pay Taxes?” (Los Angeles Times), “We Should be Taxing Churches” (Slate), "Televangelists" (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), "Churches and Taxes: What John Oliver Got Wrong (and Right)" (American Magazine)
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“Inside the Toulmin Method” and “Citing Sources in MLA: The Basics”
Due: REFLECTION 2

Financial News 2.5

• How much would Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's "futuristic Belgian monastery" cost to furnish? (Forbes)
• Here's what Bay Area millennials are willing to forgo in order to buy a home (San Jose Mercury News)
• $435 million: The new record for in-game ads during the Super Bowl (Adweek)
• In 2019, Instagram earned more money than YouTube (Engadget)
• Deal: This month only, get $100 for your old Apple Watch if you upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 5 (Lifehacker)
• When Jeff Bezos goes mansion shopping ... (New York Post)

Multimedia Presentations

This semester, you will be responsible for a 10-minute multimedia presentation on a money-realted topic.

Requirements:

• The presentation must be no more than 10 minutes in length.
• There should be 10-12 slides (including introduction and conclusion) and should contain least one video clip—absolutely no more than two minutes in length.
• On the day of your presentation, email your presentation (or a link) to me at daniel.hendeldelao@sjsu.edu.

Also:

• You may utilize any presentation program you like (e.g PowerPoint, Keynote). 
• You must provide your own laptop.
• Please sort out any technical issues BEFORE your presentation date (our room's projection system can be found throughout campus). Macs will require an Apple-specific adapter to connect to the university’s projection system. Newer model PCs with HDMI-only connections will also require special adapters.
• You must present from a downloaded version of your presentation (e.g. PowerPoint, Keynote); DO NOT present directly from Google Docs online.
• Presentations without an introduction and/or conclusion cannot score higher than a C. You also may be docked for a lack of preparedness.

Presentations:

1. What Americans Spend on Valentine's Day
2. Bettencourt Meyers: The Wealthiest Woman on the Planet
3. Six Habits Rich People Share
4. Santa Clara Valley's Old Money: Sarah Winchester
5. Why Do American Corporations Pay So Little Tax?
6. Buying and Selling Stock: A How-To 
7. "Greed is Good": How Gordon Gekko Defined Money in the '80s
8. Understanding the Flat Tax
9. The Fat Tax: The Hidden Costs of Being Obese
10. Understanding Basic Income 
11. "Billions and Billions of Dollars": How Much is Donald Trump Really Worth?
12. Man vs. Woman: How the Sexes Differ with Their Finances
13. Why You Should Start Saving for Retirement Yesterday 
14. Appalachia: Life for the Poorest Whites in America
15. What Americans Spend on Christmas
16. Tightening Your Belt: How to Successfully Live on a Budget
17. Santa Clara Valley's Old Money: Leland Stanford
18. What $1 Million Buys in Silicon Valley Real Estate 
19. What Was The Gilded Age?
20. The Psychology of Supermarkets
21. Life in the Poorest Countries in the World
22. Why (and How) the Wealthy Pay Less in Taxes
23. Tough Going: What Life on Welfare is Really Like
24. What Goes Where: How a Tax Dollar is Divided
25. Understanding Corporate Welfare
26. The Ship of Dreams: The Luxuries of Titanic
27. Jeff Bezos: The Wealthiest Man on the Planet
28. The Cost of Living: Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Boston
29. Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams: A Look Back at Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
30. How It Works: Personal Credit 
31. The Richest and Poorest Zip Codes in the United States
32. Understanding the Gig Economy
33. The Pink Tax: The Hidden Costs of Being a Woman 
34. Makers vs Takers: Red and Blue States by the Numbers
35. What Americans Spend on Their Pets
36. Cozy: Inside the Microhouse Revolution
37. Error Code 0: How Music Streaming Services Hurt Artists 
38. Up in Smoke: Why Legalized Pot in California is a Bust
39. Obsolete: Five Professions That Will Soon Disappear
40. Orbital: On the Future of Commercial Space Travel

Sec. 5:

Week 6: Mon 2.24/Wed 2.6

1. Samuel F - The Ship of Dreams: The Luxuries of Titanic

Week 7: Mon 3.2/Wed 3.4

1. Kathrisse M - The Cost of Living: Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Boston

2. Jenny Valdez - Life in the Poorest Countries in the World

3. Sarai M - The Pink Tax: The Hidden Costs of Being a Woman 

Week 8: Mon 3.9/Wed 3.11

1. Citali M - What Americans Spend on Valentine's Day

2. Brandon C - Why You Should Start Saving for Retirement Yesterday

3. Justin B - Tightening Your Belt: How to Successfully Live on a Budget

Week 9: Mon 3.16/Wed 3.18

1. Viv V - What Americans Spend on Christmas

2. Monse O - Jeff Bezos: The Wealthiest Man on the Planet

3. Ashley R - Bettencourt Meyers: The Wealthiest Woman on the Planet

Week 10: Mon 3.23/Wed 3.25

1. German N - Life in the Poorest Countries in the World

2. Giuliana D - What Americans Spend on Their Pets

3. Tuong N - Six Habits Rich People Share

Week 12: Mon 4.6/Wed 4.8

1. Yesenia F - Error Code 0: How Music Streaming Services Hurt Artists

2. Haley W - What Was The Gilded Age?

3. Jennifer L - "Greed is Good": How Gordon Gekko Defined Money in the '80s

Week 14: Mon 4.20/Wed 4.22

1. James D - What $1 Million Buys in Silicon Valley Real Estate

2. Simon C - Cozy: Inside the Microhouse Revolution

3. Ricardo P - The Psychology of Supermarkets

Week 15: Mon 4.27/Wed 4.29

1. Richard C - Up in Smoke: Why Legalized Pot in California is a Bust

2. Maria M - Man vs. Woman: How the Sexes Differ with Their Finances

3. Simyen K - Orbital: On the Future of Commercial Space Travel

Week 16: Mon 5.4/Wed 5.6

1. Natalie M - How It Works: Personal Credit

2. Jiayi L - Up in Smoke: Why Legalized Pot in California is a Bust

Sec. 8:

Week 6: Mon 2.24/Wed 2.26

1. Kaitlyn L - What Americans Spend on Their Pets

2. Brian Y - The Ship of Dreams: The Luxuries of Titanic

Week 7: Mon 3.2/Wed 3.4

1. Sara S - What Americans Spend on Valentine's Day

2. Eliel R - Orbital: On the Future of Commercial Space Travel

3. Nicole J - Obsolete: Five Professions That Will Soon Disappear

Week 8: Mon 3.9/Wed 3.11

1. Jimmy M - What Goes Where: How a Tax Dollar is Divided

2. Adeline M - Life in the Poorest Countries in the World

3. Maria M - Why You Should Start Saving for Retirement Yesterday

Week 9: Mon 3.16/Wed 3.18

1. Alison C - How It Works: Personal Credit

2. Andres M - What $1 Million Buys in Silicon Valley Real Estate

3. Maya R - Why Do American Corporations Pay So Little Tax?

Week 10: Mon 3.23/Wed 3.25

1. MaKaila F - Appalachia: Life for the Poorest Whites in America

2. Cassidy G - The Cost of Living: Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Boston

3. Hamlet I - Buying and Selling Stock: A How-To

Week 12: Mon 4.6/Wed 4.8

1. Lesly C - The Psychology of Supermarkets

2. Ethan B - Tightening Your Belt: How to Successfully Live on a Budget

3. Jenna T - The Richest and Poorest Zip Codes in the United States

Week 14: Mon 4.20/Wed 4.22 

1. Tishunie V - Understanding Basic Income

2. Van L - Bettencourt Meyers: The Wealthiest Woman on the Planet

3. Heather T - What Americans Spend on Christmas

Week 15: Mon 4.27/Wed 4.29

1. Samantha D - The Pink Tax: The Hidden Costs of Being a Woman 

2. Priscilla K - Error Code 0: How Streaming Services Hurt Artists

3. Lisette J - Cozy: Inside the Microhouse Revolution

Week 16: Mon 5.4/Wed 5.6

1. Jovana N - Understanding the Gig Economy

2. Logan L - "Billions and Billions of Dollars": How Much is Donald Trump Really Worth?

3. Emily N - Up in Smoke: Why Legalized Pot in California is a Bust