It’s
raining out.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
One Semester Down, How Many More to Go??
Adios ITEC 610!
This was my first semester in graduate school. I remember feeling nervous during my first few weeks, as I didn’t know what to expect of online courses. Though online courses prevented me from interacting with my classmates and professors in person, I saved lots of time on commuting and learned how to better manage my time. Twelve weeks has passed and now my first semester as a graduate student is over. These past few months have worn me out, but it brings me a sense of accomplishment as I have just completed 1/6 of my program. One introductory and two program courses down, ten more to go!
Thumbs up!
This was my first semester in graduate school. I remember feeling nervous during my first few weeks, as I didn’t know what to expect of online courses. Though online courses prevented me from interacting with my classmates and professors in person, I saved lots of time on commuting and learned how to better manage my time. Twelve weeks has passed and now my first semester as a graduate student is over. These past few months have worn me out, but it brings me a sense of accomplishment as I have just completed 1/6 of my program. One introductory and two program courses down, ten more to go!
I believe that when things get tough, keep your head down
and continue to focus. If you are
willing to invest the time and effort, you can accomplish almost anything.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Blessed
I went grocery shopping at Harris Teeter the last Tuesday in
time for their triple coupon event. I
could potentially turn a 99 cent coupon into a whopping savings of $2.97! Nothing excites me more than getting a good
deal, whether it is at the mall or grocery store. Though it is really easy to get carried away,
it’s especially important to only buy what you absolutely need, otherwise you
would end up with a house full of junk that you didn’t really need but bought
anyways simply because it was on sale and/or you had a coupon.
How amazing is it that we have an entire aisle at the
grocery store that is solely devoted to just ice cream and other frozen
desserts? An ENTIRE aisle of different
ice cream brands and flavors to choose from!
There are people around the world who will not get enough to eat today, yet
here I was, strolling down the ice cream aisle of Harris Teeter debating on
whether I would like to watch my DVR recording of Dancing with the Stars while eating
Starbucks coffee ice cream on a cake cone or a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar with
almonds. Regardless of how rough my week
might have been, I am quite blessed.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Making Friends with Gepetto
Session 9:
“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” (Leviticus 19:11)
This week, we discussed whether or not there exists an ethical crisis in the business world today. I believe so. Many people lack the morals and integrity to conduct business honestly. Instead, they are driven by greed, taking all the necessary shortcuts to maximize profits, and ignoring the consequences that follow.
The U.S. heavily depends on foreign countries for outsourcing purposes, as labor costs are much lower overseas. How amazing is it that it is more cost-effective for companies to have their products manufactured in foreign countries located on the other side of the world and have it all shipped to the U.S., than it would be to have those very same items manufactured domestically? The business exchange serves to benefit both sides, as it serves as a money saving strategy for the U.S. and the foreign countries get the much needed business.
Off-shore manufacturing plants, such as those located in China, have built quite a reputation for themselves, making it quite obvious that their business ethics highly lack morality. China has had a long history of running manufacturing plants with non-ideal working conditions that would closely resemble a sweatshop. The hired workers are of all ages, many of whom are not of legal working age, are set to work very long hours in exchange for very little compensation. The lack of empathy for their own people makes me question their integrity.
“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” (Leviticus 19:11)
This week, we discussed whether or not there exists an ethical crisis in the business world today. I believe so. Many people lack the morals and integrity to conduct business honestly. Instead, they are driven by greed, taking all the necessary shortcuts to maximize profits, and ignoring the consequences that follow.
The U.S. heavily depends on foreign countries for outsourcing purposes, as labor costs are much lower overseas. How amazing is it that it is more cost-effective for companies to have their products manufactured in foreign countries located on the other side of the world and have it all shipped to the U.S., than it would be to have those very same items manufactured domestically? The business exchange serves to benefit both sides, as it serves as a money saving strategy for the U.S. and the foreign countries get the much needed business.
Off-shore manufacturing plants, such as those located in China, have built quite a reputation for themselves, making it quite obvious that their business ethics highly lack morality. China has had a long history of running manufacturing plants with non-ideal working conditions that would closely resemble a sweatshop. The hired workers are of all ages, many of whom are not of legal working age, are set to work very long hours in exchange for very little compensation. The lack of empathy for their own people makes me question their integrity.
One of the bigger recalls was of pet foods containing
contaminants that caused renal failure, in which many cases led to death, of our
beloved furry companions. Another was
the recall of Chinese manufactured toothpaste imported into the U.S. that contained
poisonous substances. Alarming, isn't
it? Their lack of regulations has
brought on acts of carelessness and cost-cutting strategies that have tainted their
reputation.
A long string of recent recalls have made most Americans think twice about purchasing products made in China. How do the Chinese go around this? Replace the word “China” with the acronym “P.R.O.C.” that stands for People’s Republic of China, so that it reads “Made in P.R.O.C.” instead. Clever, isn’t it? I am certain that their strategy has fooled many into purchasing items made in China without even realizing it. I was once among one of those fools. I picked up a package of dried tofu sheets at the grocery store, read the “Made in P.R.O.C.” label, and had absolutely no idea where that was but threw it into the cart anyways because I figured that as long as it wasn’t made in China, it was fine. As we stand in the long check-out line that doesn’t seem to move, my mom reads the labels of every item we’ve thrown into the cart with her reading glasses halfway down the bridge of her nose. Of course my mom informs me of what “P.R.O.C” stood for and it got left behind at the grocery store. We are not supporters of such unethical business practices and avoid buying food items made in China as best we can.
It is our greed that drives to form our web of lies that eventually becomes our basis of deceit. Overseas, we have the issue of bad business integrity. Here we have money laundering, tax evasions, and other monetary woes. People should realize that lying and deceit does not get one very far. My guess is that they must not have watched Pinocchio as a kid.
A long string of recent recalls have made most Americans think twice about purchasing products made in China. How do the Chinese go around this? Replace the word “China” with the acronym “P.R.O.C.” that stands for People’s Republic of China, so that it reads “Made in P.R.O.C.” instead. Clever, isn’t it? I am certain that their strategy has fooled many into purchasing items made in China without even realizing it. I was once among one of those fools. I picked up a package of dried tofu sheets at the grocery store, read the “Made in P.R.O.C.” label, and had absolutely no idea where that was but threw it into the cart anyways because I figured that as long as it wasn’t made in China, it was fine. As we stand in the long check-out line that doesn’t seem to move, my mom reads the labels of every item we’ve thrown into the cart with her reading glasses halfway down the bridge of her nose. Of course my mom informs me of what “P.R.O.C” stood for and it got left behind at the grocery store. We are not supporters of such unethical business practices and avoid buying food items made in China as best we can.
It is our greed that drives to form our web of lies that eventually becomes our basis of deceit. Overseas, we have the issue of bad business integrity. Here we have money laundering, tax evasions, and other monetary woes. People should realize that lying and deceit does not get one very far. My guess is that they must not have watched Pinocchio as a kid.
“Always let your conscience be your guide!” -Gepetto
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Are You a Planner?
Session 8:
While cleaning my room, I found the results to a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment I took several semesters ago. It indicated that I am an ISTJ. It’s right on the dot, in my opinion, as the profile of an ISTJ fits mine perfectly. Finally, an explanation as to why I react and feel the way I do towards a lot of things in life.
As an ISTJ, breaking laws or going against the rules would make me feel uneasy. This is absolutely true. I follow rules and avoid breaking any laws, though there has been a handful of moments when I’ve unintentionally broken a few traffic laws. Also, I am a firm believer in karma, committing bad deeds will come back ten times worse!
ISTJs often take things too seriously and have an offbeat type of personality, and so do I. That would explain why my friends have referred to me as the cemetery of all jokes…where all jokes come to die, which I do not agree with completely. Believe it or not, but I’m not always a joke-killer. I am easily amused and can be pretty funny, though it takes me a while to feel comfortable enough to be myself.
Like the typical ISTJ person, I have always been a methodological person. I follow closely to the procedures of every task, which made me pretty good with lab work during my days of studying biology. I’ve found that I perform at highest efficiency when employing a step-by-step approach. I have never been the type of girl that takes a lot of risks or involve myself in dangerous activities, such as skydiving. Instead, I am quite fond of the feeling of safety of having my feet planted on solid ground. I am also a chronic list-maker, and will make them for everything: packing, grocery shopping, to-do list for the day, etc. I plan out my entire day while brushing my teeth in the morning, mentally listing out all the errands I have to run or things to do for the day. I try to plan out every step I take in life, so that I am able to make the right choices in order to acheive my goals. After 29 years of life, I have come to the conclusion that regardless of how hard I fight, life is full of detours. Like other ISTJs, inconsistencies and plan detours frustrate me, but I’m learning how to deal with them.
I am an ISTJ and I am a planner.
This past week, we discussed the value of planning. Work environments and project plans, like life, are continuously changing, but that does not make planning a useless endeavor. Business decisions should be made based on initial plans, where routes are pre-determined to unveil options. To proceed without initial planning is to set a team up for failure, as it will put them at a disadvantage in their decision-making process. I am a firm believer in thorough planning, as it is the force that will drive a team towards success.
While cleaning my room, I found the results to a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment I took several semesters ago. It indicated that I am an ISTJ. It’s right on the dot, in my opinion, as the profile of an ISTJ fits mine perfectly. Finally, an explanation as to why I react and feel the way I do towards a lot of things in life.
As an ISTJ, breaking laws or going against the rules would make me feel uneasy. This is absolutely true. I follow rules and avoid breaking any laws, though there has been a handful of moments when I’ve unintentionally broken a few traffic laws. Also, I am a firm believer in karma, committing bad deeds will come back ten times worse!
ISTJs often take things too seriously and have an offbeat type of personality, and so do I. That would explain why my friends have referred to me as the cemetery of all jokes…where all jokes come to die, which I do not agree with completely. Believe it or not, but I’m not always a joke-killer. I am easily amused and can be pretty funny, though it takes me a while to feel comfortable enough to be myself.
Like the typical ISTJ person, I have always been a methodological person. I follow closely to the procedures of every task, which made me pretty good with lab work during my days of studying biology. I’ve found that I perform at highest efficiency when employing a step-by-step approach. I have never been the type of girl that takes a lot of risks or involve myself in dangerous activities, such as skydiving. Instead, I am quite fond of the feeling of safety of having my feet planted on solid ground. I am also a chronic list-maker, and will make them for everything: packing, grocery shopping, to-do list for the day, etc. I plan out my entire day while brushing my teeth in the morning, mentally listing out all the errands I have to run or things to do for the day. I try to plan out every step I take in life, so that I am able to make the right choices in order to acheive my goals. After 29 years of life, I have come to the conclusion that regardless of how hard I fight, life is full of detours. Like other ISTJs, inconsistencies and plan detours frustrate me, but I’m learning how to deal with them.
I am an ISTJ and I am a planner.
This past week, we discussed the value of planning. Work environments and project plans, like life, are continuously changing, but that does not make planning a useless endeavor. Business decisions should be made based on initial plans, where routes are pre-determined to unveil options. To proceed without initial planning is to set a team up for failure, as it will put them at a disadvantage in their decision-making process. I am a firm believer in thorough planning, as it is the force that will drive a team towards success.
Monday, March 12, 2012
How Will Our Actions of Today Affect Tomorrow?
Session 7:
I am an avid recycler. I am one of those people who rinses out my milk carton before throwing it into the recycling bin, recycle every newspaper and magazine I no longer want to keep, and will bring home my day’s worth of plastic water bottles if work does not have an active recycling program. Anything that has a picture of arrows running in a triangular formation gets thrown into the recycling bin without a second thought. I may come off as a hoarder, but before discovering the battery recycling dispenser in the mailroom at work, I managed to save an entire ziplock bag of batteries because I couldn’t figure out how to properly dispose of them. I make the extra effort to reduce my carbon footprint on this earth so that those who live longer than I will not have to suffer due to my laziness. I am a tree hugger.
For years, many U.S. businesses have resorted to offshore outsourcing for cheaper labor. Those looking at the situation from a business standpoint will consider this a win-win tradeoff, as U.S. businesses save money on labor and foreign countries benefit with the much needed job opportunities. Though it may seem beneficial to both parties today, how will it affect us in the long run? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion when comes to offshore outsourcing.
Let’s consider the iPhone4 as an example. When the new iPhone4 flew off the shelves at Apple stores and half of America had to wait months for future shipments, where did the tracking information state your phone was being shipped from? China. I just checked my keyboard, that’s made in China also. I’m willing to bet that the monitor or laptop you’re reading my blog from is either made in China or another foreign country. Is anything made in the United States anymore?? Oh yes, domestic cars. I’m a proud Toyota driver and I am willing to bet that you don’t drive a domestic car either. The point of the matter is that I do not believe that offshore outsourcing is a good idea in the long run.
Offshore outsourcing may seem beneficial to us today and may not hurt us tomorrow either, but how will it affect us 15 years from now? As our dependency on foreign countries increases to provide us with cheaper labor and technical assistance, it will weaken us as a whole as we will lose the capability to provide such services on our own. Foreign nations have grown more aggressive in strengthening their technical skills, while many Americans are more focused on the media and keeping up to date on who Kim Kardashian is dating at the current moment. Isn’t anyone concerned about the idea that one day these foreign countries will surpass the U.S.?
P.S. Does anyone know how to properly dispose a battery
operated toothbrush??
I am an avid recycler. I am one of those people who rinses out my milk carton before throwing it into the recycling bin, recycle every newspaper and magazine I no longer want to keep, and will bring home my day’s worth of plastic water bottles if work does not have an active recycling program. Anything that has a picture of arrows running in a triangular formation gets thrown into the recycling bin without a second thought. I may come off as a hoarder, but before discovering the battery recycling dispenser in the mailroom at work, I managed to save an entire ziplock bag of batteries because I couldn’t figure out how to properly dispose of them. I make the extra effort to reduce my carbon footprint on this earth so that those who live longer than I will not have to suffer due to my laziness. I am a tree hugger.
For years, many U.S. businesses have resorted to offshore outsourcing for cheaper labor. Those looking at the situation from a business standpoint will consider this a win-win tradeoff, as U.S. businesses save money on labor and foreign countries benefit with the much needed job opportunities. Though it may seem beneficial to both parties today, how will it affect us in the long run? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion when comes to offshore outsourcing.
Let’s consider the iPhone4 as an example. When the new iPhone4 flew off the shelves at Apple stores and half of America had to wait months for future shipments, where did the tracking information state your phone was being shipped from? China. I just checked my keyboard, that’s made in China also. I’m willing to bet that the monitor or laptop you’re reading my blog from is either made in China or another foreign country. Is anything made in the United States anymore?? Oh yes, domestic cars. I’m a proud Toyota driver and I am willing to bet that you don’t drive a domestic car either. The point of the matter is that I do not believe that offshore outsourcing is a good idea in the long run.
Offshore outsourcing may seem beneficial to us today and may not hurt us tomorrow either, but how will it affect us 15 years from now? As our dependency on foreign countries increases to provide us with cheaper labor and technical assistance, it will weaken us as a whole as we will lose the capability to provide such services on our own. Foreign nations have grown more aggressive in strengthening their technical skills, while many Americans are more focused on the media and keeping up to date on who Kim Kardashian is dating at the current moment. Isn’t anyone concerned about the idea that one day these foreign countries will surpass the U.S.?
Oscar asks, "why aren't you recycling??"
Thursday, March 1, 2012
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