-   John Pierpont Morgan

“Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.”

     -   Muhammad Ali

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

     -   Winston Churchill

     There are probably few things an acclaimed boxer, a British statesman, and a tough as nails Industrial tycoon would agree on.  Economic policy? Social issues? Military?  Probably not.  So anything that could unify these unlikely allies may warrant some thought.  Their message is simple and very clear: Never give up and always keep moving.  Mental paralysis during these times and the physical toll taken by stress can make derail even the most diehard optimist.

     Most college students, at some point during their educational journey, experience a feeling akin to this.  A spot where we no longer see it is darkest ‘before the dawn’, but ‘before pitch black’ and hope is in short supply.  Be it a financial burden, family problem, or personal catastrophe (sometimes more than one) you’re left feeling like things will never get better.  Worse still you begin to accept it. 

     So how can you reverse the flow when life seems like a black hole out of which no positive energy escapes?

     The magic word is ‘Action’. 

     We may not be able to change the facts of our circumstance but we don’t have to be slaves to the paralysis that can set in.  The first step is to gain a realistic perspective on things.

     Action 1: Talk.  You know that idea you had that sounded so brilliant in your head you just had to do it without running it by anybody?  The one you now look back on and say, “What the Hell was I thinking?  Bad feelings seem to operate the same way. Even the most nebulous problem can seem more manageable once it’s not just in your head.  Plus, being down can lead to poor decision making and often this is where you can benefit from a fresh perspective.  Which lead us to …

     Action 2: Listen.  If there is one thing that won’t help, it’s intolerance to someone else’s suggestions.  We may tell ourselves we’ve tried everything and that nothing will work but often, in an emotional state, we don’t see things clearly.  The people you talk to aren’t just sounding boards and just because you didn’t think of a solution doesn’t mean it’s not going to work.  Fear of more failure can make even the most benign suggestion seem threatening but by even making the decision to listen to someone else you are taking a positive step.

     Action 3: Do.  Accomplishment seems to breed accomplishment and the better we become at taking care of our responsibilities the more we can gain a sense of control that can improve our overall disposition and sense of self.  You don’t get that same feeling from sitting on a couch, eating a gallon of ice cream or playing video games for hours on end to avoid reality.  Becoming an active participant in your life is a key factor in not letting your problems become unmanageable.

     Action 4:  Gratitude.  Stay grateful… for ANYTHING. Try to remember that gratitude IS an action word and if you proclaim to be grateful for something it’s your responsibility to protect its place in your life.  If you can find even a few things to be grateful for, no matter how trivial, you’re giving yourself that much more reason to hold on and stay positive.

     Keeping a big smile on your face while your world seems to be crumbling isn’t what any sane person would expect.  Life happens and the outcome may not be what you want or prepare for but by continuing to persevere and step up, you can throw off the blinders blocking your view of a brighter future.

*The Capitalist Disclaimer:  The suggestions made here are not to be construed as medical advice of any kind.  This blog is in NO WAY to be used to substitute or refute the opinions of professionals.  If you feel like things are getting out of hand it’s strongly advised to seek the help of a therapist, psychologist or other person trained to deal with hard situations. 

Are you sick of seeing the same repetitive themes of reality shows? I know I am whether it’s American Idol, Jersey Shore, Bad Girls Club, Survivor, or Basketball Wives, the list goes on forever. They are all over publicized and straying America away from what is really important in the world. More people can name all three judges on American Idol than a senator or another elected official, which I find a mockery of our priorities in this country. If we wanted to watch “Average Joes” why wouldn’t we film ourselves and our friends?  Much of the news and talk on social media are about these shows that should not be given the time of day.  Often times these reality shows portray people in the most unrealistic and stereotypical manner.  A lot of the time on these shows is spent on physically and verbally fighting with people usually over senseless things.  For example, on Jersey Shore Season 4, when Mike “The Situation” gets into a fight with Ronnie in Italy over Ronnie and Sam arguing over stupidity.  Punches were thrown and out of mental anguish, or probably because it was scripted, Mike jumped into the wall head first and ended up with a concussion.  Pointless television like this is doing a disservice to our youth by subjecting them to these kinds of behaviors on TV.  Younger people emulate what they see on TV and schools are increasingly having problems controlling behavior and bullying has spiraled out of control.  We can’t directly correlate watching of reality shows with an increase of violence and bullying, but we definitely can’t dismiss it as a factor.  We’ve all seen cases where a younger person acts out their favorite television character, so TV is a relevant stimulus to our thoughts and behaviors. Although, not all reality TV is detrimental to society some of it provides uplifting messages, such as shows like ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition, which renovates homes for people who are experiencing hard times and gives them renewed hope for the future.  These types of reality shows expose viewers to empathy and compassion that may be able to create better schema and morals in the world.

First there was Myspace; no you could not update your status every five minutes but at least you had some privacy.

Then Facebook; Facebook is still alive and basically changing and evolving to become the new twitter.

Then twitter was invented, basically to let everyone know a step by step play on how you are feeling, what you are doing, where are you going, etc…

You can get the picture. In my world, however, the only people who need to know what I am doing will call or text me.  Online networking seems to give anyone in the world the ability to view your life and take away your privacy. This seems like a big bother to me.  Everyone is also always concerned about how the government is taping our lives and watching what we are doing on the internet but in all fairness if you are putting it out there on the web then you really should not be complaining. Personally I love my privacy, people not knowing what I am doing every second of the day is something I can live with. Before this mass cyber era hit, no one could ever fathom a Twitter or Facebook being on the World Wide Web.

It is scary to think of what the next networking site will be, and what privacy lines that one will end up pushing.

1. After reading other people’s resumes I always get a good laugh when people include things like “References upon request” or anything else that is pretty obvious to be true when applying for a job. A past English professor of mine referred to that stuff as the “DUH!” comments. Would you be applying to something if you were going to withhold your references? Or better yet, not go in for an interview (another favorite is “Available for Interview.”) Just end the resume with the intended purpose: to show the employer what you’ve got!
2. Don’t drone on about what you were supposed to do at the job because that is what everyone who has ever held your position was also supposed to do. Instead, brag a little bit. Talk yourself up! If you were a liaison for a client and a company, don’t simply say you were in charge of talking to the client to meet their needs. Say you increased the communication between the company and the client for better outcomes (listing the better outcomes wouldn’t hurt either!)
3. You’ve heard it before: know your audience! A resume to work in sales is not going to land you a job working for a clerk’s office. Make your resume speak for the job you are going for. The worst thing you could do is have one resume that just lists monotonous things you’ve done and have that as your default resume you send to every potential employer.
4. The first thing you should know about selling something is why the buyer needs your product. People don’t buy a vacuum if they don’t have a dirty floor. The same goes when selling yourself to the employer. What are the issues within the company you hope to aid to? Don’t just tell them you want to be part of a team that does such fine work in such and such a field; they know they do it well. Research how you can make their outcome even better.
5. Templates may as well scream: I FOUND THIS ON THE INTERNET BECAUSE I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO WRITE A RESUME! While templates are fine for helping you figure out the standards of how to set up a resume, just think of how many people Googled the exact same words as you and got the exact same templates. Be different, be creative, and stand out. Otherwise, what’s the point?
6. Be concise and to the point. I guarantee that before your resume is seen by the people who actually do the hiring, it is passed through HR departments or secretaries, along with so many others. If you go into too much detail chances are they won’t read it all and then it’s on to the next one. Pick strong words and use them wisely. Sometimes less is more.

We will start off with Rise Against’s new album entitled Endgame.  This is their 6^th studio album.  The album continues with the bands idea of referencing modern topics.  Numerous songs on this album are about events that have happened over the past few years.

Next we have one of my favorites, the Foo Fighters released their 7^th studio album, Wasting Light.  It debuted number one on the Billboard 200 chart, their first album to do so.  Dave Grohl the lead vocals and lead guitar was in the band Nirvana before assembling the Foo Fighters, so he has a great concept of music and what makes a great  album.  They also do a lot of activism.  On August 31^st of this year the Westboro Baptist Church decided to picket their concert.  In return the band decided to go out onto the street and played a song that mocked the Churches stance on homosexuality.  All the while they were in faux-trucker garb.

For those of you who aren’t aware Blink-182 has a brand new album on its way out.  Set to be released on September 17^th, 2011.  It will be there first studio album in over 9 years!  What a wait right?  Well those who are nervous they have changed their sound, well you are in for quite surprise.  It shouldn’t surprise any of us that it was leaked to the Internet.  I may or may not have taken a listen to it.  If I had I would say it was a bit of new sound combined with the old sound to make a new explosion of music from this legendary band.

Well I hope you enjoyed this read.  Next time I’ll maybe focus on some pop bands.  Who am I kidding? That would never happen!

This brings me to another issue. If Timewarner Cable has MSG and MSG+ why can’t they show Rangers, Devils, and Islanders games? I know it’s a Sabres market here but is it really worth it to show a blank screen on two separate channels for 3 hours at a time? Apparently it is for someone because now I have to fork over $178.12 to watch my favorite team play and I can tell you for certain that I am not the only one doing this. I feel bad for all of you non-Sabres fans living in the dorms. ATDHE.NET.TV got me through some pretty rough times but I promised myself a long time ago that I would NEVER go back to watching live streaming games online… NEVER!

So with that being said, I wish the Sabres and the Devils the best of luck this season. I decided to have a little fun this season and make an early prediction of the standings. Feel free to critique or make your own. Enjoy!

EAST                                                                            WEST
1) Capitals                                                                    1) Canucks
2) Bruins                                                                      2) Kings
3) Penguins                                                                  3) Blackhawks
4) Lightning                                                                4) Sharks
5) Sabres                                                                      5) Predators
6) Flyers                                                                      6) Ducks
7) Rangers                                                                  7) Red Wings
8) Devils                                                                      8) Blues

I have the Kings and the Capitals going to the Cup with the Capitals coming out on top. Tell me what you think!

Does this scare you?

Whether this does or doesn’t, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Right now, I can’t take a picture of you, search it, and find your Facebook; unless the picture was already uploaded onto Facebook. However, when facial recognition programs are released on Google and Facebook, someone will be able to take a picture of you walking in the street, search it, and find your full name and Facebook- all in a matter of seconds, without your knowledge. But is where they hit a brick wall for information? Heck no.

Once they have your full name, a simple Google search will find your high school. That search can include the sports you played, where you work and your phone number. The white pages will reveal your address. Google maps will show what the outside of your house looks like, who your family members are and the some information about them. This is all public data.

Furthermore, let’s not forget all of the information companies have. Facebook keeps track of an incredible amount of information on you: the exact location where you are connected to the internet (even if FB locations is turned off,) your hobbies, your relationships, where you were last weekend, where you will probably be this weekend, and even who your family is. Google keeps information on everything that you search. Then they use that information to send you personalized advertisements on tens of thousands of websites throughout the web. By the way, did you know that according to Onstar’s terms and conditions, they can collect your GPS location information and speed “for any purpose, at any time?”

Why bring up this situation? It isn’t to make the claim that businesses are trying to find out our darkest secrets and take away our privacy. It’s also not because I’m against these programs- on the contrary- I believe they are very useful and part of our future. However, our leaders and the general public need to understand how much information really is available online. That way, we can all make informed decisions on where to draw the line on privacy issues in the future and also push websites to keep this information private and secure.

Victory, Nico, and Wendy are this generation’s Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. These three women live their illustrious lives while trying to stay balanced with all the hard cores that the Big Apple sends their way.

Victory, a fashion designer, struggles with the demands of the fashion world as well as her own life and love struggles. Nico, the Editor in Chief of Bonfire magazine, shines through in her job and aspires to eventually become the CEO. Wendy, a very talented movie executive, does everything in her power to balance work, a husband, and her two children. Like her two gal pals, she also has love life problems (after all balancing such a high status position and a family would put a toll on any marriage.)

I highly recommend this show to any Sex and the City lover. It will be your new vice. The first two seasons are currently available for free on www.hulu.com and you’d be a fool to miss these three sassy girls take New York by the reigns and bring power to women all around them.

* Go Through Your Social Media Accounts.

When you submit an application to an employer and you are called for an interview, they are likely going to check your Facebook account. If you make your information readily available on social media, employers are going to look into it. That being said, best to
delete pictures with red plastic cups along with any other comments or photos you wouldn’t want an employer seeing. Think of it as a second resume. It’s all there: place of employment, friends and references, where you’ve been and who you associate with.

* Make Sure You’re Cleaned Up.

You don’t have to be a wealthy person to have a basic grasp on style or look your best when going for an interview. In the pastgeneration or two, we have lost a sense for hygiene. If you are going in for an interview with a person over 50 years old, you best believe they notice things that people our age don’t think to be a big deal. Therefore, when you go in for an interview, make sure you are clean shaven. Interviewers aren’t looking for the three day beard. Also, make sure your nails are cut, or painted for the girls, and comb or style your hair. The girls at Tony walker & Co. Body and Beauty are more than willing to help you look your best for your interviews, whether it be for makeup consultations and cosmetics for girls, or shaving and cleansing products for the guys.

* Dress to Impress

The way you show up to an interview can’t land you a job, but it can lose you an opportunity for one. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to look sharp, but you do need to know what to wear, how to wear it and how to look your best. Here are some easy ways to dress your best for an interview;

1. Polish your shoes. Guys and girls alike. This is an easy detail that shows you care and are put together. Also, make sure your belt matches your shoes and NO WHITE SOCKS!
2. Press your shirt. It makes a world of difference. If you don’t know how, take it to a dry cleaner and for a few bucks they’ll do it for you.
3. Visit a seamstress or tailor. Even the most inexpensive clothes can be brought to life if altered properly by the right seamstress. Tony Walker & Co. has 6 in-house seamstresses that can help you look your best for the big day, whether its shortening or tapering your
pants, or taking in your shirts.
4. If you are wearing a tie, learn to tie it. Nothing ruins a good outfit like a botched tie knot. If you don’t know how to tie one, ask a friend. If you don’t have a friend that can do it, stop into Tony Walker Men’s Shop, ask for Ryan, and I’ll do it for you…you wouldn’t
be the first.
5. Tone it Down. Lean toward basic colors and traditional styles, go easy on the makeup and cologne/perfume, and overdress before you underdress. Let the substance come from your words and credentials. You want an interviewer to remember you, not your outfit.
6. Do your research. You want to know about the person interviewing you if you can. It may change the way you dress or even how you present yourself. Be a chameleon. There is a world of difference between sitting in an interview with Warren Buffett and Mark Cuban.

That covers about everything I can think of up to the point where you walk in the door. The rest is up to you.

After attending an information session, I was full of excitement and anxiousness for my future endeavors. I soon learned, however, that becoming a Brother of Pi Sigma Epsilon was not going to be an easy task. Within eight weeks, my pledge class and I were required to create four different projects and pass multiple Pi Sigma Epsilon history tests. Looking back now, I don’t know what I was worrying so much about.

Pledges are required to have four leaders for the different projects. I was the Marketing Chair, Leanne was the Public Relations Chair, Patrick was the Social Chair and Yang was the Finance Chair. I took on the role as a Marketing Chair, not because it was my concentration, but because I wanted leadership experience and the position seemed very appealing to me. Our pledge class came up with great ideas, but we needed to project the costs and profits. Although there was no pressure on the pledge class to raise a certain amount of funds, we wanted to prove our worth and capabilities. Eventually, we came up with the idea of “Dollar Bingo.” The eventual outcome was quite surprising; we made over $100 in profit! Our costs were high, but we were able to raise $900 in sponsorships.

Our marketing project was to create a Pi Sigma Epsilon informational video. To this day, I am extremely proud of my pledge class. Here’s the link below to our marketing video:

In the end it wasn’t about how much money we made or the video that made this process exciting or worthwhile. It was the experience of becoming a Brother and making a family here at school. Alpha Tau 4 LIFE!!!