Pandemic Crisis How to Battle Unemployment

The global Covid-19 pandemic crisis which started this early 2020 is affecting a lot of people around the globe.  It affected the first world countries as well as the third world countries, regardless of race and status of life it dawned to anybody a surprise whether affected by the virus itself or been unemployed.  Most companies, big or small companies declared bankruptcy from the recent months.

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Face mask available at Simplyoj Redbubble Store 

                          

Due to this crisis, unemployment rate increased.  Are you one of these people who got unemployed?  Hope may seem uncertain but a positive outlook in life can be done to battle the unemployment.  Here are things that you can do to move forward during this pandemic:

• Health is wealth.  This pandemic has given us a lesson to go back to basics.  Previously people tend to abuse self by working so hard neglecting health.  In order to move on, the physical health should be a top priority.

• Evaluate skills and self. If you want to get a new job, evaluate and list down the skills and interests that you have.  Your previous experience should not limit you for getting other opportunities beyond your working experience.  

• Improve skills and knowledge.  Getting unemployed is a challenge to improve skills and knowledge to be enable to be more marketable and be able to get a new job.  The Internet is a venue for learning and being in lockdown in the house means you have more time to learn.  Learn the latest trends in career development and the application tools might the prospective employer may require including the conferencing tools such as Zoom, Webex, Google Meet and similar tools.

• Update your resume or online profile.  Be creative and use current online tools to improve your data.  

• Freelancing and other online work opportunities. Remote online jobs increased after the pandemic, more and more companies are giving opportunities to work at home jobs to augment the unemployement and fill their vacancies.

These are basic tips that you can follow and the success will always depend on how you want the new job and do what you have it takes to get it.  

Erik Satie "Vexation" Musical Piece and John Cage

"To play this motif 840 times in succession, it would be advisable to prepare oneself beforehand, in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities.". Erik Satie - 1893

One composition that proves to be a genius and yet perplexed one was Satie's work entitled "Vexations". It  is a short musical piece with only 3 lines to be played  840times in successions. The piece was became popular and published until only after his death .  It was written by Satie same time of his intense affair with the painter and model Suzanne Valadon, from January to June 1893.

John Cage discovered the score through Satie’s friend  in 1949 and have it printed immediately.  In September 9, 1963 (the performance lasted 18 hours and 40 minutes from 6:00p.m of September 9 to 12.40 p.m the next day)  at Pocket Theatre, New York, Cage organized and gathered a team of pianists  who played  the full performance for the first time of "Vexations".  The team included himself,   David Tudor, Christian Wolff, Philip Corner, Viola Farber, Robert Wood, MacRae Cook, David Del Tredici, James Tenney, Howard Klein, Joshua Rifkin, and John Cale.  

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Each pianists made an alternate performance for 15minutes with this short piece of only 3 lines repeated 840 times, the performance lasted for 18hours .  After that performance, many pianists have tried   to play the challenging piece  and been the subject of musicologists and Satie researchers. 

As for John Cage music, Satie  had been probably an influence of his later works.  His interest to the older composer begun since 1945 when he composed two-piano arrangement  of the first movement of Satie’s "Socrate" for Merce Cunningham’s ballet, he  later organized a concert with Satie’s music, his writings, and some other projects  related to Satie.

References :

Serious Immobilities: On the centenary of Erik Satie’s Vexations, StephenWhittington,  1999
Nicolas Fogwall Research Erik Satie Site

Do you still believe in New Year’s Resolutions?

Do you still believe in New Year’s resolutions?  The year will end again and the discussion about New Year’s resolution is again a hot topic.  Some tend to stop writing it because they always break it easily.  A new year is another opportunity to live better and motivate ourselves to work on new plans. 

As we evaluate what the year had brought us or what we did for the whole year will be a consideration in writing about our New Year’s resolutions.  Why do some people break  it? Here are some reasons:

1. The resolutions are too many and it is hard to be consistent with all of them.
2. The resolutions are not realistic.  Let us be specific with what we aim for so that we will be successful in our plans.
3. We are not consistent and not firm with our resolutions.  We need more determination and focus if we want to follow our resolutions and become victorious over it.
4. We easily give up and lose hope that is why it is easy to go back again or stop doing our resolutions.

Family Gathering for the Christmas Celebration

Christmas holiday celebrations can be tiring after all the preparations and get-together parties or gatherings with family and friends. This year, my family hosted the family gathering. We are busy preparing the house, games, giveaways, and gifts but inspite of that, it was worth it the gathering has been successful. 

Although it took only three hours, it was the time where family bonding took place since everybody will be busy again with their own work and lives after the Holiday celebrations.

Our Christmas Eve was just a simple get together with pasta, ham, some desserts, and sparkling wine. After the midnight Christmas dinner, we had our exchange gifts. 

I am happy with the gifts I gave and the gifts I received. We thank God for all the blessings we received this year and the life ahead.

House General Cleaning before the New Year Ends

General cleaning of the house is one of the activities I usually do before the year ends. There are days that I am off from work and this is the time that I fix things at home. I try to check those things that can be dispose already and can be use again. There are clothes that I sometimes keep for awhile then use it again for another time depending on the season or if I am not feel like wearing it at the present.

It is good to see the house in shape again or have it a new look so we welcome the New Year with a different perspective. This is also the time to check out some pondering about the year and be able evaluate life as a whole. I am not fond of writng New Year’s resolutions, but usually take down notes some plans for the next year.

Do you Prepare for New Year’s Resolutions?

As the year ends, there will still be New Year’s Resolutions again for some people. Others just got tired of writing their New Year’s Resolutions since they fail to achieve every year. Some New Year’s Resolutions list are not achieved because there are too many and unrealistic. It is easy to write down goals but it is difficult to achieve all of them. Others may opt to have atleast one or two realistic resolutions instead.

Resolutions may be in areas of personal and financial goals. Personal maybe learning a new skill, studying a new short course, and so on. Financial goals like not to overspend this coming year or be able to save an achievable amount at the end of next year.

How about you, do you still prepare for New Year’s Resolutions and how do you do it?

Shopping Time during Christmas

Only days left and Christmas Eve is already here. My shopping list was ready to be fulfilled, and I have the money to buy for the gifts already. I am happy to go out and do my agenda, but unfortunately I am not feeling well. In addition to that, the weather was quite hot outside and I am thinking if I will be able to withstand the crowded malls for those who are also doing their shopping rush. I am supposed to go to my friends house after, but I just decided not to go anymore.

I should be resting at home and reserve my energy for the rest for the coming days. Actually not resting at home, I managed to clean the room and wrapped some gifts that I already have. My gifts are not actually expensive, but I am happy with the personalized wrapping that I have been doing for several years. They are sealed with love and sincerity.