so i went to mcdonald's in china, paris and brazil...

it seems like mcdonalds is everywhere..its not just mcdonalds, it starbucks, gap, and even wal-mart....it seems like we'll never have to worry about finding a place that we're comfortable shopping at because we know that company...while the effects of globalism may negatively affect the world by the loss of culture, globalism has been catered to alleviate this negative affect...mcdonalds changes its menus to accommodate the culture of the country they are in...in india they do not serve any beef products, but instead subtitute curries and other indian alternatives, in saudi arabia they serve only halal, or prayed on, meat and no pork products...wal-mart is following in the same way..wal-mart caters the products they sell to accommodate the countries they are located in..while many people think that globalism will change the diveristy of the world, many disagree and state that globalism is helping the world by helping to bring up the economy of third world countries...

The power of PERCEPTION...

we all use the power of perception everyday..we see something and think something else...more often than not we use the power of perception in the judgement of others...if a person is an active member in musical theater they're perceived as gay, or if a person enjoys rap music they're perceived as ghetto...many of the wrong decisions we make are created because of the wrong perception. we create an image of a person based upon what society hsa taugt us or told us. We use society's perception as our own. it's our job to step outside the box, to view things in a new light, and give peoplw a chance. Making our perceptions positive will inturn positively affect the world around us. People percieve African-Americans as drug-dealing gangsters, Jews as stingy money-grabber, and Asians as intellgent pigs who lack every form of cleanliness. Banishing these perceptions form our minds, we will be able to destroy judgement and be able to see people for the positive things they bring.

David Bohm on perception

a little discussion about the actual mechanics behind perception and its scientific value in our lives.

THE EYE OF DESIGN

design really does have a huge impact on our lives...think out those ridiculously well designed building with impeccable interiors...it make you feel special, like you are part of an art piece...having an eye for design, i've always noticed the smallest of details, the use of color, texture, shapes, and the way they play off each other..i never realized how much color effects the psyche of a person...a room filled with tones of greys and blues, and uses materials of steel and cement, lend a feeling of order, cleanliness, and direction, while also conveying a feeling of coldness and solidarity. rooms filled with reds and browns, and filled with materials like rattan, wood, and natural fibers convey feelings of warmth and relaxation. places that are neat, organized and symmetrical allow people to feel that they are in a place of order, while a place that is disheveled conveys a feeling of unorder and disorganization. its amazing how little things can affect the way we think and percieve things...the power of the mind..its amazing

poverty..its in our backyard

its crazy how we see those commercials late at night about those children around the world that are suffering from poverty, but we never think about the fact that there are many people that are suffering from poverty in our own backyards...think about the all the people you see begging on the streets (yeah some are faking it, but others really are suffering), the children with their mothers sleeping in the coves of buildings in downtown, or even the random people you notice walking down the street carrying everything they own in a plastic bag...before going out and helping others that are miles away from home (although we should help) we should look at those in our own neighborhoods or cities...i've always learned that it is great to help others, but helping others should start at home before you go out and help others...go to homeless shelters or find other city programs and get ideas...its the best way to get started...spread the message and those that are less fortunate..especially during this holiday season..

The power of positivity!!

i've always been told to handle every struggle in my life with a positive attitude. My mother used to tell me that a positive attitude can change any situation and allows you to think clearly. i recently had many opportunities to take a bad situation and turn it around with nothing more than a positive attitude. i have to say that it really does work. the most important thing i realized was that it releases all the negative energy from the situation. i've dealt with situations with a negative attitude and in the end everything falls apart. even after all the work i put into it, it falls apart. to have a postive attitude really requires no effort at all as long as you take things lightly and look at the big picture. the lesson: always be positive and a positive outcome is sure to occur (its quite corny i know, but honestly it works)..

Online Oxygen

i recently chanced upon some information about "online oxygen"..no its not oxygen provided online but a phrase used to describe the infiltration of internet into our daily lives. the internet is now at our fingertips..we can access it on our phones, we have cafes designed just for people to use the internet, internet systems run businesses, people now pay their bills and manage their accounts online, and email has completely taken over as an immediate form of comunication.every aspect of our lives revolves around the internet and what it has to offer..before we know it things we take for granted will be run through the internet...the only worry that people are starting to have is what is going to happen when we run out of space on the internet..what will happen then..maybe a new form of data technology will take over....it will be very exciting to see what the possibilites may be..