This is from Amnesty International:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517506&msource=W1203EAIMM1
Make the DREAM Act come true for young immigrants in the U.S.
Dear Tracy,
For 11 long years, Congress has debated the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a bipartisan bill that offers a path to citizenship for young immigrants.
The DREAM Act protects responsible young adults from the constant threat of deportation and removes barriers to their rights to work and education. President Obama has promised to sign the bill into law.
The DREAM Act has sparked hostile opposition from an emboldened anti-immigrant movement that has fueled a spate of dangerous and xenophobic laws that trample immigrants' rights and jeopardize the rights of minority and indigenous communities.
As supporters of human rights, it's up to us to stand strong in the face of these attacks and secure this important reform to our immigration system.
Urge Congress to pass the DREAM Act without delay.
All immigrants, irrespective of their legal status, or which side of the border they are on, have human rights. Yet -- as documented in Amnesty's new report, In Hostile Terrain: Human Rights Violations in Immigrant Enforcement in the U.S. Southwest -- those rights are under threat from federal, state and local authorities.
Our research shows a pervasive view among law enforcement officials of all immigrants as criminals -- even when immigrants are victims of crime, such as survivors of trafficking and domestic violence. Raped then deported?
It happens so often that many immigrants don't even report these crimes.
Passing the DREAM Act is a small but important step towards a fair and just approach to U.S. immigration policy reform. As anti-immigrant fervor reaches a fever pitch, we're counting on people like you to speak up in support of U.S. immigration policy that respects human rights.
Let 2012 be the year we finally secure the DREAMers' future. Urge your members of Congress to vote "Yes" for the DREAM Act.
In solidarity,
Tanuka Loha
Director, Immigrants' Rights are Human Rights Campaign
Amnesty International USA
PS - To learn more about our new Immigrants' Rights are Human Rights Campaign and read the report in full, visit www.amnestyusa.org/immigrantsrights.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
scam/ shopping/ Eric Johnson imagination
Mar. 27 Scam: I was on Facebook and I see my friend Jessica put this up:
"(I) received a fascinating phone call from someone who claimed to be from Windows informing me that the computers in my household accessing the internet downloaded a virus... I then told the guy that was quite a strange claim, as all I owned were Apple computers. This led to the guy getting all nervous and then out of nowhere, asks "Madam, I feel like f---ing. Do you feel like f---ing? Do you want to f---?". I suppose I should have trolled the guy some more? (Btw, I do not own Apple products)"
A lot of comments were made like "creepy." A good comment explaining it was:
"lol Probably wanted to make it sound like a "prank" phone call when he got busted >_> or maybe he's just weird!"
Me: lol. The next time I get a phone call, I'll say I own Apple.
Last month I wrote about this before. My friend Sherry replies:
"true. i got the same call. i replied 'just a sec, my roomate is a sysadmin and he'll understand what you're trying to tll me, i'll get him' and they hungup and never called back (so far). i am lucky i have an ex-sys admin as a roomate, scares off the scammers"
Me: That's another good one. Say your roommate is a techie who works at Shaw or whatever.
Jokes: I got this from Daily Silly.
A man came home from work one day to find his wife on the front porch with her bags packed.
"Just where the heck do you think you're going!", said the man.
"I'm going to Las Vegas", said the wife, "I just found out I can get $400 a night for what I give you for free!"
The man said, "Wait a minute!", and then ran inside the house only to come back a few minutes later with his suitcases in hand.
"Where the heck are you going?", said the wife.
The man said, "I want to see how you're gonna live on $800 a year!"
Here's another one:
A worried father confronted his daughter one night. "I don't like that new boyfriend, he's rough and common and bloody stupid with it."
"Oh no, Daddy," the daughter replied, "Fred's ever so clever, we've only been going out nine weeks and he's cured me of that illness I used to get once a month."
Mar. 28: This is supposed to be the funny email of the week, but I don't have enough material, so I'll write about other light stuff.
Shopping: Today was my day off so I went to deposit some money. Then I went to Payless Shoes so I could buy shoes for work. Then I thought: "Why spend $40 on shoes? I'll just carry my black shoes and wear them at work. I'll then wear my white sneakers outside of work."
I don't go usually go shopping because I don't find it productive. However, I go to a lot of job interviews and I get there early. I then bide my time by checking out stores.
Henry's: I went to Henry's on 124 St. It sells decorating items. It's really high end. They had a Feng Shui book that I liked. It's really nice items, the kind you see in those decorating magazines and ads.
Tin Box: Also around 124 St. is the store Tin Box. It sells decor, quirky books, jewelery, cards, and fun stuff. There's one on Whyte Ave.
La Favorite: This is the little cafe that's right beside Tin Box. They sell pastries and the cakes look really good.
Notables: This is a nice store that sells stationary and cards. It's things you can buy at a Cole's book store or Carlton Cards.
Mandolin Books: I went there and it's a used book store like Wee Book Inn. However, there's a coffee shop in there. It's a very cramped store.
Sabrina Butterfly Designs: I then went to the clothing store next to it called Sabrina Butterfly Designs. It's a small store, but the clothes are really nice. It's kind of expensive though.
I then went to a flower shop that's on the same street with Mandolin Books.
Treasured Memories: I found this craft store and the slogan was "Scrapbook like You Mean It." It's a good craft store with beads, and art supplies. However, it's kind of expensive so go to the $1 store to make crafts.
My Favorite Aunt's Kids and Stuff: This is a consignment shop. It's like a thrift store, but with more high end stuff. They sold some nice clothes and handbags. There was even a little perfume like Calvin Klein. There were also Twilight books.
Comedy comparisons: I was thinking about that time I found one of my managers on this online dating site. It kind of reminded me of Desperate Housewives. You know where Lynette puts up a video of herself and her friend Renee sees it.
Renee: That is the most disturbing thing I've ever seen.
Well, I'm not really disturbed seeing my manager on it. I was kind of taken aback.
Eric Johnson imagination: I have written about my "Craig Olejnik imagination" where The Listener actor Craig Olejnik reads my blog about how I gush about him and his show. Also how I would like to see him in my script The Vertex Fighter.
This time, it's Eric Johnson's turn. It's about applying the law of attraction. I can see EJ Googling himself and he finds my blog. He would be like: "Oh my god, every time she mentions me, she always says 'My favorite Edmonton actor.' She has seen me in nearly everything."
"Tracy has been a fan since 2001 when she saw me on the TV movie Scorn. Then she watches me on Smallville. She helped me get an interview for the Edmonton magazine Mosaic. Though the article was published in the University of Alberta newspaper The Gateway.
She has Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed on dvd. She watched the Falcon Beach TV movie/ back door pilot. She even watched the TV movie Anonymous Rex even though I was only in one scene. She saw the TV movie Friend of the Family and the TV show Rookie Blue. She has Flash Gordon on dvd. She saw me on Criminal Minds where I play Hotchner's brother."
I was checking EJ out on imdb.com and he was on some American shows like an ep of Alcatraz. I should check it out. If EJ was in The Vertex Fighter, I can see him playing a bad guy because he gets those roles a lot.
Wes Brown: Well the law of attraction kind of worked this week. On Sun. I read in the newspaper about a new TV show Scandal starring Kerry Washington. You may know her as the African-American blind woman who dates the Thing in those Fantastic Four movies.
Me: Isn't Wes Brown in Scandal?
I then looked it up on imdb.com and he is in one episode. I then see that he was in 3 more episodes of Hart of Dixie, and I was mad that I missed him in it. I saw one episode where he shows up for the first time called "The Crush and the Crossbow."
On Mon. I checked what's on Hart of Dixie, and they were going to air the episode "Sweetie Pies and Sweaty Palms" and Wes Brown's in it. It was a Valentine's Day ep. So it was cool that I got to see him in it.
"(I) received a fascinating phone call from someone who claimed to be from Windows informing me that the computers in my household accessing the internet downloaded a virus... I then told the guy that was quite a strange claim, as all I owned were Apple computers. This led to the guy getting all nervous and then out of nowhere, asks "Madam, I feel like f---ing. Do you feel like f---ing? Do you want to f---?". I suppose I should have trolled the guy some more? (Btw, I do not own Apple products)"
A lot of comments were made like "creepy." A good comment explaining it was:
"lol Probably wanted to make it sound like a "prank" phone call when he got busted >_> or maybe he's just weird!"
Me: lol. The next time I get a phone call, I'll say I own Apple.
Last month I wrote about this before. My friend Sherry replies:
"true. i got the same call. i replied 'just a sec, my roomate is a sysadmin and he'll understand what you're trying to tll me, i'll get him' and they hungup and never called back (so far). i am lucky i have an ex-sys admin as a roomate, scares off the scammers"
Me: That's another good one. Say your roommate is a techie who works at Shaw or whatever.
Jokes: I got this from Daily Silly.
A man came home from work one day to find his wife on the front porch with her bags packed.
"Just where the heck do you think you're going!", said the man.
"I'm going to Las Vegas", said the wife, "I just found out I can get $400 a night for what I give you for free!"
The man said, "Wait a minute!", and then ran inside the house only to come back a few minutes later with his suitcases in hand.
"Where the heck are you going?", said the wife.
The man said, "I want to see how you're gonna live on $800 a year!"
Here's another one:
A worried father confronted his daughter one night. "I don't like that new boyfriend, he's rough and common and bloody stupid with it."
"Oh no, Daddy," the daughter replied, "Fred's ever so clever, we've only been going out nine weeks and he's cured me of that illness I used to get once a month."
Mar. 28: This is supposed to be the funny email of the week, but I don't have enough material, so I'll write about other light stuff.
Shopping: Today was my day off so I went to deposit some money. Then I went to Payless Shoes so I could buy shoes for work. Then I thought: "Why spend $40 on shoes? I'll just carry my black shoes and wear them at work. I'll then wear my white sneakers outside of work."
I don't go usually go shopping because I don't find it productive. However, I go to a lot of job interviews and I get there early. I then bide my time by checking out stores.
Henry's: I went to Henry's on 124 St. It sells decorating items. It's really high end. They had a Feng Shui book that I liked. It's really nice items, the kind you see in those decorating magazines and ads.
Tin Box: Also around 124 St. is the store Tin Box. It sells decor, quirky books, jewelery, cards, and fun stuff. There's one on Whyte Ave.
La Favorite: This is the little cafe that's right beside Tin Box. They sell pastries and the cakes look really good.
Notables: This is a nice store that sells stationary and cards. It's things you can buy at a Cole's book store or Carlton Cards.
Mandolin Books: I went there and it's a used book store like Wee Book Inn. However, there's a coffee shop in there. It's a very cramped store.
Sabrina Butterfly Designs: I then went to the clothing store next to it called Sabrina Butterfly Designs. It's a small store, but the clothes are really nice. It's kind of expensive though.
I then went to a flower shop that's on the same street with Mandolin Books.
Treasured Memories: I found this craft store and the slogan was "Scrapbook like You Mean It." It's a good craft store with beads, and art supplies. However, it's kind of expensive so go to the $1 store to make crafts.
My Favorite Aunt's Kids and Stuff: This is a consignment shop. It's like a thrift store, but with more high end stuff. They sold some nice clothes and handbags. There was even a little perfume like Calvin Klein. There were also Twilight books.
Comedy comparisons: I was thinking about that time I found one of my managers on this online dating site. It kind of reminded me of Desperate Housewives. You know where Lynette puts up a video of herself and her friend Renee sees it.
Renee: That is the most disturbing thing I've ever seen.
Well, I'm not really disturbed seeing my manager on it. I was kind of taken aback.
Eric Johnson imagination: I have written about my "Craig Olejnik imagination" where The Listener actor Craig Olejnik reads my blog about how I gush about him and his show. Also how I would like to see him in my script The Vertex Fighter.
This time, it's Eric Johnson's turn. It's about applying the law of attraction. I can see EJ Googling himself and he finds my blog. He would be like: "Oh my god, every time she mentions me, she always says 'My favorite Edmonton actor.' She has seen me in nearly everything."
"Tracy has been a fan since 2001 when she saw me on the TV movie Scorn. Then she watches me on Smallville. She helped me get an interview for the Edmonton magazine Mosaic. Though the article was published in the University of Alberta newspaper The Gateway.
She has Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed on dvd. She watched the Falcon Beach TV movie/ back door pilot. She even watched the TV movie Anonymous Rex even though I was only in one scene. She saw the TV movie Friend of the Family and the TV show Rookie Blue. She has Flash Gordon on dvd. She saw me on Criminal Minds where I play Hotchner's brother."
I was checking EJ out on imdb.com and he was on some American shows like an ep of Alcatraz. I should check it out. If EJ was in The Vertex Fighter, I can see him playing a bad guy because he gets those roles a lot.
Wes Brown: Well the law of attraction kind of worked this week. On Sun. I read in the newspaper about a new TV show Scandal starring Kerry Washington. You may know her as the African-American blind woman who dates the Thing in those Fantastic Four movies.
Me: Isn't Wes Brown in Scandal?
I then looked it up on imdb.com and he is in one episode. I then see that he was in 3 more episodes of Hart of Dixie, and I was mad that I missed him in it. I saw one episode where he shows up for the first time called "The Crush and the Crossbow."
On Mon. I checked what's on Hart of Dixie, and they were going to air the episode "Sweetie Pies and Sweaty Palms" and Wes Brown's in it. It was a Valentine's Day ep. So it was cool that I got to see him in it.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Weapons to Nowhere? (Amnesty International)
U.S. weapons and explosives are on their way to an unknown destination – keep them out of the hands of oppressive governments.
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517403&msource=W1203EACPR4
TRACY ,
Right now, a Dutch ship is transporting U.S. weapons and explosives to an unknown destination. Documents show its cargo includes U.S. cartridges for weapons, fuses, detonators and other ammunition.
Up until March 14, the destination was listed as Port Said, Egypt – ostensibly to be delivered to the Egyptian military government. This is shocking given the Egyptian government’s brutal repression of peaceful protesters, including killing more than 100 protesters in the last five months.
Now the U.S. Navy says the ship full of weapons is not docking in Egypt, but it will not say where the ship is headed.
This “mystery ship” could be carrying weapons anywhere. Take action to keep these weapons out of the hands of governments who will use them against their own people.
We need assurance from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the ship of weapons is not going to Egypt or to any other country with a track record of serious human rights violations.
In Egypt, security forces have sexually assaulted women, fired live ammunition at protesters without warning, and fired tear gas during protests in Cairo – using American tear gas canisters.
Promises of reform ring hollow and the U.S. government is – unbelievably – on the verge of allowing Egyptian security forces to buy more weapons using money they receive from the U.S.
What kind of message is the U.S. sending to the Egyptian people - to the world - by enabling their attackers to purchase more weapons? Answer: the wrong one.
Urge Secretary of State Clinton to clarify who is the final recipient of this latest cargo shipment, to confirm that no U.S. weapons or explosives will go to any country where they are likely to be used to commit serious human rights violations, and to stop funding Egypt's weapons purchases with U.S. military aid. It is irresponsible to put more weapons in the hands of those who violate human rights.
Sincerely,
Sanjeev Bery
Advocacy Director, Middle East & North Africa
Amnesty International USA
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517403&msource=W1203EACPR4
TRACY ,
Right now, a Dutch ship is transporting U.S. weapons and explosives to an unknown destination. Documents show its cargo includes U.S. cartridges for weapons, fuses, detonators and other ammunition.
Up until March 14, the destination was listed as Port Said, Egypt – ostensibly to be delivered to the Egyptian military government. This is shocking given the Egyptian government’s brutal repression of peaceful protesters, including killing more than 100 protesters in the last five months.
Now the U.S. Navy says the ship full of weapons is not docking in Egypt, but it will not say where the ship is headed.
This “mystery ship” could be carrying weapons anywhere. Take action to keep these weapons out of the hands of governments who will use them against their own people.
We need assurance from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the ship of weapons is not going to Egypt or to any other country with a track record of serious human rights violations.
In Egypt, security forces have sexually assaulted women, fired live ammunition at protesters without warning, and fired tear gas during protests in Cairo – using American tear gas canisters.
Promises of reform ring hollow and the U.S. government is – unbelievably – on the verge of allowing Egyptian security forces to buy more weapons using money they receive from the U.S.
What kind of message is the U.S. sending to the Egyptian people - to the world - by enabling their attackers to purchase more weapons? Answer: the wrong one.
Urge Secretary of State Clinton to clarify who is the final recipient of this latest cargo shipment, to confirm that no U.S. weapons or explosives will go to any country where they are likely to be used to commit serious human rights violations, and to stop funding Egypt's weapons purchases with U.S. military aid. It is irresponsible to put more weapons in the hands of those who violate human rights.
Sincerely,
Sanjeev Bery
Advocacy Director, Middle East & North Africa
Amnesty International USA
good news/ Post Secret/ emotional intelligence
Mar. 17 Good news: I found this on Yahoo. It's kind of a weird news. "Dead Man sends emails to friends from beyond grave." It says: "Jack Froese, 32, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, died of a heart arrhythmia in June 2011." Five months later, one of his friends Tim Hart got an email from him.
Skeetr 2 made a comment on the article:
"I've occasionally received an email that was sent months earlier. Sometimes it's an echo of a previous email you already received, but forgot about."
That's the logical answer. Other comments and I thought it could be a trick from someone. It kind of reminds me of the TV show Pretty Little Liars. It's about 4 girls who are friends. At first one of their friends Allison went missing and was texting them and signing off as "A." Then Allison turns up dead, but the girls keep getting these messages.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/dead-man-sending-emails-friends-beyond-grave-175427511.html
Mar. 20 Fame article: I got this article "15 College Students Who Got their 15min of Fame" through my blog. I had to read it because it's about getting famous through the internet. Or infamous.
There are some good things like #8 William Hung who auditioned for American Idol where he sang really poorly. Yeah, well he's a nice guy. There's also #10 Wei Wei and Huang Yixin who are 2 Asian guys lip synching to boy band songs. They are over-emoting the lyrics. I remember seeing a clip of them on CNN.
I watched #14 Alexandra Wallace who talked about Asian students being rude at the library who talk on their cell phones. I personally wasn't really offended by it. I just thought she was dumb. You can click on a link and she had gotten death threats over that video. So the lesson is, don't make a video where you talk about race.
A good one was #6 Daniel Hernadez Jr. who helped Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in the head. He held her and tried to stop the bleeding. He was on The Today Show and Piers Morgan Tonight and was an honored guest at President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union speech.
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/03/19/15-college-students-who-got-their-15-minutes-of-fame/
Mar. 22 Graham Wardle: I was going through my old newspaper clippings and I found this article from the Edmonton Journal. It's about the actor Graham Wardle who plays Ty on Heartland. I can see him as Shawn in my The Vertex Fighter script. This article was printed on Sept. 25, 2010 by Eric Volmers.
He talks not being interested in motorcycles or riding horses until he got on the show. He was on the cover of Avenue magazine and how he talked about Ghandi and like Sean Penn's acting style.
GW: It's great to meet new people. What really throws me off is when people start screaming and yelling and getting worked up.
Me: So he's pretty down-to-earth and humble though he's on a TV show.
GW: All of us have had times in the show where we'd like to step up the maturity factor a bit and deal with some content that's a little higher rated. But this is the vehicle we have, and it's a great one. We can still deal with content that is serious, but we have to do it in a careful way."
Mar. 25 Post Secret:
"Law school makes me feel oppressed and powerless."
"I know I made the right decision but sometimes I wished I made different one. I had an abortion."
Me: Do you mean like have the kid and give it up for adoption?
Rape: This was on the Post Secret App:
"I posted a secret about being scared to testify against my rapists in court. I did it, and I have never felt so strong. The looks on their faces as I pointed at them and told my story was priceless. I'm a survivor, not a victim."
Email:
Hey Frank,
It's days like today that I sincerely miss the PostSecret App. Early on I posted a secret about being scared to go to court and received nothing but inspirational and encouraging words from the other users.
Then I posted the secret above and again, I received all encouraging and inspirational words, and I wanted to thank you for giving me a sense of strength and sense of being to know I am not alone, and even if they are strangers, they believe in me, which made me believe in me.
I am currently awaiting the second part of trial, and have no doubt in my mind that I'm going to go in there with this strength and the spirit of the PostSecret community within me. I want to thank you for bringing this to me and am sorry that others had to ruin such a beautiful thing.
Mar. 27 Emotional intelligence: I have emotional intelligence as I can look at people's faces and read them. I have emotional intelligence, but I don't always apply it. For example, like that time back in 2002. I was watching The Sausage Factory and my sister wanted to know what these 2 people are talking about.
I knew she was going to be offended and not find it funny, but I didn't prepare her. I should have said: "I'll tell you, but you're going to be offended and not find it funny. Do you still want to hear it?" Instead I plainly said it, and she was so offended by it.
Friends: I also remember this other time back in 2005. I was busy with NAIT, and I haven't called my friend in months. Well I have called, but I just wasn't able to reach her. So when I did get her on the line, she was cold and distant. I can hear it in her voice. I knew we weren't really connecting, but I thought if I kept trying, we could resume our friendship.
Afterwards I emailed her, she emailed me back, and then she was nice, but firm about it. She said she wanted to end things like: "In a friendship, we have to offer each other something. You don't really offer me anything, and I don't think I really offer you anything either. I wish you good luck in life."
Lessons: I was a little hurt by it, but it was pretty obvious there was nothing to save. I emailed her back and wished her luck too. I learned a lesson to keep in contact with my friends like my weekly emails. Also I learned that you are not a bad person if you don't stay friends with all the friends you make. I was friends with her for 6 yrs.
It was a pretty easy break. We met each other at this math tutor place. When we weren't friends anymore, there wasn't that much of a difference in our lives. We didn't go to the same schools, lived close by, or had any common friends. There wasn't really any drama or a big fight. I can honestly say I have nothing bad to say about her.
Each friendship and relationship is different. It's like with my friend Heather. I've known her since elementary school. Then we lost contact in high school. Then I found her on Facebook 5 yrs later. We had a lot of catching up to do. We resumed our friendship.
Skeetr 2 made a comment on the article:
"I've occasionally received an email that was sent months earlier. Sometimes it's an echo of a previous email you already received, but forgot about."
That's the logical answer. Other comments and I thought it could be a trick from someone. It kind of reminds me of the TV show Pretty Little Liars. It's about 4 girls who are friends. At first one of their friends Allison went missing and was texting them and signing off as "A." Then Allison turns up dead, but the girls keep getting these messages.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/dead-man-sending-emails-friends-beyond-grave-175427511.html
Mar. 20 Fame article: I got this article "15 College Students Who Got their 15min of Fame" through my blog. I had to read it because it's about getting famous through the internet. Or infamous.
There are some good things like #8 William Hung who auditioned for American Idol where he sang really poorly. Yeah, well he's a nice guy. There's also #10 Wei Wei and Huang Yixin who are 2 Asian guys lip synching to boy band songs. They are over-emoting the lyrics. I remember seeing a clip of them on CNN.
I watched #14 Alexandra Wallace who talked about Asian students being rude at the library who talk on their cell phones. I personally wasn't really offended by it. I just thought she was dumb. You can click on a link and she had gotten death threats over that video. So the lesson is, don't make a video where you talk about race.
A good one was #6 Daniel Hernadez Jr. who helped Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in the head. He held her and tried to stop the bleeding. He was on The Today Show and Piers Morgan Tonight and was an honored guest at President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union speech.
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/03/19/15-college-students-who-got-their-15-minutes-of-fame/
Mar. 22 Graham Wardle: I was going through my old newspaper clippings and I found this article from the Edmonton Journal. It's about the actor Graham Wardle who plays Ty on Heartland. I can see him as Shawn in my The Vertex Fighter script. This article was printed on Sept. 25, 2010 by Eric Volmers.
He talks not being interested in motorcycles or riding horses until he got on the show. He was on the cover of Avenue magazine and how he talked about Ghandi and like Sean Penn's acting style.
GW: It's great to meet new people. What really throws me off is when people start screaming and yelling and getting worked up.
Me: So he's pretty down-to-earth and humble though he's on a TV show.
GW: All of us have had times in the show where we'd like to step up the maturity factor a bit and deal with some content that's a little higher rated. But this is the vehicle we have, and it's a great one. We can still deal with content that is serious, but we have to do it in a careful way."
Mar. 25 Post Secret:
"Law school makes me feel oppressed and powerless."
"I know I made the right decision but sometimes I wished I made different one. I had an abortion."
Me: Do you mean like have the kid and give it up for adoption?
Rape: This was on the Post Secret App:
"I posted a secret about being scared to testify against my rapists in court. I did it, and I have never felt so strong. The looks on their faces as I pointed at them and told my story was priceless. I'm a survivor, not a victim."
Email:
Hey Frank,
It's days like today that I sincerely miss the PostSecret App. Early on I posted a secret about being scared to go to court and received nothing but inspirational and encouraging words from the other users.
Then I posted the secret above and again, I received all encouraging and inspirational words, and I wanted to thank you for giving me a sense of strength and sense of being to know I am not alone, and even if they are strangers, they believe in me, which made me believe in me.
I am currently awaiting the second part of trial, and have no doubt in my mind that I'm going to go in there with this strength and the spirit of the PostSecret community within me. I want to thank you for bringing this to me and am sorry that others had to ruin such a beautiful thing.
Mar. 27 Emotional intelligence: I have emotional intelligence as I can look at people's faces and read them. I have emotional intelligence, but I don't always apply it. For example, like that time back in 2002. I was watching The Sausage Factory and my sister wanted to know what these 2 people are talking about.
I knew she was going to be offended and not find it funny, but I didn't prepare her. I should have said: "I'll tell you, but you're going to be offended and not find it funny. Do you still want to hear it?" Instead I plainly said it, and she was so offended by it.
Friends: I also remember this other time back in 2005. I was busy with NAIT, and I haven't called my friend in months. Well I have called, but I just wasn't able to reach her. So when I did get her on the line, she was cold and distant. I can hear it in her voice. I knew we weren't really connecting, but I thought if I kept trying, we could resume our friendship.
Afterwards I emailed her, she emailed me back, and then she was nice, but firm about it. She said she wanted to end things like: "In a friendship, we have to offer each other something. You don't really offer me anything, and I don't think I really offer you anything either. I wish you good luck in life."
Lessons: I was a little hurt by it, but it was pretty obvious there was nothing to save. I emailed her back and wished her luck too. I learned a lesson to keep in contact with my friends like my weekly emails. Also I learned that you are not a bad person if you don't stay friends with all the friends you make. I was friends with her for 6 yrs.
It was a pretty easy break. We met each other at this math tutor place. When we weren't friends anymore, there wasn't that much of a difference in our lives. We didn't go to the same schools, lived close by, or had any common friends. There wasn't really any drama or a big fight. I can honestly say I have nothing bad to say about her.
Each friendship and relationship is different. It's like with my friend Heather. I've known her since elementary school. Then we lost contact in high school. Then I found her on Facebook 5 yrs later. We had a lot of catching up to do. We resumed our friendship.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Women's Day Must Haves: Scarves, Candles, Earrings and More
This is from Amnesty International.
http://shop.amnestyusa.org/Amnesty-International-Dignity-Rights-Poster/dp/B002I0663U?http://shop.amnestyusa.org/Amnesty-International-Dignity-Rights-Poster/dp/B002I0663U?utm_source=aiusa&utm_medium=email&utm_content=March_Merch&utm_campaign=Merch_Mar
Shown in Photo: poster of 10-year old Afghan refugee - $12
Dear Tracy,
SHOP FOR HUMANITY. SHOP WITH A PURPOSE. Amnesty International celebrates International Women's day with products made by women artisans around the world. Every purchase you make supports their work and our effort to fight for human rights. Visit our store.
CANDLE- WOMEN REFUGEES FROM BURMA - $15.00 $12.00
EARRINGS- RWANDAN WOMEN'S COOPERATIVE - $32.00 $24.00
SAC BAG- WOMEN ARTISANS IN SOUTHERN INDIA - $25.00 $20.00
NECKLACE- GUATEMALAN WOMEN'S COOPERATIVE - $38.00 $27.00
SCARF- RICE FARMER COOPERATIVE IN THAILAND - $18.00 $15.00
PHONE CASE- CAMBODIAN ARTISANS - $17.00 $14.00
JOURNAL- DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA - $14.00
KNIT BUNNY- INDIGENOUS WOMEN ARTISANS IN PERU - $22.00 $18.00
SOCCER BALL- COOPERATIVE IN PAKISTAN - $30.00 $24.00
TEMPORARY TATTOOS - $7.95
SHEPARD FAIREY - $20.00 $15.00
CHIMES OF FREEDOM - $24.99
To purchase Digital Downloads of Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan, please visit music.amnestyusa.org
You can find more great deals on shop.amnestyusa.org
Please send all questions & concerns to store@aiusa.org
http://shop.amnestyusa.org/Amnesty-International-Dignity-Rights-Poster/dp/B002I0663U?http://shop.amnestyusa.org/Amnesty-International-Dignity-Rights-Poster/dp/B002I0663U?utm_source=aiusa&utm_medium=email&utm_content=March_Merch&utm_campaign=Merch_Mar
Shown in Photo: poster of 10-year old Afghan refugee - $12
Dear Tracy,
SHOP FOR HUMANITY. SHOP WITH A PURPOSE. Amnesty International celebrates International Women's day with products made by women artisans around the world. Every purchase you make supports their work and our effort to fight for human rights. Visit our store.
CANDLE- WOMEN REFUGEES FROM BURMA - $15.00 $12.00
EARRINGS- RWANDAN WOMEN'S COOPERATIVE - $32.00 $24.00
SAC BAG- WOMEN ARTISANS IN SOUTHERN INDIA - $25.00 $20.00
NECKLACE- GUATEMALAN WOMEN'S COOPERATIVE - $38.00 $27.00
SCARF- RICE FARMER COOPERATIVE IN THAILAND - $18.00 $15.00
PHONE CASE- CAMBODIAN ARTISANS - $17.00 $14.00
JOURNAL- DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA - $14.00
KNIT BUNNY- INDIGENOUS WOMEN ARTISANS IN PERU - $22.00 $18.00
SOCCER BALL- COOPERATIVE IN PAKISTAN - $30.00 $24.00
TEMPORARY TATTOOS - $7.95
SHEPARD FAIREY - $20.00 $15.00
CHIMES OF FREEDOM - $24.99
To purchase Digital Downloads of Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan, please visit music.amnestyusa.org
You can find more great deals on shop.amnestyusa.org
Please send all questions & concerns to store@aiusa.org
I am listening (Amnesty International)
I got this from Amnesty International. I did the survey and it has now closed down. The survey was about how much money you donate to charity, about petitions, and everything about Amnesty.
Here's their website:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/
Your opinion matters to me. Please take a short survey.
Hello Tracy,
I am Suzanne Nossel, the new executive director of Amnesty International USA.
It is a privilege to take the reins of Amnesty, especially now, at this pivotal moment. We have the opportunity to make solid human rights gains. To succeed, I will rely on the dedication and talents of all Amnesty supporters.
This is where you come in. In collaboration with our Board of Directors and other member leaders, I am leading a listening tour to gather feedback from every corner of the Amnesty movement. We will use your input to develop a strategic plan for the organization.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please take a short online survey to help guide our strategy.
I look forward to working with Amnesty because I have cared about human rights from a very young age. My mother's family fled from Nazi Germany to South Africa. As a child, I saw apartheid first hand. Bathrooms, beaches and buses were segregated, and I knew something was wrong.
In high school in New York City I worked with an organization to help free Soviet Jews. We wrote letters, wore bracelets with the names of individual dissidents on them, raised money, marched down 5th Avenue and demonstrated in front of the United Nations.
My position at Amnesty will draw upon every one of my professional experiences. As Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, I learned how decisions get made within Washington and how to push through important human rights initiatives.
As Chief Operating Officer of Human Rights Watch I gained a deeper understanding of human rights around the world and the role of expertise in human rights advocacy.
I know I have big shoes to fill. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my predecessor, Larry Cox, and the tremendous hard work and accomplishments of Amnesty USA members in recent years:
Abolition of the death penalty in New Jersey (2007), New Mexico (2009) and Illinois (2011)
Enactment of the Tribal Law and Order Act (2010) to streamline access to justice for crimes of sexual violence against Native American and Alaska Native women
Freedom for thousands of political prisoners persecuted for their beliefs
As Amnesty supporters, you and I share a powerful belief that dedicated individuals acting together can defend human dignity and restore human rights -- and society can flourish.
I'm excited about the opportunity to work with you, and I do hope that you can take the time to share your ideas with me in this short survey.
Thanks,
Suzanne Nossel
Executive Director
Amnesty International USA
P.S. Hurry -- the survey will close on Friday, March 23.
Here's their website:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/
Your opinion matters to me. Please take a short survey.
Hello Tracy,
I am Suzanne Nossel, the new executive director of Amnesty International USA.
It is a privilege to take the reins of Amnesty, especially now, at this pivotal moment. We have the opportunity to make solid human rights gains. To succeed, I will rely on the dedication and talents of all Amnesty supporters.
This is where you come in. In collaboration with our Board of Directors and other member leaders, I am leading a listening tour to gather feedback from every corner of the Amnesty movement. We will use your input to develop a strategic plan for the organization.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please take a short online survey to help guide our strategy.
I look forward to working with Amnesty because I have cared about human rights from a very young age. My mother's family fled from Nazi Germany to South Africa. As a child, I saw apartheid first hand. Bathrooms, beaches and buses were segregated, and I knew something was wrong.
In high school in New York City I worked with an organization to help free Soviet Jews. We wrote letters, wore bracelets with the names of individual dissidents on them, raised money, marched down 5th Avenue and demonstrated in front of the United Nations.
My position at Amnesty will draw upon every one of my professional experiences. As Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, I learned how decisions get made within Washington and how to push through important human rights initiatives.
As Chief Operating Officer of Human Rights Watch I gained a deeper understanding of human rights around the world and the role of expertise in human rights advocacy.
I know I have big shoes to fill. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my predecessor, Larry Cox, and the tremendous hard work and accomplishments of Amnesty USA members in recent years:
Abolition of the death penalty in New Jersey (2007), New Mexico (2009) and Illinois (2011)
Enactment of the Tribal Law and Order Act (2010) to streamline access to justice for crimes of sexual violence against Native American and Alaska Native women
Freedom for thousands of political prisoners persecuted for their beliefs
As Amnesty supporters, you and I share a powerful belief that dedicated individuals acting together can defend human dignity and restore human rights -- and society can flourish.
I'm excited about the opportunity to work with you, and I do hope that you can take the time to share your ideas with me in this short survey.
Thanks,
Suzanne Nossel
Executive Director
Amnesty International USA
P.S. Hurry -- the survey will close on Friday, March 23.
references/ dumb interviews/ renting
Mar. 19 References: I was reading the 24 newspaper Work Zone section. It's called "What are your references saying?" by Carolyn Mctighe. It talked about Trina Perri who's a freelance photographer. She did these interviews and wasn't hired. When she called to ask why she wasn't hired, it's because she got a bad reference.
Her old boss had agreed to be her reference, but she resented Perri who left the job. She was angry that she abandoned her. Perri then took her off as a reference and then got hired.
It then made me think of my own situation. I did all these interviews, and I didn't get hired. Most of the time, no one asks for references. I only gave references for those 2 hospital interviews and that car dealership. It's usually when you get hired, or at least short-listed, they ask for a reference.
Mar. 21 Flexible: Today I was applying to some banks. One bank asked which city and locations you want to work in. I said Edmonton and mentioned 2 locations. Then I added that I was willing to work in any locations in Edmonton. I am flexible. I have taken buses to job interviews all around town and there are banks that I'm willing to go work anywhere.
Dumb interviews: I found this on Yahoo. It's called "Dumb things people have said during job interviews." They listed 5 things and then go into detail of why they said it and what happened:
"I'm in anger management because I hit a former co-worker."
"Oh, that's because I just took a Xanax." The lesson is you should know what the side effects of the drug can have an effect on your personality.
"Just a little itch." This guy kept scratching himself the entire interview, and he acted completely normal about it.
"I locked a mentally ill patient in a room to teach him a lesson."
In it: "'The sad part? My candidate actually thought he was telling the client positive things about his judgment, and had no idea why they didn't want him,' Hurwitz says."
"Oh, he was killed in a drug deal." This woman mentioned her husband died in a drug deal. Article said: "It can be acceptable if you're careful to bring it up in a casual way, and without so much detail that it makes someone uncomfortable. Despite it being an excellent interview, the candidate tainted it by sharing more than was necessary."
I'll add this to my "laughing about death" jokes. It sounds surreal, like something I would see on a fictional TV show.
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/dumb-things-people-have-said-during-job-interviews.html
Left-right brain: I did another job interview today. My left-brain has the pros:
1. It's in downtown.
2. It's full-time.
3. It's an office kind of position for a small business.
4. It may be kind of slow, so there could be a lot of downtime there.
My right-brain lists the cons:
1. I dreaded coming to the interview. (I still went to the interview to know what the job and office is about.)
2. It would seem kind of boring since I'm the only person in the office. No one is going to be around. What if I have a question? I guess I could call them to ask.
3. I wasn't really interested in the business.
My right-brain is about the feelings. You know it's bad if you dread going to the interview. I don't dread going to interviews. When I get calls to banks, hospitals, offices, I look forward to going to it.
Switchboard: It's been a few weeks since I decided to not take the Switchboard job. You know, I did a 1hr job interview there, and a 4hr training/ job shadow session. I'm going to say, I don't regret my decision.
At call centres, you just follow the screen. You read the question and ask it over the phone. At Call Centre #1, I did 3 days training and I never worked at a call centre before. At Call Centre #2, it's 1 day training. The Switchboard was hard because you had to memorize keys, and you don't exactly have any directions on the screen to read.
It was only $11/hr, which is the same wage as working at a call centre. Call centres are easier. If the Switchboard was paying more, then I would have been more motivated to stay and work. Also if the Switchboard was a big company where I could grow and work my way up, I would stay.
Mar. 22 Rant: So last week I got a call back from this office job. They called twice one day, and again the next. I called them back once. Then I called them back a second time and left a message both times. I went there in person because it was close by. I then called them today and they said the position has been filled. Damn, it's been like a week and half of calling each other.
What annoyed me is that one time I went upstairs to get more water. I then went downstairs and heard my cell phone ring. It stops ringing. I called immediately back. The lesson is, always bring your cell phone everywhere you go.
However, he did say there are a lot more opportunities out there and that he would keep my resume.
New year, new job: I read this in the Edmonton Journal and other newspapers. At the beginning of a new year, lots of people change jobs. Instead of getting a new job, you should stay at your current one and get new responsibilities.
Job tip: I was watching Desperate Housewives in Jan. Lynette was talking to this guy about how he should open his own hair salon.
Lynette: Are you going to be a stylist forever?
Man: Why not? I love it.
Lynette: That's all that matters.
Renting: Also from Jan., I was talking to my dad and sister about Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Poor dad: Save.
Rich dad: Invest.
Poor dad: Work hard so you can get a job at a good company.
Rich dad: Work hard so you can buy a company.
The tip to be rich was to be a landlord. You make a lot of money, and there's little work because you're letting someone live there.
However, my sister said that you need to find tenants, get them to pay the rent, and property management.
Job lesson: What I've learned from the recession is that you can be smart, but not get a career due to not enough demand.
I've always thought about acting. There are a lot of actors, and only a few roles. However, if you were to go to college for something creative like acting or something practical like business, I would say business. You can do something creative on the side.
Saying: I overhead my dad say to my sister "Everybody's different." He says that to me all the time regarding my job search.
Mar. 24: Not everybody is going to like working at a call centre. A lot of people would hate calling people to do surveys and get donations. A co-worker from the Soup place actually did work at Call Centre #1 before. She said: "I didn't like calling people, I always felt like I was bothering them."
Flashback: I was thinking about that "dumb interviews" and that woman talking about her husband being killed. I wrote about this before, where I met this girl named Mary back in 2005.
Mary: My mom moved my brother and I to Canada from China because there are more opportunities here.
Me: What did your dad say?
Mary: Nothing, he's dead.
Me: I'm sorry.
Mary: That's okay, I don't really remember him.
I have done interviews where people ask me if I was born here. I can imagine Mary going to an interview and someone asks her that. The way Mary said it, she was telling it like it is, very matter of fact. She didn't show any emotion.
Depressing professions: Roxanne McAnn sent me this article through my blog called "9 Most Depressing Professions." It talked about creative jobs like comedians, artists, and actors because it's really hard to become successful in this profession. It mentions health care veterinarians, physicians, and nursing home workers. It give specific statistics about depression.
Her old boss had agreed to be her reference, but she resented Perri who left the job. She was angry that she abandoned her. Perri then took her off as a reference and then got hired.
It then made me think of my own situation. I did all these interviews, and I didn't get hired. Most of the time, no one asks for references. I only gave references for those 2 hospital interviews and that car dealership. It's usually when you get hired, or at least short-listed, they ask for a reference.
Mar. 21 Flexible: Today I was applying to some banks. One bank asked which city and locations you want to work in. I said Edmonton and mentioned 2 locations. Then I added that I was willing to work in any locations in Edmonton. I am flexible. I have taken buses to job interviews all around town and there are banks that I'm willing to go work anywhere.
Dumb interviews: I found this on Yahoo. It's called "Dumb things people have said during job interviews." They listed 5 things and then go into detail of why they said it and what happened:
"I'm in anger management because I hit a former co-worker."
"Oh, that's because I just took a Xanax." The lesson is you should know what the side effects of the drug can have an effect on your personality.
"Just a little itch." This guy kept scratching himself the entire interview, and he acted completely normal about it.
"I locked a mentally ill patient in a room to teach him a lesson."
In it: "'The sad part? My candidate actually thought he was telling the client positive things about his judgment, and had no idea why they didn't want him,' Hurwitz says."
"Oh, he was killed in a drug deal." This woman mentioned her husband died in a drug deal. Article said: "It can be acceptable if you're careful to bring it up in a casual way, and without so much detail that it makes someone uncomfortable. Despite it being an excellent interview, the candidate tainted it by sharing more than was necessary."
I'll add this to my "laughing about death" jokes. It sounds surreal, like something I would see on a fictional TV show.
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/dumb-things-people-have-said-during-job-interviews.html
Left-right brain: I did another job interview today. My left-brain has the pros:
1. It's in downtown.
2. It's full-time.
3. It's an office kind of position for a small business.
4. It may be kind of slow, so there could be a lot of downtime there.
My right-brain lists the cons:
1. I dreaded coming to the interview. (I still went to the interview to know what the job and office is about.)
2. It would seem kind of boring since I'm the only person in the office. No one is going to be around. What if I have a question? I guess I could call them to ask.
3. I wasn't really interested in the business.
My right-brain is about the feelings. You know it's bad if you dread going to the interview. I don't dread going to interviews. When I get calls to banks, hospitals, offices, I look forward to going to it.
Switchboard: It's been a few weeks since I decided to not take the Switchboard job. You know, I did a 1hr job interview there, and a 4hr training/ job shadow session. I'm going to say, I don't regret my decision.
At call centres, you just follow the screen. You read the question and ask it over the phone. At Call Centre #1, I did 3 days training and I never worked at a call centre before. At Call Centre #2, it's 1 day training. The Switchboard was hard because you had to memorize keys, and you don't exactly have any directions on the screen to read.
It was only $11/hr, which is the same wage as working at a call centre. Call centres are easier. If the Switchboard was paying more, then I would have been more motivated to stay and work. Also if the Switchboard was a big company where I could grow and work my way up, I would stay.
Mar. 22 Rant: So last week I got a call back from this office job. They called twice one day, and again the next. I called them back once. Then I called them back a second time and left a message both times. I went there in person because it was close by. I then called them today and they said the position has been filled. Damn, it's been like a week and half of calling each other.
What annoyed me is that one time I went upstairs to get more water. I then went downstairs and heard my cell phone ring. It stops ringing. I called immediately back. The lesson is, always bring your cell phone everywhere you go.
However, he did say there are a lot more opportunities out there and that he would keep my resume.
New year, new job: I read this in the Edmonton Journal and other newspapers. At the beginning of a new year, lots of people change jobs. Instead of getting a new job, you should stay at your current one and get new responsibilities.
Job tip: I was watching Desperate Housewives in Jan. Lynette was talking to this guy about how he should open his own hair salon.
Lynette: Are you going to be a stylist forever?
Man: Why not? I love it.
Lynette: That's all that matters.
Renting: Also from Jan., I was talking to my dad and sister about Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Poor dad: Save.
Rich dad: Invest.
Poor dad: Work hard so you can get a job at a good company.
Rich dad: Work hard so you can buy a company.
The tip to be rich was to be a landlord. You make a lot of money, and there's little work because you're letting someone live there.
However, my sister said that you need to find tenants, get them to pay the rent, and property management.
Job lesson: What I've learned from the recession is that you can be smart, but not get a career due to not enough demand.
I've always thought about acting. There are a lot of actors, and only a few roles. However, if you were to go to college for something creative like acting or something practical like business, I would say business. You can do something creative on the side.
Saying: I overhead my dad say to my sister "Everybody's different." He says that to me all the time regarding my job search.
Mar. 24: Not everybody is going to like working at a call centre. A lot of people would hate calling people to do surveys and get donations. A co-worker from the Soup place actually did work at Call Centre #1 before. She said: "I didn't like calling people, I always felt like I was bothering them."
Flashback: I was thinking about that "dumb interviews" and that woman talking about her husband being killed. I wrote about this before, where I met this girl named Mary back in 2005.
Mary: My mom moved my brother and I to Canada from China because there are more opportunities here.
Me: What did your dad say?
Mary: Nothing, he's dead.
Me: I'm sorry.
Mary: That's okay, I don't really remember him.
I have done interviews where people ask me if I was born here. I can imagine Mary going to an interview and someone asks her that. The way Mary said it, she was telling it like it is, very matter of fact. She didn't show any emotion.
Depressing professions: Roxanne McAnn sent me this article through my blog called "9 Most Depressing Professions." It talked about creative jobs like comedians, artists, and actors because it's really hard to become successful in this profession. It mentions health care veterinarians, physicians, and nursing home workers. It give specific statistics about depression.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thank you for taking action for Norma Andrade
Norma Andrade
Norma Andrade: attacked at home for campaigning to defend women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=817&type=Internal&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz
NEW! Amnesty t-shirt:
Become a regular Amnesty supporter at $10/month or more and we'll send you a t-shirt that will help promote our work to protect Individuals at Risk.
Join now.
You can also call us directly at
1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789)
IAR logo
Thank you for speaking up following the knifing of women's rights defender Norma Andrade.
Will you take one more step for her safety?
Thank you for joining more than 5,000 people in Canada who have asked authorities in Mexico to protect Norma Andrade, following this second, vicious attack on her life.
Will you take another step to assure her safety? There are two very specific things you could do to help assure that the violence against Norma is stopped.
1. Write a letter.
penA hand-written letter from a foreign citizen, like you, is more persuasive than an email. We have posted the address of local authorities on our website, along with all the guidance you'll need to write an effective, polite letter with Amnesty. Letter-writing is Amnesty International's oldest, and time-proven method of getting results. Write a letter
2. Become a regular Amnesty International donor.
red phoneGiving to Amnesty as a monthly donor is the most cost-effective way to provide financial support to our critical human rights work. Your donations help us mobilize our letter-writers, publish highly respected human rights reports, and campaign directly to decision-makers. If you have not already made this personal decision, please make a commitment to be a regular financial donor to Amnesty International. We will send you our new Protecting Individuals at Risk-t-shirt. By wearing this shirt - with its "quick response" code (scannable on mobile phones) - you will help us promote our work to protect human rights defenders like Norma.
<< Make a decision now to be a regular monthly supporter
<< Learn how your financial support helps improve human rights in Mexico
I'd like to share a message we received last week from our Mexico campaigner, to update you on her situation:
"I know that Norma and her two grandchildren remain in Mexico City. New agreements on protection were made with Federal, and federal district authorities. Her lawyer, Micheel Salas told us that she was letting Norma settle down a bit after the last attack in order that the kids get some normality back into their life after so much trauma... certainly, Norma is aware of AI (Amnesty International) actions on her behalf as was her daughter Malu, when she received threats earlier last year and had to leave Juárez."
It is encouraging that agreements are being made with Federal and district authorities in Mexico. But we know that past assurances did not prevent the recent stabbing, and we know that Norma remains a target - because some people in Mexico do not want her drawing attention to the murder of her daughter and hundreds of other women in Ciudad Juárez. The recent attacks on Norma appear to be part of a targeted campaign against her efforts to investigate the deaths of hundreds of women and girls in Ciudad Juárez over the past two decades. Amnesty International believes she is in imminent danger and should be provided with effective protection.
Please join us by writing a letter for Norma, or if time doesn't permit, please consider making a financial donation that helps us mobilize thousands of volunteers who are part of Amnesty's dedicated community of letter-writers. Your support helps us protect and save lives.
Sincerely,
Alex Neve signature
crosses at JuarezAlex Neve, Secretary General
Amnesty International, Canadian Section
P.S. You can learn more about our ongoing campaigning work on human rights in Mexico by visiting our Mexico blog on our website. Please also view our Mexico Brief to help you understand the vital human rights work that your financial support helps achieve.
P.P.S. We'll be following up with you shortly by email or by phone to invite your further involvement on our work to protect front-line human rights workers like Norma. If you have any questions about our human rights work, please feel free to call us at 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789) or contact us by email at members@amnesty.ca
Norma Andrade: attacked at home for campaigning to defend women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=817&type=Internal&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz
NEW! Amnesty t-shirt:
Become a regular Amnesty supporter at $10/month or more and we'll send you a t-shirt that will help promote our work to protect Individuals at Risk.
Join now.
You can also call us directly at
1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789)
IAR logo
Thank you for speaking up following the knifing of women's rights defender Norma Andrade.
Will you take one more step for her safety?
Thank you for joining more than 5,000 people in Canada who have asked authorities in Mexico to protect Norma Andrade, following this second, vicious attack on her life.
Will you take another step to assure her safety? There are two very specific things you could do to help assure that the violence against Norma is stopped.
1. Write a letter.
penA hand-written letter from a foreign citizen, like you, is more persuasive than an email. We have posted the address of local authorities on our website, along with all the guidance you'll need to write an effective, polite letter with Amnesty. Letter-writing is Amnesty International's oldest, and time-proven method of getting results. Write a letter
2. Become a regular Amnesty International donor.
red phoneGiving to Amnesty as a monthly donor is the most cost-effective way to provide financial support to our critical human rights work. Your donations help us mobilize our letter-writers, publish highly respected human rights reports, and campaign directly to decision-makers. If you have not already made this personal decision, please make a commitment to be a regular financial donor to Amnesty International. We will send you our new Protecting Individuals at Risk-t-shirt. By wearing this shirt - with its "quick response" code (scannable on mobile phones) - you will help us promote our work to protect human rights defenders like Norma.
<< Make a decision now to be a regular monthly supporter
<< Learn how your financial support helps improve human rights in Mexico
I'd like to share a message we received last week from our Mexico campaigner, to update you on her situation:
"I know that Norma and her two grandchildren remain in Mexico City. New agreements on protection were made with Federal, and federal district authorities. Her lawyer, Micheel Salas told us that she was letting Norma settle down a bit after the last attack in order that the kids get some normality back into their life after so much trauma... certainly, Norma is aware of AI (Amnesty International) actions on her behalf as was her daughter Malu, when she received threats earlier last year and had to leave Juárez."
It is encouraging that agreements are being made with Federal and district authorities in Mexico. But we know that past assurances did not prevent the recent stabbing, and we know that Norma remains a target - because some people in Mexico do not want her drawing attention to the murder of her daughter and hundreds of other women in Ciudad Juárez. The recent attacks on Norma appear to be part of a targeted campaign against her efforts to investigate the deaths of hundreds of women and girls in Ciudad Juárez over the past two decades. Amnesty International believes she is in imminent danger and should be provided with effective protection.
Please join us by writing a letter for Norma, or if time doesn't permit, please consider making a financial donation that helps us mobilize thousands of volunteers who are part of Amnesty's dedicated community of letter-writers. Your support helps us protect and save lives.
Sincerely,
Alex Neve signature
crosses at JuarezAlex Neve, Secretary General
Amnesty International, Canadian Section
P.S. You can learn more about our ongoing campaigning work on human rights in Mexico by visiting our Mexico blog on our website. Please also view our Mexico Brief to help you understand the vital human rights work that your financial support helps achieve.
P.P.S. We'll be following up with you shortly by email or by phone to invite your further involvement on our work to protect front-line human rights workers like Norma. If you have any questions about our human rights work, please feel free to call us at 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789) or contact us by email at members@amnesty.ca
actual label instructions/ cop article/ writer joke
Mar. 17 Joke: I got this from Daily Silly. Here's some more label instructions.
"Actual label instructions:
1. On a blanket from Taiwan - NOT TO BE USED AS PROTECTION FROM A TORNADO.
2. On a helmet mounted mirror used by US cyclists - REMEMBER, OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE ACTUALLY BEHIND YOU.
3. On a Taiwanese shampoo - USE REPEATEDLY FOR SEVERE DAMAGE.
4. On the bottle-top of a (UK) flavoured milk drink - AFTER OPENING, KEEP UPRIGHT.
5. On a New Zealand insect spray - THIS PRODUCT NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS.
6. In a US guide to setting up a new computer - TO AVOID CONDENSATION FORMING, ALLOW THE BOXES TO WARM UP TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE OPENING. (Sensible, but the instruction was INSIDE the box.)
7. On a Japanese product used to relieve painful hemorrhoids - LIE DOWN ON BED AND INSERT POSCOOL SLOWLY UP TO THE PROJECTED PORTION LIKE A SWORD-GUARD INTO ANAL DUCT. WHILE INSERTING POSCOOL FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES, KEEP QUIET.
8. In some countries, on the bottom of Coke bottles - OPEN OTHER END.
9. On a packet of Sunmaid raisins - WHY NOT TRY TOSSING OVER YOUR FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL?
10. On a Sears hairdryer - DO NOT USE WHILE SLEEPING.
11. On a bag of Frito's - YOU COULD BE A WINNER! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. DETAILS INSIDE. (The shoplifter special?!?)
12. On a bar of Dial soap - DIRECTIONS - USE LIKE REGULAR SOAP. (And that would be how?)
13. On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom of the box) - DO NOT TURN UPSIDE DOWN. (Too late! You lose!)"
Mar. 19: Actual label instructions:
On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding - PRODUCT WILL BE HOT AFTER HEATING. (Are you sure? Let's experiment.)
On a Korean kitchen knife - WARNING: KEEP OUT OF CHILDREN. (Dammit! Who are they to tell me what to do with my kids?)
On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights - FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR USE ONLY. (As opposed to what?...use in outer space?)
On a Japanese food processor - NOT TO BE USED FOR THE OTHER USE. (Now I'm curious.)
On Sainsbury's peanuts - WARNING - CONTAINS NUTS. (Really? Peanuts contain nuts?)
On an American Airlines packet of nuts INSTRUCTIONS - OPEN PACKET, EAT NUTS. (I'm glad they cleared that up.)
On a Swedish chainsaw - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP CHAIN WITH YOUR HANDS OR GENITALS. (What kind of consumer phone-call led to this warning?)
On a child's superman costume - WEARING OF THIS GARMENT DOES NOT ENABLE YOU TO FLY. (That's right, destroy a universal childhood fantasy!)
On some frozen dinners: SERVING SUGGESTION: DEFROST. ( OK lets eat it frozen!!!)
On a hotel provided shower cap in a box: FITS ONE HEAD.
On packaging for a Rowenta iron: DO NOT IRON CLOTHES ON BODY.
On Boot's "Children's" cough medicine: DO NOT DRIVE CAR OR OPERATE MACHINERY.(Kids no more driving)
On Nightly sleep aid: WARNING: MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS. (Duh!)
Dog joke: I got this from Daily Silly.
Paul got off the elevator on the 40th floor and nervously knocked on his blind date's door. She opened it and was as beautiful and charming as everyone had said. "I'll be ready in a few minutes," she said. "Why don't you play with
Rollo while you're waiting?" He does wonderful tricks. He rolls over, shakes hands, sits up and if you make a hoop with your arms, he'll jump through." The dog followed Paul onto the balcony and started rolling over. Paul made a hoop
with his arms and Rollo jumped through -- and over the balcony railing to the ground 40 floors down. Just then Paul's date walked out.
"Isn't Rollo the cutest, happiest dog you've ever seen?" "To tell the the truth, " he replied, "he seemed a little depressed to me."
Me: I'll add this to the "my cat committed suicide" joke.
Cop article: Jay Smith sent this to me through my blog. It's called "9 Surprising Reasons a Police Officer might Pull You Over." It's a quirky article.
"#3 You're singing a rap song with the windows down. In Rockville, Maryland, Section 13-53(a) of their municipal ordinance states that, "[a] person may not profanely curse and swear or use obscene language upon or near any street, sidewalk or highway within the hearing of persons passing by, upon or along such street, sidewalk or highway." Then you click on the highlighted link Michael Bolton. It's a clip of the movie Office Space. A white guy is singing a rap song.
"#6 You’re Doing A Real-Life Oregon Trail in Wisconsin"
According to Section 86.025 of Wisconsin traffic law, it is "unlawful for any person or persons to camp in wagons [. . .] on the public highways." You then click on the "Oregon Trail" and this pic of 2 oxen pulling a wagon pop up. It says "You have died of dysentery."
lol.
I love that computer game in the early 90s when I was in elementary school. My sister bought the cd-rom game for $10. My siblings and I had fun playing it. We still have it, I just need to look for it.
Mar. 20 Writer joke: I was going through my old newspaper clippings and I found this from the National Post. It was published on May 14, 2011. It's called "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions from a Cranky Author." The author Emily St. John Mandel gets these questions at book signings. On the blog Blurb is a Verb (what a quirky title), she writes this:
"So when's your next book coming out?"
I have no idea, but it'll probably be a while. In the meantime, allow me to introduce you to my current book. It came out a week ago. It took me 2 and a half years to write.
"How many books have you sold?"
You know, the last royalty statement was a few months back, so I'm actually not entirely sure. But while we're on the subject of our personal finances, what's your checking account balance?
"Here's my copy of your book. Please sign it and also draw a cartoon."
I'd love to, but I have no idea how to draw cartoons. Would you like a shakily rendered outline of a penguin?
Me: So if you go to a book signing, don't ask those questions. I thought the first question about next book coming out kind of seemed appropriate. Well maybe the author was writing 2 books at the same time and another book is going to be published next year. I don't know.
Asking how many books you've sold, I guess you could look the fact up on the internet. I have met celebrities before like the singer Kyle Riabko and the British boy band Blue, and I have never asked for them to draw a cartoon. I have been to more autograph sessions with music artists, and I never seen or heard anyone ask to draw a cartoon.
Here's some info on Emily St. John Mandel:
http://redroom.com/member/emily-st-john-mandel
Here is the Blurb is a Verb blog:
http://blurbisaverb.blogspot.ca/
Mar. 21 Compliments: I asked earlier: "What do you want to be complimented on? Looks, talent, smarts, or personality?" I was watching that Vampire Diaries season 2 bloopers. The actor Ian Somerhalder is good looking in the handsome and hot way. I would say he's talented because he plays the complicated character Damon very well on the show.
However, I would have to say his personality is the best quality. I like that blooper where Mason and Damon are talking at the end 2:15 secs in.
Mason: Mason Lockwood, I don't believe we've met.
Damon: Oh sure, hey Ian.
IS really shows his true personality here, like when he meets someone new, he smiles and shakes hands. He's friendly. Then when he realizes his mistake, he starts laughing and saying "Oh my God!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAk80_LOSUI
"Actual label instructions:
1. On a blanket from Taiwan - NOT TO BE USED AS PROTECTION FROM A TORNADO.
2. On a helmet mounted mirror used by US cyclists - REMEMBER, OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE ACTUALLY BEHIND YOU.
3. On a Taiwanese shampoo - USE REPEATEDLY FOR SEVERE DAMAGE.
4. On the bottle-top of a (UK) flavoured milk drink - AFTER OPENING, KEEP UPRIGHT.
5. On a New Zealand insect spray - THIS PRODUCT NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS.
6. In a US guide to setting up a new computer - TO AVOID CONDENSATION FORMING, ALLOW THE BOXES TO WARM UP TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE OPENING. (Sensible, but the instruction was INSIDE the box.)
7. On a Japanese product used to relieve painful hemorrhoids - LIE DOWN ON BED AND INSERT POSCOOL SLOWLY UP TO THE PROJECTED PORTION LIKE A SWORD-GUARD INTO ANAL DUCT. WHILE INSERTING POSCOOL FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES, KEEP QUIET.
8. In some countries, on the bottom of Coke bottles - OPEN OTHER END.
9. On a packet of Sunmaid raisins - WHY NOT TRY TOSSING OVER YOUR FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL?
10. On a Sears hairdryer - DO NOT USE WHILE SLEEPING.
11. On a bag of Frito's - YOU COULD BE A WINNER! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. DETAILS INSIDE. (The shoplifter special?!?)
12. On a bar of Dial soap - DIRECTIONS - USE LIKE REGULAR SOAP. (And that would be how?)
13. On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom of the box) - DO NOT TURN UPSIDE DOWN. (Too late! You lose!)"
Mar. 19: Actual label instructions:
On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding - PRODUCT WILL BE HOT AFTER HEATING. (Are you sure? Let's experiment.)
On a Korean kitchen knife - WARNING: KEEP OUT OF CHILDREN. (Dammit! Who are they to tell me what to do with my kids?)
On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights - FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR USE ONLY. (As opposed to what?...use in outer space?)
On a Japanese food processor - NOT TO BE USED FOR THE OTHER USE. (Now I'm curious.)
On Sainsbury's peanuts - WARNING - CONTAINS NUTS. (Really? Peanuts contain nuts?)
On an American Airlines packet of nuts INSTRUCTIONS - OPEN PACKET, EAT NUTS. (I'm glad they cleared that up.)
On a Swedish chainsaw - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP CHAIN WITH YOUR HANDS OR GENITALS. (What kind of consumer phone-call led to this warning?)
On a child's superman costume - WEARING OF THIS GARMENT DOES NOT ENABLE YOU TO FLY. (That's right, destroy a universal childhood fantasy!)
On some frozen dinners: SERVING SUGGESTION: DEFROST. ( OK lets eat it frozen!!!)
On a hotel provided shower cap in a box: FITS ONE HEAD.
On packaging for a Rowenta iron: DO NOT IRON CLOTHES ON BODY.
On Boot's "Children's" cough medicine: DO NOT DRIVE CAR OR OPERATE MACHINERY.(Kids no more driving)
On Nightly sleep aid: WARNING: MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS. (Duh!)
Dog joke: I got this from Daily Silly.
Paul got off the elevator on the 40th floor and nervously knocked on his blind date's door. She opened it and was as beautiful and charming as everyone had said. "I'll be ready in a few minutes," she said. "Why don't you play with
Rollo while you're waiting?" He does wonderful tricks. He rolls over, shakes hands, sits up and if you make a hoop with your arms, he'll jump through." The dog followed Paul onto the balcony and started rolling over. Paul made a hoop
with his arms and Rollo jumped through -- and over the balcony railing to the ground 40 floors down. Just then Paul's date walked out.
"Isn't Rollo the cutest, happiest dog you've ever seen?" "To tell the the truth, " he replied, "he seemed a little depressed to me."
Me: I'll add this to the "my cat committed suicide" joke.
Cop article: Jay Smith sent this to me through my blog. It's called "9 Surprising Reasons a Police Officer might Pull You Over." It's a quirky article.
"#3 You're singing a rap song with the windows down. In Rockville, Maryland, Section 13-53(a) of their municipal ordinance states that, "[a] person may not profanely curse and swear or use obscene language upon or near any street, sidewalk or highway within the hearing of persons passing by, upon or along such street, sidewalk or highway." Then you click on the highlighted link Michael Bolton. It's a clip of the movie Office Space. A white guy is singing a rap song.
"#6 You’re Doing A Real-Life Oregon Trail in Wisconsin"
According to Section 86.025 of Wisconsin traffic law, it is "unlawful for any person or persons to camp in wagons [. . .] on the public highways." You then click on the "Oregon Trail" and this pic of 2 oxen pulling a wagon pop up. It says "You have died of dysentery."
lol.
I love that computer game in the early 90s when I was in elementary school. My sister bought the cd-rom game for $10. My siblings and I had fun playing it. We still have it, I just need to look for it.
Mar. 20 Writer joke: I was going through my old newspaper clippings and I found this from the National Post. It was published on May 14, 2011. It's called "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions from a Cranky Author." The author Emily St. John Mandel gets these questions at book signings. On the blog Blurb is a Verb (what a quirky title), she writes this:
"So when's your next book coming out?"
I have no idea, but it'll probably be a while. In the meantime, allow me to introduce you to my current book. It came out a week ago. It took me 2 and a half years to write.
"How many books have you sold?"
You know, the last royalty statement was a few months back, so I'm actually not entirely sure. But while we're on the subject of our personal finances, what's your checking account balance?
"Here's my copy of your book. Please sign it and also draw a cartoon."
I'd love to, but I have no idea how to draw cartoons. Would you like a shakily rendered outline of a penguin?
Me: So if you go to a book signing, don't ask those questions. I thought the first question about next book coming out kind of seemed appropriate. Well maybe the author was writing 2 books at the same time and another book is going to be published next year. I don't know.
Asking how many books you've sold, I guess you could look the fact up on the internet. I have met celebrities before like the singer Kyle Riabko and the British boy band Blue, and I have never asked for them to draw a cartoon. I have been to more autograph sessions with music artists, and I never seen or heard anyone ask to draw a cartoon.
Here's some info on Emily St. John Mandel:
http://redroom.com/member/emily-st-john-mandel
Here is the Blurb is a Verb blog:
http://blurbisaverb.blogspot.ca/
Mar. 21 Compliments: I asked earlier: "What do you want to be complimented on? Looks, talent, smarts, or personality?" I was watching that Vampire Diaries season 2 bloopers. The actor Ian Somerhalder is good looking in the handsome and hot way. I would say he's talented because he plays the complicated character Damon very well on the show.
However, I would have to say his personality is the best quality. I like that blooper where Mason and Damon are talking at the end 2:15 secs in.
Mason: Mason Lockwood, I don't believe we've met.
Damon: Oh sure, hey Ian.
IS really shows his true personality here, like when he meets someone new, he smiles and shakes hands. He's friendly. Then when he realizes his mistake, he starts laughing and saying "Oh my God!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAk80_LOSUI
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Why was George Clooney willing to get arrested?
I got this from Amnesty International:
What was actor George Clooney doing in jail, while Sudan's president and indicted war crimes suspect Omar al-Bashir runs free?
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517387&msource=W1203EAIJ1
Dear TRACY ,
The Internet was abuzz on Friday with the news. Actor George Clooney was arrested, along with members of Congress and other civil society leaders, while protesting human rights violations in Sudan at a Washington, DC, rally attended by Amnesty International and other NGOs.
But they got the wrong man.
The real suspect? Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who remains at large despite being indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.
As Sudanese civilians suffer from starvation and indiscriminate bombing attacks, al-Bashir continues on as Sudan's head of state, leaving war crimes in his wake and travelling the globe with impunity.
No more hiding in plain sight, President al-Bashir.
It's time to arrest Omar al-Bashir and the three other Sudanese wanted by the International Criminal Court and surrender them to the ICC for trial. Tell the United Nations that as long as war crimes suspects are on the loose, civilians will continue to be at grave risk.
The longer it takes to bring fugitives like al-Bashir to justice, the longer civilians suffer. In Sudan, civilians are under fire as Sudanese Armed Forces -- under the leadership of yes, Omar al-Bashir -- conduct devastating and indiscriminate bombing raids.
And the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is escalating. Livelihoods have been ruined after years of Sudan's war-torn chaos, and al-Bashir's self-imposed blockade on humanitarian aid to the Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile regions puts countless people at risk of hunger or starvation.
Friday's rally in response to the dire human rights situation in Sudan was inspiring. More than a hundred activists joined George Clooney, congressional human rights champions, and Amnesty's NGO partners to shine a light on Sudan's ongoing human rights crisis.
Our message was clear -- fugitives from international justice like al-Bashir can no longer be allowed to commit the worst crimes under international law with impunity. They must be brought to justice.
Inaction has proven deadly in a suffering Sudan. But with your help, the next high-profile arrest will be of a criminal fugitive from the ICC, not a Hollywood celebrity.
Join us in calling on the United Nations to step up its efforts to advance peace and justice by providing the necessary support to make the arrest of Omar al-Bashir -- and his fellow ICC fugitives -- a long-awaited reality.
For justice,
Scott Edwards
Advocacy, Policy and Research
Amnesty International USA
What was actor George Clooney doing in jail, while Sudan's president and indicted war crimes suspect Omar al-Bashir runs free?
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517387&msource=W1203EAIJ1
Dear TRACY ,
The Internet was abuzz on Friday with the news. Actor George Clooney was arrested, along with members of Congress and other civil society leaders, while protesting human rights violations in Sudan at a Washington, DC, rally attended by Amnesty International and other NGOs.
But they got the wrong man.
The real suspect? Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who remains at large despite being indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.
As Sudanese civilians suffer from starvation and indiscriminate bombing attacks, al-Bashir continues on as Sudan's head of state, leaving war crimes in his wake and travelling the globe with impunity.
No more hiding in plain sight, President al-Bashir.
It's time to arrest Omar al-Bashir and the three other Sudanese wanted by the International Criminal Court and surrender them to the ICC for trial. Tell the United Nations that as long as war crimes suspects are on the loose, civilians will continue to be at grave risk.
The longer it takes to bring fugitives like al-Bashir to justice, the longer civilians suffer. In Sudan, civilians are under fire as Sudanese Armed Forces -- under the leadership of yes, Omar al-Bashir -- conduct devastating and indiscriminate bombing raids.
And the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is escalating. Livelihoods have been ruined after years of Sudan's war-torn chaos, and al-Bashir's self-imposed blockade on humanitarian aid to the Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile regions puts countless people at risk of hunger or starvation.
Friday's rally in response to the dire human rights situation in Sudan was inspiring. More than a hundred activists joined George Clooney, congressional human rights champions, and Amnesty's NGO partners to shine a light on Sudan's ongoing human rights crisis.
Our message was clear -- fugitives from international justice like al-Bashir can no longer be allowed to commit the worst crimes under international law with impunity. They must be brought to justice.
Inaction has proven deadly in a suffering Sudan. But with your help, the next high-profile arrest will be of a criminal fugitive from the ICC, not a Hollywood celebrity.
Join us in calling on the United Nations to step up its efforts to advance peace and justice by providing the necessary support to make the arrest of Omar al-Bashir -- and his fellow ICC fugitives -- a long-awaited reality.
For justice,
Scott Edwards
Advocacy, Policy and Research
Amnesty International USA
music video/ Criminal Minds/ Derek Magyar
Mar. 14 Music video: Here's something I haven't done in a long time. Do some creative writing. This was a couple months back, but I was thinking about that 3 Doors Down music video called "Let Me Go." The story is that a guy finds out his girlfriend is a stripper and he's not happy about it. At the end of the video, it turns out the girlfriend has a baby to take care of. That's why she's stripping, and not because she likes her job.
This is a rock band video so there should be more depth. I thought: "If this was a rap video, the girl would be a stripper, and then she would be using her money to buy designer clothes and go on a shopping spree." A rap video is more fun and doesn't have depth.
Criminal Minds: I saw this episode called "A Family Affair" 2 weeks ago. It was written by Jeff Davis (show's creator) and Kimberly A. Harrison. It was very disturbing, more than usual for this kind of show where an FBI team has to catch serial killers.
It starts off with a guy in a wheelchair and he's with a prostitute. He then stabs her. The quote at the beginning of the show was "When there is anger, there is pain underneath." The parents are really tense around their son Jeff (Derek Magyar) who's in a wheelchair. Jeff is talking to a pretty therapist Erika (Fiona Gubelmann). Jeff tells her that after the accident, his friends went to school, and they don't come around to see him.
The parents Linda and Donald Collins are played by big TV actors. Kathy Baker looked a little familiar, and then I realized I saw her play a mom on Boston Public. William Russ looked really familiar too, but I don't know where. I had to go on imdb.com and go through this long list until I said: "Ah ha! He was the dad on Boy Meets World!"
Back to the show. The parents are discussing how they would have to get another girl because Jeff wants to kill. A young professional looking woman Judy who's a therapist comes to see Jeff. The most disturbing scene was when the parents were eating dinner. Therapist leaves Jeff's room and she's bleeding. She's asking for help and going to the door. Linda locks the door and Donald drags Therapist away.
The story was so disturbing. The son kills, and the parents go to finish the job by getting rid of the body. The FBI profile is that Jeff needs to kill for sexual release. The family fights. The last victim is Judy and she's a sexual surrogate who is like a therapist. Her client list is what lead FBI to the family. FBI figure out it's not one serial killer, but a family.
5 yrs ago a woman was killed and it lead to Jeff. The physical therapist Erika came over for dinner with the family. Erika went to get pills and found blood under the bed in Jeff's room. The mom Linda enters and pistol whips her.
There's a flashback of a car accident as dad Donald is driving. Jeff was sitting in the back, and it was after the accident Jeff got into a wheelchair.
In present time, Donald hits a pole on purpose. He kills himself and had a letter on him where he admits he was responsible for the murders. FBI then busts in as mom Linda is about to kill Erika by holding her and point gun at her. Linda then points gun Jeff, and then FBI shoots Linda.
FBI arrest Jeff, and Erika is saved.
Derek Magyar: I did think the actor Derek Magyar who played the serial killer is kind of good looking. Here's a really good pic of him:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2168754176/nm1744979
It says on imdb.com he was on the TV show The Cape. I think I saw the episode he was in, but I don't quite remember him in it.
Here is him talking about directing his independent film called Flying Lessons. It's a drama about a young woman who has to deal with her father's suicide. It looks good. It's been a couple of weeks, but I don't really find DM good looking in this interview. If you read the Youtube comments, other people do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZu21aucnw
Here's an 8min interview where he's on Facebook News Television promoting his indie film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc7bqjUWxf4
Mar. 15 Psychic: I went to my career counseling today at my college, and there was this fun event there. There was a barbecue and activities like make your own cupcakes for $1. The funds will go to the student food bank. I noticed a psychic sitting at a table and shuffling these tarot cards. There were about 6 girls waiting in line to see her. I think it was free.
Yeah, most people who go to psychics are women, and most psychics are women. There are male psychics and men who go to psychics, but it's not very common. One time I met a guy last month and I asked him if he ever saw one, and he did once. It was on impulse, for fun to see what kind of fortune he would get. I didn't see the psychic because I had to see my career counselor.
Mar. 16 Side note: Back to Criminal Minds, I just realized the episode is written by the show's creator Jeff Davis. The serial killer's name is Jeff.
Also, another side note is, maybe I'm wanking it in my mind, but I think the actor Derek Magyar kind of looks like my friend Neil who I met at the bus stop.
Blog: I have been emailing Neil my weekly emails and he hasn't replied. I check my blogs everyday to see if he and others have made a comment. I check my email everyday.
I asked if I could put a link to his blog, and he hasn't gotten back to me. Yeah, well here's his blog called "Improvisation on the Road."
http://neilbdi.wordpress.com/
Comparisons:
Cage fight with supernatural creatures like vampires and demons who fight to the death:
Being Human: I was watching the first season of Being Human. It's about a vampire, werewolf, and a ghost that all live together. In the episode "Dog Eat Dog", the werewolf Josh gets kidnapped by a group of vampires. Josh has to fight another werewolf to the death. The vampires want to watch it for entertainment. His vampire friend Aidan has to prevent it from happening.
Angel: As I watched this, I thought of Angel season 1 episode called "The Ring" that aired back in 2000. It's about a vampire with a soul named Angel, and his friends Cordelia and Wesley fight supernatural things that happen in LA. Angel gets kidnapped and he has to fight other vampires and demons to death. They have to win 21 fights before they could be released.
Cordelia and Wesley have to find Angel and then have to think of a way to get into the event. Rich people pay to watch the fights. Cordelia and Wesley also have to find a way to unlock this bracelet that keeps the demons in check.
Grimm: Then last month I saw it on the other supernatural TV show Grimm. It's not a surprise since one of the producers/ creator of the show is David Greenwalt. He is a Buffy and Angel producer.
It's kind of the same. Nick is a cop and he's in homicide. It leads to him finding a cage fight with demons who fight to the death. I don't want to spoil it, but someone gets kidnapped later in the episode to fight.
Song: Everything I watch and listen to can give me inspiration. A song I like is "Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay" by Big Sean and Kanye West. It's a good song to dance to. I don't really like the video. It's some dancing in front of a bright and colorful background.
It's kind of repetitive with the images moving to the squeaking sounds of the song.
You can check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1anxnA7Zwc
This is a rock band video so there should be more depth. I thought: "If this was a rap video, the girl would be a stripper, and then she would be using her money to buy designer clothes and go on a shopping spree." A rap video is more fun and doesn't have depth.
Criminal Minds: I saw this episode called "A Family Affair" 2 weeks ago. It was written by Jeff Davis (show's creator) and Kimberly A. Harrison. It was very disturbing, more than usual for this kind of show where an FBI team has to catch serial killers.
It starts off with a guy in a wheelchair and he's with a prostitute. He then stabs her. The quote at the beginning of the show was "When there is anger, there is pain underneath." The parents are really tense around their son Jeff (Derek Magyar) who's in a wheelchair. Jeff is talking to a pretty therapist Erika (Fiona Gubelmann). Jeff tells her that after the accident, his friends went to school, and they don't come around to see him.
The parents Linda and Donald Collins are played by big TV actors. Kathy Baker looked a little familiar, and then I realized I saw her play a mom on Boston Public. William Russ looked really familiar too, but I don't know where. I had to go on imdb.com and go through this long list until I said: "Ah ha! He was the dad on Boy Meets World!"
Back to the show. The parents are discussing how they would have to get another girl because Jeff wants to kill. A young professional looking woman Judy who's a therapist comes to see Jeff. The most disturbing scene was when the parents were eating dinner. Therapist leaves Jeff's room and she's bleeding. She's asking for help and going to the door. Linda locks the door and Donald drags Therapist away.
The story was so disturbing. The son kills, and the parents go to finish the job by getting rid of the body. The FBI profile is that Jeff needs to kill for sexual release. The family fights. The last victim is Judy and she's a sexual surrogate who is like a therapist. Her client list is what lead FBI to the family. FBI figure out it's not one serial killer, but a family.
5 yrs ago a woman was killed and it lead to Jeff. The physical therapist Erika came over for dinner with the family. Erika went to get pills and found blood under the bed in Jeff's room. The mom Linda enters and pistol whips her.
There's a flashback of a car accident as dad Donald is driving. Jeff was sitting in the back, and it was after the accident Jeff got into a wheelchair.
In present time, Donald hits a pole on purpose. He kills himself and had a letter on him where he admits he was responsible for the murders. FBI then busts in as mom Linda is about to kill Erika by holding her and point gun at her. Linda then points gun Jeff, and then FBI shoots Linda.
FBI arrest Jeff, and Erika is saved.
Derek Magyar: I did think the actor Derek Magyar who played the serial killer is kind of good looking. Here's a really good pic of him:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2168754176/nm1744979
It says on imdb.com he was on the TV show The Cape. I think I saw the episode he was in, but I don't quite remember him in it.
Here is him talking about directing his independent film called Flying Lessons. It's a drama about a young woman who has to deal with her father's suicide. It looks good. It's been a couple of weeks, but I don't really find DM good looking in this interview. If you read the Youtube comments, other people do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZu21aucnw
Here's an 8min interview where he's on Facebook News Television promoting his indie film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc7bqjUWxf4
Mar. 15 Psychic: I went to my career counseling today at my college, and there was this fun event there. There was a barbecue and activities like make your own cupcakes for $1. The funds will go to the student food bank. I noticed a psychic sitting at a table and shuffling these tarot cards. There were about 6 girls waiting in line to see her. I think it was free.
Yeah, most people who go to psychics are women, and most psychics are women. There are male psychics and men who go to psychics, but it's not very common. One time I met a guy last month and I asked him if he ever saw one, and he did once. It was on impulse, for fun to see what kind of fortune he would get. I didn't see the psychic because I had to see my career counselor.
Mar. 16 Side note: Back to Criminal Minds, I just realized the episode is written by the show's creator Jeff Davis. The serial killer's name is Jeff.
Also, another side note is, maybe I'm wanking it in my mind, but I think the actor Derek Magyar kind of looks like my friend Neil who I met at the bus stop.
Blog: I have been emailing Neil my weekly emails and he hasn't replied. I check my blogs everyday to see if he and others have made a comment. I check my email everyday.
I asked if I could put a link to his blog, and he hasn't gotten back to me. Yeah, well here's his blog called "Improvisation on the Road."
http://neilbdi.wordpress.com/
Comparisons:
Cage fight with supernatural creatures like vampires and demons who fight to the death:
Being Human: I was watching the first season of Being Human. It's about a vampire, werewolf, and a ghost that all live together. In the episode "Dog Eat Dog", the werewolf Josh gets kidnapped by a group of vampires. Josh has to fight another werewolf to the death. The vampires want to watch it for entertainment. His vampire friend Aidan has to prevent it from happening.
Angel: As I watched this, I thought of Angel season 1 episode called "The Ring" that aired back in 2000. It's about a vampire with a soul named Angel, and his friends Cordelia and Wesley fight supernatural things that happen in LA. Angel gets kidnapped and he has to fight other vampires and demons to death. They have to win 21 fights before they could be released.
Cordelia and Wesley have to find Angel and then have to think of a way to get into the event. Rich people pay to watch the fights. Cordelia and Wesley also have to find a way to unlock this bracelet that keeps the demons in check.
Grimm: Then last month I saw it on the other supernatural TV show Grimm. It's not a surprise since one of the producers/ creator of the show is David Greenwalt. He is a Buffy and Angel producer.
It's kind of the same. Nick is a cop and he's in homicide. It leads to him finding a cage fight with demons who fight to the death. I don't want to spoil it, but someone gets kidnapped later in the episode to fight.
Song: Everything I watch and listen to can give me inspiration. A song I like is "Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay" by Big Sean and Kanye West. It's a good song to dance to. I don't really like the video. It's some dancing in front of a bright and colorful background.
It's kind of repetitive with the images moving to the squeaking sounds of the song.
You can check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1anxnA7Zwc
Monday, March 19, 2012
Tell Russia: Stop fueling Assad's Syrian slaughter
I got this from Amnesty International.
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517378&msource=W1203EACPR2
Syria bleeds. Will ally Russia stand in silence or solidarity with Syria's people?
Dear TRACY ,
When will Russia do right by the people of Syria?
In the six weeks since Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria's bloody crackdown, 1,179 Syrians have been killed. Amnesty International has received the names of well over 6,500 people killed since March 2011.
On Tuesday Russia vowed to keep pumping arms into the country -- arms used to massacre civilians. Russia claims Syrian president Bashar al-Assad needs them to defend against opposition fighters.
The reality is that the overwhelming majority of human rights abuses have been committed by state security forces. Amnesty has documented an extremely disturbing -- near medieval -- pattern of torture and humiliation of anyone merely suspected of opposing the government.
Satellite imagery from Homs and Hama show civilian neighborhoods pocked with artillery impact craters. Field guns are still trained on residential areas and armed forces have not been removed from cities, in direct defiance of a UN General Assembly resolution from mid-February.
It's time for Russia to stop opposing strong action by the UN Security Council to end the violence in Syria.
Urge Russia to help end the human rights catastrophe in Syria.
While Russia defies international pleas for cooperation, evidence mounts of widespread crimes against humanity committed by security forces.
Amnesty's new report "'I Wanted to Die': Syria's Torture Survivors Speak Out" details systemic and horrific abuses committed in Syria's detention centers. Former detainees (men and women) interviewed by Amnesty said that they had either experienced or witnessed 31 methods of torture and other ill-treatment:
"I was very badly beaten. They used pincers to remove flesh from my legs." - Karim
"We were hung from wood -- crucified -- while blindfolded and handcuffed, and then beaten mercilessly for several hours." - Musleh
"I could hear people screaming from the torture, which was worse than physical torture." - Abd al-Baset
Russia can make a difference in Syria. It must.
Join Amnesty as we ratchet up the pressure on the Russian government. Sign our petition urging Russia to use its influence to bring an end to the grave human rights violations being committed in Syria.
Thank you for all you do to stand up for human rights.
Sanjeev Bery
Advocacy Director, Middle East & North Africa
Amnesty International USA
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517378&msource=W1203EACPR2
Syria bleeds. Will ally Russia stand in silence or solidarity with Syria's people?
Dear TRACY ,
When will Russia do right by the people of Syria?
In the six weeks since Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria's bloody crackdown, 1,179 Syrians have been killed. Amnesty International has received the names of well over 6,500 people killed since March 2011.
On Tuesday Russia vowed to keep pumping arms into the country -- arms used to massacre civilians. Russia claims Syrian president Bashar al-Assad needs them to defend against opposition fighters.
The reality is that the overwhelming majority of human rights abuses have been committed by state security forces. Amnesty has documented an extremely disturbing -- near medieval -- pattern of torture and humiliation of anyone merely suspected of opposing the government.
Satellite imagery from Homs and Hama show civilian neighborhoods pocked with artillery impact craters. Field guns are still trained on residential areas and armed forces have not been removed from cities, in direct defiance of a UN General Assembly resolution from mid-February.
It's time for Russia to stop opposing strong action by the UN Security Council to end the violence in Syria.
Urge Russia to help end the human rights catastrophe in Syria.
While Russia defies international pleas for cooperation, evidence mounts of widespread crimes against humanity committed by security forces.
Amnesty's new report "'I Wanted to Die': Syria's Torture Survivors Speak Out" details systemic and horrific abuses committed in Syria's detention centers. Former detainees (men and women) interviewed by Amnesty said that they had either experienced or witnessed 31 methods of torture and other ill-treatment:
"I was very badly beaten. They used pincers to remove flesh from my legs." - Karim
"We were hung from wood -- crucified -- while blindfolded and handcuffed, and then beaten mercilessly for several hours." - Musleh
"I could hear people screaming from the torture, which was worse than physical torture." - Abd al-Baset
Russia can make a difference in Syria. It must.
Join Amnesty as we ratchet up the pressure on the Russian government. Sign our petition urging Russia to use its influence to bring an end to the grave human rights violations being committed in Syria.
Thank you for all you do to stand up for human rights.
Sanjeev Bery
Advocacy Director, Middle East & North Africa
Amnesty International USA
left-right brain/ hypothetical careers/ career counseling
Mar. 8 Left-right brain: I'm using my left and right brain to make a decision to not go to that Call Centre #7.
My left-brain says: "I have a second part-time temporary job lined up for me later. I have done a 1hr job interview to learn about this job. I have done a 4hr training session/ job shadow of this place. I don't like it. Even if I go into a second training session, what makes you think I will like it after the second time? I had a good 5 days to think about it after that session.
It's only $11/hr. My dad was blase about it when I told him. No one in my family said: "You have to stick with it." It's not like the bank where it paid $15/hr. Or that customer service position that was like $14/hr. Those 2 cases I was dismissed because I wasn't good enough.
My right brain says: I'm dreading coming to work. I don't have to like a job. I just have to be able to tolerate it like Call Centre #2, and Call Centre #3. Same goes with Call Centre #4, but I was dismissed after one day because 9 completes wasn't enough.
Mar. 10 Hospital: I learned a lesson recently. I got a call on Fri. on my cell phone and I called the number. I didn't know who it was by the voice mail message. I didn't leave a message. Then later I got a call from a similar number on Mon. The first 3 digits were the same. It was the same name and it was from the hospital.
The lesson is: whenever you get a call from your cell phone, always call back to know who it is. Always call and leave a message because if you don't, you might miss out on a good job opportunity like working at a hospital.
Survey: Today I got a survey emailed to me from this site that emails me jobs. I did the survey and they asked good questions like: "What sites do you go on to look for a job?"
Mar. 13 Job interview: It was really busy at work yesterday. Today it was busy too, because I had to go and work at another department because they needed me.
Today I did another job interview at a hospital for a food service position. It was at another location. They asked similar questions. The shifts are more set. They pay is the same with both hospitals. I think I did well because I told them I have worked in the restaurant and food industry for a few years already.
Hypothetical careers: I've been thinking about this for awhile. I feel like I'm on the right path with my Professional Writing diploma. I'm looking for an administrative assistant position so I can use my writing and computer skills. Here are 2 careers that I thought would be fun and cool to have when I was a kid and teenager. Then by the time I graduated out of high school, it's not really a fit for me at all.
Actor: When I was 11 yrs old, I wanted to get into acting. I took drama in gr. 7, 9, 10, and 12. Let's be straight up. I only wanted to be an actor so I can get admiration. When you look at a famous actor, you think how hot and talented he or she is. I did know it's going to be hard work. You would have to struggle for years. You may not make it as in get on TV shows or movies.
You would most likely work a regular job and then plan your auditions around your work. When you do get a job like to work on a 1hr drama, the days are long. Some can be 18hr work days. The cameras have to get all the shots and keep re-shooting and getting different takes. Don't you watch gag reels? People mess up their lines or something goes wrong during filming.
Modeling: I'm always learning. I remember watching Tyra Banks talk show, and she was telling someone that if you want to be a model, you have to go to "go-sees." That's like an audition where a model goes to a modeling agency and shows their portfolio of their pictures. TB says you should get a night job like a bartender. Work at night, go to go-sees in the day time.
I remember watching Matthew Bomer on Jimmy Kimmel back in 2007. He was promoting his TV show Traveler and how he was on the soap opera Guiding Light prior to it.
MB: On a soap opera, you have to remember 30 pages of dialogue a day and you only get one take.
I didn't know how hard that was to be on a soap opera until I saw the interview. Basically, there's a small chance that you will be successful as an actor. There isn't really good job security because you never know when your next job is and how long it's going to last. I also don't like to have to make money off my looks. It's flattering, but if I was to be complimented on something, I would prefer on my talent and personality.
Police officer: I also thought it would be cool to be a police officer. You're helping people and changing their lives. You're getting criminals off the streets. When I was 21, I was watching the TV show Cops. I get so angry when I watch it because of the people disrespecting the cops.
You would have to deal with criminals, and annoying drunk people. There are lots of stupid people out there. You have to confront situations. When you work in a restaurant or retail environment, you're catering and selling to people. They may be annoying, but you deal with them to make money off them. As for criminals, you have to find them, arrest them, do paper work, it's really hard work.
You can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. I feel like after I go to work, I come home, I would be stressed out. It's a dangerous profession. You would be scared and paranoid. You may have a gun to feel safer. I wouldn't really like this profession.
Mar. 14 Office: Today I went to another interview to a section of town I haven't really been to before. It was at an office. I was 20 min. early and he was prepared. I think the interview went well because my college education and customer service experience seemed to impress him.
Mar. 15 Career counseling: I went to another session with the same career counselor I saw last month. We talked a bit more about my interpersonal skills, and she says I'm "observant." We talked about emotional intelligence: It's about reading people, and being able to respond to them.
I guess I wanted a concrete solution. I wanted her to tell me if I'm going in the right direction.
Me: Have you ever had somebody come in and say: "I want to go into business." You look at their grades and their personality, and then you tell them: "You're not really a fit for business. You should go into law enforcement."
CC: No, I haven't done that before. They know themselves. They are the ones who ultimately choose what they want to do. I give them guidance and ask questions: "Why do you want to be in business? What are the skills that would make you be good in business?"
She's a really helpful career counselor. I needed fresh eyes and someone objective to look at my resume, mock interview, and my skills. She's really nice. I guess I wanted someone to tell me straight-up: "You need to do the following steps to get into this industry. One, go to these websites. Two, call these numbers."
She's telling me more about self-analysis: "Think about your strengths and how it applies to the jobs you're applying to."
Mar. 16: I got a call back from the office, and I didn't get the job, but he will keep my resume on my file.
My left-brain says: "I have a second part-time temporary job lined up for me later. I have done a 1hr job interview to learn about this job. I have done a 4hr training session/ job shadow of this place. I don't like it. Even if I go into a second training session, what makes you think I will like it after the second time? I had a good 5 days to think about it after that session.
It's only $11/hr. My dad was blase about it when I told him. No one in my family said: "You have to stick with it." It's not like the bank where it paid $15/hr. Or that customer service position that was like $14/hr. Those 2 cases I was dismissed because I wasn't good enough.
My right brain says: I'm dreading coming to work. I don't have to like a job. I just have to be able to tolerate it like Call Centre #2, and Call Centre #3. Same goes with Call Centre #4, but I was dismissed after one day because 9 completes wasn't enough.
Mar. 10 Hospital: I learned a lesson recently. I got a call on Fri. on my cell phone and I called the number. I didn't know who it was by the voice mail message. I didn't leave a message. Then later I got a call from a similar number on Mon. The first 3 digits were the same. It was the same name and it was from the hospital.
The lesson is: whenever you get a call from your cell phone, always call back to know who it is. Always call and leave a message because if you don't, you might miss out on a good job opportunity like working at a hospital.
Survey: Today I got a survey emailed to me from this site that emails me jobs. I did the survey and they asked good questions like: "What sites do you go on to look for a job?"
Mar. 13 Job interview: It was really busy at work yesterday. Today it was busy too, because I had to go and work at another department because they needed me.
Today I did another job interview at a hospital for a food service position. It was at another location. They asked similar questions. The shifts are more set. They pay is the same with both hospitals. I think I did well because I told them I have worked in the restaurant and food industry for a few years already.
Hypothetical careers: I've been thinking about this for awhile. I feel like I'm on the right path with my Professional Writing diploma. I'm looking for an administrative assistant position so I can use my writing and computer skills. Here are 2 careers that I thought would be fun and cool to have when I was a kid and teenager. Then by the time I graduated out of high school, it's not really a fit for me at all.
Actor: When I was 11 yrs old, I wanted to get into acting. I took drama in gr. 7, 9, 10, and 12. Let's be straight up. I only wanted to be an actor so I can get admiration. When you look at a famous actor, you think how hot and talented he or she is. I did know it's going to be hard work. You would have to struggle for years. You may not make it as in get on TV shows or movies.
You would most likely work a regular job and then plan your auditions around your work. When you do get a job like to work on a 1hr drama, the days are long. Some can be 18hr work days. The cameras have to get all the shots and keep re-shooting and getting different takes. Don't you watch gag reels? People mess up their lines or something goes wrong during filming.
Modeling: I'm always learning. I remember watching Tyra Banks talk show, and she was telling someone that if you want to be a model, you have to go to "go-sees." That's like an audition where a model goes to a modeling agency and shows their portfolio of their pictures. TB says you should get a night job like a bartender. Work at night, go to go-sees in the day time.
I remember watching Matthew Bomer on Jimmy Kimmel back in 2007. He was promoting his TV show Traveler and how he was on the soap opera Guiding Light prior to it.
MB: On a soap opera, you have to remember 30 pages of dialogue a day and you only get one take.
I didn't know how hard that was to be on a soap opera until I saw the interview. Basically, there's a small chance that you will be successful as an actor. There isn't really good job security because you never know when your next job is and how long it's going to last. I also don't like to have to make money off my looks. It's flattering, but if I was to be complimented on something, I would prefer on my talent and personality.
Police officer: I also thought it would be cool to be a police officer. You're helping people and changing their lives. You're getting criminals off the streets. When I was 21, I was watching the TV show Cops. I get so angry when I watch it because of the people disrespecting the cops.
You would have to deal with criminals, and annoying drunk people. There are lots of stupid people out there. You have to confront situations. When you work in a restaurant or retail environment, you're catering and selling to people. They may be annoying, but you deal with them to make money off them. As for criminals, you have to find them, arrest them, do paper work, it's really hard work.
You can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. I feel like after I go to work, I come home, I would be stressed out. It's a dangerous profession. You would be scared and paranoid. You may have a gun to feel safer. I wouldn't really like this profession.
Mar. 14 Office: Today I went to another interview to a section of town I haven't really been to before. It was at an office. I was 20 min. early and he was prepared. I think the interview went well because my college education and customer service experience seemed to impress him.
Mar. 15 Career counseling: I went to another session with the same career counselor I saw last month. We talked a bit more about my interpersonal skills, and she says I'm "observant." We talked about emotional intelligence: It's about reading people, and being able to respond to them.
I guess I wanted a concrete solution. I wanted her to tell me if I'm going in the right direction.
Me: Have you ever had somebody come in and say: "I want to go into business." You look at their grades and their personality, and then you tell them: "You're not really a fit for business. You should go into law enforcement."
CC: No, I haven't done that before. They know themselves. They are the ones who ultimately choose what they want to do. I give them guidance and ask questions: "Why do you want to be in business? What are the skills that would make you be good in business?"
She's a really helpful career counselor. I needed fresh eyes and someone objective to look at my resume, mock interview, and my skills. She's really nice. I guess I wanted someone to tell me straight-up: "You need to do the following steps to get into this industry. One, go to these websites. Two, call these numbers."
She's telling me more about self-analysis: "Think about your strengths and how it applies to the jobs you're applying to."
Mar. 16: I got a call back from the office, and I didn't get the job, but he will keep my resume on my file.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Rahmit Sethi
I have subscribed to Rahmit Sethi's emails. He wrote the book I Will Teach You How to Be Rich. If you are into business and making more money on the side, then read this:
Hey Tracy
Thanks for your responses to my last email on Wednesday. Tons of you sent me questions about earning money on the side (including some new ones I haven't heard before).
I want to send you some material on earning more -- stuff you've never seen before, including case studies, word-for-word scripts, and specific tactics you can use to identify a profitable idea and start earning more.
Notice this is different than most personal-finance "experts," who talk only about cutting back, not about earning more.
Do you know why?
They don't know how.
But I've raised my hourly rate from less than $20 to $3,000/hour in just a few years. I'd like to show you how I did that...and how thousands of my students have been earning more.
To start, here are 3 case studies of students who used my material to earn more:
Go from working for free to charging $250 an hour
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/case-study-how-garrett-went-from-working-for-free-to-charging-250-an-hour/?awt_l=I9oSI&awt_m=3i05yPGUoS5X8bn
Quadruple their rates (when they weren't even sure if they have anything to offer)
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/case-study-how-melanie-jumped-from-10hour-to-40hour/?awt_l=I9oSI&awt_m=3i05yPGUoS5X8bn
Turn their hobbies into money-making businesses
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/case-study-how-brian-turned-a-hobby-into-a-business-and-almost-doubled-his-rates/?awt_l=I9oSI&awt_m=3i05yPGUoS5X8bn
So, heads up that I'll be sending you more emails than usual, because "earning more" has been so highly requested. And there are some core tactics and strategies you can use to make massive gains...and also some huge pitfalls to avoid (e.g., getting on Twitter).
So, stay tuned for new material on earning more. It starts on Tuesday...
-Ramit
P.S. Of course, if there are specific questions you have about earning more, just reply to this email and let me know. I get 600+ emails/day, so I can't respond to every one, but I do read them all. No assistant, no automation. Just me. I'll try to work the best questions into the emails I'm about to send you.
iwillteachyoutoberich, 2269 Chestnut Street #160, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA
To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TEzMHBwMrLSsTKwcDAxszLRGtIzM7IwM7JxM
Hey Tracy
Thanks for your responses to my last email on Wednesday. Tons of you sent me questions about earning money on the side (including some new ones I haven't heard before).
I want to send you some material on earning more -- stuff you've never seen before, including case studies, word-for-word scripts, and specific tactics you can use to identify a profitable idea and start earning more.
Notice this is different than most personal-finance "experts," who talk only about cutting back, not about earning more.
Do you know why?
They don't know how.
But I've raised my hourly rate from less than $20 to $3,000/hour in just a few years. I'd like to show you how I did that...and how thousands of my students have been earning more.
To start, here are 3 case studies of students who used my material to earn more:
Go from working for free to charging $250 an hour
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/case-study-how-garrett-went-from-working-for-free-to-charging-250-an-hour/?awt_l=I9oSI&awt_m=3i05yPGUoS5X8bn
Quadruple their rates (when they weren't even sure if they have anything to offer)
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/case-study-how-melanie-jumped-from-10hour-to-40hour/?awt_l=I9oSI&awt_m=3i05yPGUoS5X8bn
Turn their hobbies into money-making businesses
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/case-study-how-brian-turned-a-hobby-into-a-business-and-almost-doubled-his-rates/?awt_l=I9oSI&awt_m=3i05yPGUoS5X8bn
So, heads up that I'll be sending you more emails than usual, because "earning more" has been so highly requested. And there are some core tactics and strategies you can use to make massive gains...and also some huge pitfalls to avoid (e.g., getting on Twitter).
So, stay tuned for new material on earning more. It starts on Tuesday...
-Ramit
P.S. Of course, if there are specific questions you have about earning more, just reply to this email and let me know. I get 600+ emails/day, so I can't respond to every one, but I do read them all. No assistant, no automation. Just me. I'll try to work the best questions into the emails I'm about to send you.
iwillteachyoutoberich, 2269 Chestnut Street #160, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA
To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TEzMHBwMrLSsTKwcDAxszLRGtIzM7IwM7JxM
Take action: call on the arrest of Joseph Kony
I got this from Amnesty International:
http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=851&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz
The conviction of war criminal Thomas Lubanga Dyilo gives hope to victims of Africa's war criminals
<< Urge UN to arrest Joseph Kony and 11 war criminals
Call on the UN to arrest Joseph Kony and the 11 remaining war criminals
Kony
SEND THIS MESSAGE:
"I support Amnesty International’s call for the UN to provide all necessary resources to its peacekeeping missions and other offices in the region to protect civilians and support the arrest and surrender of individuals named in ICC arrest warrants."
<< Send a message to Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Lubanga convicted!
DyiloJustice and hope for victims in the Congo. The International Criminal Court has convicted Thomas Lubanga Dyilo.Learn more
Video: The need to strengthen the International Criminal Court
ICC video
Radio: Alex Neve speaks about the Joseph Kony phenomenon
Listen to interview on CBC Calgary | See written transcript
News: Efforts to arrest Joseph Kony must respect human rights
It's difficult to escape the talk of Joseph Kony.
Over 70 million people have been introduced to this notorious leader of the Lord's Resistance Army by a video that has spread across the internet, newspapers, and types all media.
But to Amnesty International, Kony is a well-known war criminal whose horrific crimes have terrorized entire communities in Africa and fuelled our global campaigning for a powerful International Criminal Court (ICC). Joseph Kony is one of 11 people currently indicted by the ICC of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Africa.
Yesterday's announcement of the conviction of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is a promising sign that our voices are being heard. It sends a powerful message to the remaining fugitives that their crimes will be punished. It provides hope for civilians throughout the region that the criminals who terrorize them can be stopped.
We must seize this new spotlight on Kony as a moment to secure the immediate arrest of all 11 indicted war criminals.
act now buttom
Fugitives like Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda and Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir are often shielded by powerful supporters and states. Because the ICC does not have ways of enforcing their convictions civilians in war-torn areas remain vulnerable to ongoing atrocities. Rapes and arbitrary detentions take place on a daily basis. Children are recruited as soldiers. And men, women and children continue to be attacked, killed and displaced.
Amnesty International is asking you to join us in urging the United Nations to provide political, diplomatic, and logistical support for efforts to arrest individuals named in ICC arrest warrants and to protect civilians in countries where the ICC is investigating crimes. And we're urging the UN to provide adequate resources to peacekeeping missions in the DRC, South Sudan, and for its office in the Central African Republic.
<< Please seize on this moment to speak out on behalf of the victims of war crimes.
Thank you for your steadfast commitment to human rights. So many people around the world have been awoken to terrible injustices taking place in Africa through the lens of a video on Joseph Kony. Together, the 3 million voices of Amnesty International supporters worldwide can and must now take the lead on action that brings justice to the victims of war criminals.
Sincerely,
Alex Neve
Alex sig
Alex Neve,
Secretary-General
Amnesty International Canadian Section
P.S. The wave of interest in Joseph Kony has created an unprecedented moment for human rights protection - an opportunity to mobilize action that will protect civilians and child soldiers from the worst forms of human rights abuses. But it's also moment to foster a deeper understanding of justice, and what it means to pursue justice for the worst kind of human rights violators. How we stop them is what shapes the world we live in, and the world our children inherit. Amnesty International stands steadfastly behind the International Criminal Court and the pursuit of justice within universal principles of international human rights. Please take action with us today.
http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=851&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz
The conviction of war criminal Thomas Lubanga Dyilo gives hope to victims of Africa's war criminals
<< Urge UN to arrest Joseph Kony and 11 war criminals
Call on the UN to arrest Joseph Kony and the 11 remaining war criminals
Kony
SEND THIS MESSAGE:
"I support Amnesty International’s call for the UN to provide all necessary resources to its peacekeeping missions and other offices in the region to protect civilians and support the arrest and surrender of individuals named in ICC arrest warrants."
<< Send a message to Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Lubanga convicted!
DyiloJustice and hope for victims in the Congo. The International Criminal Court has convicted Thomas Lubanga Dyilo.Learn more
Video: The need to strengthen the International Criminal Court
ICC video
Radio: Alex Neve speaks about the Joseph Kony phenomenon
Listen to interview on CBC Calgary | See written transcript
News: Efforts to arrest Joseph Kony must respect human rights
It's difficult to escape the talk of Joseph Kony.
Over 70 million people have been introduced to this notorious leader of the Lord's Resistance Army by a video that has spread across the internet, newspapers, and types all media.
But to Amnesty International, Kony is a well-known war criminal whose horrific crimes have terrorized entire communities in Africa and fuelled our global campaigning for a powerful International Criminal Court (ICC). Joseph Kony is one of 11 people currently indicted by the ICC of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Africa.
Yesterday's announcement of the conviction of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is a promising sign that our voices are being heard. It sends a powerful message to the remaining fugitives that their crimes will be punished. It provides hope for civilians throughout the region that the criminals who terrorize them can be stopped.
We must seize this new spotlight on Kony as a moment to secure the immediate arrest of all 11 indicted war criminals.
act now buttom
Fugitives like Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda and Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir are often shielded by powerful supporters and states. Because the ICC does not have ways of enforcing their convictions civilians in war-torn areas remain vulnerable to ongoing atrocities. Rapes and arbitrary detentions take place on a daily basis. Children are recruited as soldiers. And men, women and children continue to be attacked, killed and displaced.
Amnesty International is asking you to join us in urging the United Nations to provide political, diplomatic, and logistical support for efforts to arrest individuals named in ICC arrest warrants and to protect civilians in countries where the ICC is investigating crimes. And we're urging the UN to provide adequate resources to peacekeeping missions in the DRC, South Sudan, and for its office in the Central African Republic.
<< Please seize on this moment to speak out on behalf of the victims of war crimes.
Thank you for your steadfast commitment to human rights. So many people around the world have been awoken to terrible injustices taking place in Africa through the lens of a video on Joseph Kony. Together, the 3 million voices of Amnesty International supporters worldwide can and must now take the lead on action that brings justice to the victims of war criminals.
Sincerely,
Alex Neve
Alex sig
Alex Neve,
Secretary-General
Amnesty International Canadian Section
P.S. The wave of interest in Joseph Kony has created an unprecedented moment for human rights protection - an opportunity to mobilize action that will protect civilians and child soldiers from the worst forms of human rights abuses. But it's also moment to foster a deeper understanding of justice, and what it means to pursue justice for the worst kind of human rights violators. How we stop them is what shapes the world we live in, and the world our children inherit. Amnesty International stands steadfastly behind the International Criminal Court and the pursuit of justice within universal principles of international human rights. Please take action with us today.
laughing about murder/ speed date/ comedians
Mar. 6 Laughing about murder: I got one from The Simpsons.
Bart is praying, and Homer and Marge are listening.
Bart (praying): And please God, kill Sideshow Bob.
Marge: You can't ask God to kill somebody for you.
Homer: Yeah, you do your own dirty work.
Mar. 8 Jokes: I got this from Daily Silly. It was an average joke with a good twist at the end. It's a blonde joke, but it wasn't totally mean or dumb.
A world-renowned heart-surgeon and poker pro and a blonde cocktail waitress are sitting next to each other in a $1-2 NL cash game at the MGM in Las Vegas. The surgeon is upset as the blonde keeps winning big pots from him despite it being the first time she's ever played poker.
He suggests they play a prop bet where they ask each other questions; if they don't know the answer to the question; they have to pay the other person. She asks him how she's supposed to compete with a smart, world-renowned surgeon, as she's just a simple cocktail waitress. Eager to make her look stupid, he offers her odds, so that she has to pay him $5 for every time he stumps her, but he'll pay her $50 each time she stumps him. She agrees.
He asks her what the capital of Paraguay is and she shrugs and flips him a red $5 chip.
Her question for him is: "What rises in the evening, sleeps in the morning, and has twice as many brothers as sisters?"
He thinks and thinks and thinks, getting more frustrated, then whips out his iPhone, calls his friends, and finally checks the Internet for an answer. He finally gives up and shoves $50 in chips over to her.
"Well," he angrily demands, "what's the answer?"
She shrugs and flips him another $5 chip.
So who's more dumb? The blonde or the heart surgeon?
Here's another joke from Daily Silly. I got this one months ago, but I got it sent to me again. Here it is:
An airline's passenger cabin was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served them food and drinks. As the plane prepared to descend, he came Swishing down the aisle and announced to the passengers, "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super." On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed a well-dressed rather exotic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle.
"Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines. I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground." She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess. I take orders from no one." To which the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat, "Well sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so I outrank you. Tray- up, B*&!@."
Speed date: So I went on another speed dating event recently. I went on 11 dates in one night. I thought one guy was cool, so I picked him. I got an email, and there were no matches. Damn. I'll wank it in my mind and say: "That guy wasn't that good looking anyway."
It wasn't a total waste of a night. I talked to the guys about their jobs and I learned a bit. One guy had 2 self-employed businesses. A landscaping company and a wedding DJ.
One East- Indian guy asked what I looked for in a guy. I said: "A sense of humor." So he told me a joke.
Guy: What do you call a bear without teeth?
Me: Bear saw?
(I don't know, that's the first thing that came to my mind.)
Guy: A gummy bear.
I then told him "my cat committed suicide" joke, but he didn't get it.
Blonde joke: Here's another blonde joke. However, who's more dumb? The blonde or the truck driver?
One day, while a blonde was out driving her car, she ran into a truck.
The truck's driver made her pull over into a parking lot and get out of the car.
He took a piece of chalk and drew a circle on the pavement. He told her to stand in the middle and not leave the circle.
Furious, he went over to her car and slashed the tires.
The blonde started laughing.
This made the man angrier so he smashed her windshield.
This time the blonde laughed even harder.
Livid, the man broke all her windows and keyed her car.
The blonde is now laughing hysterically, so the truck driver asks her what's so funny.
The blonde giggles and replies, "When you weren't looking, I stepped out of the circle three times!"
Mar. 13 Cop joke: I got this from Daily Silly. If you're a cop, do what the cop does in this joke. It will make your job easier.
A policeman pulled over a car, walked up to the driver's window, and asked the man if he knew why he was pulled over.
"No," the man replied.
"You failed to stop at the stop sign," the cop explained.
"But I did slow down!" the guy argued. The cop shook his head. "You are required to stop. That's why they're called stop signs."The man started to get belligerent. "Stop, slow down -- what's the difference?"
The cop pulled out his baton. "I can show you. I'm going to start hitting you with my baton. You tell me if you want me to stop or slow down."
Mar. 13 Getting scared about things that aren't supposed to be scary: This is the real life edition. It was back in 2008. I was in my computer class and asked my teacher Owen a question.
I held out a 3.5 floppy disk.
Owen jokingly shrieks in fear when he saw it.
Me: This disk says it's copyrighted, and I can't save anything on it. There's a switch, but I don't know what it is.
Owen then flips the switch on it. Oh, there it is.
Mar. 14 Comedians: On Mar. 5, 2012, I found this in the Globe and Mail. University of Gil Greengross did a survey on 31 stand up comics. It turns out comics use "affiliative" humor like joking with friends or using laughs to relieve stress and depression in their everyday lives.
On stage, comics are more aggressive like mocking others and self-deprecating humor. In regular life, comics are "generally nice and surprisingly introverted."
Behavior: I remember that interview with Britney Spears. She said: "When I'm on stage, that's not really me. That's me as a performer." Now I have to think about work. When you work in a customer service position, you are kind of performing like being really nice and helpful to a customer.
Mar. 15 Reversal of situations: I wrote about this before. I'm going to add a bit more to it. This is from my blog:
Dec. 2 Five: I'm looking for a job and listening to the old British boy band Five interviews. You may remember them when they first came out in the late 90s. I have all 3 of their albums. Their songs are "Slam Dunk da Funk" and "When the Lights Go Out." Here's an interview when they first came out:
Abs: We just got together, and we're exploring what we can do together when you're in a house.
The entire audience of teen girls are cheering because it sounded sexual.
Rich and Scott are waving their arms to stop them.
Rich: Not like that, not like that!
Jay: He meant musically.
lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzqVysd-OFY
Me: Initially the audience thought the guys were so hot and talented. Then it was a reversal of situation when the audience then starts laughing at them. The audience and I know that Abs didn't mean anything sexual.
If you watch it, Abs face was straight and so was his tone of voice. A few people started saying "Ohhhh" and then everybody joined in. Rich and Scott were kind of laughing as they were waving their arms. The vibe was all light and funny.
Bart is praying, and Homer and Marge are listening.
Bart (praying): And please God, kill Sideshow Bob.
Marge: You can't ask God to kill somebody for you.
Homer: Yeah, you do your own dirty work.
Mar. 8 Jokes: I got this from Daily Silly. It was an average joke with a good twist at the end. It's a blonde joke, but it wasn't totally mean or dumb.
A world-renowned heart-surgeon and poker pro and a blonde cocktail waitress are sitting next to each other in a $1-2 NL cash game at the MGM in Las Vegas. The surgeon is upset as the blonde keeps winning big pots from him despite it being the first time she's ever played poker.
He suggests they play a prop bet where they ask each other questions; if they don't know the answer to the question; they have to pay the other person. She asks him how she's supposed to compete with a smart, world-renowned surgeon, as she's just a simple cocktail waitress. Eager to make her look stupid, he offers her odds, so that she has to pay him $5 for every time he stumps her, but he'll pay her $50 each time she stumps him. She agrees.
He asks her what the capital of Paraguay is and she shrugs and flips him a red $5 chip.
Her question for him is: "What rises in the evening, sleeps in the morning, and has twice as many brothers as sisters?"
He thinks and thinks and thinks, getting more frustrated, then whips out his iPhone, calls his friends, and finally checks the Internet for an answer. He finally gives up and shoves $50 in chips over to her.
"Well," he angrily demands, "what's the answer?"
She shrugs and flips him another $5 chip.
So who's more dumb? The blonde or the heart surgeon?
Here's another joke from Daily Silly. I got this one months ago, but I got it sent to me again. Here it is:
An airline's passenger cabin was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served them food and drinks. As the plane prepared to descend, he came Swishing down the aisle and announced to the passengers, "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super." On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed a well-dressed rather exotic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle.
"Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines. I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground." She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess. I take orders from no one." To which the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat, "Well sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so I outrank you. Tray- up, B*&!@."
Speed date: So I went on another speed dating event recently. I went on 11 dates in one night. I thought one guy was cool, so I picked him. I got an email, and there were no matches. Damn. I'll wank it in my mind and say: "That guy wasn't that good looking anyway."
It wasn't a total waste of a night. I talked to the guys about their jobs and I learned a bit. One guy had 2 self-employed businesses. A landscaping company and a wedding DJ.
One East- Indian guy asked what I looked for in a guy. I said: "A sense of humor." So he told me a joke.
Guy: What do you call a bear without teeth?
Me: Bear saw?
(I don't know, that's the first thing that came to my mind.)
Guy: A gummy bear.
I then told him "my cat committed suicide" joke, but he didn't get it.
Blonde joke: Here's another blonde joke. However, who's more dumb? The blonde or the truck driver?
One day, while a blonde was out driving her car, she ran into a truck.
The truck's driver made her pull over into a parking lot and get out of the car.
He took a piece of chalk and drew a circle on the pavement. He told her to stand in the middle and not leave the circle.
Furious, he went over to her car and slashed the tires.
The blonde started laughing.
This made the man angrier so he smashed her windshield.
This time the blonde laughed even harder.
Livid, the man broke all her windows and keyed her car.
The blonde is now laughing hysterically, so the truck driver asks her what's so funny.
The blonde giggles and replies, "When you weren't looking, I stepped out of the circle three times!"
Mar. 13 Cop joke: I got this from Daily Silly. If you're a cop, do what the cop does in this joke. It will make your job easier.
A policeman pulled over a car, walked up to the driver's window, and asked the man if he knew why he was pulled over.
"No," the man replied.
"You failed to stop at the stop sign," the cop explained.
"But I did slow down!" the guy argued. The cop shook his head. "You are required to stop. That's why they're called stop signs."The man started to get belligerent. "Stop, slow down -- what's the difference?"
The cop pulled out his baton. "I can show you. I'm going to start hitting you with my baton. You tell me if you want me to stop or slow down."
Mar. 13 Getting scared about things that aren't supposed to be scary: This is the real life edition. It was back in 2008. I was in my computer class and asked my teacher Owen a question.
I held out a 3.5 floppy disk.
Owen jokingly shrieks in fear when he saw it.
Me: This disk says it's copyrighted, and I can't save anything on it. There's a switch, but I don't know what it is.
Owen then flips the switch on it. Oh, there it is.
Mar. 14 Comedians: On Mar. 5, 2012, I found this in the Globe and Mail. University of Gil Greengross did a survey on 31 stand up comics. It turns out comics use "affiliative" humor like joking with friends or using laughs to relieve stress and depression in their everyday lives.
On stage, comics are more aggressive like mocking others and self-deprecating humor. In regular life, comics are "generally nice and surprisingly introverted."
Behavior: I remember that interview with Britney Spears. She said: "When I'm on stage, that's not really me. That's me as a performer." Now I have to think about work. When you work in a customer service position, you are kind of performing like being really nice and helpful to a customer.
Mar. 15 Reversal of situations: I wrote about this before. I'm going to add a bit more to it. This is from my blog:
Dec. 2 Five: I'm looking for a job and listening to the old British boy band Five interviews. You may remember them when they first came out in the late 90s. I have all 3 of their albums. Their songs are "Slam Dunk da Funk" and "When the Lights Go Out." Here's an interview when they first came out:
Abs: We just got together, and we're exploring what we can do together when you're in a house.
The entire audience of teen girls are cheering because it sounded sexual.
Rich and Scott are waving their arms to stop them.
Rich: Not like that, not like that!
Jay: He meant musically.
lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzqVysd-OFY
Me: Initially the audience thought the guys were so hot and talented. Then it was a reversal of situation when the audience then starts laughing at them. The audience and I know that Abs didn't mean anything sexual.
If you watch it, Abs face was straight and so was his tone of voice. A few people started saying "Ohhhh" and then everybody joined in. Rich and Scott were kind of laughing as they were waving their arms. The vibe was all light and funny.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Kony - turn awareness into action (Amnesty International)
Urge Obama to renew pressure on governments in Central Africa to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
Sign this petition:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517367&msource=W1203EACPR1&tr=y&auid=10434958
Dear Tracy ,
A viral video exposing the horrors wrought by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has triggered an avalanche of attention, bringing awareness to tens of millions of people in just a week's time. Now Amnesty needs your help to transform unprecedented public awareness into meaningful action.
For more than two decades, Amnesty International has documented the abuses committed by the Lord's Resistance Army and their horrific impact on the lives of countless civilians in Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.
The LRA's crimes are atrocious - mutilation, abduction, torture, rape, sexual slavery, pillaging, the conscription of children under the age of 15, and intentionally directing attacks against civilians.
The International Criminal Court indicted Kony and four other LRA leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2005. But despite persistent calls for his arrest from Amnesty and other human rights groups, Kony and other LRA indictees have remained at large for nearly seven years.
But Kony is just the tip of the iceberg in a region that has for decades been fraught with conflict and impunity. In the countries in which the LRA has operated since it was flushed out of Uganda - the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan - both government forces and other armed groups like the LRA have been responsible for decades of violence and abuses against civilians, including the abduction and forced recruitment of child soldiers, with little to no accountability. Further, the unregulated trade in small weapons and ammunition has ensured that guns and bullets are easy to obtain.
Last week, the Obama administration congratulated the organization behind the viral internet campaign targeted at Kony and reasserted its commitment to end the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army in Central Africa.1
But the White House must also pressure governments in the region by withholding military aid until they can demonstrate that they are taking concrete action to stop recruiting child soldiers, to demobilize or release children who are already part of government forces, and to bring those who recruit child soldiers to justice. Action is particularly crucial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where children have died while carrying ammunition and supplies through the jungle for government forces.2
Call on President Obama to enforce legislation aimed at ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers today.
In solidarity,
Adotei Akwei
Director of Government Relations and International Advocacy
Amnesty International USA
P.S. - Join me tomorrow from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern for a live discussion about the Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and find out how you can help end abuses committed by armed groups and governments in Central Africa.
Sign this petition:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517367&msource=W1203EACPR1&tr=y&auid=10434958
Dear Tracy ,
A viral video exposing the horrors wrought by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has triggered an avalanche of attention, bringing awareness to tens of millions of people in just a week's time. Now Amnesty needs your help to transform unprecedented public awareness into meaningful action.
For more than two decades, Amnesty International has documented the abuses committed by the Lord's Resistance Army and their horrific impact on the lives of countless civilians in Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.
The LRA's crimes are atrocious - mutilation, abduction, torture, rape, sexual slavery, pillaging, the conscription of children under the age of 15, and intentionally directing attacks against civilians.
The International Criminal Court indicted Kony and four other LRA leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2005. But despite persistent calls for his arrest from Amnesty and other human rights groups, Kony and other LRA indictees have remained at large for nearly seven years.
But Kony is just the tip of the iceberg in a region that has for decades been fraught with conflict and impunity. In the countries in which the LRA has operated since it was flushed out of Uganda - the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan - both government forces and other armed groups like the LRA have been responsible for decades of violence and abuses against civilians, including the abduction and forced recruitment of child soldiers, with little to no accountability. Further, the unregulated trade in small weapons and ammunition has ensured that guns and bullets are easy to obtain.
Last week, the Obama administration congratulated the organization behind the viral internet campaign targeted at Kony and reasserted its commitment to end the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army in Central Africa.1
But the White House must also pressure governments in the region by withholding military aid until they can demonstrate that they are taking concrete action to stop recruiting child soldiers, to demobilize or release children who are already part of government forces, and to bring those who recruit child soldiers to justice. Action is particularly crucial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where children have died while carrying ammunition and supplies through the jungle for government forces.2
Call on President Obama to enforce legislation aimed at ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers today.
In solidarity,
Adotei Akwei
Director of Government Relations and International Advocacy
Amnesty International USA
P.S. - Join me tomorrow from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern for a live discussion about the Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and find out how you can help end abuses committed by armed groups and governments in Central Africa.
Jake McLaughlin/ Facebook crimes/ racism
Mar. 5 Jake McLaughlin: Today I was going through my writing notes. I then found a note of how I can kind of see the actor Jake McLaughlin in my The Vertex Fighter script. I had written about him before. You read the following and you can can see him in my script:
Jan. 9, 2011 blog post:
Jake McLaughlin: I found this actor today on The Mentalist. He plays this bad boy MMA fighter. I checked him out on imdb.com and he was a war veteran and served in Iraq for four years.
It's confirmed in the interview with him and Susan Sarandon on The View:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJVA1LwjFdI
Also on imdb.com, it says he worked as a security guard at Universal Studios before joining the army.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2474864/
He's also on the TV show Crash which is a spin-off from the Oscar winning movie. He's married and has two kids.
Me: I already saw him play a bad boy MMA fighter like my lead character Shawn. However, JM's character in The Mentalist episode "Blood Sport" was more of a jerk.
Facebook crimes: I got this article from Jay Smith through my blog. It's a really good infographic. At first some were funny about stupid criminals getting caught on Facebook, but then it started getting darker.
A light one at the top of the page is on Apr. 21, 2011. A 16 yr old male faces jail time for $247,000 worth of damage at a library. He talked about it on Facebook.
Andrew Dart on Jan. 25, 2011 is a sexual predator. He was communicating electronically with underage girls. 40 of his friends were girls under the age of 16.
Then Nona Belomosoff was found dead in a creek when she went camping with a stranger she met on Facebook who offered her a job.
At the bottom, it talked about people who were murdered after they posted online about their breakup and/or divorce on Facebook.
Mar. 9 Racism: More about racism. I got 2 flashbacks of white guys dissing my race back in jr. high school. I even got a flashback of 2009 where my white friend Justin told me about this Native guy dissing white people on the bus. I can list more. So basically all the races diss each other.
Primetime: Now I'm getting another flashback of the news magazine TV show Primetime. This was from like 2006? They put a "What Would You Do?" What if you were riding in a taxi, and the cab driver starts saying racist things? Do you join in because it's a one-on-one conversation?
This can get offensive here. There was one case I think it was a Latino woman. She dissed about Asian drivers. However, there was a white guy talking about how he would like to put Mexicans in some range and shoot at them. The host John Quinones confronts him about it.
That was so socially awkward and embarrassing than the one on The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. (You know where those 2 male judges diss Jamie's poor performance and Jamie heard all the mean comments?) On Primetime, the white guy said that it was a joke, and he didn't mean it.
There were some people who weren't racist. They showed one white guy in the back listening and he was kind of uncomfortable listening. There was also 2 teen girls sitting in the back. I think they may be black or Latino. The cab driver was talking, and the teen girls were texting each other back and forth about how rude the driver was.
Song: I was thinking about that song called "Ladies" by Sarai. It's a party song, but her best lyric in it is this: "Don't matter if you're black or white/ All shapes and size/ Spread love worldwide/ I mean, we're all the same color inside/ So why divide? There's no reason why."
I like "We're all the same color inside." Here's her video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljryaTP4YmA&ob=av2e
Mar. 12 Twilight: I finally read the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I never seen the movies. I had the chance to watch the first one on TV, but I went and looked for a job instead. My sister bought the book and then gave it to me. I wanted to see what the hype is all about. I'm not really into reading novels because it's too long. I like to inform myself by reading newspaper and online articles.
I would say the book is average. It's about a girl named Bella who falls in love with the vampire Edward. Edward is very romantic and tells everything, his thoughts and feelings to Bella in the last half of the book. It would be a very unrealistic if he said everything in his mind in the beginning. But at least it's the last half.
The book is 498 pages. The parts I liked had the most suspense and tension. In the first half of the book, there was a real life situation where Bella is in danger. I really felt the fear. In the last half of the book, another supernatural situation arises. It was scary. She had to run and hide. It was an unpredictable ending.
It did have what most movies and TV shows do: Kidnap and threaten to hurt someone close to the lead character, so the lead character will come out and fight the antagonist.
I don't know, I feel like I'm too old for this. Though I would like to watch the movie so I can compare it to the novel. I'm not really attracted to Edward. He's romantic and sensitive. Maybe if I watch the movie, I'll fall in love.
Mar. 13 Blast from the past: Yesterday I went to a job training session. This young woman walks in, and I thought: "Mary-Ann from jr. high school?" During our break, I went to see the sign where we are to write our names. It was her. So I approached her and introduced myself. She remembers me and we chatted a bit.
She went to college for 2 yrs and didn't like this college program. She then went to another 1 yr college program and graduated out of it and has a position in her field. That's good. I went to her Halloween party in gr.9, bday party in gr. 9, and bday party in gr. 10. I did see her in 2003 when we went to this school to upgrade our marks. We chatted a bit. Now in 2012, I bump into her.
Then I thought: "Wasn't I Facebook friends with her earlier?" I then looked and I had sent a request.
New people: Afterwards I had to make a 10min walk to a bus stop to get home. This East Indian guy Kalit from the training session was walking to it too. We chatted a bit. He has a wife, 2 sons who are 7 and 5 yrs old. He takes English as a second language in school. There is kind of a language barrier because I have to get him to spell things out due to his accent.
He says he has family who's been in this country for 10 yrs. His kids like it here. I told him to go to career counseling and wished him luck in finding a career where he can use his education.
Jan. 9, 2011 blog post:
Jake McLaughlin: I found this actor today on The Mentalist. He plays this bad boy MMA fighter. I checked him out on imdb.com and he was a war veteran and served in Iraq for four years.
It's confirmed in the interview with him and Susan Sarandon on The View:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJVA1LwjFdI
Also on imdb.com, it says he worked as a security guard at Universal Studios before joining the army.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2474864/
He's also on the TV show Crash which is a spin-off from the Oscar winning movie. He's married and has two kids.
Me: I already saw him play a bad boy MMA fighter like my lead character Shawn. However, JM's character in The Mentalist episode "Blood Sport" was more of a jerk.
Facebook crimes: I got this article from Jay Smith through my blog. It's a really good infographic. At first some were funny about stupid criminals getting caught on Facebook, but then it started getting darker.
A light one at the top of the page is on Apr. 21, 2011. A 16 yr old male faces jail time for $247,000 worth of damage at a library. He talked about it on Facebook.
Andrew Dart on Jan. 25, 2011 is a sexual predator. He was communicating electronically with underage girls. 40 of his friends were girls under the age of 16.
Then Nona Belomosoff was found dead in a creek when she went camping with a stranger she met on Facebook who offered her a job.
At the bottom, it talked about people who were murdered after they posted online about their breakup and/or divorce on Facebook.
Mar. 9 Racism: More about racism. I got 2 flashbacks of white guys dissing my race back in jr. high school. I even got a flashback of 2009 where my white friend Justin told me about this Native guy dissing white people on the bus. I can list more. So basically all the races diss each other.
Primetime: Now I'm getting another flashback of the news magazine TV show Primetime. This was from like 2006? They put a "What Would You Do?" What if you were riding in a taxi, and the cab driver starts saying racist things? Do you join in because it's a one-on-one conversation?
This can get offensive here. There was one case I think it was a Latino woman. She dissed about Asian drivers. However, there was a white guy talking about how he would like to put Mexicans in some range and shoot at them. The host John Quinones confronts him about it.
That was so socially awkward and embarrassing than the one on The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. (You know where those 2 male judges diss Jamie's poor performance and Jamie heard all the mean comments?) On Primetime, the white guy said that it was a joke, and he didn't mean it.
There were some people who weren't racist. They showed one white guy in the back listening and he was kind of uncomfortable listening. There was also 2 teen girls sitting in the back. I think they may be black or Latino. The cab driver was talking, and the teen girls were texting each other back and forth about how rude the driver was.
Song: I was thinking about that song called "Ladies" by Sarai. It's a party song, but her best lyric in it is this: "Don't matter if you're black or white/ All shapes and size/ Spread love worldwide/ I mean, we're all the same color inside/ So why divide? There's no reason why."
I like "We're all the same color inside." Here's her video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljryaTP4YmA&ob=av2e
Mar. 12 Twilight: I finally read the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I never seen the movies. I had the chance to watch the first one on TV, but I went and looked for a job instead. My sister bought the book and then gave it to me. I wanted to see what the hype is all about. I'm not really into reading novels because it's too long. I like to inform myself by reading newspaper and online articles.
I would say the book is average. It's about a girl named Bella who falls in love with the vampire Edward. Edward is very romantic and tells everything, his thoughts and feelings to Bella in the last half of the book. It would be a very unrealistic if he said everything in his mind in the beginning. But at least it's the last half.
The book is 498 pages. The parts I liked had the most suspense and tension. In the first half of the book, there was a real life situation where Bella is in danger. I really felt the fear. In the last half of the book, another supernatural situation arises. It was scary. She had to run and hide. It was an unpredictable ending.
It did have what most movies and TV shows do: Kidnap and threaten to hurt someone close to the lead character, so the lead character will come out and fight the antagonist.
I don't know, I feel like I'm too old for this. Though I would like to watch the movie so I can compare it to the novel. I'm not really attracted to Edward. He's romantic and sensitive. Maybe if I watch the movie, I'll fall in love.
Mar. 13 Blast from the past: Yesterday I went to a job training session. This young woman walks in, and I thought: "Mary-Ann from jr. high school?" During our break, I went to see the sign where we are to write our names. It was her. So I approached her and introduced myself. She remembers me and we chatted a bit.
She went to college for 2 yrs and didn't like this college program. She then went to another 1 yr college program and graduated out of it and has a position in her field. That's good. I went to her Halloween party in gr.9, bday party in gr. 9, and bday party in gr. 10. I did see her in 2003 when we went to this school to upgrade our marks. We chatted a bit. Now in 2012, I bump into her.
Then I thought: "Wasn't I Facebook friends with her earlier?" I then looked and I had sent a request.
New people: Afterwards I had to make a 10min walk to a bus stop to get home. This East Indian guy Kalit from the training session was walking to it too. We chatted a bit. He has a wife, 2 sons who are 7 and 5 yrs old. He takes English as a second language in school. There is kind of a language barrier because I have to get him to spell things out due to his accent.
He says he has family who's been in this country for 10 yrs. His kids like it here. I told him to go to career counseling and wished him luck in finding a career where he can use his education.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Women's rights are non-negotiable (Amnesty International)
Women's human rights are at a turning point in Afghanistan. But where there's a plan, there's hope.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now
Dear Tracy,
Shocking brutality, discrimination, denial of education. Just a few of the human rights abuses Afghan women face.
Dozens of girls daring to seek an education were sickened when gas filled their school -- allegedly caused by a Taliban attack. An 18-year-old bride had her nose and ears cut off as punishment for running away from her abusive in-laws. The Taliban shot a pregnant woman dead for alleged adultery after forcing her to abort her fetus.
The U.S. is going to withdraw from Afghanistan. But the the risks that Afghan women face daily -- and hard work it will take to ensure their human rights -- remain.
We need a plan.
Today, International Women's Day, let's make sure the women of Afghanistan are not left behind.
Tell the U.S. government that women's human rights are non-negotiable, and Afghanistan should not be an exception. The U.S. should adopt an Action Plan for Afghan women before leaving the country in the hands of the Afghan government and the Taliban.
In 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a promise to Afghan women: "We will not abandon you, we will stand with you always." Protecting human rights in Afghanistan -- including the rights of women -- was one of the reasons the U.S. and NATO cited for invading Afghanistan back in 2001.
But now this pledge to the Afghan people is in danger of being broken, and the very justification for being in Afghanistan in the first place -- defending human rights -- is in danger of being completely abandoned. All because of political expediency.
A U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is imminent. But the U.S. shouldn't abandon Afghanistan's women.
Peace talks are underway between the U.S., the Afghan government led by President Hamid Karzai, and the Taliban. As these sides negotiate the future of Afghanistan, women must be included and their rights must be protected.
Women's participation will build a better peace in Afghanistan. But will women even be equally represented at the talks that will determine their fate? So far the answer is an unacceptable "No." We know all too well what happens when women aren't at the table -- their voices are silenced and their needs are left out.
Amnesty has a plan to promote women's rights in Afghanistan and to make sure Afghan women are able to shape their own destiny -- but we need you to take action to make it a reality.
Demand that the U.S. keep its promise to Afghanistan's women. It can leave Afghanistan, but not its commitment to women's human rights.
Sincerely,
Cristina Finch
Policy and Advocacy Director, Women's Human Rights
Amnesty International USA
http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now
Dear Tracy,
Shocking brutality, discrimination, denial of education. Just a few of the human rights abuses Afghan women face.
Dozens of girls daring to seek an education were sickened when gas filled their school -- allegedly caused by a Taliban attack. An 18-year-old bride had her nose and ears cut off as punishment for running away from her abusive in-laws. The Taliban shot a pregnant woman dead for alleged adultery after forcing her to abort her fetus.
The U.S. is going to withdraw from Afghanistan. But the the risks that Afghan women face daily -- and hard work it will take to ensure their human rights -- remain.
We need a plan.
Today, International Women's Day, let's make sure the women of Afghanistan are not left behind.
Tell the U.S. government that women's human rights are non-negotiable, and Afghanistan should not be an exception. The U.S. should adopt an Action Plan for Afghan women before leaving the country in the hands of the Afghan government and the Taliban.
In 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a promise to Afghan women: "We will not abandon you, we will stand with you always." Protecting human rights in Afghanistan -- including the rights of women -- was one of the reasons the U.S. and NATO cited for invading Afghanistan back in 2001.
But now this pledge to the Afghan people is in danger of being broken, and the very justification for being in Afghanistan in the first place -- defending human rights -- is in danger of being completely abandoned. All because of political expediency.
A U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is imminent. But the U.S. shouldn't abandon Afghanistan's women.
Peace talks are underway between the U.S., the Afghan government led by President Hamid Karzai, and the Taliban. As these sides negotiate the future of Afghanistan, women must be included and their rights must be protected.
Women's participation will build a better peace in Afghanistan. But will women even be equally represented at the talks that will determine their fate? So far the answer is an unacceptable "No." We know all too well what happens when women aren't at the table -- their voices are silenced and their needs are left out.
Amnesty has a plan to promote women's rights in Afghanistan and to make sure Afghan women are able to shape their own destiny -- but we need you to take action to make it a reality.
Demand that the U.S. keep its promise to Afghanistan's women. It can leave Afghanistan, but not its commitment to women's human rights.
Sincerely,
Cristina Finch
Policy and Advocacy Director, Women's Human Rights
Amnesty International USA
challenge/ job likeability/ body language
Mar. 3 Challenge:
Flashback: I got a flashback of gr. 4. There is a spelling test of 100 words. The first 20 are really easy and short words like "rain." This new girl Robyn was frustrated and bored. She kept saying: "This is so easy." The rest of the other kids were saying: "It's going to get harder." It looks like she likes to be challenged.
The Simpsons: This also reminds me of The Simpsons where Bart and Lisa went to military school. Bart goes there because he's forced to and Lisa goes there because she wants to be challenged.
Bart: I thought you wanted a challenge.
Lisa: Yeah, a challenge that I could achieve.
Well, it's not much of a challenge then. lol.
School: It really depends on what the challenge is. I just talked to one of Dan L.'s friends who took a magazine writing class. She saw that it was going to be really hard, and she doesn't want to be a magazine writer, so she dropped the class. The class was an elective and not a requirement.
Same goes with me. I had to take one of three electives: computer research, rhetoric, or technical writing. I took rhetoric because I've never done it. Then it was really hard, so I didn't do well in it. I then decided to take computer research which was level 2 of another computer class I did. I did well in level 1, and then I did well in level 2.
Physically/ mentally: If you want a job that's not physically demanding, then work at an office or a call centre where you sit all day. If you want a job that's physical, then work at a restaurant.
If you want a job that's mentally challenging, work at an office or a science lab. Restaurants can be mentally challenging. If you work as a cook, you are thinking and keeping up with the rush of orders. As a server, you are thinking about getting orders and dealing with customers. You have to prioritize as the customers are the first people to deal with. Other tasks like washing coffee pots may be second on the list.
Call Centre #5: If you want a job that's not physically or mentally demanding, go and work at Call Centre #5. You sit all day and then you have to wait 1 or 2 min. for the computer to make a phone call. You are pretty much zoning out between calls by watching the two TVs there.
The other 4 call centres I worked at were mentally challenging because you have to achieve the goal of getting as much completed surveys done. However, I can't say Call Centre #5 was easy money. It was in 2010 when I worked there and the wage was a bit higher than min. wage. I was also dismissed after 2 days and my friend was dismissed after 3 days.
Mar. 5 Rant: I mentioned earlier that Job Bank has been down for awhile. Now it's back up. I then started typing in things into the search engine, and it kept saying that there's an unexpected error. Damn.
Job likeability: I was thinking about this blog comment that Anonymous made on my blog on July 10, 2010. (I had to look up that one.)
"I mean this in the most polite way possible: You need to start living your life. Move out. Get, and keep, a job (even if you don't like it, that's how it works)." He goes on longer.
I want to tell him, that I have worked at jobs that I don't like and I just keep working there until I have to quit to go to school full-time or I get laid off.
Call Centre #2: For example back in 2006, I worked at Call Centre #2 for 5 months. After 3 months I started really disliking it. I worked for another 2 months until I quit to go to school full-time.
Call Centre #3: Same goes for Call Centre #3. I worked there full-time for the first 2 weeks because of the projects we're working on. Then I only got part-time and worked at night. I disliked it because I thought I was full-time. Then they started cancelling my shifts due to lack of work. Then one of my supervisors told me to get more completes by: "You have to lie your ass off."
After 3 months, they didn't give me any shifts at all, but I didn't quit. I kept calling once at the beginning to see if I got shifts.
Fruit Place: Most recently over the holidays, I worked at the Fruit Place for 2 weeks. I didn't like it, but I can suffer through 7 days of work in a period of 2 weeks. I kept telling myself it was temporary.
Mar. 6 Hospital: Maybe it's the law of attraction. I mentioned before back in 2010 I applied at some hospitals and I got a call to come into an interview for a food service position. I had gotten hired at Restaurant #1 and didn't want to interview for another position. So I turned it down.
My self-confidence did kind of take a hit when I was unemployed for months and I didn't think I would do well at a hospital. Now that I have worked at my current job for over a year, my confidence is back up.
I applied at some hospitals a few weeks ago and I got a call back for the same food service position. I did the interview this time. They asked really good questions and I thought the interview went well. It's mainly about availability to be able to work here. I want to work at the restaurant one day a week.
References: I gave them my references and I called my 2 managers from the Soup place today. One picked up and we chatted a bit. I asked to get an email address in case they changed their phone numbers for whatever reason.
Mar. 7 Career counseling: Here's a mild rant. I have a career counseling session today and it took me 30 min. to get there. I'm there and I'm 30min early. The entire time I'm reading the newspaper. I sit down for a min. and then I get a call that she's cancelling. So I reschedule next week, and I would have to leave work a little bit earlier to get there.
I'm not totally annoyed because I was being productive by reading the newspaper, and it's not too cold waiting for the bus. I didn't miss any work so I didn't lose out on making any money.
Temporary: I will have a temporary job that will start later. I just called them to get some more info because I asked: "What if I'm not good at it?" I've never done it before, but the person calmed me down about the training session.
Driving rant: I was looking for a job on Kijiji and I found this rant. It's from a woman who says that if you want a job in Edmonton, you need a car and a driver's license. She says she lost friends and was in car accidents herself, so she doesn't drive. She rants about how if you have a car, you will get hired even if you don't have experience.
My advice is that if you want a job without a car, you will be able to find one. It's the saying: "Opportunities will always surround if you know where to look." I've been there myself and I have found a lot of positions that don't need a car. Keep your head up. I emailed that comment to her ad.
http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-customer-service-UPSET-DISGUSTED-FRUSTRATED-IN-EDMONTON-W0QQAdIdZ361206154
Job interview: Today I went to a job interview for an office. It was an okay interview. The pay, shifts, location is good. I think I can handle the duties.
Body language: Larry Dignan emailed me this article through my blog. It's called "44 Body Language Mistakes You're Probably Making." It's very helpful and increases your emotional intelligence. You can read people. Some are tips for dating, specific tips for men and women. It gives tips for work and job interviews.
http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/03/06/44-body-language-mistakes-youre-probably-making/
Flashback: I got a flashback of gr. 4. There is a spelling test of 100 words. The first 20 are really easy and short words like "rain." This new girl Robyn was frustrated and bored. She kept saying: "This is so easy." The rest of the other kids were saying: "It's going to get harder." It looks like she likes to be challenged.
The Simpsons: This also reminds me of The Simpsons where Bart and Lisa went to military school. Bart goes there because he's forced to and Lisa goes there because she wants to be challenged.
Bart: I thought you wanted a challenge.
Lisa: Yeah, a challenge that I could achieve.
Well, it's not much of a challenge then. lol.
School: It really depends on what the challenge is. I just talked to one of Dan L.'s friends who took a magazine writing class. She saw that it was going to be really hard, and she doesn't want to be a magazine writer, so she dropped the class. The class was an elective and not a requirement.
Same goes with me. I had to take one of three electives: computer research, rhetoric, or technical writing. I took rhetoric because I've never done it. Then it was really hard, so I didn't do well in it. I then decided to take computer research which was level 2 of another computer class I did. I did well in level 1, and then I did well in level 2.
Physically/ mentally: If you want a job that's not physically demanding, then work at an office or a call centre where you sit all day. If you want a job that's physical, then work at a restaurant.
If you want a job that's mentally challenging, work at an office or a science lab. Restaurants can be mentally challenging. If you work as a cook, you are thinking and keeping up with the rush of orders. As a server, you are thinking about getting orders and dealing with customers. You have to prioritize as the customers are the first people to deal with. Other tasks like washing coffee pots may be second on the list.
Call Centre #5: If you want a job that's not physically or mentally demanding, go and work at Call Centre #5. You sit all day and then you have to wait 1 or 2 min. for the computer to make a phone call. You are pretty much zoning out between calls by watching the two TVs there.
The other 4 call centres I worked at were mentally challenging because you have to achieve the goal of getting as much completed surveys done. However, I can't say Call Centre #5 was easy money. It was in 2010 when I worked there and the wage was a bit higher than min. wage. I was also dismissed after 2 days and my friend was dismissed after 3 days.
Mar. 5 Rant: I mentioned earlier that Job Bank has been down for awhile. Now it's back up. I then started typing in things into the search engine, and it kept saying that there's an unexpected error. Damn.
Job likeability: I was thinking about this blog comment that Anonymous made on my blog on July 10, 2010. (I had to look up that one.)
"I mean this in the most polite way possible: You need to start living your life. Move out. Get, and keep, a job (even if you don't like it, that's how it works)." He goes on longer.
I want to tell him, that I have worked at jobs that I don't like and I just keep working there until I have to quit to go to school full-time or I get laid off.
Call Centre #2: For example back in 2006, I worked at Call Centre #2 for 5 months. After 3 months I started really disliking it. I worked for another 2 months until I quit to go to school full-time.
Call Centre #3: Same goes for Call Centre #3. I worked there full-time for the first 2 weeks because of the projects we're working on. Then I only got part-time and worked at night. I disliked it because I thought I was full-time. Then they started cancelling my shifts due to lack of work. Then one of my supervisors told me to get more completes by: "You have to lie your ass off."
After 3 months, they didn't give me any shifts at all, but I didn't quit. I kept calling once at the beginning to see if I got shifts.
Fruit Place: Most recently over the holidays, I worked at the Fruit Place for 2 weeks. I didn't like it, but I can suffer through 7 days of work in a period of 2 weeks. I kept telling myself it was temporary.
Mar. 6 Hospital: Maybe it's the law of attraction. I mentioned before back in 2010 I applied at some hospitals and I got a call to come into an interview for a food service position. I had gotten hired at Restaurant #1 and didn't want to interview for another position. So I turned it down.
My self-confidence did kind of take a hit when I was unemployed for months and I didn't think I would do well at a hospital. Now that I have worked at my current job for over a year, my confidence is back up.
I applied at some hospitals a few weeks ago and I got a call back for the same food service position. I did the interview this time. They asked really good questions and I thought the interview went well. It's mainly about availability to be able to work here. I want to work at the restaurant one day a week.
References: I gave them my references and I called my 2 managers from the Soup place today. One picked up and we chatted a bit. I asked to get an email address in case they changed their phone numbers for whatever reason.
Mar. 7 Career counseling: Here's a mild rant. I have a career counseling session today and it took me 30 min. to get there. I'm there and I'm 30min early. The entire time I'm reading the newspaper. I sit down for a min. and then I get a call that she's cancelling. So I reschedule next week, and I would have to leave work a little bit earlier to get there.
I'm not totally annoyed because I was being productive by reading the newspaper, and it's not too cold waiting for the bus. I didn't miss any work so I didn't lose out on making any money.
Temporary: I will have a temporary job that will start later. I just called them to get some more info because I asked: "What if I'm not good at it?" I've never done it before, but the person calmed me down about the training session.
Driving rant: I was looking for a job on Kijiji and I found this rant. It's from a woman who says that if you want a job in Edmonton, you need a car and a driver's license. She says she lost friends and was in car accidents herself, so she doesn't drive. She rants about how if you have a car, you will get hired even if you don't have experience.
My advice is that if you want a job without a car, you will be able to find one. It's the saying: "Opportunities will always surround if you know where to look." I've been there myself and I have found a lot of positions that don't need a car. Keep your head up. I emailed that comment to her ad.
http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-customer-service-UPSET-DISGUSTED-FRUSTRATED-IN-EDMONTON-W0QQAdIdZ361206154
Job interview: Today I went to a job interview for an office. It was an okay interview. The pay, shifts, location is good. I think I can handle the duties.
Body language: Larry Dignan emailed me this article through my blog. It's called "44 Body Language Mistakes You're Probably Making." It's very helpful and increases your emotional intelligence. You can read people. Some are tips for dating, specific tips for men and women. It gives tips for work and job interviews.
http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/03/06/44-body-language-mistakes-youre-probably-making/
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