After many hours of browsing on youtube, I found this cool video that was made by Professor Wesch at Kansas State. The video is in summary, Web 2.0 in under 5 minutes. Didn’t think it was possible to explain it all, but he did a pretty good job doing it.
Got any other great video recommendations? Let me know.
Just like a romance novel, so goes our story.
Boy sees car, boy falls in love with car, boy loves to drive car, boy runs out of gas, boy sees gas prices, boy falls out of love.
While the gas prices have dropped substantially, with the economy being the way it is now, consumers are being more careful with their decisions when it comes to cars. Still, being a native of LA, I can say that I can hardly tell. While it is true that the number of riders on the metro system has increased, cars still dominate the streets and freeways of LA.
Driving in LA is not just a normal task. It is so much more than that. From the “way” you drive, to the kind of car you drive, driving is an expression and way for you to let everyone in LA know who you are. For example, seeing a Ferrari pull up to a McDonald’s is not uncommon in LA. While everyone is aware of the economic situation and unstable gas prices, LA will continue to be crowded with cars. With the gas prices on the down at the moment, it is fair to say that LA will see an increase in the number of cars on the road. We should be starting to go green, but for some us, going green means changing our image. To some, the $60,000 luxury car that gets 12MPG in the driveway means that we’ve accomplished something and are well-off. Some of us don’t want to change that.
While some of us drive out of necessity, some drive because
1. They enjoy driving
2. They want to show off their car
3. They don’t want to use the public transportation
While LA has made great strides to improve there public transportation I will admit that aside from one time when I was very young, I have not ridden the public transportation since.
Yes, I am guilty. I am guilty for being one of the hundreds and thousands of drivers that drive because they don’t want to use the public transportation and enjoy driving. As a result my car and the way I drive have become an extension of who I am. Some may even classify me as the “college student driver.”
So now I ask you, what kind of driver are you?
As I entered my fourth year at UC Riverside, I looked at my current surroundings and realized how much I would actually miss this place. Looking back to the first day I arrived at the dorms I remember thinking how I couldn’t wait to get out of this place. From the desert surroundings, to the staggering number of homeless individuals around University Ave., UC Riverside looked far from home.
It took four years of sleepless nights, countless energy drinks, ridiculous pranks, ‘psychological warfare’ with the girlfriend, and hours of studying for me to realize how much my college had become my second home. Speaking to many of my friends who have graduated, they tell me how much they miss school and how they wish they could go back. Sometimes I think, “really?” Were these not the same people who the first day of school said they wanted to go back home. Now I hear how they want to get away from there “real” home.
For some of us, life after college means moving back home and going back to a house of rules and structure. No longer are you able to stay up as late as you want blasting your music. And no longer is leaving your dishes in the sink for weeks on end an option (yes, it happens).
I have been blessed to have been able to attend a UC school and have been able to experience the quality education that they offer. The UC system is unique in that it gives prospective college students in California a chance to go to a four year university and receive a top tier education without having to go to far. From UCLA to UC Berkeley, they have campuses all over the state for all types of students. If you are considering attending a UC, I would strongly suggest visiting the campuses to make sure you know which one would suit you best, because you have to remember, it will be your ‘second home.’
With my ‘second home’s’ lease ending soon, I wish to offer some advice to soon to be graduates as well as those who are still in college.
1. Enjoy it
Plain and simple. As the saying goes, “You only live once.” Applying that concept, you will only be an undergraduate once in your life. Whether it’s re-inventing your image or building life long relationships, enjoy this time of your life.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Say “Hi”
All of us have seen the freshmen who go up to other classmates and introduce themselves and try to be sociable. Some people laugh at them and some find them awkward. What other people think in the end is irrelevant. Unless you plan to work with them for the next 10 years of your life, they can be one of two things in your life: Significant or Nothing. Why let fear of what other people think stop you from meeting someone significant or meaningful?
3. Relationships and Balance
Everyone hears about the one night stands that happens in college. While this does occur, finding someone that means something more to you than just a physical attraction is a part of the college life many college students find. The key to this is to find a ‘happy medium’ where you are able to balance both your love life and school work. Remember, no one wants to date a bum.
4. Be Active
For most of us, college will mean being in the best physical shape of our life. From the weight rooms, tennis courts, a numerous treadmills, it is hard to say you can’t find a place to be active. Go out there and be active, because when your are out of college, staying in shape and finding ways to be active is harder and might even cost your wallet more.
5. Plan Ahead
College teaches us that time management is important. It is also important to look at the big picture and plan ahead. Use all the available resources to make sure that you are not only prepared for your classes, but life after college.
It may be too late to do everything I’ve wanted to do while at college, but it is not too late for others. Hopefully someone will read this and go out and say “hi” to someone or find someone meaningful in there life. If not, I can say that I have found someone meaningful in my life and that I no longer laugh or question when people introduce themselves to strangers because I know that this is college. Anyone can be anything.
After a long day of cooking, feasting, and saying thanks, one would expect the next day to be one of rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, this is not true for most Americans. For many of us, the day after Thanksgiving is the day to go out and get that big screen TV we have been waiting for or to get those pairs of shoes that we have had our eye on. So ‘important’ has the day after Thanksgiving been, we as consumers have given it the name “Black Friday.”
“Black Friday” starts with tents, long lines, and consumers with there “Black Friday” ads in hand. Whether it be the special deal “doorbuster” or the extra 40% off that retail stores offer, consumers are willing to put up with the lack of sleep as well as the lack of respect they receive from there fellow consumers.
As I started my “Black Friday” run today, I had many places that I wanted to check out. Among them were Best Buy, Circuit City, and of course the local mall. As I went from store to store I noticed a trend. In each of the stores I went too, while there was still a large number of consumers, the number of them holding items was amazingly small. I didn’t see consumers with baskets full of DVD’s or with armfuls of clothes. If I could describe the average consumer on “Black Friday” I would use the word cautious. Consumers went for items they ‘needed’ or had been strongly considering for a while.
This change in consumer spending can be attributed to a number of things. One reasoning is that no longer is “Black Friday” only on Friday. Most stores now start there sales a couple of days before or even the week before running all the way into the weekend. Consumers no longer have to fight Friday morning but can now shop around for a couple days, finding the best deal. Another reason is that most stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Amazon, & Walmart offer online sales that offer the same items that are considered “doorbuster’s” and also in some cases, deals that are better than in the stores.
While the forementioned changes to “Black Friday” all have an affect on the way consumers approach “Black Friday”, consumer spending and confidence in businesses have been one of the key factors. Consumers unwilling to spend money on un-neccesary products has led to a record slump in consumer spending which have led to chains such as Circuit City into bankruptcy.
With “Black Friday” turning into a week long affair in some cases, why do we continue to call it “Black Friday?”
While “Black Friday” has traditionally meant the start of the holiday shopping season, consumer trends in spending during this “Black Friday” may be the signal for retailers to start worrying that perhaps “Black Friday” may just be “Regular Friday”