Extensive Reading Blog Post - Chapter 3 - Drug dealers living with their moms

Today in class I read the third chapter of the book freakonomics that has the name written above.

In this chapter, the author explains how the drug business work using the story of a student called Sudhir Venkatesh who decided to go to a guetto neighborhood in Chicago to study about the life of the poorest black people living there.

It was interesting see how this research worked. He bumped in a gang of crack dealers and got involved with their business ending with very important and unique informations.

It was possible know how they work in their small group and how it is related with a huge web of others drug dealers all connected with few bosses that control everything.

Foxdale visitation

Hi everyone,

Today the experience to visit the Foxdale Village was really amazing.
I would like to thanks Ms. Ruth for this experience.

I met two really kind ladies Ms. Barbara and Ms. Ruth, and they shared a lot about their life, family and some stories about their past. Plus, I had the oportunity a tour around the building visiting the library, auditorium, rooms, etc.

Unfortunately, the bad part was the short time, I felt really bad about leave them fast because they were clearly enjoying our visitation, and me too.

I confess that in the begin I was a little scared about don't interact good with them. However, it was thousand times better than I could imagine in the better scenario.

I took one picture with Ms. Barbara. Unfortunately it was in the end and Ms. Ruth left me before I ask her to take one picture with her too.

Outline - Mind Map: Freaknomics

Chapter 2 - Page 55 - 57

Ku Klux Klan- Introduction and brief historic background
Meaning of the name.
Relationship between the Klan and the slavery.
Procedures of the Klan to intimidation.
Creation, extinction and recreation of the Klan.
Relationship between the KKK and the nazism.
Secret society with members from all classes of the society.
Strong society that used to have a lot of power and let the people think that any efforts against them were useless.

Extensive Reading Reaction - March, 24

Hi guys,

In my extensive reading I found an interesting citation which shows how the economic interested is linked with everything.

In one passage from the book, the author give us an example about how the doctors sometimes do some procedures even when they don't think that it is necessary, but only to maintain the relationship with their others colleagues of profession.

So, the book give us this example: "If you're an invasive cardiologist and Joe Smith, the local internist, is sending you patients, and if you tell them they don't need the procedure, pretty soon Joe Smith doesn't send patients anymore."

This example above show us how so many times the profit can be a priority even inside ethics questions like the medical liability.

It is a fact that I always heard about, but it is sad when you see that it really happens.

Which event, fact, or character were more interesting about what you read

Hey Folks,

In my extensive read today I picked up something interesting about the KKK from my book Freakonomics.

It was really interesting to see how the KKK used to recognise themselves. They used to use a code to identify others members in different towns.

The members from KKK used to ask to the others if they knew "Mr Ayak", what means "Are you a klansman?", and if the answer was "Yes, and I also know  a Mr. Akai", this "Akai" meant "A Klansman Am I", what was a positive response of identification of a member.

It was interesting to read because looks like things that we see in fictional books and we usually think that it doesn't exist because it is really silly.

The KKK and their ultra-secret society....

hahahahaha

Freakonomics: Today's Reading!

Hey everybody!

Today we began the reading of selected books and I'm going to share my first impressions about.

"Explanatory Note"

This part makes a brief introduction of the authors, and shows to us some of their characteristics and why they decided write this book. 

"Introduction: The hidden Side of Everything"

This introduction give to us the general idea about the topics of the book. It make us think about some relationships between some cause and effects of some facts and how some different things are connected. For example, it's explained how some cities in US reduced the violence during some years and talks that some people believe that it was reduced because of the gun control policy. However, the writer shows to us a new perspective, making a bond with violence's decline and birth control using abortion system.
One another interesting topic of this introduction is some facts about investments of elections. It shows the relation between win or lose the election associated with how much money is spent. In fact, it is interesting know that if some candidate hasn't charisma the result of the election will not change if this candidate spent a lot amount of money.

To conclude for today, I confess that can't wait to read the next chapters and share with all you who are reading this blog.

Hugs!

Book Choice: Freakonomics - A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything - Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

 

Hey Everybody!

 

I am posting now to announce my book choice.

This semester I am very happy because  a lot of interesting books were placed as option.

I'm not the kind of reader interested in fiction books, and I tend to prefer books with backgrounds economics, philosophical and political, for example.

 

For these reason, between the options which were given to us, I decided to pick this book with the picture above called "Freakonomics - A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything".

 

I did a search about this book and I discovered how famous it is. It was best seller by The New York Times List. It had sold over 4 million copies worldwide!

 

The book is a collection of articles which talk about diverse subjects not usually covered by "traditional" economists. There are topics about The Ku Klux Klan, school teachers who cheat, sumo wrestlers who rig matches, criminologists who wrongly predicted a crime wave, Enron energy traders out to fleece a grandmother, corporate felons, game show contestants who discriminate against the elderly, parents with unfenced swimming pools, and real-estate agents focused most on their own commission.

 

It Sounds weird?

I know!

 

I can wait to start to read and share the content inside this book with all you!

 

Thank you again for read my blog!

 

Don't be shy in comment, correct and give suggestions!

	Class #1	Class #2	Class #3
Class name and # (for ex.: Ag 113)	PHYS 213L	PHYS 214L	E MCH 210
Days and time it meets  (MTWRF,  2:30-3:20)	T R 1:25 PM - 2:15 PM	T R 1:25 PM - 2:15 PM	M F 4:40 PM - 5:30 PM T 4:15 PM - 5:30 PM R 4:15 PM - 5:30 PM
Classroom	119 Osmond Lab	119 Osmond Lab	112 Chambers Bldg 112 Chambers Bldg 101 Chambers Bldg
Professor’s name	Gemelke, Nathan David      Hopkins, John Duff Costantino, Daniel Jeffrey Van Hook, Stephen Jay Browne, Richard A	Gemelke, Nathan David Hopkins, John Duff Costantino, Daniel Jeffrey Van Hook, Stephen Jay Browne, Richard A	Suliman, Samia A
Professor’s email	ndg3@psu.edu jxh22@psu.edu djc321@psu.edu sjv11@psu.edu rab62@psu.edu	ndg3@psu.edu jxh22@psu.edu djc321@psu.edu sjv11@psu.edu rab62@psu.edu	sas178@psu.edu
Reason you’re interested in observing it	I'll be probably taking this class next semester because is basic to my major.	I'll be probably taking this class next semester because is basic to my major.	I'll be probably taking this class next semester because is basic to my major.

Hey folks!

Here is Gabriel Costa and I am an international student from Brazil at IECP at Penn State University.
I came to State College to do an exchange program of my country called Brazil Scientific Mobility Program. I'll be living here until December 2014 and it's a great opportunity to meet each one of you.

I am enjoying a lot the life here at Penn State and I usually study and make exercises during the week and go out and hang out with my friends at the weekends.

I arrived here last August and I traveled already to Niagara's Fall NY, Washington DC, Miami FL, Altoona PA, and Pittsburg PA. All these different cities  were amazing.

The best place that I visited was Miami FL. I went there during the Thanksgiving Break and the City is really crazy, funny and EXPENSIVE. I have been there in a very famous hostel called International hostel. There had people of at least 10 nationalities, and it was really amazing and new to me.

The last travel was really good too. I went to Washington with really good friends and we had a lot of fun there. The photo at the top of this topic was there in a pub close to the Georgetown University. The place is an Irish Pub and it was different because the students and the lifestyle there is completely different than State College.

One funniest thing about these both travel (Miami and Washington) was when we yelled "WE ARE" at the same time peoples around answered "PENN STATE". And after we introduced ourselves and for our surprise all these peoples were students here.

I am very proud in be part of this crew of lions!

I see you at the next post!