Friday, August 29, 2008 Abercrummy: 'say no to Ugly? POST A COMMENT 'Might need to change that to name to Abercrumbles -- with slumping profits 'sounds like that pricey-preppy-chain might need it's own fashion makeover: "As allowances dwindle and parents fret over their jobs and home values, the 'fresh, clean, simple and optimistic' look of American Apparel's hipster gear is gaining appeal," says the NY Post. And it just might get uglier... Speaking of Ugly, 'found this article on the 'Hierarchy of hotness' rules at Abercrombie & Fitch. Which basically says, 'You're either Abercrombie hot – or you're not. Hmmm... Makes ya wonder if there are enough hot people to wear their clothes; And does this exclusion on the average Joe-buyer affects their bottom line? Opps, I guess it does. One girl 'was pulled from a sales position on the floor...and shoved back to the stockroom to fold clothes. In its defense the company says 'it is important to uphold the brand's image and maintain diversity in its stores.' -- "It's a hierarchy of hotness," says the Morning Dallas News. "There's no real problem to discriminate against 'ugly' people," said one Lawyer. "The problem is when you define beauty to incorporate white, which it essentially does at Abercrombie." Source: Dallas Morning News Labels: Business-101, capitalism, Clothes, College Students, Culture, economy, Fashion posted by Henry Cruz at 10:33 PM Saturday, August 16, 2008 It's the teachers, stupid! POST A COMMENT As a survivor the public school system -- including a bout at one of the most dangerous High Schools in the Bronx - (NYC)... 'I can testify that the biggest problem at inner-city schools -- (aside from threat-to-life issues) is what you don't see -- all the dropouts.... but, for those that stick it out, it does become so much about the quality of the teachers; which is why I think "Teach for America" might have something. Let's face it, there is no easy band-aid fix; as this Newsweek article points out: "the American system of education is broken..." -- poor kids without money are basically screwed. Repairing it, begins with better teachers: "The single most important factor in student achievement is the quality of the teacher. And yet, we have no effective system to attract, train, retain and promote high-caliber candidates for our schools. Today's teachers score in the lowest quartile of college grads and too many of the schools that train them are diploma mills." - Teach for America basics: The two-year program "recruits high-performing college grads to teach in low-performing public schools." And while the teachers are paid the same as other new teachers, Teach for America actually helps to pay off the participants student loans. More than that is how this program has raised the stakes by sparking a join-the-cool-club-mentality among recent grads: "Among the candidates: 11 percent of seniors at Yale, 10 percent at Georgetown and 9 percent at Harvard. This summer, 3,700 corps members who were carefully culled for their leadership skills through TFA's data-driven, envy-of-Wall Street selection model underwent an intensive, five-week crash course in teaching." I know for myself, the difference between ending up locked up in jail or finishing college -- came down to a few memorable teachers showing me some of life's possibilities. Source: Newsweek Labels: College Students, economy, Education, Poverty Divide, race relations, Teach for America posted by Henry Cruz at 4:34 PM Wednesday, August 13, 2008 Making sure that job is...Green? POST A COMMENT College students ain't interested in just "Working for the man" -- unless they get a touch of green -- and by green, I don't mean just cash: "Young people are thumbing their noses at companies that don't offer green-collar jobs," This according to a survey by the career network Experience. 'Sorta become the "in" thing for Students -- (and recent grads) -- to make more environmentally-conscious decisions when it comes to their career choices: In that nationwide poll: "Four in five (81%) said it is important to work for a green company and nearly as many (79%) said they would be more likely to accept a job offer at an eco-conscious company over a company that wasn't, when evaluating two similar offers." Since not everybody can wake-up an all-out expert on topics like sustainable technologies... 'Schools are adapting this eco-trend and offering a crop of courses -- "that help you safeguard the planet while boosting your skills." Ultimately, one-hand-washes-the-other fits perfectly for that green economy to stick...'Hitting the workplace from all angles: When a company has to appeal to both consumers and future employees...it then makes fiscal sense. Source: Time Out Labels: An Inconvenient Truth, Business-101, College Students, Energy-101, environment, Go-green, green living, News Trends, recycling, smaller carbon footprint, Waste management posted by Henry Cruz at 12:55 PM Thursday, July 31, 2008 College Students on Food Stamps POST A COMMENT When I think back to my 20's and working my way through college with a part time job...(* sighs) I do remember learning to stretch each dollar...'doing more with less. And yeah, even going hungry a few times. 'but thankfully, it never got so bad that I would imagine ever forming a Facebook group called "I Ain't Afraid to be on Food Stamps." - so, times have changed. With inflation fears mounting -- due in large part to the crippled housing market; 'we can expect to see growing gas prices & food costs... 'Even heard last night on ABC's Nightline that even 'rich-folks -- with plenty of available cash on hand -- are not spending right now. So much for that theory of trickle-down economics that says if you give Tax breaks to the rich they'll keep spending to grow the economy. Seems everybody's cutting their spending bracing for the worst-yet-to-come-ahead. So not so crazy to read "with things the way they are, a lot of students just can't afford to eat," reports the Gainesville Gardian. And they are lining up to local food banks just to get something to eat. "There is a stereotype that well, if they're in college, they can afford to eat," said a food pantry director. "But there are some - (college) - students who have hardly any disposable income, and because of that, the food budget suffers. They either eat really badly, or they just don't eat enough." I want to say learning to do more with less helps build character --for the generation ahead -- but, it's really hard to listen to any rosy theories on a empty stomach. Source: Gainesville Guardian Labels: College Students, economy, Facebook, Food Banks, Poverty Divide, rich and poor divide posted by Henry Cruz at 12:20 PM     ARCHIVES October 2005 . November 2005 . December 2005 . August 2007 . September 2007 . October 2007 . November 2007 . December 2007 . March 2008 . April 2008 . May 2008 . June 2008 . July 2008 . August 2008 . September 2008 .