Too observant & Privacy

October 12, 2008 By 1 Comment

I am too observant. For my own good. Have you ever had that issue? Where you’re just tooooooo freaking observant and you can’t shut off your senses? Where you’re aware of every single thing going on around you and no matter how much you don’t want to hear/see it, its impossible to block out?! I have that problem. It ruins my concentration like woah. Also, it makes it difficult to do things without having my mind wander.

I notice there’s some people who are extremely aloof, and don’t seem like they notice a damn thing. Like a gigantic ship with a big red pirate flag could go by, while they ‘swab their decks’, and the person would be like… “oh… did you feel that breeze? must be nothing’. YEAH! that’s a trait I want. It would make life so much easier if I could breeze through my days, honing in only on what I wanted to and not getting little irritating things in my way. There is something to be said for aloofness. That something is “try it!”.

Also! I promise I’ll have my next post actually related to the going-ons in the world… I just felt like writing something like this because my mind is wandering and I’m getting ready for class.

In my law class we had a section on sexual harassment suites, and we had a real case reenacted that my professor was one of the lawyers on. It just started turning my wheels, because hearing the transcript just reminded me how crazily different people are now and how the lines are drawn at such weird angles when it comes to anything. Our generation truly is the most studied generation. That’s a fact I had learned in my marketing class. We are the generation that everybody can’t seem to figure out. Hell, I’m in this generation and I can’t even figure myself out. Lol.

I’ve had some issues over the whole “privacy” thing lately and what I observe in people’s behavior. Privacy is such a different thing that it used to be 10 years ago. Even 5 years ago. It seems as if nobody is a private person anymore, and everybody puts their lives up for show. It’s like, if you know or meet someone, they automatically want your myspace page.. your facebook page… I mean, even giving out your screen name is becoming radically different. I used to (and still do) treat my screen name like my phone number… if I wouldn’t give you my phone number then why would I give you my screen name? Call me old fashioned or weird but there’s something to say for having that disconnect from everyone you come in contact with by choice… and only being available when you choose to be.The only way I give someone my screen name is if they’re an old friend or if I have to for school/group projects. Then I keep it strictly professional. Then there’s people who give everyone and their mother their screen name, and they’re like “ohh! I see you during the day! let’s chit chat all night too- I don’t have other things in real life I need to worry about. I’ll be on instant messenger alllllll night!”

Well yah, when I was single I did that.. but that’s cause I was filling in my extra time and pushing the walls or boredom away, and trying to find something to do after class if my friends were still working or in at school. I mean, where do you draw the line?

It seems as if the majority of my friends have gotten off that kick. The ones that are online just put up an away message all the time anyway. I’m going to be 24 in december… do I really need to still be on something I used when I was 13 every single day of my life!? How does that look professionally when I start my career? Or even.. what can myspace or facebook link me to, and get me in trouble for since employers seem to stalk those pages now as well? I give kudos to Jenna- who was the only one who could justify me being on AIM all day long because she had me matched for a while. But I am sad to say that even sheeeee is only on at work and no longer on at night. I am saddened! (you hear that Jenna! bahaha. Just kidding). But that made me rethink how much I use things like that. And made me rethink people who need it on whenever they are at their computer.

My sociology class went over these theories (which I entirely believe are true) that we tend to become closest to those that we spend the most time with and are in close proximity to. So if I’m in school or work and I see somebody everyday… sure as hell doesn’t mean I’m giving them my screen name or all my social pages so I can chit chat with them on a daily basis.

An important finding, Ms. Ellison said, was that students who reported low satisfaction with life and low self-esteem, and who used Facebook intensively, accumulated a form of social capital linked to what sociologists call “weak ties.” A weak tie is a fellow classmate or someone you meet at a party, not a friend or family member. Weak ties are significant, scholars say, because they are likely to provide people with new perspectives and opportunities that they might not get from close friends and family. “With close friends and family we’ve already shared information,” Ms. Ellison said.

That was taken from a massive social experiment with facebook where people did not know they were observed. Not to knock down what anybody does in their spare time but what would you think about somebody you know who has to be on every single social website known to man kind when it’s not neccesary or business related? It’s like their trying to replace something in their real life with something that can allow them to focus solely on the computer and ignore real life going on around them.

Me? I prefer to be out living life, yet it seems like the only way to get a hold of people it so sit on a damn computer. UGH!!! When does it ever stop!?

I should have grown up 2 generations ago, where it was all jazz music, wine, dinner dates, dancing and meaningful conversation. Technology and I have too much of a love/hate relationship to make it work. Lol.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

'That One'

October 11, 2008 By 1 Comment

Who is ‘that one’ you may ask!? The one, the only….*drum roll pleaaaaase*

Barack Obama!!

During the presidential debate John Mccain kindly (*cough* not so kindly) referred to Barack Obama as “that one”. What he didn’t know was he was throwing fuel into the fire for the media to come up with this WONDERFUL website that makes me giggle everytime I see it. http://thatone08.com/

Please click onto the song bahahaha it’ll get stuck in your head for hours.

That is all. Sorry for the short post.

OH! ALSO!! I know I have lotssss of wonderful readers that like to stalk my blog, so I just wanted to clue you in on the fact that I have a JOBBY JOB! That’s right kids, I have a job writing :) I am the new voice of “Helpmepaymyloans.com” WHICH (aside from the name that sounds a little not so college friendly) is actually a really informative and neato website. I’m covering everything that has to do with the financial sector and making it FUN! I put up one post already and I’ll be attempting to get between 2-4 every week. Go stalk it because the more people that go there, the more sponsors we get, and the more supplementary income I will have to support my coffee habit :)

Also, since I have an extremely high flow of traffic through my website, I’m interested in finding a business or website (big or small) that would like to be featured in that handy dandy little advertising block I have going on. You would be somewhat of a sponsor… We negotiate a very small fee and everyone who consistantly goes to my website will see your advertisement. I’m sure you know how it works. If you’re interested then just shoot me an email at svn@knights.ucf.edu

Filed Under: College, Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The winds! I'm going to get blown away!

August 21, 2008 By 1 Comment

so for anybody who has been watching the news, you might notice a little storm called ‘tropical storm fay’ that’s been badgering the hell out of Florida. It came off the coast, got on land… left land onto the coast.. picked up more speed, came back.. and now it’s expected to do that two more times. Meanwhile, we’ve been having a constant barrage of rain.. rain.. and more rain. Honestly I’m sick of it. I went back home to NY for a wedding and… RAIN. What a surprise.

We attempted to brave the storm a couple of times. We went to the gym (actually RAN to the gym) which wasn’t a good idea. I looked like I got soaked with a hose by the time I got in there. Also, our hallway outside the door is like a wind tunnel and I’m liable to get picked up and swept away.

OH! That reminds me (don’t ask how) but I dyed my hair back down to it’s supposed natural color. I was wrong. Completely wrong. Shane- you were right. I said it! I picked a color that was brown/black (cause my hair is a dark chocolate color naturally) and it looks BLACK! I look like I’m spanish… and with a name like selena, it’s a little easier to think that.

I already get spoken spanish too all the time. Actually, the chinese food delivery guy broke out all these languages trying to guess what I am. He’s like ‘habla espanol?’ I’m like ‘No?’ so he’s like.. ‘you look spanish’. I’m like ‘well, I’m not. I’m italian and malaysian”. So then he says something in Italian which I don’t understand (my mom is fluent but I never learned it, I learned dutch instead) and I’m like WHAT?!?!?!?!??!

Stop speaking different languages to me. No hablo espanol. Ik spreek een weinig Nederlands. Non parlo affatto italiano. Got it? Thanks.

Anyway. We’ve been having 20-30 MPH winds, and gusts up to 40 MPH. Our lovely apartment window is leaking (Which they were supposed to fix last time it happened) and I was up until 6 am switching towels because every little bang of the window and drip of water woke me up. We all know I wake up for the slightest sound and shane sleeps like a rock. Lucky him.

So we’re expected to have rain for another few days. My dad has decided to buy a house for us down here while we’re in school (which is extremely nice of him because rent is way too high here) and also so that once we’re done with school and leave, he can rent it for extra income. This will alleviate the leaky window problem. Seriously, it was like chinese water torture. Highly effective might I add.

Global warming at its finest. Haha.

I have my UCF orientation tomorrow (given that the rain holds up) which is about 6 hours long. Their campus is beautiful and I’m getting really bored of summer here. It rains way too much to do anything fun so I’m pretty much trapped in the apartment all the time. It’s enough to drive somebody insane.

One thing I’m excited for is that UCF has a bazillion free training programs you can do in their gym… I plan on taking kick boxing (so not only will I be a black belt in tae kwon do but also somebody who can.. do whatever it is that kickboxers do) and maybe yoga. Plus if we move from this apartment complex into a house, it’ll be easier to stay on campus and use the gym rather than go to Planet Fitness.

So back to politics. Obama and Mccain should be announcing their VP’s soon. I’m really curious who Obama is going to pick. For those of you who haven’t read any of my earlier stuff, I’m 100% for Obama. Election time is getting closerrrrrr!!!! I’m so excited! I really wanted to put a poll in here to see who is for Obama and who is for Mccain but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet.

Anyway, that’s all for now.. I really don’t feel like writing more, I’m tired and neeeeeeeeeed (<— totally guilty of doing the girl thing.. don’t ask) to do dishes so I can eat something :)

Filed Under: College, Life, Politics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

random updates

August 1, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Since not everyone knows that I switched to my own website now (www.esvienne.com) and am continuing my blog there until I put up photography and whatnot, I’ll post what I’m posting there on this wordpress as well. But whoever is reading please continute at esvienne.com

I know, I know. I haven’t had anything worthwhile really to write about (in the context of world events and whatnot). I’ve been giving more personal updates, which totally strays off from the idea of this blog. A little change doesn’t hurt though. I do have a couple of things I wanted to talk about (in regards to mccain, the environment etc) but I just haven’t really had much time to sit and write it all out.

I’m a slacker bahaha.

For one thing- I would like to tell everybody that if you’re in college, CHECK this damn website. ratemyprofessor.com

I never thought it was important, but I found out this summer the hard way. Now, I’m normally an A student, with the occasional B. This summer I would have had straight A’s except for this jerk professor I had in the first half. I.. am an awesome essay writer. I had this western civilization class I had to take (which I took with my last degree, except it didn’t transfer from NY) so I had to take it again. I tried SO hard, and I ended up getting a C in that class. Now, this guy had us write 4 major essays in 4 weeks (all 4-5 pages) and had us write discussion questions with references to the books we used. We also could not use our actual class textbook in our essays. I came home with like 6 books from the library every week.

AKA I tried my butt off. (Laughed my ass pants off if you will Jenna LOL)

So after I was practically in tears over this class, I checked ratemyprofessor.com. Just as I presumed. There were a ton of aggravated students on there, like me, who are normally A students and found themselves doing badly in this class. The teacher doesn’t even give you good criticism. I even emailed him asking him what I can fix on my essays and he NEVER gave an answer. So the moral of this story- check that website before you take a class. I never worried about it because I didn’t think the professor mattered, but I found out the hard way. He ruined my summer GPA.

But other than that- I graduated. Now  can finish at UCF finally. Since I have a business degree already, this marketing bachelors should double up my chances of finding an AWESOME job when I’m out.

I’m also in the process of finding a really good eventing/cross country school down here. For those of you who don’t know what eventing is, it’s like the x-games of equestrian. It’s not stadium jumping, it’s not dressage. It’s combined training bad ass competition. You’re not in the safety of an arena, you’re out on a full blown course through forests, rolling hills etc. You’re still jumping 5 foot jumps, you’re just out in nature doing more ‘natural’ and harder jumps. You’re flying practically vertically downhill into bodies of water, jumping UP hill. You need a horse in tip-top physical shape, and you need to be in it too. For those who are curious what it is, here’s a little video showing how hard it actually is. It’s not a cake walk, regardless of how easy the olympic riders make it look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKs_wImT0uM

So yes, this is what I want to start training for. Evidently Florida is the perfect place to do it because it’s warm all year round. I want to compete so bad but I just have to completely immerse myself in the sport. Not that I don’t already, I’m always riding and have been for years upon years, but eventing is something you have to consciously work hard at, it’s a lifestyle. I want it.

Filed Under: College, Equestrian, Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Decision, Decisions.

June 10, 2008 By 2 Comments

I’ve come across an issue that nobody but myself can help me with. For anybody who knows me, I’m a better critic and motivator for people who AREN’T me. But I will get to that in a minute.

I just went for a run around the lake at 11 PM. I learned two things during this run.

1) Don’t tie your shoes too tight because your feet get awfully tingly and sleepy while you’re running.

2) Don’t gasp for breath if you’re out of it, using your mouth in the manner of a blowhole, and keeping it wide open as such. Florida has gnats. LOTS of them. I think I got one in my eye.

So now onto my bigger problem. This is something that my boyfriend, Jenna, and my parents have both known me to wrestle with. I’m STILL having a problem picking my major for when I go to UCF. What, ME? Not knowing my major? Shocker. And for those of you who think this is due to some incompetency or a slacking of some sort, it’s not. The problem isn’t that I don’t like anything in particular, the problem is that I like TOO many things, and greatly so.

I have three MAJOR interests. Science, art/design/marketing (I have full rights to clump those all together), and horses/animals. I already have a business degree and by July i will also have a marketing degree. Count that- it makes two degrees. So I’m heading into UCF for marketing to continue on for my bachelors. That makes three paths. I’m not even counting all the other things I wanted to do before.

I would die to be in the science field. I’m the most inquisitive person in the world, and honestly, who else do you know who reads/watches/stalks anything having to do with science on their own? Jenna doesn’t count. I would love to make a difference in the world and study everything.

I would also die to be in the marketing/design field. I love creativity and art, and am quite creative myself. Unfortunately my sister got EVERY ounce of art talent, and she’s more talented than 99/100 people. I am actively pursuing marketing because I know what I feel needs to be improved in marketing and advertisements, I know how to effectively reach an audience with an idea, and I’m also learning how to design (thanks to Shane’s endless amounts of books from his school). I know I would be good at marketing- it would be fun, and there are lots of different areas and opportunities to dabble in.

Horses and animals. This is my TRUE love. Horse trainer was HIGH on my lists of things I wanted to be when I was younger, and so was a veterinarian. People always told me being a horse trainer was not fun and alot of work. They also decided to tell me that I wouldn’t make alot of money. I’ve trained horses. I know. They are a handful but I enjoy every second of it. I would trade money to do something, ANYTHING in a field with horses. I was deterred from being a vet when I was younger because of the fact that I would most likely be euthanizing alot of sick animals, and it would probably break my heart. And it would. I would think about every animal that didn’t make it. While I would learn from my mistakes and move on, it would still eat away at me. I realize this now. I care too much to be a vet, if that makes any sense at all to anyone other than me. I am also in love with wild animals, and that varies from big cats (my major one), to wolves, to monkeys, to snakes. No spiders though.::edit- I realize that spiders are arachnids and snakes are reptiles…. not animals per-say. BUT you catch my drift:: I’m adamant about that. Being a wild life observer/saver/scientist would totally rock my socks. Really, anything in the animal field would make me happy… unless it involves cows and farms. Seriously people. I might be in love with horses but I don’t like any other farm animals. I don’t like pigs. I don’t like chickens. You won’t catch me dead on a legit farm. I don’t mind taking care of my own horse, and mucking out his stall etc and so on and so forth but I will NOT clean cow poop. No way in hell. 

So I am left with this decision. Do I finish in Biology, which will take a year longer? Or do I finish marketing which is only going to take me a year and a half more, and I can work on my masters, while having my business degree and marketing degree?

Ever heard of right brained and left brained? Yah, well conveniently I’m both and I’m really not kidding about that. And therein lies the problem. Anyway , as dire as it might sound, I don’t need to stress about it for another month and a half.

On another note: Have you ever seen two giraffes fighting?!?! I was watching this show on animal plant with uncut animal footage, and these two giraffes were smacking the heck out of eachother with their heads! I’m talking full on concussion style! They bent their neck wayyyyyyyy to the side and swung full force- it was like watching someone throw a medicine ball. Really hard. Apparently they are very docile creatures until it comes to mating season. Watch it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=C7HCIGFdBt8

ALSO!!! I managed to sell my iphone. I’ve had 4 people ask me already why on earth I’m selling it and the answer is simple. Apple just announced that they are releasing a 3g iphone. Yup, that’s right, all the gloriousness of my current iphone but it’s going to be FASTER. MUCH faster at that. So I’m reverting back to my old cell phone and pre-ordering it as soon as I can. It comes out next month and I’m EXCITED! Such a dork I am. The money I get from selling this iphone is paying for the new one. Conveniently.

 

Filed Under: College, Equestrian, Iphone, Life, Science, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , ,