Sun Media/ replacements/ Edmonton elections

Aug. 1 Sun Media: I read in the business section of the newspaper that Sun Media is closing down some of their free 24 newspapers in certain cities like Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa.  What I didn't know was exactly when.  In this article it said Aug. 2.  I was a little disappointed that 24 will be closing down, because I was like: "Well what am I supposed to read on the bus on my way to work?"  There is still Metro newspaper.  There's no need to worry.  lol.

http://www.thestar.com/business/2013/07/16/sun_media_closing_11_papers_cutting_360_jobs.html

Does anyone remember Dose?  It used to have free newspapers in 2005 and 2006.  Then it closed down, but it's still available on the internet.

http://www.dose.ca/

Hudson's Bay: I read that the Hudson's Bay Company is going to be buying Saks, the high- end American company.  It will show up in 2014.  There sure are a lot of buyouts this summer.  I already mentioned Loblaw buying Shoppers Drug Mart and Sobeys buying Safeway.

Aug. 2 24 News: Today's 24 News front page said: "THANK YOU, EDMONTON."  The subtitle was: "After today, 24 hours Edmonton will cease publication.  We thank you for your years of loyal reading."  I've been reading them for the past 5 yrs, since 2008.  It was when I  finished college and was working at the Soup place.  I always read it.  However, in 2010 I stopped because I was unemployed and read the newspapers my dad subscribed to.  Then when I started working at my restaurant job later in 2010, I started reading 24 again.

The "thank you Edmonton" made me think of The Simpsons.  It's where Groundskeeper Willy does a stand up comedy routine and no one laughs.  He gets angry and lashes out at the audience.

Willy: Oh, is that it?  You don't think Willy is funny unless he's on his hands and knees cleaning up your kids' puke?!

The audience laughs.

Willy: Oh, thank you everybody, you've been a great audience.

Aug. 3 Long weekends: I was thinking about how my friend said she didn't like how I leave messages on her phone thinking that she's available to talk on the weekends.  However, I leave messages to all my friends on the weekends with that message.  I don't know if any of you guys notice this, but I only call on Sat.  On Sat. I only work in the morning and I call in the afternoon or evenings.  

I never call on Sun. because I work all morning and well into the afternoon.  I am so tired when I come home, I just watch The Mentalist, Once Upon a Time, and The Simpsons.  When it's the summer or those shows are reruns, I watch Family Guy.

Working at my restaurant job, the weekends are always busy.  Don't get me started on long weekends, those are the busiest.  Easter weekend, Canada Day long weekend, Aug. long weekend, always busy.

Aug. 5 Restaurant tip: Today was so busy.  There was this line up outside.  On Family Day long weekend this yr, my family and I went to a Chinese restaurant called the Wok 'N Roll.  Quirky name, and the food was good.  However, we had to wait 15min for a table.
 

My family and I went to a Chinese restaurant called Tai Pan and the food was good too.  We went on a Thurs. in March, and there was no line.

My tip is this: If you want good service without any line ups, go during the middle of the week.

Aug. 6 Redundant workers: I want to add to this.  After I was laid off from the Soup place in 2010, I immediately got another food counter attendant job.  I'll call it Counter attendant #1 job.  I worked there for one Fri. morning.  I then came for next week's shift and the manager said she didn't need me anymore.  I was happy about it because I didn't really like it.  I was kind of surprised.  Now that I think about it, I thought the customers came in at a steady pace.  However, it wasn't very busy, so they might as well save money on labor and not keep me. 

It was not as obvious as Counter attendant #2 job.  The one where I worked for 3 hrs and 6 customers came in.

Work first, TV second: I watched a few episodes of The Vampire Diaries that I missed when it first aired on TV.  It aired in Jan. and I thought: "How come I missed these episodes?"  I then had to go back on my agenda and remembered that I was working at Call Centre #6 on those evenings. 

This obviously proves that I put work first, and TV second.  I could have watched the eps on ctv.ca, but I didn't.  This is quite a change compared to the days I worked at Call Centre #1 in 2005-2006.  I started working at 4pm-9pm, because I wanted to watch Dr. Phil and Maury.  I missed out on making money on crappy talk shows.  Now I don't miss out.

Replacements: This is a flashback of 2006.  I used to watch the soap opera The Young and the Restless back in 2003.  It was the summer time and I had free time so I picked up a TV show.  I then watched it here and there.  In 2006, the actress Christel Khalil quit the show so she could go to college. 

According to imdb.com, it says she got the show when she was 14 and I did the math.  She got this part in 2001.  She was on for 5 yrs.  I remember going on twop.com to read people's comments and there was an interview with her.  Someone made a comment about it: "Okay, so she wants to stop playing Lily, but she doesn't want anyone to play that role either?"

Can you imagine if that happened in any other job besides a character role on a TV show?  If anyone was to quit their job at a restaurant, or an office, and they said: "Though I'm quitting, I don't want anyone else to take my position."  Like what?  That would never happen in real life.  I know at my restaurant job, there are lots of people who work on and off during the school year.  The bosses might give a good reference for them, or say: "If you want to come back, we would hire you, if there is a position available."

TV industry: Yeah, well TV is different.  Sometimes there are "same character, different actor."  Sometimes there aren't.  For example, the TV show Charmed had the actress Shannon Doherty.  She wanted to quit after 3 yrs, and her character was killed off.  The show is about 3 witch sisters, and they replaced her with Rose McGowan as an unknown long- lost half-sister.  There were rumors that Doherty quit because she didn't get along with the actress Alyssa Milano. 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0451092/bio

I also want to add that there are redundant characters that get written off.  My favorite Edmonton actor Eric Johnson was on Smallville for the first season and got written off because there wasn't much for his character to do.  He played Lana Lang's boyfriend Whitney
Fordman and he was more of an agent to the plot than a character.  He was the obstacle between Lana and Clark Kent.

Aug. 7: I want to add to that like someone is quitting their job as a market coordinator.

Person: Though I'm quitting, I don't want any of you guys to hire a new marketing coordinator now that I'm gone.

I know there is this whole attachment with a job if you've been working there a long time.  However, it's unrealistic to think that your duties that you used to do will not be taken over by someone else.

Aug. 8 Edmonton elections: I was talking to someone there about the 1 day job.  It's $175 for 8am-9pm job.  $175 divided 13hrs= $13.46/hr.

There is 1 hr of training to be Deputry Returning Officer.  There are multiple duties like being a door attendant, checking IDs, directing them to the right voting station, filling out forms, etc.  There may be some lifting with setting the voting stations.

The compensation is good, but the duties don't sound very interesting.  Well at least to me.

You're helping keep people safe in Turkey

I got this from Amnesty International:

You're helping keep people safe in Turkey

	THANK YOU
	Peaceful protesters in Taksim Square. Photo credit Anna Shea. Read eyewitness account from Istanbul as the news broke by Amnesty Canada's Legal Coordinator Anna Shea
	Your support helps Amnesty to: Protect protesters from excessive use of force by police Stand up for the rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expressionin Turkey and around the world Insist on prompt, independent and impartial investigations into excessive use of police force Call world attention to wrongful detention of protesters. Continue to help change the world, now and for years to come. Make a contribution now to help Amnesty make a stand for human rights Or call 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789)

Dear Tracy,

Thanks to people like you, Turkey knows that the world is watching, when tear gas and water cannons are pointed at their own citizens.

More than 10,000 Canadians like you and hundreds of thousands more Amnesty International supporters around the world have taken action to protect freedom of expression and ensure the safety of peaceful protesters.

Thank you for being a part of this timely and essential response!

But our work continues.

Since Turkey's security forces unleashed a disproportionate and unwarranted response to peaceful protests in Istanbul's Taksim Square two months ago, 4,900 protesters have been taken into custody, thousands more have been injured, and seven people – six protesters and a police officer – have been killed. 

There has been abusive treatment and prosecution of journalists covering the protests. 

At least four Turkish journalists have been arrested, two Canadian journalists, Derek Stoffel and Saša Petricic, were detained, and several photographers have had their photos forcibly deleted.

Authorities have also used tear gas and water cannons on cameramen. Fines and publication bans have been imposed upon media outlets for their coverage of the protests. Also of deep concern is Prime Minister Erdogan’s request that Facebook and Twitter hand over private user data to the government, as well as the arrests of 25 people detained on accusations of using social media to spread false information about the protests and police response.

These actions by the Turkish government violate the basic human right to free expression.

You are helping us communicate this directly to Turkish authorities overseas, as well as here in Canada through our direct communication to the Turkish Ambassador. You've helped us publish dozens of press release, video reports, blogs and public statements to call attention to specific human right violations commited by authorities in Turkey and to raise concerns about the safety and well-being of those detained following police actions.

Your support is helping us get at the truth by interviewing victims of police violence and the families of those detained, and by meeting with lawyers, journalists and officials.

With your help, next month we will publish a report that documents the use of abusive force including use of tear gas, water cannons and plastic bullets, police violence including beatings, arbitrary detentions and prosecutions, and repression against those publicizing and supporting and supporting the protests.

With your help, whenever governments like Turkey's abuse the fundamental rights of their own people, Amnesty International will be there to push back with a powerful showing of solidarity and defence of human rights.

Please consider making a contribution to this essential work, or joining as a regular sustaining supporter if you're not already.

Whether or not you're able to donate today, please accept my warmest gratitude for your willingness to speak out in a timely way.

My colleague, Anna Shea, who was in Istanbul by sheer chance when the violence unfolded in Taksim Square will tell you how feelings of dread and isolation can turn to hope when you learn that members of Amnesty International are paying attention and are speaking out to protect you from harm.

Thank you.

Sincerely,


Alex Neve
Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada
More than 30,000 Canadians choose to support Amnesty International as a sustaining monthly donor. It's during these moments of crisis that people at risk of human rights abuse rely so much on human rights supporters like you who are willing - and may be able - to back Amnesty's human rights work with regular, sustaining financial support. If you're not a sustaining financial supporter of Amnesty International, please make a decision today to join us.

New Developments for Reggie Clemons

I got this from Amnesty International: 

Dear Tracy,

Since you've taken action with Amnesty on the Reggie Clemons death penalty campaign, I thought you'd like to know about a new development in the case.

A special judge has affirmed claims of serious misconduct by prosecution and police. Deep doubts remain in this complex case.

Read about the ruling and where the case goes from here on our blog.

Thank you for all you do to defend human rights.

Sincerely,

Brian Evans
Director, Death Penalty Program
Amnesty International USA

Matthew Hussy/ Colin Donnell/ 2gether

Jul. 19: Matthew Hussy: I was listening to BoA on Youtube.  I then see this video "Are you pretty enough for him?" from this guy named Matthew Hussy.  I don't know about that title.  I was kind of hesitant to click on it because I was afraid I was going to get angry when I listen to it.  It's a mild risk as I listen to it and look for a job.

I didn't get angry because it was a positive video and he talks about about beauty in general.  Like people can become attractive to you by how they carry themselves, how they talk, their personality, and intelligence.  In magazines a lot of things are airbrushed.  Some comments about his look is that he looks and sounds like Daniel Radcliffe from the Harry Potter movies and that he's hot.

I will say he is good looking in the handsome way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBnas-LcG4

Colin Donnell: I wanted to take a break so I decided to watch this.  He's an actor on the TV show Arrow.  Here he is posing on the red carpet.  As I was watching him, I was like: "He looks so familiar.  He looks like someone else.  Hey, he looks like the actor Wes Brown.  Except CD is taller and athletic version of Wes Brown."

Here's Colin Donnel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Nm8EhPk-U

Here's Wes Brown:

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1041870080/nm1734202

I think they could play brothers.

Jul. 22 Music: I was researching companies and I wanted to take a break.  I looked up CD again, and this time listened to him sing live a jazz song.  He's actually pretty good, and has nice voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsJOxTBYz3o

Here's an interview with him.  He jokes around a bit, and talks about how he is impressed with the stunt doubles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_q93Pz7mg

Jul. 24 Conor Maynard: I really like his ballad "Drowning."  Here's the song and video and he's singing it with emotion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDrYRhBKNf4

Here are the lyrics:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/conormaynard/drowning.html

Verse 1:

You, gotta excuse me
You see I went looking for yesterday
That's where I think all the good memories of you and me, went, yeah
So I'm swimming in a sea of forgetfulness
Just to get a glimpse of the you I remember, damn (Damn)

Here's the chorus:

I'll be drowning, drowning
I'll be drowning
In our memories
When I get there
I'll be drowning
I'll be drowning
I'll be drowning
In our memories
I'd rather be there than here

The song is about how his lover has changed and is different.  It's also about memories.  Remember, I already wrote about his song "Pictures."  That song was about taking pictures so he won't miss anything and have something to remember.

Jul. 29 Feng shui quiz: This is a fun quiz.  They ask these questions and tell you about your personality:

Which of the following is your favorite place in nature?

How would you describe your living space as a metaphor? 

Answers: Prison, sanctuary, bus station, etc.  lol.

https://www.fengshuishopper.com/profile.php?pid=4

Aug. 1 Scam: I got the phone call from someone claiming she's from Microsoft again and that our computer needs to be fixed.  My dad picked up and then hung up.  The woman then called again, and my dad picked up.  I also picked up and said: "We have Mac products."  lol.

I don't think she heard me and may have already hung up.  My friend Jessica put it on her Facebook status that she says she has Mac products when she got that call.

Aug. 2 2gether: Remember this fake boy band 2gether?  They had a song called "The Hardest Part of Breaking Up (Is Getting Back Your Stuff)"?

Here's the reunion.  They are standing outside of the Newsroom in Beverly Hills.  This was put up in Apr. 2012.  I didn't know about it until a few days ago when I was looking up music to listen to.  Here's the 1min version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2SDLKN5Hyw

Here is the full 4:22 version.  The camera was not as good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zThAdTLvPII

The 4 guys are standing and laughing and joking around.  They talked about other boy bands like the Beatles, Hanson, etc.  They also sang the hook to "U+Me= Us" and they kind of danced to it too.  lol.  There are about 10 fans standing around taking pics of them.

Here is the full TV movie/ back- door pilot.  It's really funny.  I remember showing this movie to my friend Leslie back in 2001 and she thought it was funny.  If you like comedy and boy bands, you will like this movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-_TD4gefbE

Actors: I have an autographed picture from Evan Farmer (who plays Jerry) and Noah Bastian (who plays Chad).

Jennifer Lawrence: She's the lead actress in The Hunger Games.  Here's a funny video where "Jennifer Lawrence geeks over Jeff Bridges Comic Con."  It's a light and fun video where JL looks so happy and excited to meet him.

http://ca.movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/jennifer-lawrence-geeks-over-jeff-bridges-comic-con-010235464.html

Live performance: This was a few months ago when I was watching the Billboard Music Awards.  I was watching Pitbull and Christina Aguilara perform "Feel this Moment."  I don't really like the song.  They sampled the beat from "Take on Me" from A-Ha.  

 

My sister ran over when she heard what I was watching.  The best part was when A-Ha actually appeared at the end of the song and started performing his own song "Take on Me."  I didn't expect that at all and I laughed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD5kQrTvTFs

disk/ living in your head/ J.K. Rowling

Jul. 18 Disk: Yesterday I was going through my Rain script on my disk which I haven't done in months.  I've only been writing on paper.  My white 3.5 floppy disk worked when I opened 2 documents.  Then I opened my black disk.  Then I went back to the white disk and it didn't work.  Now I'm trying it again today and it isn't working. 

Goodbye white disk.  I think I had this since 2000.  Yeah, well at least I copy and pasted my writing onto my black disk.  That's why I also keep my handwritten pieces if I don't print it out.

Jul. 19 Living in your head: I was reading the Screenwriting Goldmine newsletter by Phil Gladwin.  He says this on the Jun. 5, 2013:

"You know what the absolutely hardest part of being a writer is? 

It's not the coming up with the ideas. 

It's not the actual writing of the scripts. 

It's not even making the industry connections that you'll need to

have a career. 

The hardest part of being a writer is that, if you have any career 

at all, you will most likely end up spending large swathes of 

your time alone, in a room, trying to make the voices in your 

head talk to you. 

That's a very strange thing to do with your life. 

I know that it perhaps doesn't sound like a believable problem 

when you're starting out. 

If you've got a busy job and you live for writing, the thought 

of great swathes of time to indulge your passion can seem

highly desirable. 

But being alone as much as you need to have a writing career may

prove rather more arduous over time than you would imagine. 

I'm a solitary person, I do enjoy my own company (and I'm certainly

not one of those people who must connect or else they think they're

going mad!) but in the last couple of years I have to admit I'm

finding it much, much more difficult to lock myself away in a room

when there's a whole, wide world out there. 

It's sort of snuck up on me that being alone and writing is

actually quite a lonely business!"

He then does these workshops.

So if I had to pick my Ultimate Gold Plated Desert Island Writing

Tip it would be this:

"Writing Is Great, But Don't Give Up Your Life! 

Enjoy the work, enjoy the privilege of being able to wander in your

imagination, but don't overdo it.  

And to be specific: unless you're facing a terrible deadline don't

spend more than six hours a day writing. You're looking for a long,

balanced career here, not a brief flurry and a complete mental

break-down.

And most importantly do this one simple thing: Make sure you get

out of your house and talk to some people, face to face, every

single day."

My opinion: That is the tip, I have to remember "Writing is great, but don't give up your life."  It's like as a kid and teenager, I didn't have lots of freedom and money.  That's why I read all these books and experience going to places, people (characters), and cool things.  In a way, I was living in my head, but I was doing something, reading.

I do have lots of job experience.  I meet lots of people through school, work, and just being in a public place.  Watching TV is like experiencing.  When I used to watch Cops, I feel like I'm really on a ride-a-long and I feel the excitement.  However, I also got angry watching the people disrespect the cops so I had to quit watching it. 

Basically I go out and live my life, and then I write about it on my blog.  Or I kind of fictionalize it in my script.

Jul. 21: There are some things in life you will never experience like being a spy.  That's why you're watching all these Jason Bourne movies and you can watch fight scenes, car chases, and explosions.

Or you will never really go to Hogwart's and play Quidditch like in Harry Potter.

J.K. Rowling: I'm sure all of you heard by now that she wrote a book called The Cuckoo's Calling under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith.  I was reading the article "Chamber of Secrets" by Robert J. Wiersema in the Globe and Mail on Jul. 20, 2013.  It talked about how writing under a pseudonym is liberating.  You don't have to conform to people's expectations or have to meet their high expectations.

I've read articles about Rowling is upset and angry that people found out that she wrote it.  Someone from her law firm told his wife's friend, and the friend then went on Twitter and told it.  Now The Cuckoo's Calling is being bought because it's so popular now.

Yeah, well it could be worse about learning people's real identities.  Remember the James Bond movie Skyfall?  The disc with all those NATO agents was stolen.  It has all the identities of the agents and they were being released and they were getting killed.

Jul. 29 Internet: I was reading in the Globe and Mail about how the internet affects publishing.  It was in the business section.  It said: "The internet is an all you can read buffet."  lol.  That is a good comparison. 

Jul. 30 Google Chrome: This morning my Mozilla internet wasn't working very well.  So I finally used Google Chrome.  My brother uses it and says it's faster.  I feel hesitant about change, but this is just the internet browser.  It's fast and good.  I can get used to it like my new Yahoo mail version.  lol.

Detective fiction rules:  I got this from Linked In.  Here are: "The Ten rules of Golden Age Detective Fiction."  Here's one:

"The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow."

http://metrowir.com/2013/06/21/the-ten-rules-of-golden-age-detective-fiction/

Aug. 2 Blue disk: I tried to save my Rain script on a blue disk, and it stopped working.  I copy and pasted random text and saved it, then try to open it.  It worked that day.  Then I tried to open it the day after and it didn't work.  I think I had this disk since 1995.  It had a good run.

Aug. 4 Why we watch TV: I was reading in the Globe and Mail article called "Why fascinating creeps trump the good guys, every time" by Geoff Pevere.  It was published on Aug. 2, 2013.  This adds to my "Living in your head" part.  He says:

"...of what makes us want to watch fictional movie characters in the first place: whether positive or negative, they do things we, in our real lives, never get to do, and our fascination is based in observing extremes engaged with and pursued, and not reflecting
our own experience."

redundant workers/ bullying news

Jul. 25 Redundant workers: I was thinking about the Spice Girls.  When Geri/ Ginger Spice left, I remember reading something in the newspaper about the limo driver telling the tabloids that Geri left because she was getting nagged by Melanie Brown/ Scary Spice.  That's a rumor and not confirmed.  The limo driver got fired because he told the tabloids and he signed a contract where he wasn't supposed to talk about the Spice Girls.  Geri embarked a solo singing career with some success.

Years later, I was watching the Spice Girls Behind the Music.  Geri said: "I quit because I felt redundant.  I felt like they didn't need me anymore and that they could just go on without me."  I don't get that.  All the girls got to sing and I didn't feel like anyone was redundant.

I met a young woman at the Soup place who worked there for a short time.  She told me she worked at an office, and then later was laid off because they didn't need her.  There was hardly any work, and she said she was on Facebook a lot of time because there was no work.

I've experienced that myself.  In 2010, I worked at this small restaurant for a day.  I was scheduled to work for 6 hrs, but instead I got 3hrs.  There were like 6 customers that came in the total of 3hrs.  I was 1 of 3 workers working there that day.  I knew that when I call on Mon. to see if there are any shifts available, I was going to be dismissed because they didn't need me.  I was right.

Run-in: Today was my day off.  I decided to go to Staples in Oliver Square to recycle batteries and a pen because the one in downtown don't take anymore.  I got off a couple of blocks early.  I thought it was the next block over, but it was really 2 blocks over.  I was walking and then
I found a bank and I was to deposit money.  I go in and waited for a couple of min.  The guy behind the counter said: "Tracy?"

I then remembered him.  He was a supervisor from Call Centre #2 back in 2006.  He said he's been working at the bank for the past 7 yrs.  I told him I was working at a restaurant for the past few yrs.  Interesting.  I then asked what his name was, it's John.  That call centre closed back in 2008.

Jul. 29 Post Secret:

"I spent 4 years and over 100k for grad school, then landed my 'dream job' only to now realize that I am unhappy in yet ANOTHER career.  @%&$#!!!!"

Jul. 30 Bullying news: I think this belongs in my job email because it's a Yahoo article about "Wendy's customer defends server against bully, get frosties and food": 

"On Sunday, Kailee Whiting, 19,shared her story on Reddit, writing: 'Stood up for an innocent employee at Wendy's who was being bullied by a customer.  he gave us free frosties and chicken nuggets.'  Whiting also posted a photo of the two shakes sitting atop a piece of paper that read, 'You guys are AWESOME. (Hope you like vanilla.)'"

"I thought it was really sweet of the cashier,” Whiting's girlfriend, 18-year-old Katie Light, told Yahoo! Shine. “It was nice to know that she was happy that we stood up for her. Karma gave us something back."

 According to Light, the customer yelled, "If you weren’t ready to take my order, you shouldn’t have called me up!"  "We were very shocked that an older woman would even be so immature," Light explained.

My opinion: It turns out there was a power outage earlier, and everything was backed up in the kitchen.  I will give points to Kailee Whiting and Katie Light stood up for the server.  If I see a long line to get food, I won't get food there.  I find a shorter line.  Also I don't like shopping or going to the restaurants when it's really busy like the weekends.  Go during the week, and it's not as busy and you get better service.  That's my experience from working at retail and restaurants.

Here are some comments:

Canadian Patriot: As an older man, I have seen it, time and time again, how AGE DOES NOT EQUAL MATURITY!

Chris S: I wonder what the old woman does for a living. I guess she works for a perfect company where things always run smoothly and she is a perfect employee that never makes mistakes.

Josephine: Some people take politeness as a weakness. Good for the teens

http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/healthy-living/wendy-s-customer-defends-server-against-bully--gets-frosties-and-food-212128752.html

Job interview: I went to one yesterday.  The interview was average.  Prior to it, I did research by going to their website.  She didn't ask anything about the website.  She did ask good questions from a list, but she didn't write down my answers.  I arrived there 15 min. early.

The questions were:

"What are the biggest changes you have made?" 
"What are the biggest obstacles you had to overcome to achieve something?"

The first question I would say I tried a number of temporary jobs in 2012.  The second question I mentioned how I struggled in math in high school and how I had a math tutor and my sister helping me with my homework.

Rejection: I found this old Job Boom newsletter from Apr. 2013.  It's called: "Powerful people may be less fazed by rejection."  Here's an excerpt:

In one experiment, subjects were assigned either high- or low-level positions in a workplace scenario, then told they hadn't been invited to an office happy hour gathering. While low-level employees reported feeling snubbed, the high-power subjects were relatively unfazed and more likely to seek out other social bonding activities to improve relations with their coworkers.

"When rejected instead of accepted, subordinates reported lower self-esteem and greater negative emotion, but supervisors did not show an adverse reaction to rejection," Kuehn says.

My opinion: I'm not a really powerful person, but I have gotten so used to rejection, that I'm not really fazed by it.  I have been rejected a lot by constantly going to job interviews and not getting hired, getting my script rejected, not getting into college programs, etc.

I am very used to not getting my way, or at least not getting my way the first time around.  I was also raised with an older sister who was harsh and critical, so I have developed thick skin from her.

http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Work/2013/01/21/20516526-relaxnews.html

How to be productive: I think this article I have read before, but it gives some good tips when you lose motivation.

1. Update your to-do list.
2. Complete routine tasks.
3. Network.
4. Catch up on industry news.
5. Re-evaluate your goals.

http://career.ottawasun.jobboom.com/workplace/challenges/2011/08/30/18619886.html

Moving on: It's about quitting your job.

1. Keep your head in the game.
2. Pulled in two directions.
3. A graceful exit.

I like the last paragraph:

"On a psychological level, leaving a job involves some degree of loss. If you are leaving an organization involuntarily, it is easy to let anger or depression affect the last days on the job. While it might be fun to indulge in fantasies of burned files and shredded documents, a scorched earth policy will not benefit anyone. Ethics aside, even subtle sabotage may be illegal or place your benefits/severance package in jeopardy. Remember also, that it would be your friends and colleagues who would have to clean up the mess, causing them to lose time on their own workload."

My opinion: This stood out for me, because it applied to that time I worked at Call Centre #4 and was dismissed after one day.  I was mad because they said 9 completed surveys wasn't enough and I fantasized about telling off the boss that his call centre will close down.  I didn't. 
That's good, because 2 yrs later I did apply there again and the boss didn't recognize me.  Or if he did, he didn't mention it.
http://career.edmontonsun.jobboom.com/survival-guide/starting-new-job/2011/06/07/18250836.html

island/ Bayshore Inn/ low classes

Jul. 22 Island: Going to high school is like swimming to the island called Graduation.  My parents wanted me to go this route and swim to the island.  I wanted to go another route like go to Victoria Performing Arts high school, and they won't let me.  If I go to the high school my parents wanted me to go to, the route would be murky water with a few sharks.  As in I wasn't a good and strong swimmer.  My sister went that route and she would be 100 metres away, so kind of close by.  They can keep a watch on me.

The route if I went to Vic would be dark water, with sharks, pirates and sirens.  lol.  There is so much danger over there.  My sister would be 200 metres away.

The analogy is that I'm not a good student.  I had to swim with my sister (she tutoring me in math everyday for hours) and I had to swim behind her.

When I got to the island of Graduation, I got a canoe (a diploma.)  It was then a little easier, because I didn't have to swim anymore.  I just had to paddle.  I paddled to the island of Upgrading.  My sister paddled with me when I need help with college applications like getting into NAIT.

I paddled to NAIT's Graphic Communications island.  I wasn't good at it, but that's fine.

My sister helped me paddle to NAIT's Radio and TV programs, and helped me with my college applications.  I got to the islands, and I didn't get accepted.

My sister helped me paddle to Grant MacEwan's Arts and Cultural Management program.  I was late, and I got to take 3 classes to try it out.  It then lead me to go to the Professional Writing program.  I asked my sister to help me, and she said: "No.  You either fail, don't get accepted, or you quit."  The buck stops here.  I then offered to pay her, but she still wouldn't help me.  At first I was angry, but that's okay.  She did help me in the big important stuff like helping me with my math homework.  That is the most challenging thing ever.  I needed her help 100% on that.

As for college applications, I was able to get Kristy from the Arts program and Nialle who was in the Professional Writing program to read my 3 portfolio pieces and edit them.  Then I was able to get to the next round where I had to do a test.

I paddled to Professional Writing island and stayed there for 2 yrs.  I got an upgraded canoe and paddles.  I did get help with my writing assignments from Nancy who provides Writing Help.

Jul. 25 Bayshore Inn: That job posting had me really thinking about my life if I were to move and get a job as a server there.  I emailed them to ask what's around the resort.  I asked if there's a mall, hospital, to buy things you need, if there's TV, and internet to keep in touch with your family.  They said it's 35 min. away from another town and there is a pharmacy and a shuttle bus to drive you there twice a week.

The pros:

1. I don't have a kid so I don't have to think about "Where will my kid go to school when I work?"
2. I don't have a boyfriend in the city.
3. I'm only leaving a regular restaurant job for another regular restaurant job.
4. If I go to the new job, and I'm bad at it, I can easily go home back to my parents.  It would be difficult if I lived in my own apartment.  Then I would have to move my stuff into storage, or go call up my friend Leslie and say: "Hey, can I leave my stuff at your place?  You can read all my magazines, and listen to my cds."  lol.
5. If I were to go there, I would have to buy an iPod and put all my music in there.  Probably get a laptop too.  There is internet access there.
6. I would be away from my friends and family, but there is Facebook and weekly emails.
7. I don't have to stay here because I have to take care of somebody like my parents.
8. I don't have to go to school.
9. I would actually be saving money if I go work there.  I don't have to pay for food and rent because meals and housing is provided.  At home, I pay $400 rent and I get a place to live, home cooked meals every night, TV and internet.  I go there and I don't spend money at all.

The cons:

1. Not being around my family.  I'm 27 yrs old, and I never once moved out.  But, wait, my sister is 30 yrs old and never moved out.  That's because we have it really good.  Look at reason #9.

Jul. 26:

2. Edmonton is a really big and nice city.  There are lots of malls, night clubs, restaurants, things to do here.  There are lots of jobs and companies to work at.  You can meet lots of people.

3. This is also the same as a pro in #3.  I'm making a lateral move from one restaurant job to another restaurant job.  If I was to move, it should be for a big step up.

Jul. 27: If I lived in a small town and was anxious to move out, then I would take that job.  I don't have to take it.  I was thinking about Teen Mom 2, and Kailyn's boyfriend Javi was going to join the military.  He had to leave the city to go to military training.  It's a step up.  If I were to leave town, it would be to go and produce my script.

Jul. 29 Fort McMurray: I remember meeting this Aboriginal woman at the Soup Place.  She worked there and she told me that she had worked as a cook in Fort McMurray at a camp.  She said there was TV and internet there.

Jul. 31 Social 23: I've mentioned this flashback before where Mr. Smith assigned us questions to do in class: "I don't assign you guys homework because I know you're not going to do it."  He basically dissed the entire class and called us slackers.  I was not offended because he wasn't personally dissing me.  He was dissing the entire class.  If anyone had a problem with
that comment, then they can go to the principal and complain.  The principal will most likely tell Mr. Smith to not say that comment.

I know it's not his intention: "What's a really good way to get the class really angry?  I'll diss them for being slackers."  He was telling the plain truth because of his previous experience teaching the classes before us.  This was when I was in gr. 11.

Low classes: I wasn't offended because I've already been dissed for my mediocre grades.  In gr.9, when the students are supposed to be registering for their high school classes, all 3 of my teachers recommended the low classes: Math 14, Science 14, English 13, and Social 13.  (I only had one teacher who taught Eng. and Social).  It wasn't like a direct diss at me, as in they weren't saying straight to my face: "You are not a good student."  My friend was beside me and she was recommended all the low classes too. 

She said something about: "I wanted to get into Math Pure Prep 10."  I told her I was going to go into Applied Math 10 which is one step above Math 14.  She went into Applied Math with me.  I know my teachers recommended me into the low classes, because they thought that was a good fit for me.  I can genuinely imagine if I complained to the principal about the teachers were pretty much calling me stupid by recommending that I go into the low classes.

The teachers and principal would say: "Look at your grades.  They're all Cs.  Do you really expect us to tell you to go into the grade level classes so that you can risk failing and not graduate out of high school?  Go into all the low classes and then you can 100%
graduate."

I don't have delusions of grandeur.  I had the self- awareness of my skills and abilities.  I knew my parents weren't going to let me go to Victoria because my grades aren't good enough and they can't keep an eye on me while I was far away.  I knew I was going to have to endure a lot of hard work.  There is a chance I may not graduate within the 3 yrs time. 

Colleges: I was also dissed again in gr. 10 when I was signing up for gr. 11 classes.  My mom wanted me to take Mandarin the next yr so I can get into university.  My sister said no, because it was pretty obvious that even if I did take a second language, I wasn't going to get into university with my grades.  It's a diss, but at the same time it was the plain truth.  There is no nicer way to say it.