This past weekend, I attended a 25th birthday party in LA. I have to say, this was my best friend’s birthday, but I had no desire to go. I work full time and go to school full time, and the thought of taking work off to drive to LA to attend a party made me cringe.
I am good at socializing, but when you put me in a room filled with people that I don’t know, along with being in a town I don’t belong in, I get a little nervous. I was in a room of people that were all in show business; have amazing apartments/houses, drive great cars and travel all over the world. I thought I was going feel embarrassed when that question, “what do you do?” came up, but I held my head high and answered honestly.
I was shocked when people said “wow!” They could not believe the life that I live. The next question was, “how did you find the time to come down here?” I just laughed and said I didn’t have time. This truly was a moment though for me where I was reminded that there is more to life than school and work. I have made this realization a few times especially this quarter, but this weekend was one of those moments that I did not realize how busy I was and how much I do until multiple people pointed it out.
Let me get back on topic…this party. Everything was thought out clearly and efficiently. I guess that is one of the reasons why I am such good friends with this girl as both of us joke that we have a minor case of OCD. The food was lined up perfectly, the lighting was dim and festive, the open bar had top shelf alcohol, and everyone looked great.
The nervous look in Alanna’s (the birthday girl) face made me laugh as she reminded me of a 10-year-old turning 11, worried that no one is going to come to her party. But as time passed the party grew larger and everyone was having a good time.
The best part about this night was observing the dynamics of LA. As I have mentioned, I do not like LA, mainly because of the traffic, but I am not all that fond of the people either. For record, I know that not all LA residents are the same. I know that not all of them are materialistic and care about the car, or the clothes, or the job. It is a generalization and I have met more of those people than the others. Alanna’s friend Greg had mentioned:
“The problem with people who do not live in LA is that they refer to it as a scene,”
That was an interesting a very true observation especially since I had said, “LA is not my scene,” earlier in the night.
I silently laughed at the women at this party. All come off confident but all are extremely self-conscious. Alanna had warned me about this prior to the party, that I may not be liked, because I am unfamiliar. She was right! I got horrible looks from the women, I was being judged with their eyes and their lack of conversation with me as I tried to make it.
This party though did remind me of the importance of networking. I met some amazing people who had great career advice. I spoke with people about my future career and all of them felt that I was exactly where I need to be.
I went to this event with an opinion and I was glad that part of it was wrong. My perception of the females who are absorbed in LA has not changed, but there are wonderful people who reside there and the party was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I had a great time.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
SOME BLOG NAVIGATING
The blogosphere world has never interested me. I have always had this perception that in the blogging world, there is too much out there and it is way too difficult to sift through the bad to locate the good. My blog is actually the prime example of what I don’t want to read. The interpretation for me has always been people’s opinions on topics I really do not care about. I know I know, this sounds harsh, but like I said, this has always been my perception when it comes to blogging.
That’s why I was surprised when I started to read about the blogs on the New York Times website. It was an instant way to read about good things, without having to sift through bad. It was like a Fromer’s travel book, but consisted with so much more than travel. These kinds of blogs are the ones I can relate to and have interest in reading. Though they still are people’s opinions and I may not always agree with a restaurant they like or a TV show they hate, I interpreted these blogs like reviews or opinion pieces you would find in a magazine.
I reviewed many of the blog categories and three of them I really enjoyed looking over were, Globespotters, TV Decoder and Dot Earth.
Globespotters was fun as it was about cities these authors live in or visit. They write on history, museums, food and even the odd that appears in these places. Being a traveler, it is always fun to look at what other people have seen and done. It is a good place to look for something different.
TV decoder was interesting as it pertains to the media and advertising world. It had entries about what was worth watching on TV in a nut shell. If you went a week without any TV entertainment, this could be a good place to check in and see what was missed. I was also drawn to this blog because of the advertising aspect. It had links to articles about TV advertising and some major changes taking place in advertising on TV. It’s nice that these blogs have links to where this information is coming from as it is no longer just opinion, but fact as well.
Finally Dot Earth. Last entry I mentioned that one of the topics that is not reported enough in the news though it is a big deal, is the issue of Global Warming. There are articles in Newspapers, but they tend to be pushed to the back, when it should be in the front. This blog had a lot of information regarding climate change and links to find more about the articles that are being discussed. Being someone who wants to learn about this topic more in depth, this was a good blog to find.
So I guess that means that the blogosphere is not all bad, you just have to know where to look!
That’s why I was surprised when I started to read about the blogs on the New York Times website. It was an instant way to read about good things, without having to sift through bad. It was like a Fromer’s travel book, but consisted with so much more than travel. These kinds of blogs are the ones I can relate to and have interest in reading. Though they still are people’s opinions and I may not always agree with a restaurant they like or a TV show they hate, I interpreted these blogs like reviews or opinion pieces you would find in a magazine.
I reviewed many of the blog categories and three of them I really enjoyed looking over were, Globespotters, TV Decoder and Dot Earth.
Globespotters was fun as it was about cities these authors live in or visit. They write on history, museums, food and even the odd that appears in these places. Being a traveler, it is always fun to look at what other people have seen and done. It is a good place to look for something different.
TV decoder was interesting as it pertains to the media and advertising world. It had entries about what was worth watching on TV in a nut shell. If you went a week without any TV entertainment, this could be a good place to check in and see what was missed. I was also drawn to this blog because of the advertising aspect. It had links to articles about TV advertising and some major changes taking place in advertising on TV. It’s nice that these blogs have links to where this information is coming from as it is no longer just opinion, but fact as well.
Finally Dot Earth. Last entry I mentioned that one of the topics that is not reported enough in the news though it is a big deal, is the issue of Global Warming. There are articles in Newspapers, but they tend to be pushed to the back, when it should be in the front. This blog had a lot of information regarding climate change and links to find more about the articles that are being discussed. Being someone who wants to learn about this topic more in depth, this was a good blog to find.
So I guess that means that the blogosphere is not all bad, you just have to know where to look!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What don't we hear about?
This past week I have been thinking about what I personally do not hear much about in the news, locally as well as globally. I think that the local Tribune does a fairly good job in reporting the hard news along with the soft news. However, for my public relations class we have to do a campaign. One of my fellow group members thought it would be a good idea to work with Greek Life to help restore their reputation. I am one who is very much tuned out to sororities and fraternities, but now having to be involved with this campaign, I have noticed that we often hear about all the bad that goes on with fraternities and sororities and the good is overlooked. I know that they do well for the community and there should be balance between the positive and negative. They should not be reported only on the stuff they do that is looked down upon.
When I was reading the Sunday paper the other day, all the way in the back, was the environment section, which contained two very important articles about global warming. Why is this not big enough news to be in the front of the newspaper? Global warming is a big deal and too many people are either not aware of how important this issue is, or does not think it will directly hurt them. We see stories about Global warming every now and then, but often the issue is pointed out as a liberal concern and should not be a main concern. The facts and statistics are there to prove that it is serious, it is newsworthy, and it should be in the news consistently.
I think that this country does not hear enough about international issues. A lot of the time when I pick up a newspaper I read about issues that pertain to the United States. There is a world news section in every newspaper, but much more is going on, than what is being reported. We lack an international news channel such as BBC, where they report world news. Though I realize that a lot people may brush over news that does is not relevant to them, I still believe it is just as important to be educated on what is going on around the world, rather than just in our bubble. Sure that news is out there, especially on the internet, but I think we need a basic cable channel, such as BBC that reports the hard news around the world.
Finally, the war in Iraq is not reported nearly as much as it should be. I just watched a documentary titled, Why We Fight, and I got a little taste of what the war over there is really like, and it is nothing compared to what we hear about. What do we hear about anymore about the war, besides how many American soldiers have lost their lives? What concrete detail do we hear about that war? Again, the information is out there, but it is not reported nearly as much as it should be. I think in this case the government my feel that it is in the best interest of the American public to know as little as possible and journalists are limited to what they can report on, but do we not have the right to be exposed to the real news?
When I was reading the Sunday paper the other day, all the way in the back, was the environment section, which contained two very important articles about global warming. Why is this not big enough news to be in the front of the newspaper? Global warming is a big deal and too many people are either not aware of how important this issue is, or does not think it will directly hurt them. We see stories about Global warming every now and then, but often the issue is pointed out as a liberal concern and should not be a main concern. The facts and statistics are there to prove that it is serious, it is newsworthy, and it should be in the news consistently.
I think that this country does not hear enough about international issues. A lot of the time when I pick up a newspaper I read about issues that pertain to the United States. There is a world news section in every newspaper, but much more is going on, than what is being reported. We lack an international news channel such as BBC, where they report world news. Though I realize that a lot people may brush over news that does is not relevant to them, I still believe it is just as important to be educated on what is going on around the world, rather than just in our bubble. Sure that news is out there, especially on the internet, but I think we need a basic cable channel, such as BBC that reports the hard news around the world.
Finally, the war in Iraq is not reported nearly as much as it should be. I just watched a documentary titled, Why We Fight, and I got a little taste of what the war over there is really like, and it is nothing compared to what we hear about. What do we hear about anymore about the war, besides how many American soldiers have lost their lives? What concrete detail do we hear about that war? Again, the information is out there, but it is not reported nearly as much as it should be. I think in this case the government my feel that it is in the best interest of the American public to know as little as possible and journalists are limited to what they can report on, but do we not have the right to be exposed to the real news?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Is there ever too much information?
I am one of those students who have not taken time in the past to inform myself about what is going on around the world. Out of ill-informed, under-informed, and downright uniformed, I am fall into the category of under-informed. My fault. I am not getting enough information from the news media because simply I never paid much attention to it. There is plenty of information available to me and my excuse for not absorbing it is I cannot find the time. Lately it has started to come more natural to pay attention to the news and it is only going to get easier.
There is not too much information in the media today. People do tend to feel overwhelmed with the feeling of unlimited sources, but no one ever said that they had to look at all of them. We have many options of which kind of news we want to look at and comprehend. Choosing the right one, can sometimes be the problem. As I read, watch, or listen to the news, I try to do it as critically as possible. It is important to be informed on not only what the top story is, but where the information is coming from.
With newspapers for example, you have to watch out about which paper you are going to read. Papers such as the New York Times, is known to be a liberal paper and you have to know that there will be liberal opinions residing in it. The only problem with newspapers and magazines these days is that they are not the most instant source of news. Conversely, for the elderly who have not adapted to today’s technology, newspapers continue to serve as the best possible form of information. For others, they still cannot start their day without reading the paper, and though it is not the most instant form of information, it is still legitimate.
Though magazines are not the most prompt form of news, they provide a more in depth analysis of what is going on. The articles in Time Magazine, for example provide a different perception then what you may hear on the news of read in the newspaper.
Local TV news channels are probably the most distracting. Reporters cannot go into depth on the story. Viewers are provided with the highlights of the tops news followed by commercials, which can be a big distraction.
The internet is the quickest way of getting information, but you have to pay attention to where the information is coming from. The best part of the internet is the opportunity of having various sources at the click of a button.
I have six sources right now where I get my information: CNN, BBC, The Week, Time Magazine, The Tribune, and The New York Times. I do not look at each of them every day, but these are the sources I chose to look at. I think if I did not narrow them down I would be one who feels overwhelmed with too much information. The best I can do right now, is focus on these and then broaden my endless sources of information in the future.
There is not too much information in the media today. People do tend to feel overwhelmed with the feeling of unlimited sources, but no one ever said that they had to look at all of them. We have many options of which kind of news we want to look at and comprehend. Choosing the right one, can sometimes be the problem. As I read, watch, or listen to the news, I try to do it as critically as possible. It is important to be informed on not only what the top story is, but where the information is coming from.
With newspapers for example, you have to watch out about which paper you are going to read. Papers such as the New York Times, is known to be a liberal paper and you have to know that there will be liberal opinions residing in it. The only problem with newspapers and magazines these days is that they are not the most instant source of news. Conversely, for the elderly who have not adapted to today’s technology, newspapers continue to serve as the best possible form of information. For others, they still cannot start their day without reading the paper, and though it is not the most instant form of information, it is still legitimate.
Though magazines are not the most prompt form of news, they provide a more in depth analysis of what is going on. The articles in Time Magazine, for example provide a different perception then what you may hear on the news of read in the newspaper.
Local TV news channels are probably the most distracting. Reporters cannot go into depth on the story. Viewers are provided with the highlights of the tops news followed by commercials, which can be a big distraction.
The internet is the quickest way of getting information, but you have to pay attention to where the information is coming from. The best part of the internet is the opportunity of having various sources at the click of a button.
I have six sources right now where I get my information: CNN, BBC, The Week, Time Magazine, The Tribune, and The New York Times. I do not look at each of them every day, but these are the sources I chose to look at. I think if I did not narrow them down I would be one who feels overwhelmed with too much information. The best I can do right now, is focus on these and then broaden my endless sources of information in the future.
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