Power to the Small and Timid

I will tell you how I feel, despite the fact that you may not like it or may not want to know. I do still have my freedom to use my voice. Waking up the day after election day was not easy, because it seemed unreal. The lack of sleep made me question reality to my mind’s tricks. However, once it began to sink in that taking Max on walk that cold morning was inevitable, I thought, “How did this happen?” Tears started to trickle down my face. My summer kissed skin was being washed away by warm drops of anger, anxiety, sadness, disappointment, and repulsion. “Good God,” I thought. It was so many lives in my life being affected that it was breaking my heart. To be specific, it felt more like my heart had been shattered, and piece by piece it was being torn out of my chest.

To feel like I felt that morning made me think I was mourning a great loss. Max getting a walk, eating breakfast or going to work did not seem important to me. There was this dark cloud of depression covering my entire being. I ended up getting up by giving myself a mental push—“If I stay here the TV will be on, and I want nothing to do with something I did not choose to be a part of.” As I walked the busy early morning streets of downtown I felt those gloating stares following me. The worst looks were the ones of pity. It made me feel less, almost like nothing. As the little pieces of my heart kept being torn out, I cried throughout my school day, because I realized something terrifying. I work with kids who have hearing loss, deafness and other disabilities. My list of the lives being affected grew a great deal.

My school is small, but probably one of the most diverse. It is beautiful, and so is every single teacher, administrator, and staff. All this happiness I feel everyday going to and being at work vanished that day. I worried about my little ones—when they graduate from kindergarten and have to go to a mainstream school, how will they be treated? The country is now in the hands of a repulsive bully. It is not only going to be mom and dad influencing bad behavior, now they have the President to be the excuse of their bullying. “If he did it, why can’t I?” “I can get anywhere with a revolting attitude if he can.” It made me so sick to think these thoughts are already running in the youth’s minds right now. I love every single kid in that school. I want them to grow up knowing that they are intelligent and beautiful no matter what anyone else says. I will make sure they hear it from me every day.

Almost lastly, this, this is to you. To you who are finding excuses for your decision—stop. Maybe you are trying to make yourself better. You are selfish. Do not tell me you care about all the issues you voted against. You matter to yourself, and yourself alone. We are country who prides itself in getting ahead for ones sake after all. I love you all as human beings, but I cannot forgive you at the moment. The fact that you have to explain your vote means that you have a guilty conscience.

Now really to end this, what I want you to know—I am soft spoken, small in stature, and despise public speaking. However, once my people begin to come under attack, you should know I will not be silenced. You may think words are just words. To many, words were just “locker room talk” or anti-establishment rhetoric—to me and many others it left a lot of scars. Scars that cannot be healed by an acceptance speech that spoke about unity, and protecting every citizen of this country. He spent an entire campaign talking about how he was going to divide people, not unite them. I do not believe him—I am not your citizen and you will not protect me. You are not my President. This naturalized citizen is not going to be shoved back. You wanted me to hide my talents, not anymore. My words are not just words—they are my strength, my height as a human, and my courage. My wrath will come if anyone I love comes under attack. You will feel it, but not through violence, no, I do not accept violence. I will fight with my intelligence, self-worth, spoken words, love, and trust-worthy pen. PEACE.

A Night of a Thousand Humans

I believe in the human race, I know they can be good people. It is so hard to know what others are going through because you cannot read their minds. Especially if you don’t know the people around you, you will definitely not know what their lives are like. So why do we still judge and condemn them without knowing anything about them?

For those of us who have worked at some point in our lives we work to serve others. With those mighty high heads and thoughts of superiority they judge those who are serving them as soon as they step through the doors of any business establishment. Why does this happen? I cannot understand the condescending tone people take toward those who have not done anything to them. Instead of a no thank you, this will not work for us, could we be somewhere else, or anything polite, these bourgeoisies will bring you down by putting you down.

Two things happened at my work today that made me appreciate my higher education so I do not have to deal with soulless people, or at least I hope for the number to go down. One lady, husband and infant child came to the restaurant I work at. The restaurant tonight was unbelievably packed. There was one two top available, which most of the time if there is a family like the one above, we sit them there with a high chair right next to it. I proceeded to sit the family down, and as soon as we got to the table the mother snapped at me and said, “You know I know I said a high chair, but he is a person too, he needs space!! He is messy and will need more room than this. It’s unbelievable.  He is a person!!” I went on to tell her politely that if they wanted to wait until a bigger table was available that would be okay, but that was the only available table at the time. Then the mom said, “We will just see how we deal with this! UGH! But it’s not enough room!” At that point the server in charge of that table came and talked to them and I stepped aside. The manager caught me and asked me what happened, and I told her, so she went to go talk to them, and from there I don’t know what happened to them.

So here is what I think about this family: I am sorry we did not have any bigger table for your messy child. Yes, I am aware an infant is a person, thank you for explaining to me what classifies as a human. Here is a thought, if you wanted to go out to eat on a Saturday night, the busiest night of the week, maybe you should’ve hired a babysitter for your untidy son. Also, I am simply the person who is told where to sit you, do not yell at me for your inconvenient third party. Sir, why are you not saying anything and telling your wife to calm down? Oh yeah, I see her pockets, she has your manhood. Seriously, families, please if you have small children, either get them a babysitter or teach them table side manners, so your child doesn’t require special treatment, that we might not be able to accommodate in a timely manner. Thank you.

The other party that I spoke to and just made me so happy tonight, was this six top. They had a call ahead, which is NOT a reservation, and we specifically tell everyone who requests one that is NOT a reservation. A girl in her 20s came to tell me they had arrived, I informed her it was going be another 45 minutes, she rolled her eyes at me and told me, “Okay…but we had a call ahead.” I told her yes, I was aware but nothing was clearing up in the next twenty minutes. Ten minutes after I spoke to her, she sent her ivy league boyfriend to tell me they had a party of six. I told him that his party was in the restaurant, but they were still waiting. He said, “Yeah I know,” and went to stand next to his tall blonde girlfriend. I was confused, but oh well. They finally got sat 40 minutes later or so, close to the estimate I had given them. I was so truly blessed to go sit them down, and once I was down passing out menus I said the usual, “Your server will right over. Enjoy!” None of them acknowledge me and said “Thank you.” When they left, I also told them, “Thank you. Have a great night!” None of them again gave me sign that they heard me.

Case two analysis: Wow. Could you have been any nicer? Get a kind heart please, and quit tearing apart others who actually have one. If you do not want to wait that long, and you obviously see the restaurant is beyond capacity, why don’t you just leave. I mean really. Just because you’re well off, remember that money is never going to get you ahead on a list or anywhere in life.

All I want for people to know is that, I am blessed to have a job, I appreciate every person who makes that possible. On the other hand, to the people who go out to eat, or to any place where people are working minimum wage, be thankful for their service, because without them you would not be able to go out and spend money on a meal. A simple thank you will go a long way, because honestly, you do not know what those servers, managers, cooks, chefs, crew members, cocktail waitresses, hostess, etc., are going through. I believe in the human compassion.

I am almost done with this life, and I am also thankful for that. I will soon get to work for people on the other side of the globe who will hopefully think what I attempt to do for them is useful and for their better being. I cannot wait to begin my journey as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Good night!

Lots of love,

Laura

(THIS WAS NOT EDITED SO SORRY FOR ANY MISSPELLING)

Winter Blues? Winter Snooze? Winter Truths!

As the days passed, the nights became shorter and louder. The only existing time left was the ten hours or so that the sun was out. How was a normal life possible when time did not really exist?

If a heart is filled with anguish, then the soul becomes restless and it begins to lose itself. When the mind has too many crowding thoughts, then it becomes flooded with fear. It is not easy to understand the struggle people hold as they age and realize life is not a playground, but a maze that they are anxious to solve. In reality it takes a lifetime to actually find the exit to that maze.

Sometimes, thinking that having all the answers for all problems becomes the actual problem. As everything in life is turned into a math problem that needs a logical and precise answer to feel satisfied, human sanity begins to stray as a result. It is more convenient and useful to just let things unravel themselves, because then the answers are right there, clear as sun rays shining through a beautiful diamond.

Sitting here trying to figure out what these words mean may only lead to a headache or thoughts that I have gone insane, and considering all the things that are in my body at this moment that could be an accurate conclusion. The truth is that I am more sane than ever. I might have lost it for a bit, and as anyone else, I tried to go and find it. However, that hunt proved to be pointless. See, I just let IT find me. This pen that drafted this short philosophy about life is IT. IT always finds me. Writing is what calms me, soothes me, moves me and wakes me up. Clarity to my world is here. Do not try to decipher what I have written, instead, write down the first thing that makes sense to you.

Lots of love.

COMM 303 Blog #10

I Will Never Leave You Love

 

Sweaty palms, rapid palpitation, twitching, headache, and nausea. I might have been exaggerating with my symptoms after losing my phone for over two weeks last month. Precisely a day before I received a new phone in the mail I began to experience mini anxiety attacks from not having a phone to cradle and protect.

Knowing that was my behavior from simply losing one of my communication technologies, makes me think I would be driven insane if I had no devices in my life that connect me to my networks. Let me state that the most tragic outcome of being “unplugged” would be the lack of immediate virtual communication between the people in my life—no social life. Then, the one that should be first, college would be chaotic without any communication technology. Face it, everything is becoming digital and how the university communicates with the enrolled is by email. If I did not have a computer I would be doomed. I would be like the grade I would receive for my courses, incomplete.

There is absolutely no way I could go natural on this aspect of life. I am connected and I will remain that way. I was forced to be partially unplugged for over two weeks, and at first it was not too bad, but when I realized I had to go to a computer every time I needed to talk to my friends, it became tedious having to trot up and down the stairs. I enjoy exercise, don’t misunderstand me, I mean with my phone, my thumbs probably sweat off a thousand calories a day.

This communication technology course has exactly taught me how connected we are, and that every day that passes we become more dependent on robots. Take by example the history of different innovation developments and the rate in which they were adopted. There is a trend that every new technology is embraced by the majority quicker than the last one.

What is it that is trending now? The iPhone 5? And Snapchat? Dear, I’ve said it enough on my blogs, I cannot keep up with all these new inventions, I might after all become a laggard.

I have to unplug evey time I go to El Salvador, because there is not Internet access everywhere, and my poor phone gets lost in time. I do take my companion abroad with me, it gives me a piece of mind to know it's there with me. Check out the article I had to read for this blog. Do you unplug when you go out od the States?

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8535.aspx

 We discussed in class displacement theory, which referred to the amount of time we have constrains the communication activities we perform. In other words, operating one communication technology takes time from another, most likely older. Communication technology is like fashion, or a teenage girl’s crush, meaning one day it is what all the focus and energy goes towards, and then the next there is a cooler new shirt or guy that takes time away from the vintage skirt and John I-Forgot-His-Last-Name.

Here is a brief listing of my likes and dislikes of new communication technologies. The tougher words are hyperlinked so you can see what they mean.

My Likes on Comm Tech	My Dislikes on Comm Tech
Asynchronous	Loss in ability to communicate face-to-face
Ubiquitous	Texting and Driving
All on the palm of my hand	Loss of privacy—just be smart on what you disclose

 This video makes me shake my head. That is not living! Get off Facebook, and stop stalking people you don't even see in real life. One thousand "friends", should be 986  strangers instead.

 

Because I have posted my blog on Facebook and Twitter I have gotten a total of 797 views as of right now! Positive exposure on the Internet can be a good thing for, and to a blogger. For the blogger, because future employers could look at the potential of a writer, and to the person because it makes them feel good someone cares enough to read it, besides the professor who has to read it. That being said, I appreciate all the support and comments from all of my readers.

Blog 10! Thank you for staying with me until the end. Happy Finals!

COMM 303 Blog #9

Suit? What Suit? I Rock My Pajamas

When I Report

New and alternative media…hmm I should know what this is now, after all I have been taking a class all this semester on the subject and I have been blogging more consistently than ever before.

Blogging is a form of citizen journalism, a person who may not be accredited as a journalist, but finds it in their civic duty to report the happenings of the world in a different perspective than mainstream media portrays them.

Thomas Jefferson was the one who said, “I would rather have a free press and no government, than a government and no free press.” In the U.S. today anyone can exercise this freedom by blogging.

The word publishing is broader than it used to be. What do you understand when you hear “to publish”? Not until this year did I discover this word is one of the most complex P words ever invented. You know that publishing is not necessarily written and read by a mass audience? It means anything written or said and read or heard by a third party is considered to be published. I have published nine pieces of information and thoughts thus far. You, the one reading, have been my audience and reader throughout the semester.

In the article we had to read for this particular blog, about blogging and the incorrect regards made on a blog about the governor of South Carolina are comical. Anyone can really go on the Internet and post anything about anyone. The particular article talked about the immediate reaction by mainstream media by a tweet posted alleging the governor was going to be indicted. The time it took for that to spread and for news outlets to verify if that was true, was faster than the selling of Justin Bieber concert tickets. The allegations were NOT true as the governor easily proved.

Twitter has become a micro form of blogging. The immediate thoughts, feelings and knowledge a person might have are published within the boundaries of 140 characters. Then you may look at a blog like mine and it elaborates more on the content and gives more information. Being true or not true what I say, I still have the freedom to post it.

A concern among classmates, as I have discovered throughout the term, has been that many of these students are concerned with the legitimacy of the traditional news sources, because they consider them to be too biased. But then, when you ask if they trust the blogging world or other alternative forms of media they are skeptical to go forth and trust them.

I kept hearing over and over this year the example of FOX News, and how conservative they are and how they only report on those principles. While that’s true, there are narrow minded people who get their information from that broadcasting station, just like those who only watch MSNBC.

Bloggers are usually biased too whenever they report. Therefore, do not always believe everything we post or say, check it twice before making an erroneous claim. While I have injected my opinion throughout the semester, I have left room for you to comment and let me know what you think and other facts I might have omitted. I am not narrow minded and I like to see an argument from all sides, even if I don’t agree in the end.

On the issue that we are “too free” as to what we are able to say in the world of the Internet, I will not blame the writer, or publisher of a work, because every single individual is responsible for their actions. If an insane person reads something or views something, it's all on them how they interpret things said or written. 

Now, that being said, as an educated citizen show some intelligence when posting blogs, comments or tweets. Offending another religion or the lack of is never okay, critique it eloquently, but do not be disgusting in how you treat others. Another important point rises up, bullying in person, or more cowardly, through the web, is never ever alright.

Things to take away from blogging are to not so naively believe everything posted is the sacred truth, and to check it before you fake it, and spread the lies or hatred even further.

Take a look at this State Farm commercial. I think it’s funny and relevant, not everything on the Internet is true!

If you want to be more than an opinion piece on the blogging world I recommend looking up the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Click on the link below!

http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

As always, thank you for reading! One more to go.

COMM 303 Blog #8

Permission? What is That? Oh Well,

I See You!

“No Twitter, I do not want you to transfer my Gmail contacts. Wait, how do you know who my Gmail contacts are in the first place?” –Me.

Lately I have been noticing these notifications greeting me on Twitter, and I wondered how is it possible for them to know who my contacts were on my Gmail account? Well, I do use my Gmail to log in to my Twitter, so I suppose they are connected, but still that was kind of a creepy notification to find as I opened up my page.

Privacy is not as easy to guard as it was before the internet or mobile phones. The constant need to publicize what we do, where we do it, why we do it, when we do it, who we do it with, and how we do it may bring some unwanted consequences. Today, it is very easy to make all of that content public because of the social networks, but is it safe to put every thought out there? Is it okay to accept every friend request? Or let people follow you? Why would you want a stranger following you?

I think that these social networks have the capability of being used positively. Yet, there are people with over a thousand friends, who I really doubt know every single “friend.” I only accept people I’ve met, and I am constantly deleting people who I do not keep in contact with anymore. On Twitter, I refused to get one, but now that I have one, I still think twice before posting a thought. My Facebook is private, although, I found out my profile picture is not private, anyone can click on it and view it as any of my friends could. It becomes “private” when it’s no longer your profile picture. The Internet world can view all my tweets, because I’m not really being irrational with my thoughts, although, you might think that way. The point is, I am not irresponsible with what I post. I know for a fact employers will look at those networks, so I have to be intelligent to with the things I reveal.

Take a look at this video on social networks. This channel on YouTube has many other videos advocating the realities of privacy in our overly connected world today.

These networks when you sign up for them do not ask much information about you, it’s very easy to sign up. However, once you have one you realize there is a lot of information that ends up being needed to participate in certain applications. The more information one reveals, the less privacy one holds. When you Google your name, what do you find?

Besides the lack of responsibility when using a social network, privacy easily fades every time you sign up for some rewards program. Kroger customers get tracked on what they buy every time they swipe their Kroger card. Those coupons you receive at the check-out or by mail are not convenient every single time just by coincidence. The products that the customers buy are tracked and therefore they send coupons for the same items. Personalized coupons equal more probability the customer will go back to shop there again.

Check out the dad that found out his daughter was pregnant, before she even had the chance to say anything.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/

If these invasive social networks or large retailers are not enough there is the all encompassing government who keeps you safe while you aren’t watching. Safe? Yes, from terrorist and other threats, but for that they must look at every single possible suspect, and you might be one. The Patriot Act was signed into order in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. The act allows intelligence agencies to look into more detail than ever before citizens who might be infringing the law. To do so they are allowed to wiretap telephone lines, and look into their Internet history.

Recently, I had a rude awakening to the real world without a phone. Two weeks ago I lost my phone, and immediately there after I called my company to suspend services so no one else could use my phone. Even though my phone had every lock possible, I still worried that someone savvy enough could bypass those passwords and see all my open applications and phone number I had that phone. My phone was my life, and these past two weeks I have been checking all my bank accounts and all other networks that I had connected in that phone to make sure no one has accessed to any information that could harm me. Take a look at this video about cell phones.

I hope everyone reading will be more conscious on how they handle new communication technologies, because as much as they can be helpful they can also hurt you if we misuse or misplace them. Also, don’t accept every reward card! Where do you really shop? Stick to what you need the most. Big Brother is always watching, and as technology advances it will be a step ahead of what you even know about yourself. Be aware. Be smart. Log off.

Now I sign off with this appropriate song. "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.

COMM 303 Blog #7

Gaming to be One of the Many, Not Few

A young male with glasses, acne, physically really skinny or really chubby, wearing high-waters, suspenders and anything else that characterizes a video game nerd might not be exactly accurate. The average age for videogame player is 30 years old (Entertainment Software Association, ESA, 2012). The average number of women playing video games is also surprising for someone who over generalizes the characteristics of gamers—47% of all players are women, even in the total market women, 30%, surpass boys 17 years old and under, 18%, (ESA 2012).  Getting rid of stereotypes is important when looking at this communication technology, so take a closer look at the trends affecting this growing consumer community.

Video games can be evaluated through the three main theories in communication technology, Use and Gratification, Media System Dependency, and Social Learning Theory. While all three have different levels of evaluation, let’s look at one of each to understand better the culture of gaming and the possible future.

Gamers use video games to escape the real world into completely different worlds. Use and Gratification explains this aspect of what people do with the technology. A video game as a software transports the individual not only visually but interactively to a completely new place. Call of Duty which is a war based game, makes a soldier out of common Joe and gives him/her the weapons and abilities necessary to defeat the enemy. Back in 2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the top selling video game, with total sales worldwide of $11.86 million (Grant and Meadows 2010, p. 209). The gamer escapes from peaceful suburbia to a dangerous war zone. Who doesn't love that?!

From violent escapism to family fun? Video games allow families to come together and play each other in the Media System Dependency. According to the ESA, 61% of parents believe video games provides more time together as a family. The Wii is an example of a hardware that has put the controller in the hands of the age group who usually repulses technology away, the older folks. “The 2006 release of Nintendo’s Wii game console drew a new audience by attracting large numbers of older users to the motion-based games enabled by the Wii’s motion sensitive remote,” (Grant and Meadows 2010, p. 14).

Social Learning Theory tells us how we model others. In the video game world this is such an important applicable strategy for marketers to sell their products. Gamers are interested in the current trending games, because if they are really connected they play with others all over the world, and they will want what they are playing so they can stay linked with other gamers. By attending social events too people see and try different systems or games, and if they like it enough they are more likely to purchase a console of their own or the specific game.

Looking at the three different theories it is simple to observe the audience within this communication technology. If they are analyzed further there exist possible outcomes to the future of these audiences who demand updating to the current fields of play. More specifically, the reduction of the importance of hardware, and the increase in the demand for software capable of terminating the use of those systems seems to be the way video games are headed. It’s a parallel to the way CDs and DVDs are going, more on the “cloud system” based viewing and listening.

To understand better what cloud systems can do take a look at this video that explains it.

 

Hardware companies like Nintendo, and Sony (Playstation distributor) will have to get to the level of Microsoft (Xbox distributor) who is not only a hardware based company but it is also software. Having the capability of producing software packages capable of providing discless and deviceless ways of playing video games is the next big thing. Not only because it will be less of a clutter around the TV set, but also because virtually, you can play anywhere, even on cellphones, which have become a popular device for gaming.

No stereotyping anymore! Most people in some way or other play video games, and you don’t need the glasses nor the acne to be a professional at it. Take a look at this ad I saw the other day targeting women. Notice the cool and trendy young woman who is playing on the Nintendo 3DS.

What do you think? An artist or a gamer? Do you like the new trend of going to a more simple way of playing games? How long do you think it will take for it to diffuse throughout the gaming population?

As always thanks for reading!