I noticed while shopping in the mall the other day that we are all puppets ready to be programmed into what designers wants us to buy this holiday season. Will it be the latest Burberry polo shirt, Christian Dior sunglasses, Lacoste shoes, Baby Phat jeans, Dolce & Gabbana perfume, Yves Saint Laurent belt, Versace or Prada handbag? It was endless buffet-watching consumers demagnetize the strip on their credit cards for the prize.
Author: Archive
A soldier of one… no more
Imagine reliving the worst moments of your life almost every night. Dreams so vivid and so real that you can’t tell the difference between them and reality. They are the kind of dreams that try to smother the fire in your soul a little more, every time you have them.
Virginia’s Santa: Answering a child’s question about a well-known myth
What would you say if a young girl, about seven, asked you if Santa Claus is real? Would you shatter her innocence proclaiming that her jolly, rosy cheeked, and gift giving friend is nothing more than an image created by years of being remade? Or would you tell her that he is real, saying that a jolly fat man hops down into your chimney, knowing who’s sleeping or awake, leaving presents for young boys and girls who have been good while those who have been naughty are given coal? Most children find out at a young age that Santa is not real by family and friends, witnessing parents delivering gifts, or learning that the Santa at the mall is an imposter.
Cranky customers, cool it
The holidays are coming up once again. That means sales, shopping and most of all cranky customers. For those who work in the customer service field, whether food or retail, you know exactly what I am referring to. For some odd reason, customers tend to be crankier, rather than nicer, during this time of year.
Converting manure into energy
In a recent environmental project, Pierce College students took the bull by the, uh, tail and used animal waste (manure) bound with green waste (grass clippings) to produce a useful solid product that yields certain environmental benefits. The Pierce College Manure Team is a scientific team made up of eight current and former Pierce students working under the guidance of Professor Craig Meyer.
Alumni brings new style to barbershop scene
As you walk in, you’ll hear the buzzing sound of the shavers. Then, there’s the same old wait in line until the next available seat opens up, leaving you with a choice between reading the outdated stacks of magazines on the table or simply waiting until you hear someone say, “Next.
TRANSPORTATION MOBILIZATION
The sun has yet to come up and still slumbers behind the rolling hills that line the San Fernando Valley. The street outside is quiet and awaiting the avalanche of cars that will descend upon it like clockwork. Most students in the Valley are sleeping, but not Ismael Siciliano.
‘Devil’ is captivating
Desperate people do desperate things. This has never been clearer than it is in the new movie, “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.” Philip Seymour Hoffman Stars as Andy Hansen, a drug-addicted payroll manager who has been stealing money from work. His marriage to Gina, played by Marisa Tomei, is falling apart.
Counselor at a loss for words after wildfire claims home
What would you do if everything you valued was lost in a matter of hours? For Pierce College special services counselor Leslee Cook, 55, and her faithful cat Karuna, this nightmare has become a reality. Before the sun rose on Nov. 24, a raging fire would decimate her home and everything she held dear.
Campus-wide ban on all weapons
While pocketknives and box cutters may be considered utilitarian, think again before bringing them anywhere near or inside Pierce College’s campus. Possession of anything that might be used as a lethal weapon is forbidden on the college campus or at a college-sponsored function, except to sworn peace officers, police officers and other government employees charged with policing responsibilities.