Credit Card Debt

In the Wall Street Journal article titled “Good and Bad in Credit-Card Binge”, Kathleen Madigan talks about consumerism with credit cards. People feel more comfortable borrowing if they know they will get paid in the future (Madigan 2012). Consumers will keep consuming if they know money will always come, but for others without a job, they don’t have a choice to purchase goods when they don’t know if they will have the money in the future. For most people, money comes and goes. They don’t know the importance of money because they focus on the present and not the future.

Affluenza is an ubiquitous disease that many people are suffering from. There are many symptoms, but one of the symptoms is purchasing goods when you don't have the money to pay it off. Most people apply for credit cards and use them to purchase goods instead of paying cash, so they can pay off the bill later on. Because of the choice to borrow money and delay the payment, people tend to use their credit cards even though they don’t have the money for it at the moment. Some consumers are still struggling with mortgages, joblessness, and past debt (Madigan 2012). Purchasing goods when you don’t have the money causes debt; as a result, you have to work longer hours to pay off the debt. It’s even worse for the people who are unemployed. They might not be able to pay off the mortgage payments for their house which will result in a foreclosure.

Madigan, Kathleen. “Good and Bad In Credit-Card Binge” Wall Street Journal 9 May 2012
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2012/05/09/good-and-bad-in-credit-card-binge/?KEYWORDS=credit+card

What's wrong with the clothes we wear?

In my Business Communications class today, we read an article about a stigma that goes with the clothes you wear. The article talks about this 17-year-old who was wearing a hoodie had been shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer who thought he looked suspicious. There was an uproar about this incident that lead to many angry Americans. What's even worse is that the volunteer was not charged by the authorities.

The issue about the stigma is that most people think that a person is gang related if they wear baggy clothes, hoodies, bandana, ear rings, and many more. The person who is actually wearing those clothes might think it's the latest fashion and like what they wear or they probably can't afford new clothes. Many people quickly assume the person is gang related by the clothes they wear or the way they look.

An example of the stigma would be an individual who didn't wear professional clothing to an interview. Most people knows that they should be dressed professionally during an interview. The interviewer will quickly have their answer about hiring the person or not. The answer would be most likely be no because of the clothes the person wore. The individual might not be able to afford professional clothing, but on the positive side, they might be very smart, nice, and they might have all the soft and hard skills the company needs.

My friends wear clothes from Foreign Exchange, Armani Exchange, The North Face, and many more brands. I don't know a lot about the latest fashion because I'm not into fashion. My friend wear their rings, ear rings, necklaces, and their hat backwards. Whenever I go into a store with them, the store owner or employees always stare at us like we are about to steal something when we look around to see if we want anything.

One time, I went to Bank of America to cash out my checks with my regular clothes. The employees that worked there were nice and asked me if I needed help. I told them what I wanted to do and they helped me. They had good customer service and I left after that. The next time I went in with my professional clothing that I wore to Year Up, they gave me excellent service. They told me I looked professional and started conversations with me. They asked me where did I come from, what I do, and about the Year Up program.

I believe that people's reaction depends on which neighborhood you are in. For example, a person might be comfortable in a rich and nice neighborhood, but if they are in a poor and bad neighborhood, they might watch their back constantly to see if someone is following them and keep their belongings closer to them. They might act differently at a neighborhood filled with people in the streets than an empty neighborhood

I reinforce this stigma by getting to know the person without judging them by the way they dress or look. Sometimes we unintentionally judge a person by the way they look, but once we get to know the person, all the stuff goes away

Pledge

I, Raymond Yan, pledge to speak and act professionally everywhere I go. To do this, I will speak professionally in front of friends and strangers. I will try to improve on my communication as well as professional skills by starting conversations with strangers. I will pay attention in my Professional Skills class.

I pledge to get my work done as early as possible by doing the work right away when I have time.  I will ask my instructor or colleagues for help if it is unclear. I will use my resources to help me with my work.

I pledge to become a great resource to my colleagues by helping others who are having trouble. I will give them my contact information if they need help with something. If we both don't know how to do an assignment, we can go through it together.