Its Not About What You Know but Who You Know.

Is finding a job that one would enjoy doing is nearly impossible in todays world? I started thinking about it when i had to conduct interviews for people applying for sunglass hut. The point that my boss emphasized to pay attention too was "Work Experience." Now by far the person who had the best interview was a 19 year old girl named Jasmine Santos but she was held back by work experience. She had a energetic personality and was very easy to talk to and half way through the interview she was telling me about how she really loves sunglass and has 12 pairs and feels she would be able to help customers pick out pairs that bast suit them. These were qualities that we look for. Now the other 3 people interviewed were at least 4 years her elder and had a lot more work experience ranging from customer service and retail to office assistants. Now they all gave me a vibe that they were just saying what i wanted to hear and giving almost robotic answers. 

When we and my manage where going over the interviews i kept saying Jasmine felt like the one who would fit in and perform the best for our store but my manager kept referring to her work experience as an issue. I told her that this would be her first job, like she told me, but it would be one she would enjoy doing. 

Now when i applied for the job i only had one other job that had no relation to sells or retail and only applied because my cousins friend, who is the regional manager, and my cousin assured me she would get me a job. I then asked my boss why she hired me if i had little work experience? She replied " Well of course Melissa ( regional Manger) told us to take a chance on you, you also had a strong interview, so we hired you and you turned out amazing and thats why you are where you are? I started to wonder whether thats the only reason i got the jib. Not because I was Qualified but because I knew somebody who knew somebody. Most students out of high school lands jobs at like McDonalds or something, not because they had bad resumes or anything of that nature but probably because thats the only place that would hire them. Unfortunately Jasmine wasn't picked to get called back for a second interview and that made me a little upset because her Work Experience was not at the level of the other 3 people.  Has todays work force developed into a system where you have to know somebody to get a good job? Are young adults at a disadvantage for jobs they would enjoy? most importantly, Is it Fair that Work Experience has such a large impact on a decision to Hire someone?

Blood Money.

Im a huge fan of all sports that are contact sports. Im especially Fond of the UFC which is the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing used to be my favorite but the idea of all fighting techniques thrown together is just to exciting. It wasn't until recently that I actually realized what i was watching. Two men in a CAGE surrounded by people that paid to watch them fight. Then i started thinking about how barbaric that was. I mean two men who have no other intention than to hurt their opponent and win at the cost of there own health and body while being paid to do so. Theres no doubt that its entertainment but is it healthy entertainment. Fighters devote their lives to training for the sport but is it a sport? Fighting has been considered violent for thousands of years and deemed necessary only to protect yourself. But these men are fighting because there under a contract, for money. There have been some of the most brutal knockouts  produced that have you asking if that guy is seriously hurt. The only protection they are given are little miss to soften the knuckles. I personally have seen arms broken as a result of a submission, fights stopped because one guy was bleeding to much, and fighters that have been knocked out cold to where there body froze as soon as they hit the ground. do us "fans" really realize what we are paying to see.
here is a short video showing just a few examples. WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC

Like i said before I loved the sport but as i watch more i start to question almost the humanity in the sport. Should there be a borderline for how violent a sport can be? Should this even be considered a sport? You don't have to answer theses questions but i just want to get them in your mind as you write  your comments.

AGAINST MEAT

Am I against meat? No. Do I wish I was? Yes. This story  found very interesting because i too have came across this dilemma multiple times. I've watched so much video's and even did a research paper on the cruelty and mistreatment that animals are faced with in our to meet our supply of food. It often leaves my stomach twirling or even angry at the employees of slaughter houses because of what they're doing. But yet i still eat meat on a daily. Ive tried to stay away from places like McDonalds or Steakhouses but i always come back to them. 

It makes it especially harder with my family. When theres a baptism or wedding 99% of the time they cook an animal to feed the guest. and 100% of the time its absolutely delicious. Sometimes i get the idea of what I'm eating or what was done to the animal to make whats on my plate and it ruins my appetite. But a majority of the times i just eat whatever is on my plate with no questions asked. Just like the reading, my Grandma also is always forcing me to eat. Whenever we're there she cooks something that we all have to eat. They never take no for an answer and honestly probably never will. The part that interested me the most was the information about how factory farming was the number one reason for global warming. I Had an idea of what it was and what it entitled but never did i pay attention to the effects it had on things other than the animals. 

Like Foer's grandma, my Grandma also correlates food with health. When she sees family members that are very skinny the first things she says is, " Mijo you need to start eating more." She's never told me this because almost every time i see her I'm bigger than i was the last time. Being able to eat what you want and however much you want in this world is undoubtedly a blessing because a large population of people are starving. I enjoyed the reading because it hit the 3 main points that influence ones decision, Morals , Family, and Health.  

They SAY, I SAY

WHAT THEY SAY:
Chapter 13 adresses a debate over the issue of technology and its pros and cons. THEY SAY that it has made us dumber in the areas of being able to think for ourself and the quality of conversations. THEY say that google has deprived students of the ability to express ideas because with he click of a button we have access to thousand of opinions online that influence or even create ours. Now they acknowledge that technology has allowed for people to connect with each other but refute the concept by saying the conversations are rarely genuine and only past ideas re shared.
I SAY:
Although it is easy to develop an idea or concept of a subject through technology it is also helping us to get a better idea of it by exploring a wide range of facts and opinions. Google has become dependent by college students simply because it is the easiest way to attain information and of course people steal ideas from websites but it also occurs through books. Students also steal quotes or statistics from books as well so it in almost contradictory to say the internet is to blame for stolen ideas. and like all forms of free speech there are some people who express there ideas and whether r not they make sense is up to the reader but there are also great opinion shared through social media like Facebook post. Like all sources of informations validating them is key and whether it is through pages in a book or post on Facebook, knowledge can be passed around through anything.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger

I recently watched a movie on Netflix called "Bigger, Faster, Stronger" and it was nothing less of an eye opener. The movie follows the youngest of three brothers While Bell as he explores the world of steroids in sports. In the movie, he exposes american heroes in the sports world that have taken steroids. In that list was BodyBuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenneger and Movie Hero Sylvester Stallone. I had always thought they were steroid free and thats what distinguished from everyone else so needless to say i was a little upset. Now he also follows the politics behind the issue by interviewing users, doctors, lawyers and congressmen. There was a huge steroid that hit the Major League Baseball a few years back in which home run sluggers like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire and many others were accused of taking the performance enhancing drug. Now what surprised me is that Congress felt this was a big enough issue to have court hearings about because it was deemed UnAmerican to cheat in the sport that is known as Americas Past time. Now many users and doctors have stated that like every "drug" there are side effects but there have been no direct link between steroid use and death. They also state that the myth that steroids causes ugh displays of anger is actually also and only 1% have increased aggression. Now the Steroid itself causes the body to produce more testosterone which increases muscle strength, size, and decreases fatigue. One of the users made a claim that i agree with and i feel is a good argument. In simple terms, steroids gives someone a chance to have the physical physique one desires whether for competition or self esteem. It allows for the small guys in sports to compete with those who were blessed with height and size. Now of course there should be restrictions on which sports should be able to use steroids but the bottom line is sports wouldn't be what they are today without without the steroid users of the past that created the image they now have today.
Im very interested on what your opinions are on steroids in sports. Please share your opinion on whether or not they should be allowed in sports.

Free Choice

When working in retail you often come across customers that leave you scratching your head after leaving the store. I work at Sunglass Hut in the Arden mall and today I had a customer who by far tops the charts in the category of unusual. So the man comes in and after browsing the store turns to me and asks why I'm not selling to him. I told him i don't like to bombard customers as they walk in the store because some people just like to look around and i dot want to make them feel trapped. He then puts on a pair and says "sell these to me." A little confused i politely say "excuse me?" He then says he wants me to describe the features of the glasses and make him want to buy it. So i do my job and start pointing out the features of the glasses that compliment his face and some that don't, they were a little to big,  showing off my product knowledge. He then puts the pair down and grabs another and says the same thing, "sell these to me." at this point I'm just completely thrown off but still i continue to describe why the glasses he's holding are $184. He then grabs another pair and says the same thing, "sell these to me." After about 2 more pairs of glasses, finally i say " okay sir its clear your playing some type of game so if you want to know all the details about these glasses, grab the iPhone thats in your pocket and google them." he then raises his voice and says, "your seller aren't you, so sell these to me." I quickly responded by describing my job title," actually sir my job title is a style consultant, I'm not a seller. I don't shove product down your throat, i tell you what looks good on you. Im very good at what i do and in no way have i been dishonest to any customer just to make a "sale" and thats why I'm the youngest assistant manager in this region. Now if you want to get get "sold" to try Solstice which is upstairs." 

He immediately walked out of the store without another word. 

Weird huh? 

If you read these please be honest and tell me if i displayed bad customer service because in my opinion I didn't. But if you feel different please don't be shy to express that, In no way will offense be taken. Thanks for reading

Writing Process and Goals

Unfortunately my writing process since the beginning of my educational career has involved  becoming best friends with procrastination. It is a habit that I have mastered with the ability to write 4 page papers the n8ight before the deadline. Now the large time crunch definitely has an affect on the paper itself as I don't have time to proof read but luckily the final draft allows me to revise the paper and improve my score enormously. One thing I am able to do well is come up with a good thesis that in turn writes the essay for me. Now if I was to begin the writing process much earlier than the night before the deadline there is no doubt that the thesis would be better. Another strength I have is being able to get into a rhythm with my writing which allows it to flow nicely together with good transition sentences and tie in my supporting detail so they reiterate my thesis. I would be more than happy to be able to improve this bad habit so the assignment is a lot less stressful and can be written in a manner where it doesn't seemed like it was rushed. Hopefully these flaws and bad habits can be overcommitted through the remainder of the semester