The Dark Store Strategy

http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/what-does-the-dark-store-strategy-mean-for-taxpayers/

The dark store strategy is something that has just recently immersed in the retail industry. This strategy benefits big-box stores in the industry because it is a way for big-box stores to lower their property taxes. Big-box retailers argue that if their stores closed down it would be hard to find a different store to fill their retail location, and so they want to lower their property taxes.

The issue with this strategy is that the taxes will then be turned onto homeowners in the county. Lowe's is one of the first big-box retailers to implement the dark store strategy. They implemented it in Hunt county and it ultimately cost the county $23,000.

When I first heard about the dark store strategy I didn't think it would be that big of a problem, but when learning about it in more detail I realized what a problem this could be for taxpayers. If every big-box store implemented this strategy, taxpayers would be facing a large increase in the amount of taxes they pay each year.

It will be interesting to see how this strategy will play out and if counties will begin to allow this change in the retail industry. What are y'all's thoughts on the dark store strategy? Do you think there is a way to implement this strategy without affecting taxpayers?

Yemen's impoverished Hodeidah region sees another dark face of war: child malnutrition

This week we've been talking a lot about poverty and how it affects children the most. I ran across this article and honestly it makes me sick to my stomach. The thing that caught my attention was the main picture; it was a picture of Salem, a five year old boy. You see the boy's skeletal body and his sunken cheeks. He suffers from malnutrition. There is one sentence in particular that saddens me, "Masbah, the mother of Salem, says her boy remembers only hunger." Poverty isn't just in the United States, it's world wide. We get so caught up with our own lives and our own problems. However, we never really pay attention to the true suffering of others. I have taken a lot for granted and it's stories like this that make me realize how blessed I truly am. 

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-09-16/ravaged-by-conflict-yemens-coast-faces-rising-malnutrition

Italian Woman Commits Suicide After the Release of a Sex Tape

In Italy this week a woman committed suicide after a sex tape she sent to her ex-boyfriend and three others was posted online without her permission. The video had been viewed by 1 million people and she was ridiculed by many for the video. She had apparently won a law suit to have the video taken down, but the damage was already done. She went so far as to change her name and move to get away from the negative attention, but I suppose for her she could never escape the violation she experienced.

We discussed in class how there was possibly a law(?) trying to be put in affect to charge people who use sexually explicit content as revenge. Though I am unsure of the motive to place the sex tape online, it is my opinion that this kind of action should not be condoned. I personally cannot imagine how violating it would feel to have something that personal displayed for the whole world to see, especially without my permission. I am saddened that this woman had to go through that. No matter how you view her decision to send out the video in the first place, it was clear it was not meant for the public eye.

The four men who posted the video are under investigation. Maybe justice will be served, but it will not change the fact that a woman is dead because of the action of four men.

mind blowing

http://cnn.it/2cVf51O

I wanted to talk more about the rape case where the judge talked about the girl needing to closing her legs and shoving her butt in a sink to avoid penetration and who believes that most girls like having painful sex when they're drunk....??? I am very interested to see how his hearing plays out and if he will get to keep his position. This reminds me of the Brock Turner rape case where the judge let a guy off with only 6  months of jail time. I think we need some more female judges to take some of these cases because listening to all of the comments that the judge said about women and wondering if that's how other men think and how he is teaching that to other men is just really mind blowing to me. Maybe if there was a female judge she would understand how sick it is for a guy to rape a girl who is unconscious, extremely wasted or even sober and just flat out telling you NO! I really hope the judge from this case is removed but we shall see in a few days. I put the link of the CNN video at the top if y'all haven't seen it on Facebook already.

Killing Criminals = Justice?

A senate public hearing was held in the Philippines regarding the new president, Rodrigo Duterte, and his involvement with extrajudicial killings. The senate heard testimony from a man who claims to be involved in a “Death Squad” that killed around 1,000 criminals over the past two decades under Mr. Duterte’s rule as mayor of Davao City. During Duterte’s recent campaign for presidency he promised if elected to continue to pursue his anti drug mission and “deploy the police and the military in an all-out assault on criminal gangs”. Human rights groups are fearful that the killings are eroding the Philippines rule of law and international leaders have also expressed concern. The Philippines are an important ally to the United States and President Obama has urged Duterte to observe the rule of law and human rights. Duterte has responded to the criticism by going on the offensive and calling Obama “a son of a whore” and said he would repeat the slur in person if Obama tries to challenge him on the extrajudicial killings. Since Duterte took office as president 1,506 suspected drug dealers have been killed and another 1,571 deaths are under investigation. Duterte denies any knowledge of said “death squad” and is backed up by police whom say they have no evidence that it ever existed. A similar senate hearing happened in 2009 and no charges were brought to Duterte. His supporters saw Duterte’s victory in the presidential campaign as a huge step towards making the Philippines a better place. It is believed that his policies have made Davao one of the safest places in the Philippines.

It is crazy to me that the crime issue in the Philippines is so bad that people are willing to turn a blind eye or even support these killings. Rather than giving criminals a trial they are killed in secret to send a message to other criminals that crimes are punishable by death. He won the election based on his policies and stand on the war against drugs so it shows that people are okay with this form of criminal justice.

Word Vomit: Poor Kids Film

SPOILER ALERT! (kinda, idk)
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First we meet Brittany. Her home is covered in snow and that's how she describes taking a shower in her home. Like a bunch of snow just hitting you in the face. My heart is already broken at this point and it doesn't mend for the rest of the film. Her family eats almost nothing but $2 pizzas because that's really all they can afford and she yells at herself because she's embarrassed about how she looks from not eating healthy foods. Ugh.

We then meet Kaylie, a 9 year old who spends all her free time collecting cans for PENNIES. PENNIES PEOPLE. Ugh this baby doesn't even get to be a child because shes either dangerously (she almost crawls into an abandoned building with collapsed floors) searching for scrap aluminum or shes distracting herself from the hunger rumbling in her belly. We meet her mom and her brother and my heart fell to pieces as her mom broke down about this life "never getting better". She's essentially like what's the point and with depression whispering in her ear that this is never getting any better? What kind of life is that to live? If my heart wasn't already disintegrated at this point Kaylie's family has to take her dog Nala to the pound. On the way there she's got Nala in a choke hold hugging her and you can see the heartbreak in both sets of eyes. Kaylie writes "I love you Nala" in the rain fogged window and I lost it. Kaylie mentions on her door steps that she thinks maybe her mom made a wrong turn and did something to deserve this. NO ONE DESERVES THIS.

The last family we meet includes Jasmine and her older brother Jonny. Their family lives in a shelter and the siblings are incredibly embarrassed about this. Children should not have to feel embarrassed about who they are or what's going on in their lives. At this point, I was furious and ready to lace up my metaphorical boots and save every single poverty stricken child in this country. HOW CAN WE AS A COUNTRY IGNORE THIS?! Towards the end of the film 14 year old Jonny talks about his passion for football. He then goes on to mention that he's "14 and [his] life is almost over". Excuse me what? This child is fourteen years old and thinks not only that he is almost out of opportunities but that his life is over.

This movie was so SO SO powerful. I feel exhausted and so heartbroken and hopeless and furious and selfish.

Brock Turner Rape

The Brock Turner rape case that we have discussed a couple of times in class has really been on my mind heavy. The more I think about the case, the more messed up it makes me feel about how often girls are getting raped and how it is turning into lesser and lesser of a deal with excuses like "well that girl did it to herself for being so drunk". I have a couple of friends that I know of that this has happened to. Nowhere near to the Brock Turner case with all of the physical damage done but it has happened to girls I know and I also know the emotional damage has got to be horrific. This is a topic I think that we should discuss more through the semester and after thinking about this sort of issue the more motivated I am to get involved with some sort of group that tries to prevent these sort of things from happening to girls. As women we really need to stand against that sort of thing being such a common occurrence and make it known that should not be something that is tolerated ever under and circumstance.