Monthly Archives

December 2008

Lifestyle

Tag, You’re It!

December 31, 2008

Similar to the game of ‘tag,’ I am now it. No, I am not going to run around tagging you, but instead am going to mention you in my blog. James Walker, mentioned me in his blog so I am “it.” Here are the rules:

  1. link your original tagger(s), and list these rules on your blog.
  2. share seven facts about yourself in the post – some random, some weird.
  3. tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
  4. let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs and/or twitter

Without further delay, here are the seven facts of me:

1. Lived in the Los Angeles area my whole life.

Since I was born, I have lived in the LA area and wouldn’t have it any other way. Their was a period in my life when I thought that I would want to grow up and live somewhere cold, but I quickly realized that snow and rain just weren’t for me. The thing I love most about LA and its surroundings is its diversity as well the beach. Drive west for 20 minutes and you are bound to hit a beach. Also, the weather is a big plus.

2. I had an appendectomy when I was 11 years old

When I was 11 my appendix burst. Doctors say that it can happen to anyone when they get an infection in the area, but mine was burst because I got hit in my side (appendix area) when I was playing basketball during recess. I remember lying their in pain and the playground supervisor saying that it was just a ‘boo boo.’ I wish I could tell her she was wrong.

3. I am still in love with my first car.

Their is a saying that every boy falls in love with their first car. Well, that is true for me. My first car, an Acura Legend, is still a car that I love. Unfortunately, it was totaled in a car accident. Still, I plan to one day buy another one and restore it to the condition my old one was. It may not have been a Ferrari or Corvette, but it was mine, which is why I loved it. Good times.

4. Growing up I wanted to be an architect.

My favorite thing to play with when I was younger were Lego’s. Seriously, who didn’t like Legos? I would spend hours just sitting there at my ‘Lego Table,’ building boats, houses and cars. To this day, part of me wants to just get back to building Lego towns.

5. I am a horrible artist

When it comes to drawing, painting, or anything of the sort, my sister got the artistic genes, not me. She can paint beautiful canvases while I struggle to draw stick figures. I was so bad at art that in high school, the art teacher told me she would just give me a B+ cause she didn’t want me to come back again just for art. Hopefully my children don’t inherit my artistic genes.

6. I have been to a Disney theme park 11 times in the last 5 years.

Whether it be Disneyland or Disneyworld, Disney is a fun place to go. Their really isn’t a real explanation to this other than it always seems that someone I know wants to go. I wish Disney had a frequent flyer type card for their parks so I could earn back some of that cash I spend on their theme park food.

7. I have known my girfriend since kindergarten.

How many people can say that? I would bet not many. I have known my girlfriend since kindergarten and started dating her during highschool. From the high school prom, to graduation, to a long distance relationship during college, to graduation again, and to now, I have come to love everything about her.

Now that I have shared a little about myself, it is time to pass it on.

Here are the people who get tagged:

Jun Loayza

Yu-Kai Chou

Teresa Wu

Anthony Portuesi

Emanuel Lusca

Jack Siulinski

Okay guys, you’ve been tagged so here are your next steps:

-Link your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
-Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
-Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
-Let them know they’ve been tagged

I hope you guys have fun in our little game of tag!

College, Lifestyle

I Am Superman

December 29, 2008

Growing up, if you were to ask me who my heroes were I would have probably responded by saying Batman or Superman. Today it is a totally different response. Today I would respond with my parents. So what has changed? The better question should be what hasn’t. Nothing has really changed, rather I have a better understanding of life.

As a young child you grow up with an un-clear idea of fear. As a child, being scared of the dark and eating vegetables could be comparable to now being afraid of a major economic collapse or sky rocketing gas prices. Looking back, their was a period of time in my life where I would say that I fell victim to the ‘Superman Complex.’

What is the Superman Complex

The ‘Superman Complex’ is appropriately named after the classic DC comic hero Superman himself. Superman seemed to be the “unbeatable” superhero. Nothing seemed to impossible for him, nothing seemed to stop him. Still, Superman was not invincible. His weakness was kryptonite. Similar to the story of Superman, many of us in society fall victim to this mind set which is feeling that we are able to do anything without failure or consequences. Individuals that have the Superman Complex also feel the need to save others while feeling ‘invincible.’ Some of us go our whole life living with the mind set of the Superman Complex. While it is not necessarily a bad thing, I wouldn’t say it is a good thing.

One of the classic examples of the Superman Complex can be seen in teens around the age 15-19. Around this time, teens begin to have fewer rules and more trust from their parents. After years of telling their children what is right and what is wrong, parents feel that their children will make the right decision. Unfortunately this is not always true. As teens begin to explore their new found freedom, most go out into the world with no real understanding of what ‘fear’ is. Teens will drive at high speeds only thinking of how fast they can go and how to weave in and out of traffic without slowing down. During this age, teens also will have to face the hard decision of how to deal with drugs and alcohol. It is not an easy age by any means.

Still, the thought process that goes into making these decisions are what separates those with the Superman complex and those who don’t. The teen that drives at high speeds and disregards the safety of others has the mindset that they are ‘invincible.’ Most people I have talked to that have been in major car accidents have told me that after they had the accident they won’t drive fast and are in some ways scared too because they know what can happen. Without this ‘fear,’ teens that decide to drive the way they do will always have the feeling that they are immune to the consequences or that ‘it won’t happen to them.’ In a way, the Superman Complex can be thought of as ‘living life without fear or realization of consequence.’ As mentioned, the Superman Complex can apply to anyone.

The Superman Complex revolves around the idea of being fearless, but in reality it is important to not live in fear, but learn from it. As Louisa May Alcott once said:

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship”

Let us not be afraid of living life, but learn how to live it.

Economy, Marketing, News

Services Marketing: How Disney Got It Right

December 26, 2008

Services Marketing: How Disney Got It Right

In the realm of services marketing, their are companies that don’t have any idea what they are doing, and then their are those that just get it and do a great job. Among those that got it right is Disney and the experience of guests at their parks. For the past 50 or so years, Disney has established itself as one of the leaders of the entertainment world. From their iconic “mouse ears” to their ability to crank out musical child stars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, Disney has always been associated with providing the best in entertainment.

But how does Disney do it?

Their are many reasons as to why Disney has become so successful, but among the major reasons for their success is their attention to services marketing. Disney believes in providing the customer or guest the best experience they can possibly have. For example, when entering a Disney theme park, guests are not just entering an amusement park, they are entering a ‘magical place’ as is the motto in the photo above. Disney believes in making every effort to make the guest feel like they are part of something special. Disney even addresses there workers as ‘cast members’ not employees.

Not only does Disney pay close attention to its customers, but Disney also does a great job with there servicescape.This is an important detail that all businesses should think of. When a customer is going to your store, the customers first interaction with your business does not start when they enter the store, but when they first see it. Having the appropriate setting and physical environment has a direct correlation to the experience the customer has. Looking at Disney, not only do they ‘say’ that you will have a magical day, but the setting and decor make you feel like you are.

Going back to the role of the Disney cast members, they play one of the most vital roles in their parks. Not only are they necessary in the day to day operations of their parks, but cast members are important in the personal interactions with guests. Most guests would agree that they have had positive experiences with Disney cast members. One of the ways to assure that the quality of the service being provided by employees is at its best is to implement a good training program that will allow employees to not only learn basic operations but also to learn the company culture. Employees that understand the company culture will be able to better serve the customer.

While Disney is a great example of a company that understand the importance of services marketing, some companies still don’t. Many will tell you that it just costs too much to train and put in the time to make sure they are doing a good job. In all honesty, this is true. It is also true that it costs more money to acquire a new customer than to retain one. Also, that an angry or unsatisfied customer will tell on average 12 people negative things about your business and happy customers will tell 5 people positive things. In the end it may come down to a numbers game and what is most cost efficient, but companies should remember that while the motto “customers are always right” may not always be true, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and provide the best service possible.

Economy, News, Social Media, Technology

LA Goes Wireless, So Should Companies

December 23, 2008


Los Angeles has always been known for being a hot spot for social trends and cultural change, and recently I noticed something that I hadn’t really taken the time to notice before. Driving down Melrose and La Brea, I noticed just how few payphones their were. In fact, I was unable to see one for almost 3 blocks.

Not only was it just in this vicinity that I was unable to find a payphone, but in other surrounding areas as well. This lack of payphones leads me to believe that LA has gone wireless. Today, cellphones have replaced the need to carry around quarters except to pay for the parking meter. Cellphones are no longer for the rich and powerful as they once were back in the early 90’s, but are now common ‘toys’ for teens and necessary tools for students and professionals.

LA’s new direction in regards to communication is something that businesses should be aware of as well. Consumers can now get the weather, find out what’s for dinner, look up directions, and update there Facebook all from there cellphone. Businesses should take advantage of this and find new ways to target consumers. While payphones do exist in remote locations, such as near the bathrooms at shopping malls, LA for the most part has made the transition from landlines to wireless.

With the addition of Wi-Fi, 3G networks and reasonable wireless service plans, a cellphone has become standard for most. When email became preferable to ‘snail mail,’ companies jumped onboard, trying to tag every page with there advertisements. Now that cellphones have become the new ‘communication’ tools, companies should recognize this and latch on to it. Whether it is through text advertisements, which many companies have already been utilizing, or through cellphone apps, ‘wireless advertisements’ will be the new way to advertise and the new way to communicate with this new generation.