I am a 19-year-old young adult. I am a first year student at Fresno State. I love strawberry ice cream. I enjoy playing volleyball. My favorite hobby would have to be watching dramas. Lol. I think it's bad for my eyes to look at my laptop screen 24/7, but it's something that cannot be helped.
In this last chapter of Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich discusses about her experience in working as a low-wage employee. In her experience, she discovers that it is not as easy as she thought it would be working in the low-wage society. She also discovers this part of her that she is a person of average ability: she is capable of learning how to do the job and also capable of screwing up. During her experience, she notes that just learning how to do the job is not exactly the main goal. Your personality and how you do your job have a big effect on yourself as a worker. Ehrenreich learns that these people do their job for a living. And through Ehrenreich's investigation working as a low-wage paid employee, she mostly focused on how to survive more than how she performed the job. In my opinion, I think it is better to focus on how to survive rather than how you do your job, especially when you have a family and have to take care of them. If it was me, I would have done the same, even if it's just an investigation. But the thing is, in order to survive, how you perform your job is a really big factor to keeping your job. If you screw up somehow and upset your customers, you might even get fired. That, then, would be a little problematic because you would have to find another job to support yourself and your family. And it isn't that easy looking for a job.
Ehrenreich goes on to tell about how it is often suggested that the government provides when the market system fails. But to me, this hardly seems like it. I honestly do not think that the government takes enough care of the people in America, especially the lower class people. Considering that the lower class struggles to get by, they should be able to receive more help from the government and not be looked upon so lowly. I am starting to doubt our government about how well it takes care of its citizens. Everyone seems to be struggling at some point. But some people do suffer more. Ehrenreich talks about low-wages and notes what she sees. She finds that often times, low-wage workers depend on others for transportation if they do not own a car. And when they do not have the ride to get to their work place, they sometimes leave the job for a closer one. Low-wage employees are also not well informed about their options. When they lose the job, they don't really know what happens to them then or how they can get a change of job. This isn't fair, because everyone should have the opportunity to know and understand what they are dealing with when signing a contract to work for the company. Ehrenreich's research on low-wage jobs shows her what low-wage workers go through and even found some abilities of what she is capable of doing. Low-wage employees have to work hard in order to survive.
I am done blogging for the time being. I am now going to check out a TV show called Once Upon A Time (my friend recommended me to watch it because I'm going to "love it") and then work on more homework and more readings for my other classes. Adios! ;)
I had something similar to this for lunch today. The picture here is obviously prettier. But have you had this before? This is tomato eggs or something. I am not sure if that is what it is called, but it is eggs with tomatoes. It's actually good. I kind of really like it. I had rice with it. Anyway, have you ever watched a TV show where it just got started getting REALLY exciting, and then they just happened to cut or cancel the show because there are not many viewers? That happens to me ALL the time. I was watching Ugly Betty and the guy's love for Betty was barely starting (I can tell) and then...BOOM! The show ended. Betty just had her braces off too, she was starting to look really good. OMGOSH!!! It's happened to me a couple of times and I am thinking, "Gosh, I have such bad luck." I get so caught up in the show too, and then it's over.
Anyhow...I would like to say that this They Say I Say book helps me learn a lot. I can and DID learn a lot in how to improve my writing from reading a few chapters in this book and a couple of "stories". This chapter deals with metacommentary and how you can use it in your writing to give your readers a better understanding of what you want to prove. When I first read this word (I didn't even know it existed), I had no idea what it meant. But the word "commentary" was in there. And I know that word. Metacommentary is said to be "a sort of second text that stands alongside your main text and explains what it means" (124). It tells the reader how and/or how not to read something. Metacommentary, in other words to me, is kind of like not picking sides or being unbiased. The text may state one claim, but you as the writer, isn't exactly going against nor taking sides with that claim. There are many ways that your readers can mistaken your point, but if you use metacommentary, it will help improve your paper and give your readers a better perspective of the purpose you are trying to point across. Metacommentary can also help you develop ideas when you are writing. It can help you add more length into your pages and possibly more depth. Now, I was reading the templates given in this chapter and read what metacommentary is and it sounds like another RHETORICALITY. I am starting to doubt I know just exactly what rhetoricality is. They are probably different, but I think I want to think metacommentary as another form of rhetoricality.
About my research for this first project we are writing, I'm still searching for my other sources. I think I want to use a couple from Rereading America. That book has a lot of interesting stuff. I think I am more sure of what I want to talk about now. INEQUALITY in the work force. And how Caucasians have a better chance of getting a job than other races.
I am going to leave my blog with a country music video: "I Love You This Big" by Scotty McCreery. Enjoy!!! =D
Ehrenreich moves to Minneapolis, Minnesota and has a very hard time finding a place to stay in. It turns out that only a few places were vacant. And some places seem unsafe to stay in. There is a place in which Ehrenreich feels unsafe and cannot really sleep because she is worried about her belongings and what could possibly happen. She wants to try other jobs other than housekeeping and cleaning. So Ehrenreich gets a job at Wal-Mart and works in the women's department with clothes. She also had a job at a house-ware store where she was paid $10 an hour, but overtime. But she also worked full-time at Wal-Mart and it kind of conflicted with her time at Wal-Mart. So Ehrenreich decides to get out of that house-ware store and just work at Wal-Mart.
I find that in most stores or jobs, Caucasians tend to get jobs easier than other races. This shows inequality in the work force, and how it is unfair for Caucasians to easily get jobs when other people are also in need of money. I always find at least a white a person or worker in a store. I honestly think that it is easier for Caucasians to find a job and whatnot. And it could possibly be true that in some places, they hire only one person of each race and then they stop hiring. Can this be true? Wouldn’t that be kind of unfair for the rest of the people who are also seeking jobs and have just about the same abilities? Inequality and injustice play a big role in our lives. For example, more Caucasian counselors are hired and kept in high school. Wal-Mart and Target has more white workers than other races. This proves that in the work force, inequality rules. But to me, it is just unfair and other people should not be treated that way, because everyone has needs and have families to take care of. They should be fair and give everyone the same opportunities.
In America, the poor people do not get much help from the government. It is as if the government does not even care about the lower class. I feel that money goes more to the wealthy when it should be the other way around. I think the poor should be helped more, because the wealthy can pretty much take care of themselves with the money that they already have. To conclude, America may be a great place to live in, but not everyone is treated equally like how they should be treated. In ways, America should change and give everyone the same amount of opportunity.
Economics in the United States is...what shall I say? COMPLICATED. There are people who makes tons of money and others who only make minimum wage. These people either fall into the category of upper class or lower class...and/or maybe middle class. In "Class in America-2006", Gregory Mantsios discusses about the four beliefs about class in America. Americans do not usually speak the terms class (upper class, middle class, lower class). They usually say rich or poor. Which, to me, sounds informal and not in a very respectful way. But to Americans, it is the common language. I have noticed that we use the terms "upper class" and "lower class" in English though. According to Mantsios's research, some people do not believe that people should be categorized as "upper class". They believe no one is different because everyone has the same rights. Mantsios stated that "in politics, in primary and secondary education, and in the mass media, formulating issues in terms of class is unacceptable, perhaps even un-American" (306). Terms of class are forbidden and should be kept foreign. What can be so wrong about using the terms of class? Must it not be used? In my opinion, I do not think it is necessary to use the terms of class. No one should be labeled as "upper class" or "lower class". It is true that some people are wealthier than others, but money should not define who they are. Belief or myth 1 is that the country is a classless society and is provided with great care and education. Myth 2 is a middle class nation. Myth 3 is everyone gaining wealth and going towards their dreams. Every generation just keeps getting better. Myth 4 is everyone having the chance to succeed without effort and hard work. I think it is impossible to succeed without effort and hard work. Some people who work really hard cannot even quite get themselves to where they WANT to be. It is not that easy. I did not realize how many billionaires there are in America. I mean...nearly 400. I think that is a lot. They are worth more than $10 billion. My question is, HOW do you get there?
I did a little research on low-wage management and such...and I found some old resources. But I plan to research more and maybe I will find some more recent ones. But I don't think that is enough. And not a lot of good articles came up. It was kind of confusing because I am not quite sure which key word(s) to type in. Maybe I will look through Rereading America and see if there is anything in there that can relate to what I want to learn more about.
That was one of my favorite country songs, "Why" by Jason Aldean. So do you want to know what I like about my weekends? I get to sleep in a little and I can take hour-breaks from homework. =D Except sometimes...I take VERY long breaks and I should not do that. Anyway, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I was kind of stress-free because there was not much homework for me. And that is always a good thing. ;) Don't you hate it when your internet goes all whack-y and everything? Maybe it does not happen to you often, but man...my internet keeps going down and it is PREEEEEETTY darn annoying.
Chapter two of Nickel and Dimed was VERY long. In this chapter, Ehrenreich (how do you pronounce her last name again?) moves to Maine. Portland makes her feel more comfortable, if you will, because most people there are white so she feels they are more like her and not very different. The fact that they speak fluent English makes it easier for Ehrenreich to understand and communicate with others. That would be a relief, because some people have thick accents and it could be really hard to understand what they are saying. Ehrenreich finds two jobs in Portland. She works as a maid for a housekeeping service on weekdays and a dietary aide in a nursing home on weekends. After working as a housekeeper for some time, she finds herself bonding with her coworkers. Ehrenreich starts working with Marge and Holly often. One day Holly gets into an accident and twists her ankle. She refuses to go see the doctor and would rather work her shifts. And because they are only working for a low-wage paid company, it is hard to leave work and not make money to pay their bills and such. Not to mention that it hardly covers for their rent. Things become a little complicated when Holly and the other women find out that Holly is pregnant. Holly would eventually have to miss days of work and she cannot afford to do that. Ehrenreich helps Holly by trying to take away her fears and coming up with a stoppage.
It must be tough trying to work everyday just to make enough to pay for a place to live in. I do not work and there are no bills for me to pay yet. And I cannot help but only wonder how stressful it must be for those who are trying to make money just to survive day by day. I feel like a bum being jobless and unemployed. But if I start working, I might start having bills to pay...and I am not sure I want to go through all that just yet.
I feel that winter is coming to an end...some afternoons are pretty warm these past couple of days. It was a pretty short winter, don't you think?
I am taking History 11 this semester and my professor makes us read A LOT. We read sections from two books every day, pretty much. There is like 100 pages to read every day. I just wish it was more like English where we can actually have the WEEKEND to read and all. But anyway... Enough about history class. I love country music. My favorite country singer is Keith Urban. His songs make me happy and just want to take a road trip to Tennessee. Well, here is a music video of Keith Urban and his song "Long Hot Summer."
So for the library tutorial page we had to explore through... I mainly watched videos. I watched the "7 Secrets to Success" video. I gotta say, at first I thought it was going to be more of a lecture telling the watcher how to succeed in literary terms. It turned out to be using the library as a very good source of succeeding. And I did find it good and helpful. The video showed how you can self-check out books. You can also check out laptops and such. Asking for help and know where different service points are in the library will definitely help you succeed. The "plagiarism" section gives links to videos that tell students that copying/plagiarizing is not good. And of course, we all should know that very well by now. This page actually helps. I did not know where you can make copies or how to check out books. This can be a good guide to where I can get around in the library and where everything is. I am just very happy that there is a Starbucks in the Henry Madden Library. =D
I was watching Ugly Betty on Netflix and Betty went to Queens College in New York. And then I read the "abstract" to "The Lesson" and it just reminded me of the show. The other Toni Cade Bambara trained at Queens College. I start reading this story and think, "Dang. There is a lot of profanity in this story." But this is college, so I understand. In this story, Miss Moore teaches the kids about the cost of the toys in the toy store and compares them to how much their parents make. This shows the inequality division of wealth in America. Sometimes, how much you make cannot even cover the cost of an expensive toy. It might be difficult for kids to understand all the statistics and how an expensive toy is not worth spending all that money on...but maybe they will come to understand when they grow up and become young adults. There are things that we want and things that we NEED. In my opinion, I think it is very important to put your needs before your wants. Needs are the things that we cannot live without and MUST have.
I cannot wait until I get to travel this universe. =) Brooklyn Bridge...
In this last chapter of Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich discusses about her experience in working as a low-wage employee. In her experience, she discovers that it is not as easy as she thought it would be working in the low-wage society. She also discovers this part of her that she is a person of average ability: she is capable of learning how to do the job and also capable of screwing up. During her experience, she notes that just learning how to do the job is not exactly the main goal. Your personality and how you do your job have a big effect on yourself as a worker. Ehrenreich learns that these people do their job for a living. And through Ehrenreich's investigation working as a low-wage paid employee, she mostly focused on how to survive more than how she performed the job. In my opinion, I think it is better to focus on how to survive rather than how you do your job, especially when you have a family and have to take care of them. If it was me, I would have done the same, even if it's just an investigation. But the thing is, in order to survive, how you perform your job is a really big factor to keeping your job. If you screw up somehow and upset your customers, you might even get fired. That, then, would be a little problematic because you would have to find another job to support yourself and your family. And it isn't that easy looking for a job.
Ehrenreich goes on to tell about how it is often suggested that the government provides when the market system fails. But to me, this hardly seems like it. I honestly do not think that the government takes enough care of the people in America, especially the lower class people. Considering that the lower class struggles to get by, they should be able to receive more help from the government and not be looked upon so lowly. I am starting to doubt our government about how well it takes care of its citizens. Everyone seems to be struggling at some point. But some people do suffer more. Ehrenreich talks about low-wages and notes what she sees. She finds that often times, low-wage workers depend on others for transportation if they do not own a car. And when they do not have the ride to get to their work place, they sometimes leave the job for a closer one. Low-wage employees are also not well informed about their options. When they lose the job, they don't really know what happens to them then or how they can get a change of job. This isn't fair, because everyone should have the opportunity to know and understand what they are dealing with when signing a contract to work for the company. Ehrenreich's research on low-wage jobs shows her what low-wage workers go through and even found some abilities of what she is capable of doing. Low-wage employees have to work hard in order to survive.
I am done blogging for the time being. I am now going to check out a TV show called Once Upon A Time (my friend recommended me to watch it because I'm going to "love it") and then work on more homework and more readings for my other classes. Adios! ;) 
