Archive for » August, 2009 «

I recently met someone at a Meetup who applied for a job with New York and Company at the Tempe Marketplace in Tempe, AZ. They blatantly told her that she would fit in better at the Chandler Fashion Mall on Chandler Blvd. in Chandler, AZ. Was this selective hiring or discrimination? Whoever told her this wasn’t too bright because I’m writing a blog about it. I wonder what the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) would say about this.

How does New York and Company know that she wouldn’t fit in? Believe me; the people in Arizona don’t dress like the people from New York, London, Chicago, Boston, or any other trendy place. They wear khakis, tank tops, flip flops, shorts, T-shirts, and any other casual wear all year long. This hardly constitutes as New York fashion even though fashion designers will feature these items, they’re not the same in AZ.

It’s interesting that they judged her because New York and Company does offer some “preppy” looks. It’s not like shopping at Prada or a boutique in New York. It’s Tempe, AZ and a Marketplace that’s minutes away from ASU — you get the picture. Since when do college kids really care about how they look? Most of them roll out of bed and are good to go.

I felt compelled to write this blog because it’s interesting how we “judge” others. What they don’t know about this woman is that she’s in marketing and could have helped New York and Company market their brand at the store level. They’ll never know how many extra sales she would have brought into the store. They’ll never know how much she could have helped increased the bottom line which is important in business and retail sales. As my law professor would say, “….too bad, so sad.” Just some food for though.

Rebecca

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I recently visited the East Bay and South Bay areas of San Francisco. I wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before I left and was told that the ocean was only an hour away from Campbell, CA. I had no idea that I was headed for Santa Cruz, CA.

I arrived at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and was really stoked about being there. One of my favorite movies is the Lost Boys (original movie) with Keifer Sutherland. I couldn’t believe that I was starring at the same boardwalk that was used in the film. Due to the amount of people at the boardwalk and beach, I didn’t get the chance to wander the boardwalk. I plan on going back and will make sure I arrive at 8 am or 9 am.

From the boardwalk I drove to the Santa Cruz Harbor, East side. I parked on the street and walked towards the beach. As I took my shoes off to walk on the beach, I was disheartened to see the amount of debris on the beach. It was disheartening. It’s no wonder that the oceans are raging. They’re probably mad as hell because human beings are screwing up the planet instead of respecting and taking care of it.

Here’s a tip: if you want to park on the street, make sure you have a permit. I received a $45 ticket because I didn’t read the sign very well: “No parking Mon.-Fri. 8 am – 5 pm. Permit only.” I missed the “permit” only part. You can buy a permit (now I know) from a trailer that is located at 9th Street. Permits are $7.00.

On the beach I found plastic bags, bottles, an abandoned football, and other trash. What does this say about the human race? Apparently, some of us are still a bunch of Neanderthals! There’s no reason to use the beach as a big landfill when there are garbage cans available for trash. Here’s a tip: bring your own trash bag and take your trash home with you. This way you can recycle glass and plastic.

It’s interesting that I received a $45 ticket for parking on the street, but people can trash the beach and oceans without any penalty. Where are the police “beach” cops? Perhaps they’re too busy patrolling the streets giving tickets to out of town visitors. Paying attention to traffic is more important than looking for posted “No Parking” signs.

Our beaches and oceans deserve respect. Without them the human race wouldn’t survive. What would we do if our oceans become so polluted that they can no longer serve mankind? What will happen to the animal life in and around our oceans? They will no longer exist which means possible cures for diseases could be lost. Instead of working with our environment, we work against it. This is counterproductive.

Continuing to desecrate the Earth’s ecosystems will be detrimental to human beings, animal, and plant life. If humans don’t want to become extinct along with plants, animals, and minerals, then I suggest all of us do our part to clean up the planet and show it some respect. Otherwise we could all be in for a rude wakening. If you think some other planet in our galaxy or another galaxy far, far away will welcome us with open arms, you’ve got another thing coming. They’re more likely to “use” their force and turn all of us away or vaporize us!

Rebecca

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I recently took a road trip to the East Bay and South Bay of San Francisco. It took me 12 hours to drive from Phoenix, AZ to San Francisco. The reason for my trip was to check out a school that I’m interested in attending. Next time, I’ll fly.

Driving by yourself is no fun for two reason: 1) you do all of the driving and 2) it’s kind of boring because you have no one to converse with when you’re on the road.

While I was in the East Bay and South Bay areas of San Francisco, I wanted to see the ocean. I was at the South Bay campus of the university that I’m interested which is located in Campbell, CA. After speaking with one of the advisor’s, I found out that the ocean was only a 1-hour drive. I didn’t know I’d be headed to Santa Cruz.

I hopped on the 17-S and drove towards Santa Cruz. It was an easy drive from Campbell, CA. It was a bit winding and curvy. I was grateful that the police were on the highway as well because Californians are worse drivers than Arizonians.

Santa Cruz Harbor_CA1

Santa Cruz was a lot of fun. It was so cool to see the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Yes, the same boardwalk where the original Lost Boys movies was filmed! Here’s a tip: you may want to arrive very early in the morning. Parking was horrific. You may want to book a stay at hotel in the area so you can walk to the boardwalk.

After driving around and around, I decided to forgo the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and drove to the Santa Cruz Harbor. I found parking on the street and the restaurant The Crow’s Nest. When I parked my car, I had a “gut instinct” that said “maybe you can’t park here.” A sign was posted that read “No Parking — Mon. – Fri. 8 am – 5pm.” Unfortunately, I didn’t see the park about “No Parking without a Permit.” I parked my car and walked toward the ocean.

Walking on the beach was wonderful. As I walked towards the Pacific Ocean, I felt very grateful for having made to California from Arizona. I watched the waves were crash upon the beach and was awestruck. As I walked towards the ocean, the water came up and kissed my feet! I continued to walk and the water smacked against my legs. My pants legs were all wet and full of sand, but I didn’t mind.

I began to walk towards my car and noticed a woman by my car. I said, “…excuse me, may I help you.” She turned around and low and behold it was a cop. Nice. Apparently, my “gut instinct” was right. I couldn’t park on the street. She told me to take the ticket to this little trailer, and I did. There was nothing they could do. I was told I could pay the ticket online.

Yes, I paid $45 to see the Pacific Ocean and walk on the beach. Was it worth it? I believe it was because my creativity was reopened. I was feeling stuck with my writing and life. I loved walking on the beach and recommend it. So, you may want to book a trip to Northern California and visit Santa Cruz. Go on, the water’s fine!

Rebecca

Who else got a ticket while traveling?

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