Site Reviews: mlive.com

I am currently taking a class in which I have to review sites and post them on a blog. I will be using this blog to do the site reviews. My first site review is http://www.mlive.com/ .

To begin with, it is pretty organized. Every category is listed horizontally  across the top of the main page, including a way to share your favorite stories on facebook.  I do not really like the color selection. There aren't very many stories on the main page either. It just seems cluttered to me, like a bunch of stuff has basically been thrown up onto the page.

The content of the site is okay sometimes. Usually the only time I use this site is when I am helping someone job hunt in the tri-city area. Also, I have found much of the information is a conglomerate of different news information from other news sources.  I keep track of the Saginaw News and the Flint Journal via facebook and usually it's just regurgitated stories posted back and forth linking to a few sentences on mlive. Plus, it takes forever to load because of all of the junk links on the front page and never goes directly to the story. Not to mention it reads like a college newspaper when there are stories. Seriously, who doesn't know that gas prices are rising? Why can't you get the big wigs that run these operations to sit down and answer some real questions? Lets just keep telling people how the gas is fluctuating and maybe you can get your readers down so much that you can only publish a paper version two days a week.

There are a few gospel ads and the usual newspaper classifieds. There is also a section for interactivity. I couldn't get that link to work though. Not unusual. This wasn't even on my cell phone. Site maintenance is limited from what I can tell.

My opinion? Mlive sucks. Try harder guys.

Exciting New Discovery!!!!

As a student, I am forced to find ways to reduce my spending and maximize my dollars. Therefore I have turned to the Internet in place of good old fashioned DVD rentals.

Upon doing so, I discovered two things: 1) www.hulu.com and 2) an endless supply of Chef Gordon Ramsay's reruns of "Kitchen Nightmares."

Thank-you T.V. gods!!!!

Fast Food Raps

I was digging my way through Www.YouTube.com's endless supply of hilarious made-up music videos when I came across some crazily-hysterical clips: Fast Food Raps.

So this is what the youth of America do with their free time now. Classic. Here are the ones I thought were the best.

My Ringtone...LOL...I Just Love This Song!!!!

[Chorus:]
My, chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad: better, better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours

[Verse 1 (Ludacris):]
Listen!
I'm sayin' my chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My chick bad, better than yours
My chick do stuff that I can't even put in words
Her swagga don't stop, her body won't quit
So fool pipe down; you ain't talkin' 'bout shit
My chick bad: tell me if you seen her
She always bring the racket like Venus & Serena
All white top, all white belt and all white jeans
Body lookin' like milk
No time for games; she's full-grown
My chick bad; tell your chick to go home!

[Chorus:]
My chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours

[Verse 2 (Ludacris):]
Now your girl might be sick but my girl sicker
She rides that dick and she handles her liquor
I knock a bitch out and fight
Comin' out swingin' like Tiger Woods' wife
Yeah, she can get a lil' hasty
Chicks better cover up their chests like pasties
Couple girlfriends and they all a lil' crazy
Comin' down the street like a parade, Macy's
I fill her up, balloons!
Test her and guns get drawn like cartoons
Doh, but I ain't talk 'bout Homer
Chick so bad the whole crew wanna bone her!

[Chorus:]
My chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my, my chick bad, better better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours

[Verse 3 (Nicki Minaj):]
Now all these bitches wanna try and be my bestie
But I take a left and leave 'em hangin' like a testis
Trash talk to 'em, then I put 'em in a Hefty!
Runnin' down the court
I'm dunkin' on them - Lisa Leslie
It's goin' down - basement
Friday the 13th, guess who's playin' Jason
Tuck yourself in, you better hold on to ya teddy
It's Nightmare on Elm Street and guess who's playin' Freddy
Chef cookin' for me
They say my shoe game crazy
The mental asylum lookin' for me
You a rookie to me
I'm in that wam bam purple Lamb', damn, bitch, you been a fan!

[Chorus:]
My chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad, my chick hood
My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my, my chick bad, better, better than yours
My, my chick bad, better, better than yours

And when we all alone I might just tip her
She slides down da pole like a certified stripper
When we all alone I might just tip her
She slides down da pole like a certified stripper
When we all alone I might just tip her
She slides down da pole like a certified stripper
When we all alone I might just tip her
She slides down da pole like a certified stripper

Slum Managers Rule Restaurant World

If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry you know that dealing with hungry customers can be down right crumby.

It's even worse when the people behind the counter are just as bad. Sure you have the occasional coworker that you just don't see eye to eye with but management?

Today's ethical standards for managers have sunken very low. The amount of the abuse of power they allowed to get away with is insurmountable. The economy is so terrible that there is an endless sea of unemployed workers willing to take the dive into whatever job is available, thus making it very easy for an employer to look at you, roll their eyes and say, "Next!"

There is no respect for the workers at the bottom or even the workers who have dedicated a year or five to the establishment.

Take the case of Ashley Johnson, who was fired for merely complaining about a lousy tip she received from a couple who held after her shift was over, only to give her a five dollar tip when she had waited on them for three hours!!! I would expect a five dollar tip for one hour of my service but for three? I imagine one of her "friends" from work let management know about the complaint and viola! she was ousted.

Who cares anymore about the struggle we everyday people have to just make ends meet but then we have to come to work and deal with people who do not appreciate us. It makes my blood boil.

This rant is not only for the ignorant, egotistical blood-sucking managers who think they rule the world...because if it were not for us hardworking employees you would be doing the work yourselves...but it is also for those dumb jerks who think they are somehow more intelligent because they are standing in front of the counter or sitting down at the table. Get a clue. A good portion of your service workers are only doing so to move their way up the ladder. Who knows? One day we could be the nurse taking care of you at the retirement home.

Think twice before you treat the people who are going to be cleaning up your poopy diapers with disrespect. You need us more than you think.

Places I think need to improve certain aspects of management and why:

• Brixx Pizza: You cannot inhibit a person's freedom to speech and you cannot trust informants who would pretend to be a person's friend and then turn on them for their own selfish purposes. Poor management.
• Wendy's International: Race relations and lenient gossiping policies which breed hostilities amongst employees. It is not good business to use people and then fire them.
• Denny's: The entire atmosphere screams underpaid and under-appreciated. Not to mention the food is horrible. Most people who go there don't notice because they are drunk. I noticed. I wasn't drinking. Gross.

To the credit of these companies, not every store you enter is exactly the same. However, all changes must come from the top. If a store notices such frequent turn over or similar complaints about a particular store manager, one must wonder why things are not being done to change the people and the policies. I know for a fact that at least one of those above mentioned stores has so many levels of corporate corruption, it is definitely a case of trying to "beat the man."
I do have one honorable mention. The owners of Ihop do a wonderful job maintaining a great restaurant, in particular the one in Mount Pleasant, Mich.  I literally make a new friend every time I visit. I spoke with the manager and told her this. I also discussed with an employee the importance of their gossiping policy. She assured me that it was a very strict policy there and that it helped to maintain a friendly working environment. Bravo to Ihop!!! Plus, what an awesome menu!!!