Podcast

Event Podcast: Yo ho yo ho a Pirate’s Life for Me
Complete Show Length: Roughly 7 minutes

Episode 1: Topic: The Rebirth of Piracy in 2008

Introduction: 1 minute

Music Clip: Will and Elizabeth (Pirates of the Caribbean Soundtrack)

Length: 10 seconds (Fades out, and continues to play softly in the background. Vamps back up at outro of segment)

Good afternoon, this is Raquel Jordan pod-casting live from the coast of West Africa, bringing you reports of the increased pirate activity we have seen thus far in the year 2008.////
When I say “pirate” you probably think of Jason Surell’s Pirates of the Caribbean with the young William Turner and the charming captain Jack Sparrow fighting to protect the lovely Elizabeth Swan and, of course, treasure. The characters in this fantasy are handsome, broad-shouldered men and dainty, yet strong, beautiful young women. Swordfights and mutinies are performed to a perfectly orchestrated soundtrack and if you didn’t know any better you would almost think the music was specifically designed for such encounters.



Segment Two: 2.5 minutes
Music Clip: The Black Pearl Length: 10 seconds

When somebody mentions pirates, my mind immediately conjures up images of swashbuckling heroes, defiant villains, sword fights and fantastical treasure hunts. The pirate’s tale has traditionally been one of romance and adventure, and throughout my childhood, third on my list of preferred occupations-- right below “mermaid” and “faerie princess”-- was “pirate”. When I hear of the Somali pirate attacks gathering so much attention this year, I must confess, parts of me are secretly thrilled. These kinds of people have songs written about them and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to live a life equipped with its own theme music?
I quickly rush off in search of pictures of these modern-day pirate expenditures, expecting my greatest hopes and dreams will soon be confirmed. I am ready to quit my job and join the Somali natives in their quest for gold and treasure.////
I begin my search with google images and WHAT? What’s this? Where is Johnny Depp?? Where is my swashbuckling, grungy, endearing, almost-certainly-always-drunk, non-hero, hero? These guys look nothing like I imagined them. They have machine guns and hand grenades and rocket launchers?? There is a shocking lack of dreadlocks here… and teeth come to think of it, and WHOA! That guy’s head is HUGE! These people are not searching for gold and treasure. They’re looking for oil.////
I keep scrolling, hoping desperately to find something even remotely similar to the fantasy I have conjured in my head. Please, please, please somebody be semi-attractive. Anybody?//// Nope. Not a thing. Not even close. And what’s up with all the aluminum buckets they keep referring to as “boats”? What happened to the Black Pearl? What happened to the Revenge? What happened to the Rising Sun? The very least they could do is put up a flag. I’m lodging a complaint! Where are the real pirates?



Segment Three: 3 minutes
Music Clip: A Pirate’s Life for Me Length: 10 seconds

Somalia is a far cry from the Swiss family Robinson’s island paradise. The tiny arid country, located on the west coast of Africa, has been victim to civil unrest, famine, and poverty for much of its history. Thus far in 2008 there have been right around 92 pirate attacks off the Somali coast and of the 92 attacks, 36 have been successful hijackings. The largest piracy hull in history was performed Tuesday, November 18 of 2008. Somali pirates hijacked the Sirius Star, a Saudi oil-tanker estimated to be worth over 100 billion dollars. Pirates are still holding the tanker, its cargo--2 million barrels of oil-- and 25 crew members off the Somali coast. Their demands for the ship are remain unknown.
Poverty is one aspect of the rise in piracy, coupled with famine and civil unrest. According to the Rural Poverty Portal over 40 percent of Somali people live on less than one U.S. dollar a day. Somalia has essentially had no government since 1991 and the economy is in terrible shape. Piracy has become the best source of income for the country and is expected to bring in more than 50 million dollars worth of revenue this year.

In a New York Times interview, Somalia pirates’ spokesperson, Sugule [Sioux-glue] Ali, said that the pirates were hijacking ships merely because they wanted the money. He also stated that the pirates were simply protecting their territory from the illegal fishing and dumping that has been going on in the Somali controlled portion of the Indian Ocean. He went as far to say that they view themselves as guardians of the Somalia coastline. “We don’t consider ourselves sea bandits,” he said. “We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas. We are simply patrolling our seas. Think of us like a coast guard.”////
The extreme desperation driving the pirate attacks is astounding. Poverty and famine have destroyed the livelihood of so many Somali citizens. For some, piracy seems like the most pragmatic choice. Violence and thievery have become the methods that many have turned to in efforts to survive. Piracy is no longer glitzy and glamorous. My fantasy is over. Needless to say, I no longer wish to be pirate when I grow up.


Ending Music Clip: He’s a Pirate (Pirates of the Caribbean) 15 seconds

Extra Credit: MiVote Town Hall

Friday, October 10, 2008, I log in to my university email and open my inbox. Oh hey, an email from Dr. Roan… Do I want to be on television? Yes, I want to be on television! Let’s see, the taping is on the 27th of October and the broadcast is on the 29th, well that doesn’t sound too bad. Sure, why not? There’s an information meeting scheduled for next Wednesday, ok, cool.

I arrive at room 1227 in the UC at 11:30, I am half an hour early. Within a few minutes I am joined by another nominee for this recording, his name is Tony and we fall easily into conversation. Tony is a nice guy and is really comfortable to talk with, he puts you right at ease. Tony is a former auto-worker and received an opportunity to go back to school a few years ago, he is in his 30s, married, and his wife used to work in the auto industry as well. They live literally two miles from my house, “He’ll be really good for this,” I think to myself. After a few more minutes we notice nobody else is here. Did we get the time wrong? The email definitely said 12 o’clock in room 1227 in the UC. Where is everybody? Oh well, I guess we’ll wait a few more minutes. About that time a gray-haired gentleman pops his head in the door and asks us, “You here for the PBS meeting?”

“Yes,” we say in unison.

“Oh, well the meeting’s next door.”

Well ok then. We gather our things and move down the hall. Whoa there are a lot more people here than I expected. I thought this was going to be a student meeting with a few faculty members to discuss the taping. Not so, the PBS producers, the vice chancellor, and number of students and various faculty members all sit around the table. Whoever is speaking suddenly stops as we walk in the door, and everyone turns and looks at us, I feel oddly conspicuous. My libs professor, Dr. Smith is here, the look of surprise on his face is priceless. I soon find out that he is the key conductor of this whole thing. “As I was saying…” the speaker continues. I take a seat and someone hands me an outline of how the program is going to be arranged. The producer for PBS, gah! What is his name? says something and all of a sudden I’m asking a question. Oh man, bad move, everyone is looking at me expecting something brilliant. I don’t remember much of what happens after that, but I’m invited to come to the next meeting. Why is everything such a blur?

Tuesday rolls around and I find myself back in 1225, I arrive early, and there are a lot more people here this time. Everyone finds a seat, we all receive an updated program outline and hang on! Wait, this can’t be right? This paper says the 29th of October, at 9 p.m.? We are informed that Senator Barack Obama has bought our air time and is going to produce an “infomercial”, essentially, in the attempt to sway undecided voters just days before the election! We are told that we are going to be broadcasting live directly after Obama’s spot. Things just got interesting. I, for one, totally did not see this one coming! The meeting progresses, everyone is in a buzz, I find myself speaking again. Why on earth do I open my mouth? All of a sudden I have the health care spot. Ahhh! Wait! No! I mean…Yes! BUT! What am I supposed to say? “Oh, we don’t know what questions Devin (as in Scillian) will be asking, it’s live, we’ll just roll with it.” Crap! What the heck am I doing? I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. Shut up! Yes you can. You can and you will. Sure you’re nervous, but the experience will be good for you. You might not ever receive an opportunity like this again. It is the most significant election in this country’s history. You are going to do this. Whew. Ok. I feel better. I also feel slightly disturbed that such a transaction went on in my head, am I mentally stable? Probably not. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. I’m just gonna “roll with it.”

Wednesday rolls around. Tonight’s the big night. I am so nervous! I’m nervous all through class and the “jitters” continue throughout my entire day at work. My coworkers are sympathetic to my anxious state of mind and are especially nice to me.

The day drags on and on and on and on and on and on. Will five o’clock never come? I have to be at the school by 7:30, Obama’s infomercial starts at 8, and the broadcast beings at 9. I get off work and I try to prepare myself as best I can. I know practically every detail about each candidate’s health care plan, and I play all these possible scenarios in my head. What am I going to say?? I sit down on my bed. I am tired. All of a sudden my phone rings! What’s going on? It’s dark, I’m lying down, and my face is in my pillow, was I sleeping??! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! It’s Cristobal from my libs class; Dr. Smith made the broadcast an extra credit assignment in an attempt to get more people to show up.

“Hello?” I murmur.

“Hey,” he says

“What’s up?”

“Ummm are you going to that MiVote thing tonight?”

Crap. “Uh, yeah, I think I’ll be there.”

“Ok, cool. Just wondering.”

“Yep, I’m coming….hey Cris?”

“Yeah?”

“What time is it?”

“It’s 6:45.”

Dang it. “Ok thanks. See you in a bit.”

“M’kay.”

“Bye.”

I jump out of bed and stumble over to my closet. What am I going to wear? I have no idea. I glance at my mirror; my hair is a hot mess. I fell asleep? Really, Raquel? Really? That’s great. That’s just great. I’m supposed to be leaving now.

I get out the door by 7, a small miracle, and arrive at precisely 7:30. I walk over to the people who appear to be in charge and they direct me to the producer, “I’m your handler,” he says. He walks me through the program. I am the next to last segment, right after Iraq and right before stem cell research. He introduces me to John Popovich, Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, at Henry Ford hospital. He’s the expert on the panel. We converse for a moment and I find a seat over by Tony and Carrie. We talk about nerves for a little bit then move on to something else. Normal things. How’s your wife, how’s your family type questions. A white-haired gentleman walks over, “Excuse me is this seat taken?” He asks. I tell him no, have a seat. He looks very familiar. I introduce myself. “I’m Dan Little,” he says. Light bulb goes off. “I’m the Chancellor here.” I exclaim that of course I know who he is and that I’ve never seen him quite so close before. He chuckles and we talk about school, we talk about his granddaughter, we talk about his Ph.D. from Harvard. I am amazed at the accessibility we students have to the staff here. He is so nice and puts me right at ease. I am no longer nervous. We watch the infomercial, and the mayhem begins. People scramble around everywhere, Devin practices his opening a few times and the producer gives us and the audience another run down of the show. Nine o’clock arrives and we begin. The first segment is a reaction to the Obama slot, and the second is on the economy. Tony is on this panel and he does extremely well. Time goes by. The Iraq War segment ends and we all rush up to the stage. The chairs are tall, I’m in a straight skirt and stilettos. Oh, please don’t fall… ok, in the chair, no major mishaps, a lady hands me a lapel mic and says something about sticking it under my jacket? She moves on, I make an attempt to secure and conceal the tiny microphone and apparently fail because next thing I know a guy is taking it and running it up my shirt. AWKWARD! Someone shouts “30 seconds!” What is taking this guy so long??? Done. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, point.” Devin starts talking and directs his first question to me. Everything is a blur after that. All of a sudden it’s over. I’m back in my seat and the Chancellor says, “Great job!” Did I stutter? Did I say “um” a lot? Did I even make sense? I have no idea. Whatever. It was definitely a cool experience and a few of my friends text messaged me later and said I was on the news. I watched the video later and I said “Um/uh” eight times, my nose looks ridiculous on camera, but I already knew that, and my father made me smile randomly during the segment. Overall it was a great experience, I just wish I remembered more of it. :)

Final Thoughts

Well, I have officially survived my first semester of college and wow! It went by so quickly! I managed to remain intact throughout these few months, although at times, I had "freak-out-what-the-heck-am-I-doing" moments. I began a new job and college on the same day and my life has been so insanely hectic this semester. I finally feel as if I can breathe. I have learned a lot about myself this semester. I heard so much about time-management when I started, but I didn't really know what I could handle until I got into it. It has definitely been a process of trial and error for me and I feel that next semester will definitely be easier. My freshman orientation was the very last one, so I had limited class options (I mean, they literally gave me ONE page of available classes...double-sided of course, but still) and said, "Here, work with it." I decided to take French 101 this semester because I would have had to take a placement exam for Spanish and there was no guarantee I would get in to the class I placed in...it seemed like a good idea at the time. So, I have absolutely no prior French experience, and I mean NONE, and to top it off it's an evening class! And now that I have forgotten all of my Spanish vocabulary, it looks as if I'll be pursuing French by default. As I said, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Oh, and everything was so packed, I was constantly running back and forth, here and there, frantically trying to complete all of my assignments and work and volunteer and fulfill prior obligations! It was horrible! There was a lot of "What? That's due when???" But I have learned so much from the experience. I have been pushed much harder than I have ever been pushed before and I believe I am a better person for it.

I honestly don't even know how I placed into this class, and to top it off it was media based, which is definitely not my forte. I feel like I'm one of those people who have a computer, but don't really deserve it because they don't know how to use it. lol. Seriously, I view myself almost like I view my grandmother. She has a Mac and all she does is play Solitaire! Haha! I must say, probably the most useful tool I have taken away from this class is the screen shot :). Oh, I feel so proud of my little technologically-ignorant self for being able to use that little trick. Seriously, I didn't think it could be done.

Overall, I think I did okay in the class, despite my handicaps, but I would most definitely revise my personal event essay for module II. I didn't use MLA properly (alas! another deficiency) and didn't receive the best of grades for that particular assignment.

This blog has been an interesting experience for me. I have never done anything like this before and am not sure how I feel about posting my thoughts to the world. I know nobody reads it anyway, but still...I'm not sure I like the exposure. It was difficult for me to post my personal projects online, especially since my learning curve with the computer is so low, but once again, it was definitely a good learning experience for me.

I think I'm going to quit my job at the insurance agency (oh, did I mention that I HATE it there? Seriously, I abhor that place. Oh, and it doesn't help that my boss is a racist, sexist, alcoholic, chauvinist either), and work at the University.

How Secure is Your Information?: Activity II Personal Essay

In the article, “Social Phishing,” Tom N. Jagatic, Nathaniel A. Johnson, Markus Jakobsson, and Filippo Menczer present an experimental study performed at Indiana University (IU). In this study, the authors launched a phishing attack on 581 IU students aged 18 to 24 years old. Each target was selected based upon the amount and quality of publicly accessible information they had disclosed about themselves. An email was sent with a link directing the recipients to a phishing site in which they were prompted to enter secure university credentials. A large number of students were deceived by this fraudulent website and authenticated their private information multiple times. Although scam artists are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods, many phishing attacks can be easily identified and prevented. In this essay I will explain how to prevent a phishing attack and how better to secure personal information.

So just what is phishing? The authors of the article, “Social Phishing”, define phishing as a form of deception in which an attacker attempts to fraudulently acquire sensitive information from a victim by impersonating a trustworthy entity. Examples of which would be emails sent from what appears to be your bank requesting verification of your personal information, or emails from friends recommending you to “check out this really cool new website!”

How do phishers acquire your personal information? Social networking sites are the most common resources for scam artists, and in the IU experiment most personal information was garnered from venues such as Myspace and Facebook. Interestingly enough, when participants discovered that the perpetrators had acquired their information from these public websites they were outraged. Some believed that the contact information displayed on their profiles was only accessible to their friends or contacts. Still others believed that their information was protected under the terms of service, and felt that their information was accessed illegally. Unfortunately, there is no such protection under terms of service agreements, and any information displayed on a public website is open to anyone who cares to search for it.

Some fraudulent companies collect consumer information, such as bidding history and shopping preferences, from sites like eBay and Amazon. They can track your spending habits via your browsing history and send emails to you under the auspice of a rewards program you may actually be enrolled in.
What measures can you take to avoid falling for one of these elaborate schemes, and what safeguards can you put in place to protect your personal information? Firstly, never follow a link from an email. All participants in the Indiana University study were phished thru bogus links sent via email. Each link led to a page where the subjects had to “verify” sensitive information and input their university credentials. If a link is included in an email copy and paste it into the address bar.

The best way to verify the legitimacy of website is to check the URL. The old adage, “Don’t believe everything you see,” remains true. Also, many scammers operate in a second language so check the email for basic grammatical and spelling errors. Remember, banks will NEVER ask for your information via email. If you receive an email from your “bank” requesting it, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT do it. Read my lips, “It is a SCAM!”

Another tip is to avoid clicking on icons and advertisements on web pages. While some advertising is legitimate, many icons can lead to a page where they will ask you for your personal information. If an advertisement does catch your eye, try going directly to the company website rather than simply following the advertisement directly.

For more secure browsing many experts recommend using the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Firefox has various security features such as the Instant Web Site ID, which can verify the legitimacy of a website with a click of a button. Firefox also has anti-phishing and anti-malware software. Firefox receives updates of web forgery sites 48 times a day, so if a link leads you to a fraudulent site, a browser message will stop you, stating that the site you have accessed is a fraudulent website. Firefox will also display a full size browser warning message if you accidentally access an attack site.

You can also customize your security settings to clear your browsing history and cookies after each session to insure that your private data is protected.
A word of caution about Firefox- any stored passwords can be accessed from your computer or a remote browser. You can secure these passwords by setting up a master password, which protects your saved password information; however, be sure to remember your master password because if you forget it, any information protected by it will be inaccessible.

Ultimately, common sense and observation are the best safe-guards against phishing attacks. Pay attention to email content, avoid directly following links you may receive from emails, and be skeptical of unfamiliar sources. A quick glance at the address bar can verify that you are indeed on the correct website and can save you a lot of headache and worry. Periodically delete cookies from your computer and take precautions in securing password information. Finally, install antivirus software on your computer and use a secure internet browser. These are very simple steps everyone can take to insure that their personal information is protected.

Password Protection

1. Setting up a Master Password
2. Stored password access

Event Essay: Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirate's Life for Me

As I contemplate my 2008 event topic, I picture open water, bright blue skies, and a magnificent vessel sailing the ocean blue. I wait for Johnny Depp to arrive with his dreadlocks and a charming demeanor to sweep me off my feet…or not. It doesn’t matter. When somebody mentions pirates, immediately my mind conjures up images of swashbuckling heroes and villains engaging in daring sword fights and gallivanting off on fantastical treasure hunts. It brings back to my mind childhood memories of playing Peter Pan and Captain Hook with my brothers. With our hooks made of coat hangers and our paper plate eye patches, we held dramatic sword fights with yardsticks and plastic Star Wars light-sabers. My brothers’ big wooden bunk beds, equipped with detachable ladder, made the absolute perfect pirate ship.

The modern pirate tale has been one of romance and adventure and throughout my childhood, third on my list of preferred occupations right below “mermaid” and “faerie princess”, was “pirate”. When I hear of the Somali pirate attacks gathering so much attention this year, parts of me are secretly thrilled. I begin my search for photographic examples of modern day piracy and WHAT? What is this? Where is Johnny Depp? Where is my swashbuckling, grungy, endearing, almost-certainly-always-drunk, non-hero, hero? These guys look nothing how I imagined them. They have machine guns and hand grenades and rocket launchers?? There is a shocking lack of dreadlocks here… and teeth come to think of it, and WHOA! That guy’s head is HUGE! I keep scrolling, hoping desperately to find something even remotely similar to the fantasy I have conjured in my head. Please, please, please somebody be semi-attractive, anybody? Nope. Nothing. Not even close. And what’s up with all the aluminum buckets they keep referring to as “boats”? What happened to the Black Pearl? What happened to the Revenge? What happened to the Rising Sun? The very least they could do is put up a flag. I’m lodging a complaint! Where are the real pirates?

Somalia is a far cry from the Swiss family Robinson’s island paradise. The tiny arid country, located on the west coast of Africa, has been victim to civil unrest, famine, and poverty for much of its history. Thus far in 2008 there have been right around 92 pirate attacks off the Somali coast and of the 92 attacks 36 have been successful hijackings. The largest piracy hull in history was performed Tuesday, November 18, 2008. Somali pirates hijacked the Sirius Star, a Saudi oil-tanker estimated to be worth over 100 billion dollars. Pirates are still holding the tanker, its cargo (2m barrels of oil), and 25 crew members off the Somali coast. Their demands for the ship are yet unknown.
Poverty is one aspect of the rise in piracy, coupled with famine and civil unrest. According to the Rural Poverty Portal over 40 percent of Somali people live on less than one U.S. dollar a day. Somalia has essentially had no government since 1991 and the economy is in terrible shape. Piracy has become the best source of income for the country and will bring in more than 50 million dollars worth of revenue this year (NPR).

In a New York Times interview, Somalia pirates’ spokesperson, Sugule Ali, said that the pirates were hijacking ships merely because they wanted the money. He also stated that the pirates were simply protecting their territory from the illegal fishing and dumping that has been going on in the Somali controlled portion of the Indian Ocean. He went as far to say that they view themselves as guardians of the Somalia coastline. “We don’t consider ourselves sea bandits,” he said. “We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas. We are simply patrolling our seas. Think of us like a coast guard” (NY Times).
The extreme desperation driving the pirate attacks is astounding. Poverty and famine have destroyed the livelihood of so many Somali citizens. For some, piracy seems like the most pragmatic choice. Violence and thievery have become the methods that many have turned to in efforts to survive. Piracy is no longer glitzy and glamorous. My fantasy is over. Needless to say, I no longer wish to be pirate when I grow up.






Works Cited
New York Times Web site. 30 Sep. 2008. The New York Times Company. 19
Nov. 2008 /?hp>.
NPR Web site. 18 Nov. 2008. National Public Radio. 19 Nov. 2008
.
Rural Poverty Portal. 8 April 2008. International Fund for Agricultural Development. 19
Nov. 2008 /somalia>.

Jeopordy

My seven Jeopardy Categories:

1. Creating awkward moments

2. William Shakespeare

3. Little Girls

4. The Bible

5. Procrastination

6. Coping with sexism in the work-place

7. Falling asleep in random places

Visualizing "isms"

My initial approach to this project was selecting a few “isms” and attempting to find images based upon related keywords. For example, when searching for images defining “monopsychism”, which is the belief that individuals have a single eternal soul, I searched words like “eternal soul”, “death”, “body, soul, spirit”, and finally found the images I was looking for with “out of body experience”. I came to realize that finding images representing ideas was not as easy as it sounded. Eventually, I just started saving photographs that struck me, and I found “isms” to define the pictures I had already found. The process was quite lengthy, especially since you cannot simply Google a certain idea and find an “ism” that defines it. I had to scan the phrontistery website many times for the most fitting definition of my images and, regrettably, was not able to use some of my favorite photographs.
I feel that the most effective representations in my compilation are the images I used for “titanism”, “animism”, and “fatalism”. Titanism is the spirit of revolt or defiance against social conventions. I used the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent massacre to represent titanism, and I used two photographs on this slide for the sake of clarification. The first image is of the actual occurrence, and the second is a tribute, by Amnesty International, to the participants and victims of the 1989 protests. The first image defines the event, the second, represents the humanity behind it. I did not wish to show merely images violence and anger, but rather to reveal the motivation and emotion behind revolution.
Animism is the attribution of soul to inanimate objects. I invested quite a bit of energy into finding a true representation of this “ism”. Animism is not merely the personification of an object. Animism gives an object feeling and depth. I chose the wounded tree with a bloody bandage wrapped around it because the tree is depicted as a living, bleeding object that is quite capable of feeling pain.
Fatalism is the doctrine that events are fixed and humans are powerless to change or prevent them. This was also the most difficult “ism” for me to define, mainly because I had an idea of what I wanted in terms of imagery and there was no way to search for a photograph specifically tailored to my expectations. After sifting through countless pictures of natural disasters, I finally stumbled across this photo of a distraught young boy reaching out to the corpse of his younger brother, who had died as a result of a tsunami. The sorrow on this boy’s face, the strong hands that pull him back, and the nurse who shuts his brother’s casket all scream that death is final and we are helpless against its outcome. We cannot stop a hurricane in its path. We cannot reverse its course. We are at the mercy of nature. We are powerless against her will.

Pear Sauce and other Ramblings...

So I'm eating what I guess would be called pear sauce being how it is exactly like apple sauce except, ya know, that one thing. I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty delicious. I love old ladies who can their own fruits and vegetables and make their own jams and then give them to my family, it makes me happy :).

Today is such a good day. It's been awhile since I've been able to sleep in on a Saturday. Last night I went to Inferno, which is a concert/youth service hosted by this church in Auburn Hills. It was pretty sweet. There were a couple of thousand people there, the bands were awesome... ok, well most of them were. lol. They had musicians coming from the ceiling?? and the pyrotechnics were wicked. Afterward they rented out the Gameworks in Great Lakes Crossing, for which I didn't have high expectations; however, I was pleasantly surprised. All in all the evening was a smashing success and my boyfriend looks dashing in a bow tie :). So I got home at five and I slept until two. I'm still in my pajamas and am watching the Michigan-Michigan State game with my brother. Today is a good day.

My house smells like cider and cinnamon...DANG! Our secondary defense SUCKS! Ummm my dog is eating green beans? Yeah. Bizarre. Erin Andrews is pretty. I'm getting slightly depressed watching this game. Why is high-def so loud??

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon and I have nothing to write about. I'm just sort of saying whatever comes into my head. Stream of consciousness. Yeah. I like that. I want to read a book, but I'm watching football instead. Cinnamon donuts sound nice. Donuts and cider. By the way has anyone tried the caramel apple cider from Starbucks? I haven't. It sounds good. I love fall and football and bonfires.

Has anyone read Dr. Seuss recently? I loved him when I was a child and I reread a ton of his books this summer. It was under the auspice of reading to children, but truth be told I was a little nostalgic and was reading them as much for myself as I was for the kids. lol. As a child, I never realized the messages behind his stories. They really are quite profound. I have determined to read Dr. Seuss to my children, plus everyone needs a little nonsense in their lives :).


Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

Advocacy Project

As I was conducting research for this project, the numbers I found were absolutely astounding. Detroit public high schools have a graduation rate of less than 25 percent and the educational system is 400 million dollars in debt. While these numbers are staggering and the truths they proclaim are a tragedy, the situation in our great metropolitan area is not irresolvable. What I have found within my research and my own personal experience is that ordinary, everyday people are rallying against this tragedy and are working to solve this problem. I am encouraged to see that non-profit organizations are mobilizing and are committed to seeing these issues resolved.


Non-profit organizations operate under the ideology that ordinary citizens can combat and remedy the problems we face in society. Groups like City Year, ACCESS (the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services), Pro-Literacy for Detroit, churches, and various other religious organizations, are stepping up to the plate and are working to resolve this educational crisis.
Schools are limited in what they can accomplish in terms of developing extra-curricular activities and after-school programs. There are simply not enough funds to ensure that every child receive the individual attention that they may need. Programs that supplement education are not developed because school districts can barely secure enough funding to keep schools functioning at minimal levels. Many schools cannot meet federal requirements and the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act.


NPOs are stepping up and are working to alleviate such pressures. Because non-profits receive private funding, they have the means to create literacy programs and to provide educational assistance and to develop community enrichment projects. Many are doing just that and the positive results we have seen from such organizations are undeniable.


I would encourage every student to get involved in their communities some way, some how. Volunteering is a great way to affect change within society and many organizations lack personnel. Holocaust Survivor, Elane Norych, once stated:
“We are not expected to solve the world's problems with one grand deed. Quite the opposite, the sages instruct that we improve the world through the practice of decency in our daily behavior. Many people performing many small kind and decent acts on an everyday basis adds up to improvement on a global scale. Changing the world is within the reach of every one of us. Once we understand our capabilities, we cannot avoid our responsibilities."


This is by far one of my most favorite quotes and I am a firm believer in philosophy. Changing the world is within the grasp of each and every one of us. Each and every one of us has the capacity to make a difference. Whether it be tutoring a child who struggles with multiplication, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or taking a kid out for ice cream, every single person has the ability to change a life for the better. Let us therefore resolve to change the world act by act, deed by deed, and day by day. Once we understand our capabilities we cannot ignore our responsibilities.

Kahlil Gibran on Love: Activity II

For Activity two I chose the poem "On Love", written by Kahlil Gibran and taken from his book, The Prophet.
I used a flowing font and the color white for the opening word "Love" to depict love as a pure and fluid word. Attempting -attempting mind you :) to convey the thought that true love is unadulterated and spills over in every aspect of one's life.
I chose to highlight "fulfill" in purple because purple is traditionally thought to represent wealth and opulence, which of course can be interpreted as emotional well-being or satisfaction.
I used the color red for "desires" as red often times represents passion or deep emotion. In one instance I used different variations of pink and the word was accented with hearts, because desires can also be playful and giddy (think school-girl doodling in her notebook during math class).
I arranged the phrase "like a running brook" in an attempt to create the feeling of movement -once again, attempt. I definitely could have chosen a better font for that one.
I accented "pain" because it conveys such a strong emotion and I struck a line through "bleed" as if the word itself were being sliced through the heart.
I like the faded texture of "wake" because it conjures up (at least in my mind) the image that the moments just between dream and consciousness are still slightly hazy and unclear. Likewise with "dawn" because you can see morning (pink) materializing out of the darkness (black).
I chose to highlight "rest" and "meditation" in blue because blue is thought to be calming, relaxing and very contemplative.
I love "ecstasy" because it is this bold, energetic burst of color in the midst of all this darkness, and for me, it perfectly conveys the emotion behind this word.

Here is the poem in its entirety. The last portion, which is highlighted in bold, is the fragment I have used for this assignment.

Kahlil Gibran on Love:

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Advocacy Project Proposal

Is education a federal responsibility or merely a local matter? This question has been debated since the inception of the Department of Education in 1980, under the Carter Administration. While policy makers disagree on how the educational system should be administrated, both sides agree that serious reform needs to be implemented. Our current educational system is in a sordid state of affairs. Inner-city and poverty-stricken school districts are facing the greatest challenges within the current system. Retention is decreasing, students are not performing at acceptable levels, federal funding is being cut, ergo programs are being abolished, therefore retention is decreasing, students are not performing at acceptable levels, and federal funding continues to be cut.

I cannot offer a solution to the educational crisis, but I wish to address the issue of how local not-for-profit organizations can contribute to the alleviation of such seemingly insurmountable problems. For module one, I shall be doing a power point presentation advocating the creation and development of non-profit organizations in inner-city urban areas (ie; Detroit). I shall demonstrate the effectively of such organizations by presenting primary examples and evidence I have accumulated on the subject first hand.

Life in Hell: A Baghdad Diary

“Life in Hell: A Baghdad Diary” is an article written by Aparism Ghosh, a war-time reporter with Time Magazine, about his experience in and around the Iraqi capital. It was written in the summer of 2006 at a time when Iraqi militia insurgence was on the incline and the conflict in Iraq was looking particularly hopeless, with no end in sight. Ghosh captures the true horror of everyday life in Baghdad and displays both sides of the story. He gives the reader perspective from both the Sunni and Shi’ite line of thought, and most importantly, he gives the war a face. He makes the casualty count personal and a lot more difficult to ignore. Meaningless numbers all of a sudden had a face, a voice, a name.

I cannot gauge society’s reaction to this article; however, I can tell you that in my family and social circle the reaction to this piece was utter horror. The reality and terror of war was presented before us and we could no longer claim ignorance as an excuse for apathy or inaction. I remember feeling a wave of nausea roll over me as I realized I was powerless to change it. How does an ordinary citizen stop a war?

My heart aches for the families who have suffered loss as a result of this conflict. While we can estimate the total cost of this war in terms of dollars, we cannot place a value on a human life. The latter is a debt of war that can never be repaid. I no longer think of the debt in terms of dollars, I think of it in terms of children who have lost a father, wives who have lost a husband, parents who have lost a child, families who are struggling to put food on the table. How many parents lie awake at night and worry about their children’s safety? How many children lie awake at night and worry about their future? Will they go to school? Will they be able to get a job? Will they ever have a family? Will they survive the next day? These were the thoughts and emotions evoked in me, and that is why I chose this article.


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1223363,00.html

Screen Capture

I have decided I am probably the most technologically "un-savvy" (is that even a word? Eh, who cares) person in my age bracket. Not only did I require assistance in capturing my screen shot, but it turns out I didn't even post it when I was absolutely certain I had. Yeah. Pathetic.

I took this screen shot while I was working on assignment one. The photo I used was an ad from Fast Company entitled a 'message in a bottle'. I chose the photograph primarily because of it's political message. It promotes the idea that innovation in manufacturing is needed to protect the environment and preserve our natural resources.