It occurred to me about a month ago that I have seen a lot of Blockbuster films this year and some that weren't. I actually went through and counted up the films I've seen either on the big screen or DVD and it's a little over 30 films and I still plan to see Sherlock Holmes and maybe (that's a strong maybe) Avatar. I did realize, funny enough, my list of films comprises mostly of action/adventure films. Well, at least from what I can remember of. It's hard finding a comprehensive movie list for 2009!
Anyway, I thought I'd give a recap of my favorite films in different genres for the heck of it and then talk about my favorites for 2010 (Iron Man 2!!!!!!! x infinity)
Stupid Comedy: Hangover - I say "stupid" comedy because it's well, you know, on the stupid end of comedy. :P Surprisingly, though. I rather enjoyed this one in its stupid sense. It's kind of funny how the guys have to figure out what happened to their friend and, in a lot of ways, a clever way to "retell" the story. Runner-up: I Love You, Man
Romantic Comedy: The Proposal - Might almost be my film of the year for me. It was really funny and I haven't laughed that hard during a film EVER. The plus side - Chris liked it too. Runner-up: He's Just Not That Into You
Horror: Zombieland - Not your typical scary, gorey horror film. It's rather funny (though there is some blood and guts - it's a zombie film!) and Chris and I still laugh about "the survival list" - "double-tap" and some others. It was an enjoyable film and one I wouldn't mind seeing again. Runner-up: N/A
Family film (non-animated): Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - You saw that one coming, right? :P It was one of the better family films I saw this year, to be fair. Runner-up: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Family film (animated): UP - Saw that one coming too, right? Since I only saw 2 in this category, kind of limits my options. :P I really did enjoy this film though. Runner-up: Coraline
Action-adventure: Taken - Liam Neeson kicks butt in the film! I mean, seriously, he kills more people in the film than most action film people do. Not a lot of blood flying everywhere either, which was nice. On top of it, the storyline was actually enjoyable too. I've rewatched the film already a few times and still enjoy it through each watching. Runner-up: 2012
Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Star Trek - Excellent sci-fi/fantasy film that has it all: good special effects and storyline. Runner-ups: Watchmen and Terminator Salvation
Drama: Julie and Julia - It was a fun film to watch and I enjoyed it and had a few laughs here and there. Got hungry through it, though... Runner-up: Public Enemies
Worst film of the year: Toss up between Bride Wars, Push, and Confessions of a Shopaholic. I think Confessions makes it onto the list purely because I've read the entire series and the movie doesn't even take place in the right city. LoL I didn't like the interpretation of the film either. Bride Wars was just plain stupid and makes me not like Kate Hudson much more...Anne Hathaway is tolerable in some films, but the two of them together is not good. Push had the promise of so much more and fell flat. I hope they either do a better sequel or skip the experience altogether.
Movies I'd like to see on DVD: Up in the Air, Princess and the Frog, The Blind Side, Invictus, Where the Wild Things Are, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Movies of 2010
Now to next year! Sad to say that I am already looking forward to a number of movies that are lined up to come out.
#1 film I'm excited about: Iron Man 2 (5/7) - Yes, yes, yes! I really enjoyed Iron Man and Iron Man 2 looks just as good as the first one if not better. The trailer just came out for it and RDJ (Robert Downey Jr.) IS Tony Stark. LoL Gwyneth Paltrow is back for Pepper Potts too and she and RDJ had a nice chemistry in the first one. The cast will be good for the second one also. I don't know...I'm just plain EXCITED FOR IT! It's the film I know that people are looking forward to for next year :)
(No particular order now)
Robin Hood (5/14) - It's a Ridley Scott film and I tend to enjoy their films on a B/A- level. I know it'll mostly be fighting, but it'll still be fun to see. (Ridley and Tony Scott (brothers) are producers for Numb3rs, FYI). Maybe a DVD rental over theater watch...Hmm...
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2/12) - I really like the book series so I'm excited to see the film. On top of it, Chris Columbus is directing the film and I think this book is right up his alley having seen his work with Harry Potter. The adult cast looks good too. I hope they really blow this one out of the waters or I'm going to be disappointed.
Clash of the Titans (3/26): Looks interesting and you have Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades. Not to mention Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation and Avatar) as Perseus. So...that should be interesting!
Toy Story 3 (6/18): Pixar. Need I say more?
Twilight Saga: Eclipse (6/30) - I admit I'm mildly interested to see the 3rd film. *grumbles*
The Last Airbender (7/2): I am hoping M. Night Shyamalan does this movie justice. Chris and I both, surprisingly, really enjoyed the kids animation tv show of this series. In fact, it's a pretty well liked tv show (only 3 seasons long) and the trailer looks interesting as a live action film. It'll be interesting to watch because there's really only the TV show (no extensive books). So it's not like the movie has anything to base itself on except the TV show (unlike comic books that also have cartoons). I wonder if they'll combine all 3 seasons into 1 movie too. I bet they will.
Secretariat (10/8): A film about one of the greatest racehorses of all time! Well it's really about his owner, Penny Chenery, but it's about Secretariat! It's looking like it'll be a really good film and Secretariat was one of the greats and it's about a horse and...well...Yeah. I'm excited! Not to mention Diane Lane is staring in it. This film really should have aired in May/June, though. I mean...Come on. What better time to have a horse racing film than around the Triple Crown? I mean, he DID win the Triple Crown. LoL
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) (11/19): Need I say anything?
Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (12/10): It'll be interesting to see how this film is done since Disney no longer is a partner in the film. Plus, come on, I have to see it. LoL
With that...I'm off :)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cisco Systems
I am writing a research paper on Cisco Systems and their environmental strategies for my Business and the Environment Class. I just finished reading Cisco's Environment section in the Corporate Citizenship Report 2008. It makes me want to puke! LoL I mean I'm glad to see a company as large as Cisco is taking such huge steps to green itself, but it's like the perfect child or something. The only improvement I can say they could do is to set actual number goals, but they are changing the way their business runs and they're changing how OTHER businesses run too.
They cover it all...
-urban development
-real estate
-company efficiencies (e.g., work spaces)
-carbon reductions (travel and operations) - Did you know 100% of Cisco's power in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, and the U.K. is from renewable energy sources?
-Water
-Air
-Waste
-Employment education/involvement
-Food
Plus, they're partnered with so many government and third-party organizations it's tough to find/research everything. Not to mention they're also working on a global level too. I do think the most interesting thing is that 3rd party rankings list Cisco pretty favorably. You have to be cautious when reading a company's CSR and such because they'll always try to paint themselves in a good light. So it's nice to see that different 3rd parties are also agreeing that Cisco is giving it their all.
Anyway, time to sleep now. I have a CEQA/NEPA workshop from 9am-4pm tomorrow with a quiz/test at the end (to ensure we all stay since the workshop is worth credit). That should be interesting...hopefully it's interesting and I don't want to shoot myself because it's 3 hours, 1 hour lunch, and 3 hours. I have enough trouble sitting through a 1 hour and 15 minute lecture. Not sure how I'll survive 3 hours...
They cover it all...
-urban development
-real estate
-company efficiencies (e.g., work spaces)
-carbon reductions (travel and operations) - Did you know 100% of Cisco's power in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, and the U.K. is from renewable energy sources?
-Water
-Air
-Waste
-Employment education/involvement
-Food
Plus, they're partnered with so many government and third-party organizations it's tough to find/research everything. Not to mention they're also working on a global level too. I do think the most interesting thing is that 3rd party rankings list Cisco pretty favorably. You have to be cautious when reading a company's CSR and such because they'll always try to paint themselves in a good light. So it's nice to see that different 3rd parties are also agreeing that Cisco is giving it their all.
Anyway, time to sleep now. I have a CEQA/NEPA workshop from 9am-4pm tomorrow with a quiz/test at the end (to ensure we all stay since the workshop is worth credit). That should be interesting...hopefully it's interesting and I don't want to shoot myself because it's 3 hours, 1 hour lunch, and 3 hours. I have enough trouble sitting through a 1 hour and 15 minute lecture. Not sure how I'll survive 3 hours...
Friday, November 13, 2009
Anita Diamant
I saw Anita Diamant last night. UCSB has this endowment to bring Jewish writers (or prominent Jewish speakers in general) to the campus as a free event. Anita Diamant was the speaker last night. She mostly talked about her new book Day After Night. It was kind of amusing being there because I was one of a handful of "young" people there. I think there was maybe 5 of us? I think maybe only a handful of 30's too. 80% of the audience was 40+ easily. 90% of the audience was female. I sat in front of one of the few males in the audience and he kept going on about how he was one of the only males in the group. Then, when I stood in line to get my book signed, the last guy in line was also the only male in line (getting books signed for his daughters). It's hard to judge the size of the crowd because I sat in the middle and was one of the first people to sit down, but there was probably around 100 people there.
Day After Night is a historical fiction novel about 4 young girls (early teens) who are refugees at Atlit, a British-run internment camp in Palestine after WWII. So she introduced her 4 girls (she read their intros from the book) and also the prologue of the book. Diamant's daughter in high school went to Israel as an exchange high school student and the parents got to go onto the "parent week" version of it. They went to Atlit and Diamant had a kind of connection with it to want to write a book, but it took her many years later before she actually sat down to write it and then it took her over 3 years to write the book. I do see an interesting common thread between authors I've seen speak; sitting down to write is the hardest thing they have to do. They all seem to be "finished" with their novels when it's all over too. LoL They just don't want to see the novel again. Anyway, I guess she went to Israel and Atlit a few more times and did a lot of research for her novel too. It was pretty interesting the whole process she went to writing the book, but I especially liked how she said she likes to write books where there's some redeeming quality at the end. The end of the book may be not be a happy ending, but there's at least a redeeming thing there. I liked that. It spoke about who she is as a person, not just an author.
After her talk (about 45 minutes long) they did a few Q&A and two people got up and said they had family who were at Atlit. One older gentleman said his father was in Atlit for a number of years (7?) and a lady (in her 40's?) said she had a family friend who she called "aunt and uncle" who were also in Atlit. Someone also asked what her day-to-day work is as an author too. The answers are pretty much the same for each other, but it's still interesting how they personalize it. For instance, Anita Diamant used to be a journalist and write monthly pieces. So she's really learned to meet deadlines she sets, which is a rarity for authors (she even admits it). I guess she's hardly ever missed a deadline she's set, which is pretty amazing.
Anyway, I did get a book signed by her. I got the Red Tent signed because it was in paperback. Borders was there to sell the books. :P The poor chums...The sad thing? They had issues on knowing how much money to give back to me in cash. The book was $16.31 (full retail priced book! It hurt... :( ) and I gave them $20.01. They used a calculator (that's fine), but then they had to "confer" to make sure that was the right amount. LoL That was just sad for me. I had to agree and then they were happy and they gave me my change. I guess some of the book proceeds go to the Arts & Lectures program at UCSB. So...I didn't feel SO bad for paying that much. :P
The funny thing is I walked all the way to Campbell Hall, which is about a half mile (little more?). I didn't think about biking and there's a bike rack RIGHT next to the building. *rolls eyes* Oh well. The walk is good for me. I did realize the other day that I bike a little more than 1 mile to get to Bren Hall. That's a LONG walk when I walk it. No wonder it takes me so long. Being on the bike you just don't notice it as much. Last weekend I biked about 6 miles (roundtrip) and it didn't feel like it. The Coast Route Bike Path is REALLY a nice bike path here. It follows the slough/river/whatever it is once the path deviates from the ocean so it's really tranquil. It's also well maintained and has a nice running path right next to the bike path. I actually was biking back to UCSB and passed a classmate who was running the other way. :P
Anyway, with that...Must go!
Day After Night is a historical fiction novel about 4 young girls (early teens) who are refugees at Atlit, a British-run internment camp in Palestine after WWII. So she introduced her 4 girls (she read their intros from the book) and also the prologue of the book. Diamant's daughter in high school went to Israel as an exchange high school student and the parents got to go onto the "parent week" version of it. They went to Atlit and Diamant had a kind of connection with it to want to write a book, but it took her many years later before she actually sat down to write it and then it took her over 3 years to write the book. I do see an interesting common thread between authors I've seen speak; sitting down to write is the hardest thing they have to do. They all seem to be "finished" with their novels when it's all over too. LoL They just don't want to see the novel again. Anyway, I guess she went to Israel and Atlit a few more times and did a lot of research for her novel too. It was pretty interesting the whole process she went to writing the book, but I especially liked how she said she likes to write books where there's some redeeming quality at the end. The end of the book may be not be a happy ending, but there's at least a redeeming thing there. I liked that. It spoke about who she is as a person, not just an author.
After her talk (about 45 minutes long) they did a few Q&A and two people got up and said they had family who were at Atlit. One older gentleman said his father was in Atlit for a number of years (7?) and a lady (in her 40's?) said she had a family friend who she called "aunt and uncle" who were also in Atlit. Someone also asked what her day-to-day work is as an author too. The answers are pretty much the same for each other, but it's still interesting how they personalize it. For instance, Anita Diamant used to be a journalist and write monthly pieces. So she's really learned to meet deadlines she sets, which is a rarity for authors (she even admits it). I guess she's hardly ever missed a deadline she's set, which is pretty amazing.
Anyway, I did get a book signed by her. I got the Red Tent signed because it was in paperback. Borders was there to sell the books. :P The poor chums...The sad thing? They had issues on knowing how much money to give back to me in cash. The book was $16.31 (full retail priced book! It hurt... :( ) and I gave them $20.01. They used a calculator (that's fine), but then they had to "confer" to make sure that was the right amount. LoL That was just sad for me. I had to agree and then they were happy and they gave me my change. I guess some of the book proceeds go to the Arts & Lectures program at UCSB. So...I didn't feel SO bad for paying that much. :P
The funny thing is I walked all the way to Campbell Hall, which is about a half mile (little more?). I didn't think about biking and there's a bike rack RIGHT next to the building. *rolls eyes* Oh well. The walk is good for me. I did realize the other day that I bike a little more than 1 mile to get to Bren Hall. That's a LONG walk when I walk it. No wonder it takes me so long. Being on the bike you just don't notice it as much. Last weekend I biked about 6 miles (roundtrip) and it didn't feel like it. The Coast Route Bike Path is REALLY a nice bike path here. It follows the slough/river/whatever it is once the path deviates from the ocean so it's really tranquil. It's also well maintained and has a nice running path right next to the bike path. I actually was biking back to UCSB and passed a classmate who was running the other way. :P
Anyway, with that...Must go!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Small Business and the Environment
I was going to update about classes and such and haven't successfully been able to do that for some weeks now (I keep trying and never finish or I'm too tired to get past a paragraph!). Instead, I thought I'd talk about some of the companies we've had come into 210 (Business and the Environment) and then I'll touch, briefly, upon what's going on in schooool.
Simple Shoes - An eco-friendly shoe. Seriously. And the best thing? Competitive prices! Their prices are no more than I would find buying my Skechers, which is really cool. They have some really odd designs, but they also have some "standard" ones. It was really interesting to hear about how they developed as a company to being eco-friendly. (BTW, they're owned by Deckers, which also owns Teva and Ugg.) The jist of it was that they're a really small company and Deckers, the parent company, was willing to take a chance on the lead people for Simple Shoes. They all truly want to make a stylish shoe that is eco-friendly in any way they can so they've really had to look at suppliers and materials to use. Pretty amazing, if you ask me.
Ewing - Not as an interesting as Simple Shoes, but Ewing is a privately owned irrigation products company. So they basically are the middle men for irrigation supplies and their main buyers are landscapers. They do have some private home buyers who come in, but it's mostly landscapers. They do some educational programs and try to provide irrigation stuff that helps make you use your water more efficiently. They also talked about how NV is paying people to pull up their lawns, but how water consumption isn't going down at all because people keep watering their low-water plants the same way. So it was generally interesting, but it's still kind of funny because, really, if people stopped using water for lawns, what are you going to do as a company?! They also mentioned how LEED buildings can not have an irrigation system, which was interesting. So I guess all the plants at Bren are hand watered? Or can sustain themselves.
Eco-entrepreneurship company - I don't remember the name of this company (I should), but it's a company that is trying to make foam that is made from organic material. New buildings that are being built are using foam more and more to help lighten the weight of the building and to reduce the use of concrete but, as we all know, foam isn't the best product for the environment (that one with a certain chemical...LoL Brain is dead). Anyway, their foam is made from soy mostly and is just as resilient as the harmful foam is. It was interesting, but we all sat there during the presentation going "but your foam isn't biodegradable! What do you do when the building is torn down?!" I think they struggled with that. At the same time, they're using less harmful foam too and it's denser so it won't constantly float in the ocean or water systems. It'll sink (is that better?). So, it was interesting.
Patagonia - Or, as we like to call it, PataGucci. Man, it's a shame Patagonia is so expensive. They're making completely recyclable clothes and are eco-friendly too. How cool is that?! On the other hand, by all accounts my classmates have told me, Patagonia clothes last 10-15 years, which is amazing. It was interesting hearing how their CEO is the main driving force behind them being so environmentally friendly. They also donate 1% of their sales to different environmental organizations too and encourage other companies to do the same. So they're doing a lot of good too and, at the same time, doing really well as a company. It was funny because our economics/policy analysis prof (this class started last Mon and ends next Wed) said he once ran into the CEO of Patagonia and asked him, "Is your company environmentally focused because it's successful? Or is it successful because it's environmentally focused?" It's an interesting question and I guess the CEO made an excuse and never answered the question. It's a deep question! For them, they are a small company, but their CEO has a big influencing factor which is different from Simple Shoes where it was the employees and a parent company willing to let them try things. I did find a rain jacket in a reasonable price I liked on Patagonia, though! Women's Rain Shadow Jacket Nice thing about that jacket compared to the other one I like is the fact its hood is helmet compatible. So I could bike with a helmet on. On the other hand, you get more for your money with the other jacket I posted too and it does have side slits (so you can sit on a horse without your jacket bunching up). Both good jackets. If only Patagonia wasn't so expensive...
Anyway, the interesting thing about these companies is the fact they're all small, but pretty profitable in what they do (with maybe the exception of the eco-e company - it's just too new). They all have their different issues in being environmental conscious and still maintaining the quality and standard of what their business is known for. Patagonia has a reputation for making good, long lasting sport's gear (CEO was an avid climber). They are a company that is seeking to make a profit. The same with Simple Shoes. At the same time, they've also managed to push themselves creatively to be more eco friendly too. As our professor has told us, being environmentally friendly is not cost saving.
I've also learned, thanks to this class, that you have to be careful about parent companies! My group for a presentation found out that Dagoba Organic Chocolate is actually owned by Hershey's. You would not find this out on Dagoba's webpage anywhere. You can only find it on Hershey's if you look carefully at their environmental pages and, even then, it's just a "Dagoba uses blah" or "Dagoba does blah." Only because it was so curious that Hershey's would mention the "competition" did I go and find the press release saying Hershey's bought Dagoba a few years ago. Hershey's, it seems, doesn't touch anything really to do with Dagoba, though. That way Dagoba can still keep its reputation and standards, but Hershey's can get a piece of the "organic chocolate market."
I also learned Sprint is one of the "greenest" wireless phone companies. Did you know they have an eco-friendly phone? Made out of recycled materials! And they have a disgusting (in the sense it's too cute) webpage on how they're being eco-friendly. It's pretty interesting.
Anyway, outside of the companies, classes are going okay. It's pretty much "the usual" now. I have 3 ecology hw assignments left, a 203 final (still haven't received our midterms back yet), 251 final (that class that started last Monday), 2 more 251 hws, 1 more presentation for 210 (business and the environment), and 1 10-page paper for 210 due at the beginning of the month. I think that's all I have left. To say the least, the end is close! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! It's the homestretch! etc. On the other hand, I feel like I might go nuts too. The 251 class kind of throws you off your rhythm you develop at the beginning of the quarter. The class is taught FOUR days a week and we have a discussion once a week too. So it's kind of intense, but, luckily, the professor is enthusiastic and we have a laugh or two during class. It goes by quickly (thanks to a lot of economic diagrams), which is really nice because on Tues/Thurs it's killer. We have ecology (201) and 203 lectures, lunch (sometimes we have events we have to attend during that hour), and then 251. So I sometimes feel like I just want to put myself out of my misery, but it's okay. It's probably my favorite class this quarter. I was kind of questioning my choice to do the EPE (Economics and the Politics of the Environment) as my specialization, but this class has shown me why I wanted to do it originally. I really enjoy the economics. It's really kind of surprising, but I think it's the combination of normative, positive, and social aspects all combined into one discipline. Less normative than positive, but it's interesting! I mean, I just learned how to incorporate environmental externalities and apply how we can produce goods efficiently by command (government just making you do it), taxes, and subsidies. It was interesting.
Oh, I decided to NOT take the writing class next quarter. I heard from various students that it didn't help them really and I decided it was more important to take a class I would need to graduate than a writing class to be "lazy." There's only 15 people (so far) registered for the class, so it's going to be a shock considering I haven't had that small of a class in a while.
Anyway, I need to work on my 201 reading. It's our only weekly hw we have for any class and we have to read a ton for the assignments. Tonight, though, I am going to go see Anita Diamant speak on campus! She wrote The Red Tent. It's a free event (finally! I missed the Taiko Drummers, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, and someone else because it costs money!) and I hope to get a book signed by her too (there's a book signing after the talk). Should be interesting. I like hearing authors talk and meeting authors because it gives me a personality to who writes the books I like or have heard of before. Of course, working at Borders, the Red Tent came up many times and I've seen her other book (Choosing a Jewish Life) a lot because I shelved in that area. So...I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait till David Sedaris comes in May, though! THAT I will pay money to go and see him talk.
With that...Until next time.
Simple Shoes - An eco-friendly shoe. Seriously. And the best thing? Competitive prices! Their prices are no more than I would find buying my Skechers, which is really cool. They have some really odd designs, but they also have some "standard" ones. It was really interesting to hear about how they developed as a company to being eco-friendly. (BTW, they're owned by Deckers, which also owns Teva and Ugg.) The jist of it was that they're a really small company and Deckers, the parent company, was willing to take a chance on the lead people for Simple Shoes. They all truly want to make a stylish shoe that is eco-friendly in any way they can so they've really had to look at suppliers and materials to use. Pretty amazing, if you ask me.
Ewing - Not as an interesting as Simple Shoes, but Ewing is a privately owned irrigation products company. So they basically are the middle men for irrigation supplies and their main buyers are landscapers. They do have some private home buyers who come in, but it's mostly landscapers. They do some educational programs and try to provide irrigation stuff that helps make you use your water more efficiently. They also talked about how NV is paying people to pull up their lawns, but how water consumption isn't going down at all because people keep watering their low-water plants the same way. So it was generally interesting, but it's still kind of funny because, really, if people stopped using water for lawns, what are you going to do as a company?! They also mentioned how LEED buildings can not have an irrigation system, which was interesting. So I guess all the plants at Bren are hand watered? Or can sustain themselves.
Eco-entrepreneurship company - I don't remember the name of this company (I should), but it's a company that is trying to make foam that is made from organic material. New buildings that are being built are using foam more and more to help lighten the weight of the building and to reduce the use of concrete but, as we all know, foam isn't the best product for the environment (that one with a certain chemical...LoL Brain is dead). Anyway, their foam is made from soy mostly and is just as resilient as the harmful foam is. It was interesting, but we all sat there during the presentation going "but your foam isn't biodegradable! What do you do when the building is torn down?!" I think they struggled with that. At the same time, they're using less harmful foam too and it's denser so it won't constantly float in the ocean or water systems. It'll sink (is that better?). So, it was interesting.
Patagonia - Or, as we like to call it, PataGucci. Man, it's a shame Patagonia is so expensive. They're making completely recyclable clothes and are eco-friendly too. How cool is that?! On the other hand, by all accounts my classmates have told me, Patagonia clothes last 10-15 years, which is amazing. It was interesting hearing how their CEO is the main driving force behind them being so environmentally friendly. They also donate 1% of their sales to different environmental organizations too and encourage other companies to do the same. So they're doing a lot of good too and, at the same time, doing really well as a company. It was funny because our economics/policy analysis prof (this class started last Mon and ends next Wed) said he once ran into the CEO of Patagonia and asked him, "Is your company environmentally focused because it's successful? Or is it successful because it's environmentally focused?" It's an interesting question and I guess the CEO made an excuse and never answered the question. It's a deep question! For them, they are a small company, but their CEO has a big influencing factor which is different from Simple Shoes where it was the employees and a parent company willing to let them try things. I did find a rain jacket in a reasonable price I liked on Patagonia, though! Women's Rain Shadow Jacket Nice thing about that jacket compared to the other one I like is the fact its hood is helmet compatible. So I could bike with a helmet on. On the other hand, you get more for your money with the other jacket I posted too and it does have side slits (so you can sit on a horse without your jacket bunching up). Both good jackets. If only Patagonia wasn't so expensive...
Anyway, the interesting thing about these companies is the fact they're all small, but pretty profitable in what they do (with maybe the exception of the eco-e company - it's just too new). They all have their different issues in being environmental conscious and still maintaining the quality and standard of what their business is known for. Patagonia has a reputation for making good, long lasting sport's gear (CEO was an avid climber). They are a company that is seeking to make a profit. The same with Simple Shoes. At the same time, they've also managed to push themselves creatively to be more eco friendly too. As our professor has told us, being environmentally friendly is not cost saving.
I've also learned, thanks to this class, that you have to be careful about parent companies! My group for a presentation found out that Dagoba Organic Chocolate is actually owned by Hershey's. You would not find this out on Dagoba's webpage anywhere. You can only find it on Hershey's if you look carefully at their environmental pages and, even then, it's just a "Dagoba uses blah" or "Dagoba does blah." Only because it was so curious that Hershey's would mention the "competition" did I go and find the press release saying Hershey's bought Dagoba a few years ago. Hershey's, it seems, doesn't touch anything really to do with Dagoba, though. That way Dagoba can still keep its reputation and standards, but Hershey's can get a piece of the "organic chocolate market."
I also learned Sprint is one of the "greenest" wireless phone companies. Did you know they have an eco-friendly phone? Made out of recycled materials! And they have a disgusting (in the sense it's too cute) webpage on how they're being eco-friendly. It's pretty interesting.
Anyway, outside of the companies, classes are going okay. It's pretty much "the usual" now. I have 3 ecology hw assignments left, a 203 final (still haven't received our midterms back yet), 251 final (that class that started last Monday), 2 more 251 hws, 1 more presentation for 210 (business and the environment), and 1 10-page paper for 210 due at the beginning of the month. I think that's all I have left. To say the least, the end is close! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! It's the homestretch! etc. On the other hand, I feel like I might go nuts too. The 251 class kind of throws you off your rhythm you develop at the beginning of the quarter. The class is taught FOUR days a week and we have a discussion once a week too. So it's kind of intense, but, luckily, the professor is enthusiastic and we have a laugh or two during class. It goes by quickly (thanks to a lot of economic diagrams), which is really nice because on Tues/Thurs it's killer. We have ecology (201) and 203 lectures, lunch (sometimes we have events we have to attend during that hour), and then 251. So I sometimes feel like I just want to put myself out of my misery, but it's okay. It's probably my favorite class this quarter. I was kind of questioning my choice to do the EPE (Economics and the Politics of the Environment) as my specialization, but this class has shown me why I wanted to do it originally. I really enjoy the economics. It's really kind of surprising, but I think it's the combination of normative, positive, and social aspects all combined into one discipline. Less normative than positive, but it's interesting! I mean, I just learned how to incorporate environmental externalities and apply how we can produce goods efficiently by command (government just making you do it), taxes, and subsidies. It was interesting.
Oh, I decided to NOT take the writing class next quarter. I heard from various students that it didn't help them really and I decided it was more important to take a class I would need to graduate than a writing class to be "lazy." There's only 15 people (so far) registered for the class, so it's going to be a shock considering I haven't had that small of a class in a while.
Anyway, I need to work on my 201 reading. It's our only weekly hw we have for any class and we have to read a ton for the assignments. Tonight, though, I am going to go see Anita Diamant speak on campus! She wrote The Red Tent. It's a free event (finally! I missed the Taiko Drummers, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, and someone else because it costs money!) and I hope to get a book signed by her too (there's a book signing after the talk). Should be interesting. I like hearing authors talk and meeting authors because it gives me a personality to who writes the books I like or have heard of before. Of course, working at Borders, the Red Tent came up many times and I've seen her other book (Choosing a Jewish Life) a lot because I shelved in that area. So...I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait till David Sedaris comes in May, though! THAT I will pay money to go and see him talk.
With that...Until next time.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Registered for Winter!
I just now registered for classes for the Winter quarter. I'm signed up for 14 units because I'm taking a 2 unit writing course, but I might drop the writing course and take the 4 unit Coastal Marine Law and Policy class, though. I'm eventually going to have to take that class and I don't HAVE to take the writing class, but I think it would be beneficial. Plus, my unit load won't be 16 units, but 14. Not sure, though. I have a few more weeks to decide if I want to keep my schedule the way it is or change it. I can always take the Coastal Marine Law and Policy class some other quarter too. I think if the Coastal Marine Law and Policy class was at a better time, I might go for it too. My Mondays are pretty empty (class from 2-3:15) and the Coastal class is from 8-9:15 M/W. I'd have almost 5 hours in between classes. If I could be productive during that time, it might be worth it, but I have a feeling I probably would end up back in bed or something. LoL My Wednesdays are pretty full, but that seems to be the trend anyway. I don't know, the unit count and the way my schedule is just makes me not want to take it. I'll think about it.
Anyway, school is going pretty good. Next week starts our policy analysis class so that means my Mondays and Wednesdays are fuller than they have been. That should be interesting. It's a two week class with 3 weeks of discussion. Might be nice for a mix-up. Not that my classes are particularly boring or anything...
Anyway, with that. I need to proof my ecology paper and start my 210 research on Cisco again. It's another warm day here. When is fall going to appear?!
Anyway, school is going pretty good. Next week starts our policy analysis class so that means my Mondays and Wednesdays are fuller than they have been. That should be interesting. It's a two week class with 3 weeks of discussion. Might be nice for a mix-up. Not that my classes are particularly boring or anything...
Anyway, with that. I need to proof my ecology paper and start my 210 research on Cisco again. It's another warm day here. When is fall going to appear?!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Flu Shot
I got my flu shot just a minute ago. :) It's just the general one. I'll probably get the swine flu shot once it becomes available. The flu shots here are free and they had one of the time slots at the San Clemente Center (community room that's down the stairs from me) so it was easy to get and kind of one of those "why not?" moments! My right arm was having some phantom pains for my left arm right after I got the shot, but my left arm is starting to ache just a little if I move it too much. I'm just hoping I don't break out with flu symptoms! If I do, at least I have the weekend to recover. Fingers crossed I don't get any, though.
I'm redoing my resume right now for Bren. I won't finish it tonight, but at least I got it started and reformatted completely. My goal is to finish it this weekend so I can submit it for review. All our resumes are put on-line and made available in a book type thing Bren sends out to companies and different places. So...it's an important thing I do! Plus, I have to have it finished by the end of this month because the main resume person is going on maternity leave come mid-Nov. LoL I would like my resume reviewed before being put on-line. :)
Next on my agenda is my Ecology hw (due Tues morning). I should at least start the reading if I don't start the paper at least. I also want to get a 203 midterm from past years finished this weekend too. If I can get it finished this weekend (as an actual prep for our midterm during Halloween weekend) and feel confident in my answers, I'll be one-step closer in feeling better about the actual midterm! I'm going to try and do another midterm next weekend too. Maybe it'll get me caught up on 203 reading too. I should also look at the 203 homework...It's not due for another 9 days, though.
Okay...time to get back to it! I'm actually getting things done!
I'm redoing my resume right now for Bren. I won't finish it tonight, but at least I got it started and reformatted completely. My goal is to finish it this weekend so I can submit it for review. All our resumes are put on-line and made available in a book type thing Bren sends out to companies and different places. So...it's an important thing I do! Plus, I have to have it finished by the end of this month because the main resume person is going on maternity leave come mid-Nov. LoL I would like my resume reviewed before being put on-line. :)
Next on my agenda is my Ecology hw (due Tues morning). I should at least start the reading if I don't start the paper at least. I also want to get a 203 midterm from past years finished this weekend too. If I can get it finished this weekend (as an actual prep for our midterm during Halloween weekend) and feel confident in my answers, I'll be one-step closer in feeling better about the actual midterm! I'm going to try and do another midterm next weekend too. Maybe it'll get me caught up on 203 reading too. I should also look at the 203 homework...It's not due for another 9 days, though.
Okay...time to get back to it! I'm actually getting things done!
Chipotle!!
Tomorrow I've decided I'll go to downtown Santa Barbara. I have to check out a few bus routes, stop at Wells Fargo to ask about my PIN for my ATM card, check out the downtown SB Borders, and wanna look at the mall to see if I can find anything reasonable in the ways of a rain jacket. There's a jacket I like on backinthesadddle.com (removable inner liner that I can wear separately or with the jacket - 3-in-1 design), but it's $140. Too much! So I'm just going to look at a few stores, price things out, and whatnot. I MIGHT stop at the other mall on the way back (it's at the closer end of State street to where I am, whereas the other one is right up from the Wharf) since it has a Sears and is close to another shopping center, but I probably won't. The thing I'm most excited for at the mall I'm going to is Chipotle!! I haven't eaten out since the first day of orientation when I bought that sandwich. All other outings or meetings I've either brought my lunch while everyone else bought or I've only bought a drink. So I figure I'm due a treat and Chipotle is it! I'm EXCITED! Kind of sad, but I'm going to enjoy it regardless. :P I mean...the eating out thing is such a treat that McD's even sounds fantastic. LoL Actually...a burger and pizza sound really good right now...I should buy hamburgers the next time I'm at the store...
I did survive the 1.5 days of rain. I was damp most of yesterday since it was raining yesterday morning and I had to walk in it. My feet and clothes were damp and it just wasn't exactly fun sitting in class. The clothes eventually dried, but my feet were basically damp from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm when I got home. Rain boots I might also think about...
Well...with that...I should eat and either start working on homework or take a nap. There's a soccer game tonight (speakers are playing music already).
I did survive the 1.5 days of rain. I was damp most of yesterday since it was raining yesterday morning and I had to walk in it. My feet and clothes were damp and it just wasn't exactly fun sitting in class. The clothes eventually dried, but my feet were basically damp from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm when I got home. Rain boots I might also think about...
Well...with that...I should eat and either start working on homework or take a nap. There's a soccer game tonight (speakers are playing music already).
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