Week 3: Be REady for REuse!

We live in a consumer society, in which having determines our existence. We want to have more and more. Omnipresent advertising defines the concept of happiness and drives our desires so we buy. We buy tons of things which we do not really need. This means that we also throw away a lot of them. We throw away clothes that seem to us to be no longer fashionable. We discard electronic equipment that is no longer the latest model. We get rid of the things, because they have bored us. We replace them with new ones, but the old ones are still perfectly usable.

This is no longer the times, when buying expensive equipment has been an investment for  years to come. Buy, have, throw away (or take it to the attic), buy new ones. That’s how it works. Fortunately, many people are aware of this horrible waste. Some people just want to buy and have more, but at a lower price. Here comes the idea of reusing stuff!

You don’t need something anymore. Is it still usable? Instead of throwing it away just sell it! You’ll get rid of unnecessary things, get back a little money, and a happy buyer will get a fully useful item for a much lower price. Your trash will be a little less filled, and your eco-conscience a little cleaner. There are only winners in this game.

What can you buy from second hand? Everything I suppose. Even if you’re not really into second-hand stuff, buying used car is not anything extraordinary. The same is with electronics. Some people love buying second-hand clothes – they even treat tense search among thousands of hangers as a life passion. It is especially popular in Eastern Europe. In Warsaw we have second-hand shops even on the main streets of the city . There are also boutiques with luxury used clothes, which are still very expensive, but affordable for determined fashion fans. 

I allow myself a moment of sincerity – I love the idea of reusing things. My largest discovery in the second-hand world is used furniture. Antiques are another story, but if you thought that in order to cheaply furnish your apartment you have to buy the cheapest (and less durable) furniture from IKEA, you were very wrong. For the same price (or sometimes lower), with a little research and patience, you can have a beautiful, nonstandard furniture made of wood, which will serve you for a long time.

Where to buy all these wonderful used things? On the markets, in special stores, consignment stores. On the Internet- in online auctions, thematic portals, web pages with announcements. In Poland there is no such practice, but in some countries people organize garage (or yard) sales.

Summing up – buy, have, sell, buy a new second hand one!

Questions:

- Do you buy used things? What kind of things are they ?

- Do you sell your used stuff? Is it a hard thing to do?

- Do you think that second-hand market will continue to grow, or is it just a temporary trend for enthusiasts?

Interesting links:

https://www.liketwice.com/

http://freshome.com/2010/09/17/20-tips-for-buying-second-hand-furniture/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Used_good

Week 3: Photoshop - modern censorship ?

Recently I have found on the Internet interesting news from July 2012. A 14-year-old girl,

Julia Bluhm, has started the online petition against altering and airbrushing models in the

magazine for teens “Seventeen”. The action had a great response and she gathered about 84,000 signatures. Moreover, Julia achieved what she intended – the magazine editor-in-chief declared that the magazine will never change the shapes of girls’ bodies or faces.

It seems that people (and perhaps women in particular) are becoming more and more angry about non-realistic image of models. Some of the protesters even envision a legislative solution. It’s hard to say how many similar actions were taken, but for sure it wasn’t the only one. Unfortunately, it is likely that it was one of very few which succeeded.

Two other teens inspired by the success of the petition wanted “Teen Vouge” to do the same. They protested near the office of the magazine and gathered 28,000 signatures. The editor of the magazine met with the girls, but their expectations weren’t treated seriously, and they were treated in a rude way. The girls were given copies of Teen Vogue and said to use them to learn more.

Another petition against digitally altering pictures of young girls, which gained 12,000

signatures, was sent to “Cleo” magazine. Cleo’s editor responded by sending the protesters the magazine’s list of retouching guidelines. They contain mainly colour and contrast changes and removing skin marks (but not natural lines and freckles).These guidelines pertain to shots taken specifically for the magazine 'Cleo', however, do not apply to images that come from external picture agencies, which are “beyond Cleo’s control”. The protesters replied that the magazine should go further and clearly label digitally altered images. Furthermore, they should show models of different ethnics and sizes.

The protesters see the problem in the harmful effects of unrealistic images on the consciousness of adolescent girls and women. This also refers to the issue of too thin models on catwalks.

A good example that certain trends are changing, are frequent photo sessions of celebrities without makeup made for top magazines.

Good impact on our awareness of the problem have pictures "before and after", which

can easily be found on the Internet. Interestingly, some of them were published by the

photographers who took the photos. Was the reason the desire to show that they have

nothing to do with image processing? And what do models (or celebrities) who were

photographed think about it – it is hard to say.

The growing reluctance to “photoshop” is also caused by the mistakes committed by the

retouchers. It's not just about smoothing your skin or "swollen" breasts. There appear

missing or extra hands, extremely disproportionate legs, disappearing navels, which are

comic proofs of how much photos are manipulated.

We should answer the question of how much we are aware that what we see in the pictures is more an illustration than a photography, and for whom these illusions are created when ordinary reader feels more frustrated than delighted?

Questions:

- What do you think about retouching photos- do you like them, do you think they are

harmful?

- What kind of Photoshop changes are ok and which are not? Where is the border?

- Do you think that this is just a female problem, or does it concern also male models and

customers?

- Should retouching photos in teens magazines be forbidden?

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2168740/Schoolgirls-protest-magazine-airbrushing-success-

Seventeen-vows-alter-models-bodies-again.html

http://www.ynaija.com/go-away-teen-vogue-shockingly-rude-to-girls-protesting-magazine-photoshop/

http://mumbrella.com.au/cleo-stands-firm-against-anti-photoshop-protest-110558

http://jezebel.com/5431465/women-protest-ralph-laurens-ridiculous-photoshop

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2168223/Victorias-Secret-models-thighs-looks-bizarrely-bow-

legged-new-swimwear-shoot.html

Week 3: Corporate Life – Hell on Earth?

There is the twenty-first century. Corporations rule the world. People have had enough time to admire the corporate world and to get sick of it. Once young people have dreamed of taking a corporate career, climbing to the higher positions and gaining various titles. It seemed that this is the best way both to meet ones ambitions and to earn a lot. Today we can feel the wind of change - corporations are seen as places where you cannot spread your wings, places which are overwhelming and dehumanized. Nowadays young people more often dream of running their own companies or being freelancers.

Internet is full of advice of “how to survive in the corporate world”. Is it really so bad? Are corporations the twenty-first century factories, in which only exploitation and hard work awaits?

There are tons of articles about the cons of working in a corporation - a stupid and / or lazy boss, incompetent coworkers, raging bureaucracy, lack of empowerment, increasing frustration and burnout. Not without significance is the moral evaluation of corporational activities and their impact on the modern world.

The pros are not so much discussed, especially when compared to self-employment. First thing is money, and all things connected – premiums, social surcharges, severance pay. Also having a full time job, you are protected by law as an employee and you get paid regularly, which is not the norm everywhere. Corporations provide easy access to training and development. In addition, more and more are trying to take care of the comfort of its employees by, for example, creating private kindergartens.

For a lot of people running your own business is like a dream coming true or a culmination of a career. But this work also requires many sacrifices and spending much time at work. People not always are aware of it. Much higher responsibilities, the need for a wide range of skills, including the ability to manage, always being at work, and a big trouble to have a vacation – those are few of many examples of problems associated with this form of work. On the other hand, it looks like people running their own business usually feel more self-fulfilled and happy about what they do. This kind of work is also usually more prestigious.

The situation may vary in different branches of business. Still, the key to being happy with your career path is a clear understanding of its pros and cons. The assessment of this is also affected by the current crisis - corporations are becoming attractive because of higher salaries and welfare packages, but they are also a symbol of the bloody capitalism which is to blame for the bad economic situation of many people.

Questions:

- Where do you work (if you do) and where do you wish to work – a corporation, a small firm, your own business?

- Do you have any experiences with corporate life, any absurd and frustrating situations, or on the contrary- exceptionally nice ones?

- Have you ever thought of running your own business? Do you think it’s worth a big effort?

Sources and additional articles:

http://controlyourdestiny.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/how-to-survive-in-the-corporate-world/

http://www.adifferentkindofwork.com/2009/07/22/how-to-quit-corporate-life/

http://www.pearsonified.com/2006/04/how_to_kiss_corporate.php

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

http://www.dilbert.com/

Week 2: From Zero to Hero

I have watched recently a documentary film about a musician Searching for Sugar Man. It is a fascinating story and I would like you to watch it or  google information about him  and present his life story here.
How come he was so popular in the Republic of South Africa and completely unknown in the USA?

Week 2-The job market in Spain

The second presentation that I would like you to read and comment on is the one recently prepared by my Spanish Erasmus student Elena http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-job-market-in-spain.html
I hope Poles will stop complaining and be grateful that they do live in Poland not e.g. in Spain;)

Week 2: Why do they earn a fortune?

Read the presentation
http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-are-they-earning-fortune.html
and comment on it please. Share with us your experiences.

Week 1: Students on the job market

 Read the presentation
http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/03/students-on-labour-market.html
and comment on it please. Share with us your experiences.

Week 1: Obesity in schools

Read the presentation
http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/02/obesity-in-schools.html
and comment on it here. Remember to discussion it with other group members

Week 1: Be a smart traveller

Read the presentation
http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/01/dont-get-fooled-be-smart-traveler.html
and comment on it here. Remember to discussion it with other group members

List of Moderators

Choose the week when you would like to have your presentations.
Remember to send them to me at least 5 days before their publication.


18-24.03
25.03-7.04 Katarzyna Girwicz
08-14.04 Łukasz Zmywaczyk
15-21.04 Paulina
22-28.04 s10047
06-12.-5 s4413
13-19.05 S7719
20-26.05 Natalia
27-02.06 s8029, s8652
03-09.06 s6021
10-16.06 s4598

Summer Term

Dear Students,
Welcome to our online English class:)

We are going to work here this term; still, remember to check the course information  on EDU each week as  I will put there important info concerning the coursework.
Deadline for your work on the blog each week is Sunday 11:55 p.m. Each week your work will be evaluated (you will get grades).

This week I would like you to:
1. to choose the week of your blog moderation (put your name next to the date); and
2. comment on the  presentations Students on the job market, Obesity in schools, and Don't get fooled. Be a smart traveller.  (express your opinion and comment on the opinions of others). You will find them at http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/
Remember to comment on them on our blog.
If you have any questions, write to me (mswierk@pjwstk.edu.pl).

Attention!
Read the course rules, which you will find on Edu.