Dog days of summer and kurt cobain

School doesn't start for me until august 26 which is also my brother's bday. I spend some of my days applying for jobs and photoshopping pictures I took this year. I upload them to my flickr account but lately I haven't uploaded much so I have a big backlog of pics to post on flickr.The weather has been humid this past week which is very uncalifornia like. It makes it feel like it's September even though tomorrow is only august 1st. I remember when I was little I used to have a small kiddie pool and a slip n slide and that would make the days go by faster. Now I have AC and verizion fios. Anyways here is a picture of kurt cobain with his daughter that I made in photoshop. In case your wondering, she was born in 1992 and he died in 1994 so it is impossible to see an actual picture of her grown up with him

 

Last day of panera bread free coffee

I'm going to miss the free coffee I had throughout the month of july. I ended up getting 9 free iced coffees. The past week they ran out of the normal sized cups so they would give me a large cup. Since the coffee wasn't decaf I would only fill it up half way and the rest with half and half. I am one more purchase away from my next reward. To get over my fix, I will go to mcdonalds more often and get a strawberry shake during the mccafe happy hour

The wonder years

When I was little, the wonder years used to be on syndication and I only saw 2 or 3 episodes and I found it to be boring. In 2011 or 2012 I think, the hub decided to air the whole series. I started watching when the hub aired the episode where kevin joins a band. Since that moment I was hooked and couldn't stop watching. They aired the whole series 4 or 5 times before they suddenly took it off the air. I could relate to the show a lot more now that I wasn't a kid anymore. I like how it was realistic especially the ending. Life doesn't always work out the way you want it. I loved the episode where kevin gets dumped by winnie at the observatory. The face he makes is the same face I made the last time I got dumped. It also reminded me why I don't want a relationship. Another touching moment(which I think I remember it wrong) is when kevin sees winnie at a party or he gets dumped by her at a party and he goes home and see's his dad in the garage and he just cries in his arms. It's powerful stuff. Then there's the episode where kevin goes to the dance with his lab partner and she ditches him and the hot girl kevin wanted to go with also ditches him. He finds himself looking around for winnie cooper and she is looking for him too and they almost run into each other but they don't. Watching that show reminds me a lot of my childhood and it depresses me but it is really touching. TV shows just don't have that effect on people anymore.

 

Driving pet peeves

When I'm out driving I'm a pretty calm person however there are some things that people do that can get annoying and I have no idea why they do it. For example I don't like when people are changing lanes every 2 seconds just to get somewhere faster then they end up at the front of the line at a red light then when the light turns green they drive pretty slow. What's the point of driving like your in a hurry if your not committed to it. If I were to actually be in a hurry then I wouldn't take off slowly from red lights or get stuck behind a car. Another example is people that drive fast thru an alley(there's one behind my house) especially when it's during a time when kids are playing and by fast I mean 30mph+. Then when they park and I drive by them at 7mph they get mad and say I'm going too fast and they have a kid to protect. The irony is incredibly delicious

Bullying

Anyone find it really ironic how at a time when bullies are a endangered species is also the same time when "cracking down" on bullying happens. When I was in elementary school I used to avoid certain areas and I wouldn't walk by a certain spot after school. I never got beaten up or had my lunch money stolen. Once I did get a kick me sign put on my back though. I think I also had no problems because I got along well with other kids. Right across from my school is a middle school and there is a gate that the m.s. kids use as a shortcut that cuts through my school. I would avoid that gate since the kids that came by would always look mean and tough and huge. There was a bathroom that was on a small hill that was semi secluded and it was where some tough kids would hang out. They never bothered me but I heard stories of how much lunch money they took or someone would get spit wads to the back while they used the urinal. I don't think anyone actually did get beaten up. I know some kids that did get noogies and wedgies. The world was a lot less politically correct so the teacher's aides at recess and lunch wouldn't watch the kids that well so we could get away with a lot of things. I remember there was a lot of pog playing behind a building and illegal pokemon trading when it came out. Middle school is when I actually ran into a honest to god bully. When I was in 6th grade there was a 7th grader that just plain didn't like me. He was only a little bit taller then me and I mostly just ignored him. Anyways my neighbor who was in 8th grade at the time must have told him something since he never really bothered me again after a certain time. Back then teachers wouldn't do much if you "told" on someone. If you told on someone then you might as well have the cheese touch like the diary of a wimpy kid movie. Nowadays teachers and teacher's aides watch the kids like a hawk. You can tell on someone anonymously and it will get taken seriously. You don't have to worry about walking home through a certain path. It is very different and it almost makes me feel sorry that the traditional bully is going the way of the payphone. Also in today's world any little altercation is quickly called bullying when it is not even close to bully like behavior. A true bully inspires fear and dread when you get close to a certain area  

Hitting a wall

Anyone ever feel like you applied almost everywhere and things have stagnated? Indeed.com and snagajob.com have slowed down a lot in the past 2 days and the puente hills mall job listings hasn't updated in a few weeks. I still haven't applied at baskin robbins or two 99 cents stores close to me so there's still some places. Obviously job hunting is frustrating and I hope I get a call back soon

Sites I use

In case anyone is wondering where I get jobs to apply at. I frequently check the job section on CL and for various cities. I have an account on indeed.com and I browse through the latest listings. I also have an account on snagajob.com, I spend about 30 or 40 minutes just saving jobs that I will apply at. Then when I go online again I'll have a list to apply and it is less time consuming. So while I haven't gotten an interview since nov of last year, at least I keep trying. I almost forgot, I have an account on getphotographyjobs.com and they send me a daily update on companies that are hiring within a set distance of me. I also have an account on college central network but the majority of job listings are on other sites that you have to sign up for. Some companies such as ralph's and target and the puente hills mall have listings under the career section that you have to check often to know they are hiring. Obviously I put a lot of time into job hunting and I take it seriously. At times it does it frustrating and I want a job already only so I don't have to worry and look so often

Tonight's progress

So what am I doing on a saturday night? Well I applied to hot topic(my 2nd time in the past 4 months) which is also a store I like and I have the look and clothes to work at that store and I applied at an office in santa fe springs. I was also going to apply at a pizza restaurant in santa fe springs but they only wanted people to work evenings and I will have school soon on tuesdays and thursdays. I think not have a flexible schedule and having very little experience hurts me a lot. Anyways I will keep trying since macy's at the puente hills mall is hiring 

Saturdays feel pretty nostalgic too

Maybe it's because I used to go to yard sales a lot when I was very little but saturdays feel more 90's then almost any other day. It doesn't help that I love stopping at yard sales and buying things from the 90's. Here is a software ETC ad from 1992 or 1993. Check out street fighter 2 which is coming soon. Also the majority of the games in the ad aren't very good which is probably why their $3 off. I used to have a sega genesis and I still have my game gear so I played a lot of these

 

Disney adventures mighty morphin power rangers

This is what Im reading today on retro friday, the april 1994 issue of disney adventures with the power rangers on the cover. That is also the same month that kurt cobain killed himself. I got it for $1.25 on ebay and love the nostalgia blast

 

Retro fridays

Im not sure why but fridays always feel more retro then thursdays. I think it's because every friday evening I would tune into ABC to watch TGIF fridays. The shows I most remember is boy meets world and sabrina the teenage witch and home improvement. I also have vivid memories of going to the santa fe springs swapmeet in the evening before TGIF and checking out the new pokemon cards and buying nintendo power magazines from the early to mid 90's. I haven't been to that swap meet since 2002 but I bet it is probably just like how I remember it. On fridays on facebook I always post pictures and statuses that reference the 90's so here's kmart from I believe 1995 or 1994

 

Applying at subway

I spent about 22 minutes applying at subway just now. While it went smoothly, they're job application only lets you apply at one location at one time. Compared to say vons or target this is inefficient. I hope I get a call back since I live 1 mile away and I can walk to that subway in 14-16 minutes at a brisk pace. It has a small survey of about 40 questions. Those things always get me except that one time I applied at macy's. Later on tonight I will apply at another subway that's at the quad. Tomorrow I'm going to the whittier library that's close the whittwood town center. I have 2 HP printers and one of them is busted and the other doesn't have ink. At the library I'll print out some applications for the 99 cents store and savers. I also have to print out the label for my packages I'll be sending. In case anyone wonders, I sell hot wheels on ebay and I can diffidently use the money for school 

I went to the vineland swapmeet

Yeah I went to a swapmeet on a wednesday. I'm not sure why but it is always busy on wednesdays. The vineland swapmeet is also a drive in movie theater swapmeet info. I was there for about 3 and a half hours in the sun just slowly sweating. The first picture is of all the gum I got for $3 and the one below it is the hot wheels I got for 50 cents each. Below that is the micro machines I got for $1 each which is a steal considering how much they gone up in value. At the bottom is my favorite find. A brand new nirvana shirt with tags still on it for $3, at target it is $12.99 so I got a steal. It was a pretty good day even if the weather was hot. There are some taco trucks so I took a break to get some carne asada tacos and a sangeria soda. The maxwell DV cassette was $1

Tattoos

In case anyone was wondering, no I don't have any tattoos or piercings. I do want to get some of both. I thought about getting a prince albert or a similar kind of piercing. I want to get tattoos but not the traditional kinds that tattoo lovers would like. I want a ford logo and a super nintendo controller and a gameboy pocket and kat von D's signature. I feel weird not having any tattoos, almost like a unicorn. I'll probably get some when I get a job as right now I have to spend my money on school supplies and books.  Oh I almost forgot, I want the tattoo that brody dalle has

My skills

In case your wondering about my skills and/or job experience it is this. From 2011 through 2012 I worked for a property management company which taught me sales skills which I hope I can use in a retail job even if they are completely different industries. After that I applied and applied at various places throughout the years and I still do. In January 2014 I joined my school's newspaper staff as a staff writer/photographer. It was only for the semester and even though it may not be considered a job I took it seriously. I would write 2 articles for each issue and sometimes take photographs and caption them. You can see my work at el paisano. In the last issue I covered the job fair on campus and at the fair I met representatives for Whittier Museum. I became a volunteer staff writer for the rest of the spring semester. I was writing articles for the whittier historical society gazette. In my spare time I photograph many things and locations and edit them in photoshop. I consider that my main job skills (photography taking and editing) That's the industry where I would most like to work at. I'm working on improving my photography skills especially in the people section. That is the area that needs the most improvement. I been looking for people to let me take pictures of them in a natural environment and in a studio like environment but it is hard to find someone that wants to do it for free. While I was typing this I also 'shopped this picture of my sister from the aquarium of the pacific. This is the before picture on top and the after picture is on the bottom. Keep in mind this was a quickie 4 minute edit

 

Perfect job

Have you ever applied somewhere and felt like it was the perfect job for more then one reason and one of those was not about money? that's how I feel about this internship I applied at in june for DUB. It was in a convenient location in santa fe springs. They were looking for college students which I am. They were looking for photo retouchers for the car pictures which I love both. I was even willing to attend online classes while I worked full time. I assume someone more charming applied and got the internship. Another perfect job for me is working at savers thrift store. I go there so many times I know where each section is with my eyes closed. I know the policies regrading senior citizens and discounts. I mostly want to be a stocker since I always tidy up any messes I see and I would enjoy working independently

Today's progress

I was scoping out the listings on indeed.com since I feel like I hit a wall on snagajob.com. Target has a listing for a cashier at the whittwood town center. It is close to me so of course I applied for the cashier position and for a dressing room position. I think I did well on those survey questions and I might have gotten 3 wrong but that is just me doubting myself. After that I signed up for an account on velvetjobs.com and instantly regretted it. Velvetjobs only has listings in the finance and fashion and entertainment/media industries. All of them are in places like burbank or universal city or beverly hills. Also in order to see the complete listing or apply for a job, you have to upgrade to a premium membership. I regretted it because I felt really really under qualified. 

Panera bread

Anyone really like Panera Bread? I love that place and I go frequently. I like the atmosphere (it's not pretentious like starbucks) and you can actually find a place to sit. PB doesn't have the guys that spend hours on a laptop just working on a screenplay. I like how it's always really cold inside. I like the smoothies and the expresso drinks and the coffee cake and carrot cake and scones and flatbread sandwiches and soups and brownies. I like how the rewards program where you get free stuff. I like the spiffy tracker you get when you order for here. The bathrooms are always clean and smell nice. The employees remember your name and are always friendly. Now I feel like going to Panera Bread and getting a chai tea latte

Interviews don't always go so well for me

I noticed I subtly make mistakes during interviews that the interviewer picks up on. In my last interview I had at panera bread(which also has great coffee) I made sure I had great body language and didn't slump back. I leaned in and I would listen intensely and would "talk with my hands". When before I would just look like I was bored. I still don't know what I'm supposed to ask when they ask "do you have any questions?" I'm tempted to say "when can I start?" and see if that will close the deal.  I had an interview one time at a autoparts store and you know that feeling that things are going bad? I could tell that interview went south real quick when I lost my composure during some of the autoparts questions. I started stuttering and saying umm a lot. I was really close to saying "this isn't going well is it? thank you for your time" but I sticked with it even though I had no chance of a call back. 

Whittwood mall/town center in the 60's

As a change of pace, here is the whittwood town center in whittier as it was in the late 60's.It was originally an open air shopping center then it was converted to a indoor mall then back to an outdoor shopping center. I was a volunteer at the whittier museum and I got it from the archives  

Dressing for interviews

The next time I go to the Vineland Swapmeet in La Puente, I'm going to buy a dark purple dress shirt and a tan pair of dockers. When I go to an interview I always wear a short sleeve shirt(just like the kind drew carrey or dilbert wear) among with some nice pants and black dress shoes. I think the shirt gives off the wrong first impression and with new clothes I can make a better impression. I call it my nerd look

Anyone else hate sundays?

I know hate is a strong word but I really do hate sundays. For some reason they usually feel long and lonely and drag on. Going for a drive doesn't help things since the roads are unusually empty. I believe that it stems from my dad. When I was little I used to dread going to school the next day so I couldn't sleep. I would get up and watch The X=Files with my dad. The music was really kreepy to my young self among with the whole premise of the show.  TV networks even use sunday mornings and afternoons to broadcast a lot of stuff they normally wouldn't show during the week. I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way about sundays

First post

I think I'll get this out of the way. I started this blog because job hunting always leaves me frustrated and I love to vent on failbook(what I call facebook) so I thought I would share my experiences. Just this month I applied at: a frozen yogurt store, internship for DUB, an office, jamba juice and other companies that I'm forgetting at this moment