End to the Madness (AE#6)

Finally, my last English 101 blogger post. I know the assignment of this post is to discuss what I thought about the blogging project but I feel that its unfair to discuss it without including a bit about the entire class. When we first started this class in January I remember one of the first assignments had a question that asked, "How familiar are you with online learning and Hybrid classes?" Turns out I knew very little. What I had imagined was meeting once a week in class and then having a week to work online on what ever it was we were doing. What I learned was this class is much more than that. Classroom time is interwoven with canvas, blogger, and connect with project due dates falling on different days of the week. This made it somewhat more difficult to follow for someone with a busy life schedule such as myself vs knowing that papers and assignments can only be due on class days as it would be in a regular class. I truly felt like I was being pulled in several directions at once.

That being said, of all the directions I was being pulled, I think I enjoyed this one the most. It gave me an opportunity to meet my classmates on a more personal level. I think this class could be made better however by maybe focusing on one or two platforms rather than the current setup. This class is too short to have so many different moving parts at the same time. Maybe its just because of the way my schedule currently is but this class seems way too A.D.D. for me. All and all I really enjoyed the blogging project, I think it could have been a much better tool if it was given more time by maybe integrating it into class a little more through the use of computer lab and discussion however.

Anyways, thank you all for the semester. I really didn't think that I was going to learn anything new in this class but incorporating these relatively new media platforms has really proved to be an experience all its own. Good luck everyone!

sg5

As this semester comes to a close, I find this final paper --that was once looming in the distance-- getting closer and closer. I will be perfectly honest, I have absolutely nothing. The information on GMOs, corn, health risks, and how its being used is a topic that is littered with contradictory information. One side says it's safe the other side says its deadly; the propaganda spread across the internet from both sides is overwhelming.

So, who's telling the truth and who's lying? The way this story is unfolding reminds me of how "big tobacco" was in the past as it fought to keep its product misidentified. Just like the food industry is today, tobacco companies paid off government officials and threatened anyone who tried to blow the whistle. I certainly hope that as this story unfolds that it isnt as serious but in the mean time take a lesson from the past. Do your research, be active in politics, and dont let someone else decide what's okay for you with out being educated yourself.

Political slime AE#5

After watching the assigned video clip on "pink slime" I try to imagine the people behind the decisions like this. Who are the corporate pricks who come up with this to further their profits? Who are the elected officials that push laws that make this okay? How has our government failed us to the point that there is an entire class of people that aren't required to answer for their decisions?
Any one that thinks that this is still the land of the free where everyone is equal is fooling themselves. We have given up control of our most basic life necessities, we are no longer hunters and gatherers, we are consumers. We have traded in our self sufficiency for the easy life, and as long as we stay dependent on the system then we put ourselves at the mercy of these people.

My thoughts are this, if there is no harm in the product then why the clandestine behavior? Our food should contain a list of all ingredients found in the product. If "they" say that its okay to eat pink slime and GMO products fine. Just put it on the label so we can each make our own conscious decision to eat or not to eat these products.

It all comes to the basic rights to make our own decisions. To take these rights away is to take away what it means to be an American. Its nothing short of treason on the politicians part but yet laws like this are passed every day. One day I believe the people will stand up and say "enough" to these kinds of politics, until then enjoy your slime.

Boston SG#4

I find it hard to write anything today without referring to the events presently unfolding in Boston right now. How can two young men bring an entire city to a stand still and cause so much damage? I look at the kid in the picture below and I just can't even begin to process what would make a person like him to decide that the best choice in life would be to kill perfect strangers on the street.
 I think it's easy to look at people like Jared Loughner, the shooter in Tucson and say, "Well there were signs" or "he was crazy." I think it gives the illusion that there is a way to prevent tragedies like this one. I believe that today's events have proven otherwise. We are not as safe as we think we are. Things like this can happen to anyone at anytime. Life is short, don't take it for granted.

My thoughts on "Food Inc" (#4)

 My after thoughts on this movie are probably the same as everyone else that watches this movie. Everything, the treatment of animals, the treatment of employees, and the way our meat is processed is all wrong. So why do we allow it to continue? Is it a necessary evil that we as a human population have created? I believe that the film may be overlooking a harsh reality. How do we feed an ever increasing population in a responsible way without making food unaffordable for the poor, or middle class?

To eat or not to eat, is that what this is all about? 
The world's human population is growing exponentially; science, politics, and bleeding hearts have defeated Darwin and our balance with nature. I think that our process of food production, as depicted in this documentary has evolved secondary to our unchecked world wide population explosion. How can you feed billions of people that are mass producing with out a system capable of mass production as well?

We have already created a monster, but it doesn't start in chicken coops and meat factories. It starts in educating the masses about responsible reproduction. I think we can all agree that everything about the food system we have created is horrific, and its easy to point fingers at how terrible the system is, but it is no secret that there is an alternative available. If you don't want to buy the $6.99/lb factory steaks from Walmart you can head over to any of the smaller specialty stores such as Trader Joe's and purchase a steak raised the old fashioned way. Healthy grass fed cattle, free from antibiotics and mistreatment are readily available in the same packaging at about $15.99/lb.

The bottom line is this, we have a population that is out of control and it is now our moral responsibility to feed. In response we have created a terrible system that has been masked by corruption and ignorance. However, I feel it is our individual responsibility to keep educated on what we are putting in our bodies. If you don't like what you are eating then you have to be ready to pay the price for something better.

There's an App for That

Smart phones have certainly changed the way we live today. Messaging and social media has crept from our computers into our pockets and has consumed the lives of many. Although apps like “Facebook” and games such as “Angry Birds” may essentially be nothing more than time vampires, sucking the hours out of your day, it’s easy to overlook the helpful ones. Here’s a few that aren’t the obvious like “Google Maps” that I have come to love.

 

Are you tired of cooking the same meals over and over? The Allrecipe app has endless ideas presented in a unique fashion. Pick your ingredient (chicken, beef, pasta, etc.), what type of dish you are making (main meal, side, soup, etc.), and finally how much time you have to cook the meal. The app will then generate a list of recipes that fit your criteria. What makes this app great not only the seemingly endless lists but the recipes are rated 1-5 stars by other app users. You can also leave comments on the recipe, so if you change an ingredient, find a healthier alternative, or have any kind of improvement to make you can leave feedback.  Every recipe is constantly being tweaked in kitchens around the world and is available at your fingertips.

This one is fairly main stream obviously, but there are some features on the Amazon app that I don’t think many people don’t know about. Buying pretty much anything has never been easier. You can load your shipping address, credit card information, and purchases can be made at the touch of a single button. Convenience is nice but what makes this app really helpful is the bar code scanning feature. I HATE TO PAY MORE THAN I HAVE TO! If I’m out shopping for an item such as parts for my aquarium or electronics and I find something I want, I can scan the bar code of the item and quickly compare the store price with the price on Amazon. Last week I found a UV light that I needed for the aquarium that was priced at $160 in the store. I scanned the bar code, $89 on Amazon. I had it ordered, paid for, and shipped before I left the store; all at the touch of a button.

I'm certainly not a real estate savvy type of person but I have found the Realtor.com app to be informative and a little addicting. Have you ever been in a nice area and wondered what the houses in that neighborhood go for? You can find out in an instant just by opening the app. It can use your current location to search for the nearest homes for sale. This is also useful for keeping tabs on the real estate value of the homes in your own neighborhood. With the current market fluctuating as much as it is, it's a good idea to keep tabs on your investment. It still has the standard search features like any other real estate site would for searching different areas but also adds one more feature. You can also circle an area on the map and look for houses just in that area; just one more way to cut down on the areas you don't want.

These are just a few of the really great apps out there that even your mom could appreciate regardless of what she thinks of your angry birds. Hope you find them as helpful as I do.

Where am I?

As I was growing up I always thought of adulthood as a point where you were supposed to finally arrive at a point of stability in life. As a child you are constantly adjusting to changing roles in life. Elementary school progresses into junior high and then high school. Each step comes with its own unique experiences, responsibilities, and expectations. College ushers in independence and then culminates with the arrival of adulthood and the career that you will have as your children start the cycle all over again right?


I think back to how my parents were when they were my age. They were married, had a house, and worked stable jobs. Their friends were married and were in similar situations as well. Overall I would say that things were uneventful from the perspective of an eight year old. Today I look at where I am in life and where friends my age are and I see very different things. Most of my friends are unmarried. Most rent where they live, some own but are upside down on their mortgages due to the housing market. And jobs don't offer the same long term stability that was once the norm. It's not as common to find someone that has been working at the same place as it used to be.

When I look around I certainly consider myself lucky to be where I am today. I may not have the stability that I perceived when I was younger. We all expect that "American dream" and I certainly haven't reached that just yet. I just wonder where we as an American society are headed in comparison to our past generations.

Society's disconnect by being connected #3

Technology has connected us with the world and completely disconnected us from the person sitting right next to us. The movie "Wall-E" has created a fictitious vision of the future where humans are completely dependent on the technology around them and lost the essence of what really makes us human.

It's easy to see every day, people talking on their phone and completely oblivious to the people that are around them, like the character "Mary" in the video clip. She had been so engrossed in her conversation that she didn't realize she had backed her chair into Wall-E just as someone today may back their car into another car in a parking lot while on the phone. Also, you can see the amazement on her face as the phone is disconnected and she becomes aware of her surroundings. She had probably traveled that route many times but never actually looked around her. It may be a bit dramatic but it is easy to draw a parallel between the movie and people in our society today.

Another thing that stuck out for me was the continuous advertisements. They weren't the center of attention but they were always present in the back ground or over to the side. Advertisements have found their way into every part of our lives today. Television, radio, freeway signs, and pretty much every other form of media, advertisements have been accepted as a passive distraction in our lives. The subliminally creep into our lives and affect our decisions sometimes without us ever being aware of its effects. Blue is the new red. Why? Because that's what we are told by and it's easy to accept it when everyone else does as well.

Wall-E presents an interesting look on a society that has lost itself by conforming and taking the path of least resistance. While this may be the easiest route I certainly hope that we as a society realize that there is value in keeping hold of what really makes us human. Face to face social interactions, exploring the world around us, and keeping our natural environment close.

My thoughts on technology #2

I was browsing through the videos on "youtube" today and came across this video that I thought was interesting for a couple of different reasons. First off, this is a video about technology that is allegedly in development today. I will have to take their (whoever "they" may be) word for it because the actual source of the video is unclear. It seems to me though, that the common theme of all technology of the future is going to be compatible with everything. Your phone will be integrated with your credit cards, your kitchen table, the subway wall, and your doctors office.

Call me a pessimist but I find this hard to believe for several reasons. First off, I cant even get my own house on the same page, my girlfriend has sworn allegence to her Mac computer and iphone while I am firmly planted on the side of my PC and my Android. How are they going to get all of a city like New York to use a common interface? What about the people that don't have phones? What happens if you don't pay your cell phone bill, does it shut off your credit card and health insurance? I think that in order to integrate to the degree that they are predicting would require a complete ground level restructuring of our society and an amazing amount of conformity that I don't think the American public would openly embrace.

On the other hand I think that the excitement that goes along with the new gadgets and gizmos is great. I think back twenty years ago to the technology we had then and how far we've progressed since then. Computers have advanced exponentially, cell phones have gone from an awkward luxury to a streamline necessity, and software has tied the two into every part of our lives. Technology has had such an effect on our society and the way we interact with each other that it isn't hard to imagine a life such as the one portrayed in the video clip. But what is this costing us? I feel like the people in the video are being blindly led around by their electronics as they move from place to place with out ever looking up to see where they are. Is that where we are headed? I think that our electronics are progressing from things that have made out lives easier to things that are becoming our lives.

I enjoy the occasional disconnect from the matrix. It's not always practical but it's nice to know that we still have the freedom to shut off our phones and find a dirt road to explore. I certainly hope that in the quest for a utopian society we don't lose site of the individuality that makes us great.

Raising a balanced child

As I watch my son grow up I often compare my childhood and what I wish my childhood had been in a perfect world with my son’s experiences thus far. Looking back at growing up in the 80’s and 90’s my fondest memories were: riding bikes up and down street and through the dusty lots where houses still hadn’t been build, playing basketball in the driveway until it was so dark that you couldn’t see the direction of the ball as it deflected off the rim, and just being outside being kids without any real cares except how much longer you could stay out before you were called home for the night. These days children are consumed with social media bullying them into not being bullies, video games that have become so realistic that priests and politicians blame them for all that’s wrong with the world, and the internet that allows you to keep up with the entire world 24 hours a day without ever having to pry yourself away from the couch.

Times have clearly changed and continue to evolve at an ever quickening pace. So how do you raise a child that has a healthy balance? Things like reality T.V and social media can surely be unhealthy when they consume your life, but I believe that it has become an important part of growing up in the aspect of a child’s social development. Being able to relate to your peers through a common bond such as last night’s episode of whatever show, the newest game, or the latest in social news is part of growing up as a child.

I feel the challenge for me as a parent will be to bring all of these aspects of my child’s life together into a healthy balance. I don’t have any real answers to these questions just yet but I am going to try to inject a little wisdom where I feel necessary in his life and hopefully be able to encourage him along the way. I welcome any suggestions or experiences in this matter as either a parent or what you experienced growing up. What effects do you think technology has on growing up today?

Everyone's a critic (#1)

Okay, so this is my second blog post ever in my life. So what better time to start criticizing other people's work than right now? In the spirit of being a critical reader, I have looked through seemingly endless blogs from various companies and now I am ready to judge.

The first site is one that I really fell in love with. It's called "The Whole Story". The blog belongs to "Whole Foods Market" and is a great collection of seasonally appropriate and creative food ideas. My big New Year's resolution this year is to eat better and cook more at home. This has proven difficult not just because of my already hectic schedule but also because I spent most of my 20s eating out of a Marine Corps chow hall rather than nurturing my gourmet chef within. I particularly like the food guides under the recipes tab. It lists general ingredients and gives recipe ideas for a particular food item. Ever look at a vegetable at the store and had just no idea how you would possibly turn that into food? I have, maybe it's time to live a little. The site itself is also fittingly simple; its uncluttered appearance gives off a small farmer's market comfortable feeling that makes you feel a little healthier just by visiting.

The next one that I found particularly interesting belongs to the internet mogul Google. Google's "Official Blog" is a mix of techie news from around the world. It may not be quite as useful as the previous blog in terms of personal gain however, I've already found myself engrossed and unable to quit reading about the exciting work that Google is doing around the world. I found their work at the Grand Canyon of particular interest. Mapping the Grand Canyon trails step by step may not seem like a useful advance for a corporate giant, but I work in a hospital where I frequently see patients that have been confined to their bed for years and some since childhood due to their health. I can imagine that it would be exciting for someone like that to be able to escape the hospital walls and see the world in a new way. I find it refreshing to see a huge corporation do something that improves the human experience rather than their own bottom line. The site itself is visually bland but the content is stunning.

In my quest through this new world of blogging (new to me) I've had a difficult time finding a site that I didn't like or at least learn a little bit from so I took a tip from "Time Magazine's" site and visited a blog from their list of "blogs that they could do without" and low and behold I came across the TSA blog. Given the nature of the TSA's work I found it a little awkward that their site took a shot at putting a little bit of humor into the subject of air travel. It seemed a little awkward and over all I would say the content of the site serves no real purpose. I hate to be critical of someone's hard work but that's what this is all about, right?

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to my English 101 blog. My name is Bret I’m a 34 year old former U.S. Marine, current Registered Respiratory Therapist, and a father to a one year old boy. I’m going back to school to get my second associates degree in ultrasound and perhaps a bachelor’s degree in health management somewhere down the road. I have never been a fan of English classes or writing but I am looking forward to hone skills I haven't had to use in a while. This class also seems to be a prerequisite for everything, so even if I wasn't looking forward to this semester, it seems to be unavoidable.

Outside of class, my life these days seems to be split equally between my career as an RT and my responsibilities as a new dad. For those of you that don’t know what an RT does, I’m the equivalent of a specialized nurse. My job ranges from duties as simple as giving breathing treatments to asthmatics up to the more technical side, which is managing patients on ventilators. It can be challenging and stressful at times, but I find my work to be extremely rewarding. There is a certain level of personal satisfaction in helping a patient through something that they probably would not have survived otherwise.

Although I enjoy my job, I would trade it any day for the opportunity to stay home and raise my son full time. He wasn’t planned, but I couldn’t imagine life without him anymore. Watching him grow into the little person he has become over the past year has been the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced. Every day is something new; and it has really been fascinating to watch him experience everything in life for the first time. It hasn’t always been easy, but the good outweighs the bad; and I still look forward to hearing him wake up every morning so we can start our day.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I look forward to sharing more and reading your blogs as well throughout the semester. See ya soon!