Mar. 30 Wes Brown: I found the TV show Scandal's trailer. The actor Wes Brown is actually in the 1:42 sec mark where he is being arrested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kju0TD2JnRU
Mar. 31 The Vertex Fighter: I subscribe to the Screenwriter's Goldmine emails. It talked about a script that doesn't have a lot of locations, so it's cheaper to film. I then thought about my The Vertex Fighter script. There are about 6 locations.
Apr. 4 Spring cleaning: I remember what Dr. Oz about exercise: "You may not be in the mood to do something, but if you start doing it, you will get in the mood." I will say that about cleaning. I threw out these H1N1 forms from 2009. I also threw out my retainer and retainer case that I haven't worn in 10yrs. It was always on the bathroom counter, but I never threw it away until now. I threw out a couple prescription bottles.
Apr. 6 Scandal: I saw the Scandal pilot called "Sweet Baby" yesterday. I read a couple of articles, and it was created by Shonda Rhimes who created Grey's Anatomy, it's spinoff Private Practice, and the unsuccessful show Off the Map. All shows are about doctors.
Scandal is different because it's about a company that prevents scandals from happening and protecting reputations. Here's my review. It starts off with a white woman Quinn (Katie Lowes) who meets this black guy Harrison (Columbus Short) for a blind date at a bar. They are talking really fast, and Harrison says: "This isn't a date. This is a job interview for Olivia Pope." Quinn gets hired at Olivia's firm. The show is set in Washington, DC.
Cut to Olivia (Kerry Washington) and British guy friend Stephen (Henry Ian Cusick) talking about how Stephen wants to propose to his girlfriend. Olivia and Stephen do this big business deal that's worth millions of dollars.
Harrison takes Quinn to the office and introduces the co-workers/ characters.
Olivia: We're lawyers, but we're not a law firm.
The actor Wes Brown playing Sergeant Sullivan "Sully" enters. He's got blood all over him and he's bleeding.
Sully: My girlfriend is dead, I didn't kill her, but it looks like I did. She was my best friend.
They take a pic of him.
The Lawyers research him, and Sully is a really good soldier and a Republican. Sully is crying as he says he didn't do it. Wes Brown is a really good actor.
This company reminds me of an independent business like private detective agency.
Olivia talks to David who will be investigating the murder. He's played by Joshua Malina from In Plain Sight and the other Washington, DC show The West Wing.
The show is very fast-paced because this happens in one night of the murder. Abby (Darby Stanchfiled) goes to take pics of the crime scene. She manages to get pics because she threatens a cop there that she will tell his pregnant wife that he was with a stripper. Stephen goes to the morgue to look at Sully's dead girlfriend Paige's body.
Olivia used to work for the White House. She talks to the a Politic guy about how the President needs her help.
Back to the main plot, Sully has to stay in the office as the team investigates. It turns out Paige was supposed to be at a party, but she cancelled.
Olivia meets with the President Fitzgerald (Tony Goldwyn). My nitpick was that the President and First Lady were white. I watched Heroes, and when there was the President, he was black. I thought they wanted it to be more like Barack Obama. President says a intern Amanda is saying that she has an affair with him, when he didn't.
It turns out Paige cheated on Sully, so Sully has motive to kill her.
Cut to Olivia who takes Quinn to go and confront the intern Amanda. Olivia tells Amanda all this personal information about Amanda, like her family, and her sexual history.
Amanda: I'm a good person.
Olivia: Yeah, Monica Lewinsky was a good person, and she was telling the truth. But she got her name dragged through dirt. Your life is out in public like your mom is in a mental hospital. Resign from your job, move and get another career.
Olivia told the plain, hard truth and she talked fast. The Tech Guy gives Quinn a pep talk. I looked him up on imdb.com, but the actor's name isn't in the credits. Quinn felt sad as she watched Olivia make Amanda cry.
Back to Sully. The man that Paige slept with, he had an alibi so he couldn't have killed her. The finger prints on the gun belongs to Sully.
Olivia: Did you know that Paige slept with Tom?
Sully: Yes, but I didn't kill her. She was my best friend. I picked up the gun, and that's how my finger prints got on it.
Amanda enters Olivia's office wanting to give the President a message. Olivia kicks her out and sends her down the elevator. David and the police come from the other elevator to arrest Sully.
Stephen, Abby, and Harrison thought of to check Sully's alibi. He went to a bar, and there was a camera on the street. They paid a security guard $500 and a pizza to watch the video.
This is the best scene in the whole episode- at least for me. They showed the video to Sully: it had Sully kiss another man. Did anyone predict he was gay?
Olivia: You kept saying Paige is your best friend, not your lover. She knew you were gay.
Sully: I'm a war hero, I can not be gay.
I noticed he did keep saying "best friend", but I didn't really predict that he was gay. I thought he didn't commit murder, but that maybe from the promo that said he was innocent. However, promos can be misleading.
This is a scene where I'm really impressed with Wes Brown's acting. He should put this scene in his acting reel. There is so much drama and tension as Sully is willing to get arrested and go to jail for murder he didn't commit, instead of coming out.
The intern Amanda tried to commit suicide, and prior to it called Olivia and left a message.
Cut to hospital.
Quinn and Olivia are there.
Quinn: She thought the President would come see her and call her "sweet baby."
Olivia confronts the President in the Oval Office.
Olivia: "Sweet baby." You were married, and that's why I left you.
Olivia had an affair with the President, and he called her that. Did anyone predict that? I didn't.
Olivia: I trusted you. You mislead my judgement. I destroyed a girl for you.
President kisses Olivia, and his Assistant walks in and witnesses it.
There's the conclusion to the other subplot. Stephen wants to propose to his girlfriend, and Olivia gives him a pep talk because he's really nervous that the marriage may not work out.
Olivia: You have to try, if you fail, then it's not on you.
Stephen gets down on one knee at the restaurant, and you can hear applause so you know she said yes. Olivia cries.
Olivia then talks to Sully to give the name of the man he kissed, so he could be his alibi. He gives the name of the man.
Cut to Sully at a press conference and he's wearing his uniform. In the beginning, when they researched him, he did a lot of speeches for the army. Sully then comes out and says that's gay and he's honored to have served his country.
The team don't know who the killer is, but will give their research to the police to find who killed Paige. To get you to tune into the next episode, Olivia will take the intern Amanda as her new client.
Review: I thought the episode as a whole was average. Maybe I'll tune into a couple more episodes. The best part was Wes Brown. I think I'll have to watch a couple more episodes before the characters grow on me. I will give points that it's unpredictable and fast-paced.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
14,600 days in solitary (Amnesty International)
I got this from Amnesty International. Sign the petition:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517258&msource=W1204EAIAR1
Two black men, confined to isolation in tiny cells for the last 40 years. End the "Angola 3" nightmare.
Dear Tracy,
No human being deserves this.
23 hours a day isolated in a small cell, four steps long, three steps across. Three times a week for exercise in an outdoor cage, weather permitting. A few hours every week to shower or simply walk. Rare, fleeting human contact with prison guards, let alone with family.
This describes four decades of existence for Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace in Louisiana, two members of the so-called "Angola 3" who pass their remaining hours "in the hole" to this day.
April 17 will mark 40 years -- 14,600 days -- of their nightmare. The conditions in which these two men are held, as well as the tragically absurd duration of this punishment, violate a host of human rights treaties to which the US is a party, including those covering basic standards for treatment of prisoners. Prisons simply shouldn't operate this way in the US.
Demand an end to the cruel and unnecessary solitary confinement for Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace.
Our goal is to collect 14,600 petition signatures from just this email alone -- one signature for every day each man has spent in isolation. Tracy, can we count on your voice?
Woodfox and Wallace may be in isolation, but they are not forgotten. Our calls for justice will ring loud -- on April 17 we'll make sure Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal hears us when we arrive at his Baton Rouge doorstep with tens of thousands of petition signatures in hand.
We can't let more days pass without justice. Herman Wallace is now 70 years old, Albert Woodfox is in his mid-60s, and both men are suffering from serious health problems -- made worse by the appalling deprivation in which they live.
Ill, advancing in age, with clean disciplinary records for the last 20 years -- what is so dangerous about these men that could possibly warrant this inhumane treatment, for so long?
Because the prison authorities see them as a threat. The "Angola 3" organized their fellow prisoners against inhumane treatment and racial segregation in the early 1970s. Angola Prison's warden, Burl Cain, has suggested that Woodfox and Wallace's continued isolation is based on their political activism -- particularly their association with the Black Panthers.
The "Angola 3" case highlights the failings of a Louisiana justice system that is undermined by discrimination. No physical evidence links Woodfox and Wallace to the 1972 murder of a prison guard. Inmate testimony is questionable. And judges who twice overturned Woodfox's conviction for the murder cited racial discrimination, prosecutorial misconduct, and more.
14,600 days in solitary is far too many. But today, we can do something about it -- demand justice for the remaining "Angola 3".
And on April 17, we won't take no for an answer in Baton Rouge!
For justice,
Bryna Subherwal
Individuals at Risk Campaigner
Amnesty International USA
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517258&msource=W1204EAIAR1
Two black men, confined to isolation in tiny cells for the last 40 years. End the "Angola 3" nightmare.
Dear Tracy,
No human being deserves this.
23 hours a day isolated in a small cell, four steps long, three steps across. Three times a week for exercise in an outdoor cage, weather permitting. A few hours every week to shower or simply walk. Rare, fleeting human contact with prison guards, let alone with family.
This describes four decades of existence for Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace in Louisiana, two members of the so-called "Angola 3" who pass their remaining hours "in the hole" to this day.
April 17 will mark 40 years -- 14,600 days -- of their nightmare. The conditions in which these two men are held, as well as the tragically absurd duration of this punishment, violate a host of human rights treaties to which the US is a party, including those covering basic standards for treatment of prisoners. Prisons simply shouldn't operate this way in the US.
Demand an end to the cruel and unnecessary solitary confinement for Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace.
Our goal is to collect 14,600 petition signatures from just this email alone -- one signature for every day each man has spent in isolation. Tracy, can we count on your voice?
Woodfox and Wallace may be in isolation, but they are not forgotten. Our calls for justice will ring loud -- on April 17 we'll make sure Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal hears us when we arrive at his Baton Rouge doorstep with tens of thousands of petition signatures in hand.
We can't let more days pass without justice. Herman Wallace is now 70 years old, Albert Woodfox is in his mid-60s, and both men are suffering from serious health problems -- made worse by the appalling deprivation in which they live.
Ill, advancing in age, with clean disciplinary records for the last 20 years -- what is so dangerous about these men that could possibly warrant this inhumane treatment, for so long?
Because the prison authorities see them as a threat. The "Angola 3" organized their fellow prisoners against inhumane treatment and racial segregation in the early 1970s. Angola Prison's warden, Burl Cain, has suggested that Woodfox and Wallace's continued isolation is based on their political activism -- particularly their association with the Black Panthers.
The "Angola 3" case highlights the failings of a Louisiana justice system that is undermined by discrimination. No physical evidence links Woodfox and Wallace to the 1972 murder of a prison guard. Inmate testimony is questionable. And judges who twice overturned Woodfox's conviction for the murder cited racial discrimination, prosecutorial misconduct, and more.
14,600 days in solitary is far too many. But today, we can do something about it -- demand justice for the remaining "Angola 3".
And on April 17, we won't take no for an answer in Baton Rouge!
For justice,
Bryna Subherwal
Individuals at Risk Campaigner
Amnesty International USA
sayings/ job fair/ job interview tip
Mar. 29 Sayings: I read this in a Dustin comic strip: "Failing to plan, is like planning to fail." It reminds me of this ruler/ bookmark in my agenda in jr. high school. On it, it said: "When you plan your day, you're on your way."
It also reminded me of a quiz question in Teen magazine. The quiz was something about being too optimistic? The question:
"You have this big project due for class. You:
A. Spend a month working on it.
B. Spend a month worrying about it.
C. Wing it. The teacher seems to like you."
I'm thinking about this, because I had the past 2 days off from work. I haven't had 2 days off in a row from work since the spring time last year. But I think I had 3 days off one time in the summer for vacation. My memory's kind of fuzzy here.
Stress: The past 2 days was really productive because I did a job interview and looked for a job. I was mainly preparing myself for my temporary part-time job. I was studying the manual, looking for the place, planning it out.
If you are nervous and stressed out about an exam, job interview, or job: study, prepare, plan, and research. If you prepare yourself enough, your stress will decrease.
Job: Today was kind of crazy as in I learned 2 of my co-workers have quit. They have been here for years.
Commercial: I put this on twop.com:
I know I'm overthinking about this Pepsi Max commercial, (you know where a guy beats himself up in the office and all the candidates run away.)
But I have to add something to my earlier rant. In the commercial, there are 15 people in the waiting room to be interviewed. Why are there so many people at one time?
I have done interviews before where 1 person is in the room, and I'm waiting outside. I go in, and then I do the interview. I then leave, and another person is waiting. That’s how you do interviews with 1 person waiting at a time.
What if there weren’t a lot of people waiting in the waiting room? Are you going to beat yourself up in the interview then?
Also, how come it’s not a group interview?
I’m just really annoyed at how unrealistic it is.
Mar. 30: I got some more news, and it turns out it's 3 co-workers who have been dismissed. They are good and nice workers. They show up on time, and do their job well, and have been here for years. I will look on the bright side, they have school and other jobs to go to.
This reminds me of one of my friends Justin. He worked at a restaurant for over a year, and was dismissed because a new manager took over. The manager got rid of old people, and replaced them with new people.
Job interview: I told my friend that I went to a job interview at that law firm that she did an interview at months ago. She said she got a call back, and didn't go to the interview because she already did an interview months ago, and they didn't hire her. So why go again? She said she thought they would recognize her from before.
I did the interview again. I have done interviews with the same companies and the same people a few times already.
Networking: Also my friend was networking with me. I had worked at this one place for 2 yrs, and she asked if she could get a job there. I told her, they weren't hiring and she needed to be able to speak the foreign language there.
TD: Today I was reading in the Edmonton Journal and it said that the TD call centre in the City Centre mall will close down in Mar. 2013. It looks like they gave their staff 1 yr notice. I thought that was a lot of notice. I had a friend who used to work there before he quit.
Good news: In other news, there used to be a vacant space by City Centre mall because of a fire in 2009. According to the Edmonton Journal, they're going to build a big office building there.
Apr. 3 Sad news: So I got more information about work, and the three workers who were dismissed, turns out they weren't really that good.
New job: Yesterday I started my new temporary job. It was okay, I worked for 2hrs. Today I did 3.75 hrs. However, I'm not counting the hrs I spent prior to preparing for it. I don't count the hours I spent calculating how much I completed because the shift is over. It's only temporary, so if I don't like it, it will end soon. If I do like it, then I will do it again.
Apr. 4: Today I worked 1hr because I was busy with other job-related activities.
Job fair: Today I went to a job fair on my day off. I heard about it last month on their website, and my career counselor emailed it to me too. It took me an hr to get there so I read the business section of the newspaper. So my photocopier/ printer/ fax machine doesn't totally work. Well the printer doesn't work, but the photocopier part did. So I was able to photocopy my resume and brought it to the job fair.
The pro is I thought the interview went well. I was well-dressed, and answered questions of why I wanted to work there and how I heard about it.
The con is that when I got there, I overheard a worker say that 15 people were there in line right at the beginning. Then it kind of died down. When I was there, 5 more people came in. So 20 people came within the first hour and there's a lot of competition.
To get there, do the interview, and come back home took 3hrs.
Job interview tip: Rahmit Sethi the author who wrote I Will Teach You How to Be Rich. He said you have to think that there are a lot of applicants with a lot of experience who are also being interviewed like you are. A good tip was that go to as many job interviews as possible even for places you don't want to work for, so that you have job interview experience.
You learn by doing. If you go to enough interviews, you have more practice.
Job test: Today I did a job test and it was over an hr long.
Apr. 6: The other day I went to a job interview at a medical office. It was a unique interview because I had to do some tests. She tested my ability on how well I did the tasks that were required for the position. I have never done a test like that and I have done a lot of interviews for medical offices.
It also reminded me of a quiz question in Teen magazine. The quiz was something about being too optimistic? The question:
"You have this big project due for class. You:
A. Spend a month working on it.
B. Spend a month worrying about it.
C. Wing it. The teacher seems to like you."
I'm thinking about this, because I had the past 2 days off from work. I haven't had 2 days off in a row from work since the spring time last year. But I think I had 3 days off one time in the summer for vacation. My memory's kind of fuzzy here.
Stress: The past 2 days was really productive because I did a job interview and looked for a job. I was mainly preparing myself for my temporary part-time job. I was studying the manual, looking for the place, planning it out.
If you are nervous and stressed out about an exam, job interview, or job: study, prepare, plan, and research. If you prepare yourself enough, your stress will decrease.
Job: Today was kind of crazy as in I learned 2 of my co-workers have quit. They have been here for years.
Commercial: I put this on twop.com:
I know I'm overthinking about this Pepsi Max commercial, (you know where a guy beats himself up in the office and all the candidates run away.)
But I have to add something to my earlier rant. In the commercial, there are 15 people in the waiting room to be interviewed. Why are there so many people at one time?
I have done interviews before where 1 person is in the room, and I'm waiting outside. I go in, and then I do the interview. I then leave, and another person is waiting. That’s how you do interviews with 1 person waiting at a time.
What if there weren’t a lot of people waiting in the waiting room? Are you going to beat yourself up in the interview then?
Also, how come it’s not a group interview?
I’m just really annoyed at how unrealistic it is.
Mar. 30: I got some more news, and it turns out it's 3 co-workers who have been dismissed. They are good and nice workers. They show up on time, and do their job well, and have been here for years. I will look on the bright side, they have school and other jobs to go to.
This reminds me of one of my friends Justin. He worked at a restaurant for over a year, and was dismissed because a new manager took over. The manager got rid of old people, and replaced them with new people.
Job interview: I told my friend that I went to a job interview at that law firm that she did an interview at months ago. She said she got a call back, and didn't go to the interview because she already did an interview months ago, and they didn't hire her. So why go again? She said she thought they would recognize her from before.
I did the interview again. I have done interviews with the same companies and the same people a few times already.
Networking: Also my friend was networking with me. I had worked at this one place for 2 yrs, and she asked if she could get a job there. I told her, they weren't hiring and she needed to be able to speak the foreign language there.
TD: Today I was reading in the Edmonton Journal and it said that the TD call centre in the City Centre mall will close down in Mar. 2013. It looks like they gave their staff 1 yr notice. I thought that was a lot of notice. I had a friend who used to work there before he quit.
Good news: In other news, there used to be a vacant space by City Centre mall because of a fire in 2009. According to the Edmonton Journal, they're going to build a big office building there.
Apr. 3 Sad news: So I got more information about work, and the three workers who were dismissed, turns out they weren't really that good.
New job: Yesterday I started my new temporary job. It was okay, I worked for 2hrs. Today I did 3.75 hrs. However, I'm not counting the hrs I spent prior to preparing for it. I don't count the hours I spent calculating how much I completed because the shift is over. It's only temporary, so if I don't like it, it will end soon. If I do like it, then I will do it again.
Apr. 4: Today I worked 1hr because I was busy with other job-related activities.
Job fair: Today I went to a job fair on my day off. I heard about it last month on their website, and my career counselor emailed it to me too. It took me an hr to get there so I read the business section of the newspaper. So my photocopier/ printer/ fax machine doesn't totally work. Well the printer doesn't work, but the photocopier part did. So I was able to photocopy my resume and brought it to the job fair.
The pro is I thought the interview went well. I was well-dressed, and answered questions of why I wanted to work there and how I heard about it.
The con is that when I got there, I overheard a worker say that 15 people were there in line right at the beginning. Then it kind of died down. When I was there, 5 more people came in. So 20 people came within the first hour and there's a lot of competition.
To get there, do the interview, and come back home took 3hrs.
Job interview tip: Rahmit Sethi the author who wrote I Will Teach You How to Be Rich. He said you have to think that there are a lot of applicants with a lot of experience who are also being interviewed like you are. A good tip was that go to as many job interviews as possible even for places you don't want to work for, so that you have job interview experience.
You learn by doing. If you go to enough interviews, you have more practice.
Job test: Today I did a job test and it was over an hr long.
Apr. 6: The other day I went to a job interview at a medical office. It was a unique interview because I had to do some tests. She tested my ability on how well I did the tasks that were required for the position. I have never done a test like that and I have done a lot of interviews for medical offices.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Free my husband, a Tibetan filmmaker jailed in China
I got this from Amnesty International:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=13745&msource=W1204EAIAR2
He gave voice to Tibet's anguish. Now he needs our voices.
Dear Tracy,
My name is Lhamo Tso and I'm writing today to ask for your help securing the release of my husband, Dhondup Wangchen.
In 2008 Dhondup made a film called "Leaving Fear Behind," capturing the voices of fellow Tibetans on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. China was awarded the prestigious Games with the hope that human rights in Tibet and elsewhere in China would improve.
Instead, China's repression in Tibet has only worsened.
Attempts by Tibetans to secure their human rights are routinely crushed. Dhondup has been punished severely. He was tortured and held without charge for nearly a year, then sentenced in a secret trial to six years imprisonment for "inciting separatism."
My husband has committed no crime.
Dhondup suffers from Hepatitis B and was denied medical treatment. My sister in-law takes food and clothes to the prison every month, but it is extremely difficult to obtain reliable information about Dhondup's condition.
Call on the Chinese authorities to give Dhondup the medical attention he urgently needs and to immediately release him and all prisoners of conscience.
Dhondup and I come from northeast Tibet -- the epicenter of recent protests against the Chinese authorities. In my husband's documentary, people express their frustration with the situation, which seems to grow worse each year. Nomads are evicted from their pastures, school children were recently expelled for demanding Tibetan textbooks, natural resources are exploited with no respect for nature, monasteries are under constant surveillance, and Tibetans fear that they might never see the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
My people have responded with dramatic acts of self-sacrifice -- including setting themselves on fire -- as a last attempt to demand the same freedom and rights that every human being should enjoy. I saw horrific photos and videos of these self-immolations and wonder why something like this has to happen in our world.
Never give up hope.
My husband tried to show the world both beauty and struggle inside Tibet. Despite our hardships, my family believes in humanity -- we will never give up the hope that there is a better tomorrow.
Please join me in showing Dhondup that you see him, you hear him, and that you will speak for him and all prisoners of conscience when their voices are silenced.
Please act today. Click here to join Amnesty International's global campaign demanding the release of Dhondup and all prisoners of conscience.
I am incredibly grateful for your kind acts.
Sincerely,
Lhamo Tso
PS - At the moment, I am travelling through North America to speak about Dhondup. My tour is organized by different groups, including Amnesty International USA. I feel encouraged to meet people who show sincere concern about the situation of my husband and the many other political prisoners in Tibet. Please check my itinerary -- it would be a pleasure for me to meet you!
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=13745&msource=W1204EAIAR2
He gave voice to Tibet's anguish. Now he needs our voices.
Dear Tracy,
My name is Lhamo Tso and I'm writing today to ask for your help securing the release of my husband, Dhondup Wangchen.
In 2008 Dhondup made a film called "Leaving Fear Behind," capturing the voices of fellow Tibetans on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. China was awarded the prestigious Games with the hope that human rights in Tibet and elsewhere in China would improve.
Instead, China's repression in Tibet has only worsened.
Attempts by Tibetans to secure their human rights are routinely crushed. Dhondup has been punished severely. He was tortured and held without charge for nearly a year, then sentenced in a secret trial to six years imprisonment for "inciting separatism."
My husband has committed no crime.
Dhondup suffers from Hepatitis B and was denied medical treatment. My sister in-law takes food and clothes to the prison every month, but it is extremely difficult to obtain reliable information about Dhondup's condition.
Call on the Chinese authorities to give Dhondup the medical attention he urgently needs and to immediately release him and all prisoners of conscience.
Dhondup and I come from northeast Tibet -- the epicenter of recent protests against the Chinese authorities. In my husband's documentary, people express their frustration with the situation, which seems to grow worse each year. Nomads are evicted from their pastures, school children were recently expelled for demanding Tibetan textbooks, natural resources are exploited with no respect for nature, monasteries are under constant surveillance, and Tibetans fear that they might never see the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
My people have responded with dramatic acts of self-sacrifice -- including setting themselves on fire -- as a last attempt to demand the same freedom and rights that every human being should enjoy. I saw horrific photos and videos of these self-immolations and wonder why something like this has to happen in our world.
Never give up hope.
My husband tried to show the world both beauty and struggle inside Tibet. Despite our hardships, my family believes in humanity -- we will never give up the hope that there is a better tomorrow.
Please join me in showing Dhondup that you see him, you hear him, and that you will speak for him and all prisoners of conscience when their voices are silenced.
Please act today. Click here to join Amnesty International's global campaign demanding the release of Dhondup and all prisoners of conscience.
I am incredibly grateful for your kind acts.
Sincerely,
Lhamo Tso
PS - At the moment, I am travelling through North America to speak about Dhondup. My tour is organized by different groups, including Amnesty International USA. I feel encouraged to meet people who show sincere concern about the situation of my husband and the many other political prisoners in Tibet. Please check my itinerary -- it would be a pleasure for me to meet you!
funny story/ undercover cop/ Robin Thicke
Mar. 29 Funny story: This is from Daily Silly. It's a pretty good story.
The story is told about a king in Africa who had a close friend he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.
As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "this is good!"
"What do you mean, "this is good!" How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
"If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you!"
Mar. 30 Undercover cop: I was checking what's on 20/20, and I found this clip: "21 Jump Street Movie Plot plays in Real Life." They interviewed the cop Alex Salinas who is a 22yr old cop. He went undercover as a student at a high school to bust drugs just like in 21 Jump Street.
It was kind of funny to watch AS talk about the difficulties. There are a couple of times where he was about to say his real name. He was worried, people will figure him out. He managed to make a lot of friends. He was a C-student the first time when he was in high school, and now he's an A-student. I guess, if you done it once before, you know the material so it would be easier the second time.
They talked to this girl who she went to school with Alex. She said: "I thought he was cute. I wanted him to ask me to prom." lol. He was on Facebook and connected with the students. After 8 months, he was able to arrest 12 students.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/21-jump-street-movie-plot-plays-real-life-16036673
Apr. 3 Cop joke: I got this from Daily Silly:
A cop pulled someone over for speeding. The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said. The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could." When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
Me: I thought it was an average joke.
Gender joke: Also from Daily Silly:
Yesterday, scientists for Health Canada suggested that men should take a look at their beer consumption, considering the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer.
The theory is that drinking beer makes men turn into women.
To test the finding, 100 men were fed 6 pints of beer each.
It was then observed that 100% of the men gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became overly emotional, couldn't drive, failed to think rationally, argued over nothing, and refused to apologize when wrong.
No further testing is planned.
Me: This joke has mixed results for me. It's like you're dissing women for their normal behavior. You're dissing men for their drunk behavior. So they're even.
Headlines: I got this from Jena Ellis who sent me this through my blog: “10 Headline Bloopers That Probably Got Someone Fired.” It's a little funny. It's mostly unintentional racial, homosexual, sexual words thrown in. Each headline got this paragraph of explanation.
Here's one: "Reader Fingers Murder Suspect." It sounds like a reader and murder did something sexual. Well, the first time I read it, I knew it meant that the reader pointed at someone.
http://www.onlinecertificateprograms.org/blog/2012/10-headline-bloopers-that-probably-got-someone-fired/
Apr. 4 Golden Rice Bowl: I went there last week for dinner. It's a good Chinese restaurant. It has nice decor with these chandeliers. There are these bright neon fish in fish tank. The food was really good. It was also busy because it was the weekend.
Apr. 5 Robin Thicke: I was on Youtube listening to music as I do my job search. I see that Demi Lavoto has put a new video up. I then thought: "This is how I found out that Robin Thicke had 'Love After War' up. Maybe he has a new video out." I then looked it up and he has released "Pretty Little Heart" feat. Lil Wayne.
The video starts off with this little toy monkey banging symbols. A figure in the back is stumbling. It's RT wearing a red jacket, black pants, and a white shirt.
Me: Rebel Without a Cause!
If you've ever seen the James Dean movie, that's how Rebel starts. I thought the video was okay. Show some scenes with RT playing the piano and singing at a bar. Show him playing guitar while sitting on a bed. Show him making out with a girl in the hotel, and outside the hotel.
RT acting tortured while walking down the road and singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVghQ9b38P8
The story is told about a king in Africa who had a close friend he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.
As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "this is good!"
"What do you mean, "this is good!" How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
"If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you!"
Mar. 30 Undercover cop: I was checking what's on 20/20, and I found this clip: "21 Jump Street Movie Plot plays in Real Life." They interviewed the cop Alex Salinas who is a 22yr old cop. He went undercover as a student at a high school to bust drugs just like in 21 Jump Street.
It was kind of funny to watch AS talk about the difficulties. There are a couple of times where he was about to say his real name. He was worried, people will figure him out. He managed to make a lot of friends. He was a C-student the first time when he was in high school, and now he's an A-student. I guess, if you done it once before, you know the material so it would be easier the second time.
They talked to this girl who she went to school with Alex. She said: "I thought he was cute. I wanted him to ask me to prom." lol. He was on Facebook and connected with the students. After 8 months, he was able to arrest 12 students.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/21-jump-street-movie-plot-plays-real-life-16036673
Apr. 3 Cop joke: I got this from Daily Silly:
A cop pulled someone over for speeding. The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said. The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could." When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
Me: I thought it was an average joke.
Gender joke: Also from Daily Silly:
Yesterday, scientists for Health Canada suggested that men should take a look at their beer consumption, considering the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer.
The theory is that drinking beer makes men turn into women.
To test the finding, 100 men were fed 6 pints of beer each.
It was then observed that 100% of the men gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became overly emotional, couldn't drive, failed to think rationally, argued over nothing, and refused to apologize when wrong.
No further testing is planned.
Me: This joke has mixed results for me. It's like you're dissing women for their normal behavior. You're dissing men for their drunk behavior. So they're even.
Headlines: I got this from Jena Ellis who sent me this through my blog: “10 Headline Bloopers That Probably Got Someone Fired.” It's a little funny. It's mostly unintentional racial, homosexual, sexual words thrown in. Each headline got this paragraph of explanation.
Here's one: "Reader Fingers Murder Suspect." It sounds like a reader and murder did something sexual. Well, the first time I read it, I knew it meant that the reader pointed at someone.
http://www.onlinecertificateprograms.org/blog/2012/10-headline-bloopers-that-probably-got-someone-fired/
Apr. 4 Golden Rice Bowl: I went there last week for dinner. It's a good Chinese restaurant. It has nice decor with these chandeliers. There are these bright neon fish in fish tank. The food was really good. It was also busy because it was the weekend.
Apr. 5 Robin Thicke: I was on Youtube listening to music as I do my job search. I see that Demi Lavoto has put a new video up. I then thought: "This is how I found out that Robin Thicke had 'Love After War' up. Maybe he has a new video out." I then looked it up and he has released "Pretty Little Heart" feat. Lil Wayne.
The video starts off with this little toy monkey banging symbols. A figure in the back is stumbling. It's RT wearing a red jacket, black pants, and a white shirt.
Me: Rebel Without a Cause!
If you've ever seen the James Dean movie, that's how Rebel starts. I thought the video was okay. Show some scenes with RT playing the piano and singing at a bar. Show him playing guitar while sitting on a bed. Show him making out with a girl in the hotel, and outside the hotel.
RT acting tortured while walking down the road and singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVghQ9b38P8
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Yogaday 2012 (Amnesty International)
I got this from Amnesty International:
http://amnesty.akaraisin.com/common/Event/PrivacyPolicy.aspx?seid=4272&mid=56&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz
Do you believe that thousands of us practicing yoga together can help free a woman wrongfully imprisoned in Iran?
That's the idea behind Amnesty International's Yoga Day.
Beherat Hedayat
Bahareh Hedayat: In prison
She is a member of the Campaign for Equality – a grassroots movement that demands equality for women under Iranian law. They have been harrassed, imprisoned or threatened as a result of their activism.
As a member of Campaign for Equality in Iran, Bahareh Hedayat is serving a 10-year prison sentence for being an advocate of women's rights.
On Saturday, April 28, studios across Canada and individuals in their own spaces will be stretching themselves and raising money to help secure the freedom of all women's rights activists like Bahereh.
Anyone can join in:
- find a participating yoga studio, or ask your favourite studio to get involved
- raise money by asking friends to sponsor your yoga practice on April 28. Join us in a studio or in your own livingroom, following our one hour Amnesty Yoga session: start fundraising now
On Yoga Day, during our collective practice, we'll contemplate on the daily difficulty faced by more than 1,000 political prisoners worldwide. We'll sign actions urging the Iranian government to release Bahareh and all Campaign for Equality prisoners.
We'll raise money to get the job done.
Yoga Day is April 28. Circle it on your calendar.
Don't miss it.
Free online yoga session
Coming Soon:
flower
Join us on Yoga Day for a unique experience of practicing yoga along with Amnesty International supporters across Canada. Our free video will be available for viewing on www.yogaday.ca.
Raise money & win sponsorship prizes
Ask friends and family to sponsor your yoga practice on Amnesty Yoga Day and win some great prizes: Find out more.
poster chimes of freedom karma kit
Raise $50
Poster Raise $150
CD Raise $250
Karma Kit
The money you raise on April 28, Amnesty Yoga Day, will:
help Amnesty research more cases like Bahareh's
continue to monitor the actions of governments against activists
successfully issue worldwide appeals to help save lives of activists like Bahareh
Register Now!
Questions? Contact us ...
Call us at 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789), or call email to halmadi@amnesty.ca or lmulvihill@amnesty.ca.
Hala Al-Madi and Louise Mulvihill
Yoga Day Coordinators
Get your Amnesty yoga mat
yogaday matOrder an Amnesty International Yoga mat, or win it as part of our "Karma Kit", for all who raise $250 in sponsorship.
Order mat | fundraise for mat
Intro video to April 28
yoga video
Watch video on yogaday.ca
Why I'm participating in Yoga Day
Joel Delaquis"I am participating in this event to raise awareness about the importance of Human Rights & Dignity and also to cultivate and channel positive energies in this mixed-up world we live in."
-Joël Delaquis, mouvement yoga danse musique
“There is something to be said about the power and energy a room full of yogis can create… All beings regardless of gender, ethnicity or social status should be treated as equals; every individual on this planet is entitled to peace, freedom and happiness and I feel YogaDay assisted in achieving exactly that.”
- Morgan West, Yoga Day participant
"I wanted to organize this event as a way to come together as a community and take positive action. When we come together as a group we have incredible powers to help support change and Amnesty International is an organization that is making a real difference globally.”
- Stephanie Green, OmTown Yoga
<< Watch video about Bahareh Hedayat
<< View Yoga Day Action on Bahareh and the Campaign for Equality
http://amnesty.akaraisin.com/common/Event/PrivacyPolicy.aspx?seid=4272&mid=56&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz
Do you believe that thousands of us practicing yoga together can help free a woman wrongfully imprisoned in Iran?
That's the idea behind Amnesty International's Yoga Day.
Beherat Hedayat
Bahareh Hedayat: In prison
She is a member of the Campaign for Equality – a grassroots movement that demands equality for women under Iranian law. They have been harrassed, imprisoned or threatened as a result of their activism.
As a member of Campaign for Equality in Iran, Bahareh Hedayat is serving a 10-year prison sentence for being an advocate of women's rights.
On Saturday, April 28, studios across Canada and individuals in their own spaces will be stretching themselves and raising money to help secure the freedom of all women's rights activists like Bahereh.
Anyone can join in:
- find a participating yoga studio, or ask your favourite studio to get involved
- raise money by asking friends to sponsor your yoga practice on April 28. Join us in a studio or in your own livingroom, following our one hour Amnesty Yoga session: start fundraising now
On Yoga Day, during our collective practice, we'll contemplate on the daily difficulty faced by more than 1,000 political prisoners worldwide. We'll sign actions urging the Iranian government to release Bahareh and all Campaign for Equality prisoners.
We'll raise money to get the job done.
Yoga Day is April 28. Circle it on your calendar.
Don't miss it.
Free online yoga session
Coming Soon:
flower
Join us on Yoga Day for a unique experience of practicing yoga along with Amnesty International supporters across Canada. Our free video will be available for viewing on www.yogaday.ca.
Raise money & win sponsorship prizes
Ask friends and family to sponsor your yoga practice on Amnesty Yoga Day and win some great prizes: Find out more.
poster chimes of freedom karma kit
Raise $50
Poster Raise $150
CD Raise $250
Karma Kit
The money you raise on April 28, Amnesty Yoga Day, will:
help Amnesty research more cases like Bahareh's
continue to monitor the actions of governments against activists
successfully issue worldwide appeals to help save lives of activists like Bahareh
Register Now!
Questions? Contact us ...
Call us at 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789), or call email to halmadi@amnesty.ca or lmulvihill@amnesty.ca.
Hala Al-Madi and Louise Mulvihill
Yoga Day Coordinators
Get your Amnesty yoga mat
yogaday matOrder an Amnesty International Yoga mat, or win it as part of our "Karma Kit", for all who raise $250 in sponsorship.
Order mat | fundraise for mat
Intro video to April 28
yoga video
Watch video on yogaday.ca
Why I'm participating in Yoga Day
Joel Delaquis"I am participating in this event to raise awareness about the importance of Human Rights & Dignity and also to cultivate and channel positive energies in this mixed-up world we live in."
-Joël Delaquis, mouvement yoga danse musique
“There is something to be said about the power and energy a room full of yogis can create… All beings regardless of gender, ethnicity or social status should be treated as equals; every individual on this planet is entitled to peace, freedom and happiness and I feel YogaDay assisted in achieving exactly that.”
- Morgan West, Yoga Day participant
"I wanted to organize this event as a way to come together as a community and take positive action. When we come together as a group we have incredible powers to help support change and Amnesty International is an organization that is making a real difference globally.”
- Stephanie Green, OmTown Yoga
<< Watch video about Bahareh Hedayat
<< View Yoga Day Action on Bahareh and the Campaign for Equality
Linked In/ unemployment/ job interview
Mar. 24 Linked In: Jessica Miller sent me this article through my blog. It's called "10 reasons Linked In can Cause Problems at Work." It's a good article and the tips are mainly that if you currently have a job, and you're looking for another one, go on your job search on your own time. Don't go on Linked In while you're on the clock.
I did learn something new like: #8 said that some employment agreements prohibit employees from working for a competitor after a certain amount of time after a termination.
http://www.internetserviceproviders.net/blog/2012/10-reasons-linkedin-can-cause-problems-at-work/
Office etiquette: Jennifer Lynch sent this article through my blog. It's called "8 Office Etiquette Tips for Young Workers." It's pretty straight-forward, like looking neat and clean, don't do social networking, or gossiping. Don't abuse your privileges because the office will end up taking them away.
1. Save social networking for home.
2. Refrain from gossiping.
3. Never, ever talk about salary.
4. Act professional.
5. Don't abuse your privileges.
6. Mind your manners.
7. Come early, stay late.
8. Look neat and clean.
Unemployment: Jasmine Hall sent this article "10 Surprising Side Effects of Long Term Unemployment." It's a long article and it was kind of depressing. Reading it was like looking at a train wreck; it's so bad, but you can't take your eyes away from it.
Well some things were obvious like "#9 Damaged self-esteem and worth." It talked about "#3 Changes in mental health" and "#6 More Health problems." There is stress and then you can develop high blood pressure. There are "#8 Lost friendships" because you don't get to see your friends at work.
What I didn't know was "#7 Failing Confidence in Democracy", but then there's the Occupy Wall Street.
My main solution is what I applied to my months of unemployment back in 2010 (and life in general): Keep a positive attitude and be constantly looking for a job. Don't waste your time feeling sad because you need to use this time to be productive.
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/03/14/10-surprising-side-effects-of-long-term-unemployment/
Twitter: Helene Schmidt sent "25 Twitter Chats for Valuable Career Advice" through my blog. It gives times of when and what the chat is about. A couple are for the Y Generation and the Millennials.
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/03/14/25-twitter-chats-for-valuable-career-advice/
Daylight savings time: I got Job Boom newsletters emailed to me. Here's an article I already read in other newspapers. When people lose an hour of sleep, they tend to be more tired and slack off at work like surf the internet.
http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Work/2012/03/08/19477311.html
Women not working: I found this article from Job Boom: "Women leaving Work, when Husbands Earn More." I have read something like this in the newspaper before. Women are less likely to work if someone else can and they can live off one income. They profiled a woman who's a lawyer making 6 figures. Then her husband managed to make 7 figures.
http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Work/2012/03/08/19476186.html
Economy: Also from Job Boom, "Canada Job Market Stalls." This is a very mixed results article. The good is that Canada's unemployment rate went from 7.6% to 7.4%.
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/Business/2012/03/09/19480811.html
Adolescent CEOs: Job Boom has the article: "The Rise of the Adolescent CEOs." They mention Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of course. There are lot of CEOs who under 21 and they are building really successful businesses. They are making millions of dollars, or at least hundreds of thousands.
"Most of the young entrepreneurs say their interest lies in building rather than selling their companies."
http://www.canoe.ca/Canoe/Money/News/2012/02/21/19404761.html
Mar. 26 Bank: The highlight of my day was that I got a message from a bank. I called them back and did a little phone interview.
Mar. 27 Weird: Today I got a text message from this place saying they want to set up an interview. They said my (professional) email address that was on my resume didn't work so that's why they texted me. They wrote down my exact email address.
So I called them back twice. I then got a call from this man. I listed his phone number and he said that was his number, but he didn't call me about an interview. So I said it was a misunderstanding and we hung up.
Hospitals: I called back those 2 hospitals I did interviews for. It's been 2 weeks so they should make a decision by now. I got a call back, and I didn't get hired.
Bad habits: Roxanne McAnn sent me this article "8 Bad Habits that are Driving Your Coworkers Crazy." It's pretty straight-forward like don't gossip, talk on your cell phone constantly, being on the internet all the time, leaving work early. You can do those things, but in moderation.
I agree with #7 "Calling in sick too much." That reminds me of a co-worker at the Soup place. She often misses Mon. and Tues. That makes the rest of us work harder. If you are really sick, then stay home. If it's mild, then show up for work especially if it's busy like the article says.
Business mind: I do have a business mind. I told the managers a few times to hire another person to work at the Soup place because there are 2 co-workers who often miss 1 or 2 days of work a week. They didn't listen. What are you going to put on the job ad?
"On- call casual person. Needed on Mon. Tues. Sometimes Wed., Thurs, Fri. Depends." The Soup place didn't really need 1 person. We can float on our own with 5 people working harder. It would be easier if the 6th or 7th person actually showed up for work. Why spend $80 a day on labor costs for 1 person if they weren't completely needed? (Assuming $10/hr for 8hr of work.)
I started only working at the Soup place on the weekends because I got a job at Call Centre #3 on the weekdays. Then the Soup place hired 2 people to work Mon.-Fri. There goes $160 a day on labor costs.
Gmail tips: I got this article "25 Gmail Tips that Make You Look More Professional." #3 had the general tip like: "... credibilitykiller123@gmail.com look completely unprofessional. Use your own name, and leave out the numbers and special characters."
I didn't know about tip "#14 Send it Later." You may be sending emails at 2am, but you can schedule your emails to be sent at 8am.
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/03/13/25-gmail-tips-that-make-you-look-more-professional/
Mar. 28 Job interview: Remember last summer I wrote about "crazy interview" at a law firm? I thought I was on time, but it turns out I was 15min. late for the interview. So I didn't get hired. Yesterday I got a call from the same law firm, and I went to the interview today. I was 15min. early, but 4 other people were there already. They started early. So they joked that I was late (though I was on time.)
I thought my interview was okay. It was a group interview. It was light and easygoing; I would have thought it was an office hanging out at lunch. There were a lot of people for one position, but they were hiring for 2 other positions too.
The good part is that the boss didn't recognize me since we met each other months ago. I was a little nervous that he would remember me. The important thing is that I got a second chance, and I confronted my fear.
It was kind of like last time with Call Centre #4 hiring me for 1 day back in 2010, and dismissing me. Then I went and did an interview for them in 2012.
I did learn something new like: #8 said that some employment agreements prohibit employees from working for a competitor after a certain amount of time after a termination.
http://www.internetserviceproviders.net/blog/2012/10-reasons-linkedin-can-cause-problems-at-work/
Office etiquette: Jennifer Lynch sent this article through my blog. It's called "8 Office Etiquette Tips for Young Workers." It's pretty straight-forward, like looking neat and clean, don't do social networking, or gossiping. Don't abuse your privileges because the office will end up taking them away.
1. Save social networking for home.
2. Refrain from gossiping.
3. Never, ever talk about salary.
4. Act professional.
5. Don't abuse your privileges.
6. Mind your manners.
7. Come early, stay late.
8. Look neat and clean.
Unemployment: Jasmine Hall sent this article "10 Surprising Side Effects of Long Term Unemployment." It's a long article and it was kind of depressing. Reading it was like looking at a train wreck; it's so bad, but you can't take your eyes away from it.
Well some things were obvious like "#9 Damaged self-esteem and worth." It talked about "#3 Changes in mental health" and "#6 More Health problems." There is stress and then you can develop high blood pressure. There are "#8 Lost friendships" because you don't get to see your friends at work.
What I didn't know was "#7 Failing Confidence in Democracy", but then there's the Occupy Wall Street.
My main solution is what I applied to my months of unemployment back in 2010 (and life in general): Keep a positive attitude and be constantly looking for a job. Don't waste your time feeling sad because you need to use this time to be productive.
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/03/14/10-surprising-side-effects-of-long-term-unemployment/
Twitter: Helene Schmidt sent "25 Twitter Chats for Valuable Career Advice" through my blog. It gives times of when and what the chat is about. A couple are for the Y Generation and the Millennials.
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/03/14/25-twitter-chats-for-valuable-career-advice/
Daylight savings time: I got Job Boom newsletters emailed to me. Here's an article I already read in other newspapers. When people lose an hour of sleep, they tend to be more tired and slack off at work like surf the internet.
http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Work/2012/03/08/19477311.html
Women not working: I found this article from Job Boom: "Women leaving Work, when Husbands Earn More." I have read something like this in the newspaper before. Women are less likely to work if someone else can and they can live off one income. They profiled a woman who's a lawyer making 6 figures. Then her husband managed to make 7 figures.
http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Work/2012/03/08/19476186.html
Economy: Also from Job Boom, "Canada Job Market Stalls." This is a very mixed results article. The good is that Canada's unemployment rate went from 7.6% to 7.4%.
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/Business/2012/03/09/19480811.html
Adolescent CEOs: Job Boom has the article: "The Rise of the Adolescent CEOs." They mention Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of course. There are lot of CEOs who under 21 and they are building really successful businesses. They are making millions of dollars, or at least hundreds of thousands.
"Most of the young entrepreneurs say their interest lies in building rather than selling their companies."
http://www.canoe.ca/Canoe/Money/News/2012/02/21/19404761.html
Mar. 26 Bank: The highlight of my day was that I got a message from a bank. I called them back and did a little phone interview.
Mar. 27 Weird: Today I got a text message from this place saying they want to set up an interview. They said my (professional) email address that was on my resume didn't work so that's why they texted me. They wrote down my exact email address.
So I called them back twice. I then got a call from this man. I listed his phone number and he said that was his number, but he didn't call me about an interview. So I said it was a misunderstanding and we hung up.
Hospitals: I called back those 2 hospitals I did interviews for. It's been 2 weeks so they should make a decision by now. I got a call back, and I didn't get hired.
Bad habits: Roxanne McAnn sent me this article "8 Bad Habits that are Driving Your Coworkers Crazy." It's pretty straight-forward like don't gossip, talk on your cell phone constantly, being on the internet all the time, leaving work early. You can do those things, but in moderation.
I agree with #7 "Calling in sick too much." That reminds me of a co-worker at the Soup place. She often misses Mon. and Tues. That makes the rest of us work harder. If you are really sick, then stay home. If it's mild, then show up for work especially if it's busy like the article says.
Business mind: I do have a business mind. I told the managers a few times to hire another person to work at the Soup place because there are 2 co-workers who often miss 1 or 2 days of work a week. They didn't listen. What are you going to put on the job ad?
"On- call casual person. Needed on Mon. Tues. Sometimes Wed., Thurs, Fri. Depends." The Soup place didn't really need 1 person. We can float on our own with 5 people working harder. It would be easier if the 6th or 7th person actually showed up for work. Why spend $80 a day on labor costs for 1 person if they weren't completely needed? (Assuming $10/hr for 8hr of work.)
I started only working at the Soup place on the weekends because I got a job at Call Centre #3 on the weekdays. Then the Soup place hired 2 people to work Mon.-Fri. There goes $160 a day on labor costs.
Gmail tips: I got this article "25 Gmail Tips that Make You Look More Professional." #3 had the general tip like: "... credibilitykiller123@gmail.com look completely unprofessional. Use your own name, and leave out the numbers and special characters."
I didn't know about tip "#14 Send it Later." You may be sending emails at 2am, but you can schedule your emails to be sent at 8am.
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/03/13/25-gmail-tips-that-make-you-look-more-professional/
Mar. 28 Job interview: Remember last summer I wrote about "crazy interview" at a law firm? I thought I was on time, but it turns out I was 15min. late for the interview. So I didn't get hired. Yesterday I got a call from the same law firm, and I went to the interview today. I was 15min. early, but 4 other people were there already. They started early. So they joked that I was late (though I was on time.)
I thought my interview was okay. It was a group interview. It was light and easygoing; I would have thought it was an office hanging out at lunch. There were a lot of people for one position, but they were hiring for 2 other positions too.
The good part is that the boss didn't recognize me since we met each other months ago. I was a little nervous that he would remember me. The important thing is that I got a second chance, and I confronted my fear.
It was kind of like last time with Call Centre #4 hiring me for 1 day back in 2010, and dismissing me. Then I went and did an interview for them in 2012.
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