School Is in on MLK Day.

I will be at work on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year...probably for the first time in my life at a school. Why? I need the money, but if the college at which I worked was closed in honor of the day, I would not mind one bit. It was less than a week ago that I realized my university would not be in observance of this holiday, open on this Monday, January 21, 2013. I then researched to find that private Catholic schools have the ability to choose the days its students, faculty and staff will have off. Unfortunately, MLK Day was not good enough for the list at my particular school of choice--yet it will be come 2016, according to its Facebook page (Shaking my head). It saddens me a bit but I know that I will honor him and his courageous efforts in history on my own, whether I'm at home or in a school environment.

Check out these opinion pieces. They offer two very different sides of this, but both of them deserve to be heard. Dr. King would look at us and see that part of his "Dream" has truly come to fruition, but not all. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. Check out these posts. Happy MLK Day to all!

Viewpoint: Celebrate MLK Day

What MLK Day Says about Your Company’s Character

We care what others think.

written by: stacia_doss
As much as we would like to admit we don't, we do. Take customer reviews, for example. The other day, I started to think. What did we do before customer reviews existed? We would just order random things from catalogues and hoped that what arrived was what he really wanted. Maybe we just assumed that said appliance would work as the catalogue laid it out for us. No video demonstration, no zoom/multiple views, and definitely no customer reviews.

It reminds me of my childhood. My sister and I would flip through the pages of the huge JC Penney catalogue and write down what we wanted for Christmas.

I was a child then, and I will sadly admit that I probably appreciated things a lot more back in those days. If what I received was a piece of crap compared to the description, I wouldn't know any better. Or I simply would not care. Times have changed.

Companies and organizations once had more control over revealing what consumers had to say about them in print. From surveys full of great and horrendous quotes, they could publish the ones in favor of the products...as infomercials do. "The best vacuum I've ever purchased. Awesome!" But now you can 'Google' those same infomercials and read reviews to see if what's "seen on TV" really is the same when you get it. I take it that the first reviewers of a product are ones who decided to go old school...try it and then complain about it to so-and-so, but now so-and-so is a keyboard. Ha!

I hope this gave you a little something to think about. Customer reviews affect 6 in 10 online shoppers. See? I guess that would include me...and probably you, too.

I don't know what I would do without Yelp, Google Reviews, and Amazon.com reviews...or maybe I do. I care what you think.

Let's just dance until the world ends.

I can't even name how many times in my 24-year-old life that I've heard the world was ending tomorrow.

Some people have laughed, while others have been cautious and frightened, buying eggs, milk and bread in preparation for "the end of the world." To my fellow people of faith..believers, the Bible lays out how the world is going to end. As theatrical as the movies have made it, I often wonder if the world truly is ending...slowly--not in the fashion of the abrupt halt that everyone thinks it should come to.

When a relationship ends, it's usually not-so-abruptly. The signs of demise are there before the ultimate end all of the love affair. Lovers and lusters just choose not to see it.

Things are changing in the world...and don't act like you haven't noticed. What was once societal taboo is now acceptable. When someone is doing the opposite, they're often judged more harshly for not conforming to a "changed and changing society" around them. Having a significant other and moving in together with no real commitment, that's normal. Praising the increase of a secularity dominated country? Great. But is it really? I live my life by what I think is right but I often almost feel embarrassed to share what I'm not doing and how I choose to live my life. I get labeled as "cute" or "sweet"..."old-school," "old-fashioned," and even a rarity. ( Yes, I have actually been called all of these.) But the opposite just gets a simple nod. Everyone's doing it. It's just the way things are...but does that make it right?

What triggered this post was last night while I was watching an episode of Wendy Williams. She was describing a young actor and she mentioned ( I'm not sure why) that he was a virgin. Laughter resounded across the audience. I couldn't see why the fact that a 19-year-old single, attractive guy would get laughed at for NOT being sexually active. Wendy told the audience not to laugh, that she commended the young man for not complicating his life with sex at age 19. I couldn't get over how quick the audience was to laugh at the young man for abstaining from sex? Is it really that funny? I reflected on the world changing around me and maybe it truly is ending...I guess until then, I'll just dance and attempt to pretend like nothing is happening.

Congratulations to America's re-elected President Barack Obama

If you read my blog, you already know how I feel. Congrats, President Obama! I am mighty happy and enormously proud that I got to take place in yet another historic victory for you! History has been made once again.

Sensationalism

written by: stacia_doss.

TLC's "Breaking Amish" Cast (via the TLC website)

The definition of sensation (according to good ol' Merriam-Webster) is "arousing or tending to arouse (as by lurid details) a quick, intense, and usually superficial interest, curiosity, or emotional reaction." This is what we, as Americans, love. We love the documentation of "reality TV." Yes, even when that reality is quite pseudo, something about the drama and excitement of it makes us continue to watch. I found myself doing so the other day as I watched "Breaking Amish," TLC network's reality show that documents young adults who seemingly have recently broken free from their Amish (and Mennonite) communities to live life as the "English" (as they call it) in New York City. I started looking up information about the characters and all that appeared was that it was not as real as I had hoped, and TLC admitted it. These people were not-so-new to the world outside of the communities in which they were brought up, but had been away for some time. But did I stop watching the show? No. I continued...I liked the drama of it. I liked the sensationalism that TLC was trying to bring and it piqued my curiosity. 

Look at the presidential debates. People are drawn to the drama of it all and if there is not much action, we typically are not that interested. Things could get boring for many. Yes, the debates are important. I know that. However, the media focus has been the "aggressiveness" and drama of the past two debates. Does it really matter who interrupts the most or who speaks the loudest? Of course not! The issues are what matters, and fortunately for the Americans, the debates give them a chance to hear both. The "winner" according to polls is usually the "most aggressive," rather than who said the most words that were actually meaningful and cohesive together. The concept of a debate is basically an argument, so there you get both. It's more dramatic to watch the demeanor of the candidates on television, but hearing it on the radio can be just as "exciting." Have you ever thought about it that way? People get so anxious and aroused to hear candidates call each other out on issues. A sense of excitement nearly overcomes them. I guarantee you that the highlight and the most remembered moments of last week's vice presidential debate was the laughter and sarcastic smirks of Vice President Joe Biden. I am not saying he was not making some great points, but that was the most sensational aspect of the debate. It brought a hint of drama.

My sister sent me a video today. "You have to watch this," she said. She was in disbelief that I had not seen this viral video, so I checked it out. It was part of what inspired this post. (Before you click, the language in the video burned my ears. It may be better to watch it on mute.) Here is the video. It was ridiculous, right? But it wasn't so much the main point of the video that made me think, it was the fact that there is a video. When we see anything exciting or dramatic unfolding before our eyes, many of us reach for our phones to proceed to take photos and record. It looks as if someone in the video got closer to the drama to film his or her own version.Why?! Is it just a human instinct to be drawn to these types of things? Beware that any type of "fight" or dispute that makes others uncomfortable is likely going to be documented by some onlooker around you. 

I challenge you to think...what is it about us that makes us this way? I am pretty sure it has not always been this way. What do you think? I'd like to know.

Chicago.

Can I be honest? I mean, can I really be honest? (Permission granted.)

I've been in Chicago for just slightly over a month now and it has its negatives and its positives, but I what I love best is the support among its residents for the president. President Obama.

I guess because this is kind of his home. As the election approaches, conversations are starting...political sidenotes from us, "the people." Though I'm open-minded to others' opinions, different from my own, I (as most) enjoy hearing conversations among strangers that I actually agree with. It's pretty awesome!

Unfortunately, I missed last night's debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. From the news, I didn't miss much. It seems as if the media outlets (outside of FOX) have been leaning towards conservative Romney. Next week, I will be able to see the debate for myself and I will be the judge of who I think did the best, as un-biased as I can possibly be.

Look for a post. I will be covering the points I deem as important and how each of the presidential candidates did.

But until then, I'll enjoy this good 'ol Chicago talk.

"Celebrate Tonight"

Graduate school is no joke...(duh). So I have been writing a lot...kind of, but clearly not on my blog. My apologies!

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing singer Allen Stone perform live at Lincoln Park in Chicago. It was great! As part of Chipotle's "Cultivate Festival," Mr. Stone sang all of my favorite tunes from his latest EP and I won a free burrito! (If you don't know who he is, please Google him.)

I just wanted to share these photos. Don't worry! I will be back to my sports and political writing very soon. Don't think I haven't been paying attention to football and politics lately...I have :-)