Author Archives: Yoojin Cho

I'm a public relations and media relations professional in Austin, TX.

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear: How Did We do?

“If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.”

“Because we know instinctively as a people that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light, we have to work together. And the truth is, there will always be darkness.  And sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land. Sometimes it’s just New Jersey.  But we do it anyway, together.”

“Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder. To see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine.”

Approximately 24 hours of round-trip bus ride, about 10 hours of sleep and thousands of people basically sum up my weekend in Washington D.C.

It was a last-minute decision to spend the Halloween weekend in D.C. for Stewart and Colbert rally. What initially prompted my decision was simply getting away from Boston for a weekend. When else will I be able to take off a random Friday to go to D.C.? Also, Comedy Central’s dynamic duo hosting a rally… for SANITY & FEAR. How can you resist?

All in all, I am extremely happy I attended the rally. News sources say “well over 200,000 people” gathered at the National Mall. From my observation, more were interested in restoring sanity than in keeping fear alive. Regardless, people of all ages – literally, ALL ages – brought good ol’ posters to show their support.

 (Yes, these guys are in banana suits)

 (The BEST sign ever)

I think what Stewart said during his closing remarks puts everything in perspective: If we amplify everything, we hear nothing. Especially nowadays when information bombards us constantly via social media, TV and web, we eventually ignore more than half of what we see. Then we tend to either forget about the little bit that we managed to process or twist it to what we wanted to hear.

When two comedians said come to D.C. for this rally, thousands of people listened. When politicans, economists and diplomats speak, well, not much gets done. Interesting, huh?

D.C. as a city, however, did not prepare enough for the crowd. The metro, although definitely superior to Boston’s T, experienced frequent delays and jam-packed trains. Cell service was practically non-existent from about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pedestraisn ruled the streets while cars waited in a traffic jam. In this aspect, maybe sanity wasn’t quite restored…

Mishka, I Love You!

By now, everyone knows how much I adore puppies. No matter the age, color or size, I love them all. Actually, I may or may not be quite partial to big puppies with huge paws.

Regardless, sometimes my idea of procrastinating and taking a break from doing homework often involves searching for cute puppy pictures or videos, and this is what I found in my recent Youtube search. Take a couple minutes to watch this adorable huskie.

Mishka, I love you!

Mishka, Are you stupid?

Parents Weren't Joking… Look Both Ways Before Crossing

My mom used to tell me ALL the time, look both ways before crossing.

No matter how many times I have run to the store across the street for a bag of chips, a distant shout of “Remember, look both ways before you cross! Green light doesn’t mean anything. Look both ways!” never failed to echo down the street multiple times.

And I know, for a fact, my mom isn’t the only mom out there who nagged her children like this.

We all have heard it, and we are all too good at letting it escape out the other ear.

Unfortunately sometimes we need sad reminders to remember, looking both ways, something as simple as that, can cost us our lives.

In October alone, two separate incidents concerning pedestrian safety made news.

One accident on Commonwealth Avenue left a Boston University sophomore injured. The other on MBTA’s T track left one alum dead.

Of course these two accidents are different in that the girl on Commonwealth Ave. was rushing to her class and according to the reports, the BU alum may have been intoxicated when he was hit.

They are, however, in a way exactly the same in that both victims neglected to pause before walking out on to the road / T-track.

I understand I myself am guilty as well. Sometimes I take too long to straighten my hair in the morning or I am just having too much fun with friends making that long walk back home on a weekend night.

Regardless, bottom line, we should ALL be careful no matter what time of the day…

 

Daily Free Press article about the T victim.

BU today article about the Comm. Ave. accident.