[re] selfishness

“The world doesn't revolve around a single person, and we never know the full story. There may very well be a reason behind the actions of a person.”

This quote is from Marissa’s post about a seminar that she attended. I love this post. I definitely agree with her on this. I think that all of us have judged someone or have gotten upset or mad at someone when you thought they were being mean or rude to you, but they really did have something to do, or somewhere to go. We never realize that they may have something more important because we think about ourselves and what we want. We need to try and think of what position they are in and that they may need to help someone else out, or take a break for themselves first. Even though it may seem selfish of them because they are taking a break for themselves, they may be having a hard time or had a bad week. We will never know unless we think about them too.

I think as we all begin to mature, we will look at life a little differently. We will see how important others are and sometimes we need to step out of our way and sacrifice something for our friend. No one will ever have a perfect life, but that is why we have friends. They have made sacrifices for us, so we should do the same. We need to figure out ourselves first and see the way we want to look at life. I think once we do this, we can see the other side of the story. To see what others are going through and try and fix or help them out as well as ourselves. It’s a hard thing to do, but we can’t always be so selfish and only think about what we want. We need to look at the different perspectives and learn the meaning of life and how it impacts us and others around us.  

[free] one step at a time

A simple thing as a tree can change our point of view on life. We are used to seeing something every day and just think it’s part of our routine. We pass by it all the time so we don’t really take in the time to appreciate that it is there. The Park St. tree is now gone and people are very disappointed about it. But it’s interesting to see how we are all reacting to it. One little thing can change us. And this goes back to my other post. It’s about the little things. The little things are what mean the most to us. It’s what makes or breaks our day. We just don’t always see it like that because we are so used to it. Sometimes we just need that day to take a step back and breathe. To realize how much we have and what we take for granted. What we appreciate but don’t always see. To just take it in and be thankful.

I think that we can sometimes get caught up in everything that is happening that we forget the good. As a senior I know I am stressing over college applications, and for me basketball season is coming up so everything is hectic. When times like these happen I need to take a step back and just relax. Take that moment and enjoy how great my life really is and not look at just the bad and stressful things that are happening in my life right now. We all need some time to ponder and think about our lives, but it doesn’t always have to be negative. Think about how everything has come to be, and how much each thing affects you. Because all of these little things are what makes us up, and we sometimes get too caught up in the stressful things, that we don’t realize that things are going to turn out and everything is going to be alright.

[ce] job finding on facebook

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on Thursday announced a partnership with Facebook designed to connect the jobless with companies that are hiring. The Social Jobs Partnership will aggregate a variety of existing, but often little-known, job-search services on a new Facebook page in hopes of drawing more attention to them.

Social networking is becoming more and more popular. We have Facebook, twitter, tumblr and whatever else is out there. Some of us use it to stay connected and others think that it may be pointless and a waste of time. Never the less, people are trying to use Facebook, a network that is increasing, to help jobless people find jobs. In a way this may benefit many for some go on Facebook many times a day. Many times businesses look on your Facebook page to check out what kind of person you are, and it may have some affect on if you get the job or not. Using a sight that many go on the daily, can help many find jobs that may be “hidden” and not so popular.

We are in a bad situation as it is. Especially now for us, it is harder and harder to get jobs and money is a big issue now. People are struggling now to find any kind of job, and are having trouble paying off all the taxes and such that we need to pay. Knowing this, having a system that will identify even the smallest jobs will be helpful. The ones who are just graduating still use Facebook, and can use it to not only keep in touch with friends, but find a job for them. In the article, it also talks about a system to find alternative jobs for their skills, and can talk about opportunities that they are capable of doing with their field that they are in. 

I feel like this is a good start of something to come. Maybe it doesn’t have to be on Facebook, but having a sight that can reach out to many is a useful way. More and more people are going to be unemployed and it is becoming harder and harder to get any kind of job. I just believe it has to start somewhere and that this can lead to something even better. Especially with how our technology is booming, new sites will come out, and we can figure out a better system to help more people. Just a thought.

[ce] drowning in alameda

This story is about the time on Memorial Day when a man drowned off crown beach right here in Alameda. Raymond Zach, a 52 year old, walked farther and farther out into the water and police officers and firefighters watched. Eventually a passer went and pulled him out of the water. 

The claims, which were filed Thursday, come just two days after the Alameda City Council reviewed the death of the 52-year-old Raymond Zack and steps that police and firefighters are taking to address public criticism for how they responded to the emergency,[…]

I don’t really want to argue this point on who is right and what should happen, but it is an interesting discussion. The family filed claims on both the city and the county of Alameda. But the police and firefighters said that they weren’t trained to go out into the water, and that they thought it was dangerous. But we live on an island so shouldn’t at least someone be trained to be able to go out into the water. I mean we are surrounded by water aren’t we? 

I am pleased to know that firefighters went under training and are rescue swimmers now as well. They also have boats that can be used in shallow waters just in case a situation like this or a similar one does occur again. Also the police have acted upon this too, making changes on the problem that had occurred. 

I don’t know what would have happened if someone did act upon this situation, but at least they have tried to improve the system since it happened. I think they have proved themselves that the system is better for they did 4 water based rescues since. The family does have the right to be mad and file claims, but everyone has learned something from this and they have acted upon it. It is a shame that this event occurred and went down the way it did, but progress is being made.

[free] college fair

 A few days ago I attended the college fair at College of Alameda. I have been many times before, but this one is probably the most important. As I went to these with my sister a couple years ago, I never realized how important it was to find the right fit for you. She would ask all these questions wondering about all the majors, diversity, how big of a school they were and more. I would stand there and listen, but thought they were questions just to get to know the school. But a couple days ago I was the one asking questions to all the different types of schools trying to figure out where I want to go. It’s an exciting adventure that most of us will take, but it didn’t really hit me until recently when I started doing my college applications. 

I’ve thought about playing basketball in college, what I may want to major in, but it’s still all up in the air. I love doing many different things, and have learned to manage my time with a sport all year around. But as I continue watching my sister go through college, it is a big change. You have to adapt to a new environment, a different schedule, professors, leaving class early, eating lunch on your own time and more. And on top of that if I play a sport, it would be a lot more work. Weights in the morning, class, practice, study, and do it all over again the next day. Now I love the game of basketball, but I also want to experience the opportunity of college and what it’s going to be like, not just play basketball all the time. It’s all so stressful and it all hit me recently, but in the end it will all be worth it. 

All of these thoughts have been coming at me for the past couple of days. Just standing in front of the college booths with my mom made me realize that college is just around the corner. It seemed like this day was so far away, but it has finally come. And now that a lot of seniors are stressing over getting their college applications in, we will all accomplish it soon and be waiting to see where we get into in a few months. The journey will continue on and it is going to be a different roller coaster ride for everyone. And for me, it will just open up a new chapter in my life to experience and cherish for we only live once.

[essay] going for the look

Hiring people to “create an environment that’s enticing to the community” is how some of our stores sell their clothes today. I believe a brand enhancer is acceptable, and that it is the stores choice of how they want to be portrayed. Many times today we base our decisions on where we shop off of the models that are selling the clothes. It’s not discriminatory because it’s not a judgment on who it is, but what it is.  Stores all have their own look that they want and if they can display this off of certain models then they have the right to do so. I agree with Cohen’s argument that it is acceptable to “find a brand enhancer” to help the sales at a store.

Each store wants to be portrayed in a certain way and has its own vibe to it. As we walk through a mall, we try and figure out which stores we would want to stop and look at. But what pulls our attention to each particular store? Every store has a different feel to it, like a personality. Some stores are bright and seem more spacious like Forever 21, compared to a place darker and enclosed like Hollister. Also, stores play different types of music that attract different types of people. Just like how people categorize music, people categorize shops. Some are just meant for some people, and other ones are meant for different people. We don’t point out these minor details to each other, but each one of us judge off of the first glance at the store. If each one of the stores was the same then they wouldn’t attract different types of people.

This is where advertising comes in. As people begin to realize the vibe of each store, they figure out what store fits them. Just like how stores have their own vibe and style, so do we. We all know what clothing look good on us, and when we see something that catches our eye, we want to shop at that certain store. As we become more and more familiar with our styles, we look for places that match us. So when stores want to advertise a piece of new clothing, they choose someone that will show off the clothing. It is not discriminatory because not everyone looks good in everything. And as more and more people start to apply for jobs, some will not get the job because it just doesn’t fit their personal style. It’s not against their work ethic or who they are as a person, they just don’t fit the vibe. 

But as stores begin to grow, they need more employees. Since many apply to work, many different people can get the job. Just because they don’t fit the needs of model advertising, doesn’t mean that they cannot still work there. They can sort out the clothes in the back, or make up the advertisement that someone else is going to do. There are many other opportunities for different types of people to get hired. Once they start working they will realize if that place is a good fit for them, and if not, they can always apply at a different location that may work out better for them. In this way stores aren’t going to be discriminatory, because they will still have a chance at the job, just not as the “walking billboard”.

The walking billboard is what lures costumers in. they see the new style out from the advertisements in magazines or right outside the store door, and go in. if it didn’t look good on the person advertising it, then the stores would lose business. Stores just want customers to keep returning and wearing their clothes so that it gets advertised by them also. This meaning that more people will be brought to their store because others saw their clothing and thought it was cute. Many times we see what others are wearing and go for that same look. Even though we have our own styles, we catch onto different trends that come and go. We advertise off of each other, especially with the new popular trends that come out. So without a brand enhancer, new trends would not be recognized, and people would not look at new stores. We “show off” different stores by wearing clothing from different places. Without each other, and models, we would never realize the new styles out. 

In conclusion, hiring a walking billboard is what starts a store. If no one advertised that stores clothes, people wouldn’t be interested and wouldn’t even look into shopping there. Having someone essentially show off what clothing is being sold there brings in customers and sets the tone. Without having a model luring people in, a store would not make very good business and have a hard time staying open. It is not discriminatory because the stores aren’t going off of the looks of the person, but what the person looks good in. If they don’t fit the style that the store is trying to portray then it would be a struggle for them to work there. They wouldn’t know anything about the clothing and wouldn’t know what looks good with what. This would not be helpful to the customers asking questions to them, and they wouldn’t enjoy it because they don’t fit in. Since everyone has their own style, it’s easier for them to work at a store that is similar to them. Whether they are working the cash box, sorting or folding clothes, or being a model and advertising is up to the employees to decide. But there goal is not to discriminate against anyone, it is to make business. And without anyone advertising the clothes they are selling, no one would know about them. All they want to do is “create an environment that is enticing to the community”.

[re] traveling the world

One of my biggest goals in life is to travel around the world.[…] Another reason why I want to travel the globe is because I love scenery. If I have a good view in front of me, I can easily clear my mind, it gives me a moment of peace. It enables me to get away from my world and think about my life.

This is from Kevin Jang’s blog, where he is really inspired to travel when he grows up. He wants to travel the world and to experience different lifestyles and cultures. I also would love to travel the world when I grow up. I would like to go to most, if not all, of the states, as well as at least a few other countries. If I could I would also devote a time where I could just spend time traveling, but who knows what is going to happen in the future. Being able to see how others live would be an amazing experience and definitely eye opening for me. 

I have been to a few different states like New York, Florida, Oregon, and Washington, and have been to Japan a couple times, but I if I could spend time in each place for a week or so, would be unimaginable. It would let me explore the planet that we live on and show me the daily lives of others. We all see how we live and what lifestyles we have, but how are our lives different from peoples on the east coast, or on the other side of the world?

It would also give me a chance to get away from my daily lifestyle. It would open my mind up and have me thinking of them, not so much about me and what is happening around me. it would give me a time to reflect and explore, while visiting other cities. All in all, it would be a life changing experience. 

This is part of the reason why I would like to study abroad when I go to college. Not so much to get away, but to study in a different atmosphere and learn how their classes are and how they live their lives every day. It would give me a different perspective on life. For instance in Japan students are very studious, and study for many hours a day. They ride bikes almost everywhere they go, and take their shoes off when entering a building. They eat sitting on the floor, and more importantly, speak a whole different language. There are so many differences between the people around us now, which means there are millions of differences between one of us, and a person across the world. And being able to compare and contrast myself with someone else would be a dream come true and a life changing experience.

[FREE] escape reality

Have you ever wished you could escape from reality for a while? If things could be better than how they are now at least for awhile? Maybe not have the perfect life, but just be free and do what you want. In a way this can seem selfish because compared to other people’s lives we have it nice. We are able to get a good education, have a home, and well, get the necessities in order to survive. But even if we could just escape and relocate for a little bit can seem nice at times.

You can say I can sometimes overreact on some situations or over think some. But some days I feel lost. Like I really don’t belong here. I know this can sound childish, but some can be very selfish, and not try and understand where someone else is coming from. And at times, moving away and starting fresh seems like the best solution. We don’t have the unity in the world because selfishness comes into play. We can feel down and sad, but many times people will compare you to someone else. In some situations this is the right thing to do, but in some cases, we have problems where we just need a hand. Someone to be there for us to lean on. 

I guess we all have new chapters in our lives, where we move on and overcome an obstacle. Most of us find that friend that you can turn to for anything and will listen to all your problems that you have, even if they are the littlest things. But we can all can get caught in the moment and get stuck on something that we know we can move on from. But that is the time where we want to get away and be alone, or run away with a friend for awhile. To live our lives out loud so we can paint our own reality. Not paint our dreams or nightmares, but start fresh and new. To just escape from our own reality.