Happy

Valentine’s Day

It’s that time of year for giving that special gift that says “I Love You”. Valentine’s Day is so special to me because, it’s when people re-express their feelings like it was the first time, all over again. Many of us don’t even know where this romantic day comes from or how it was started. There are several myths about how it happened.

One myth says: Saint Valentine, according to romantic legend, was a kind-hearted Roman priest who married young couples against the wishes of Emperor Claudius II, and was beheaded for his deeds on the 14th of February. In truth, the exact origins and identity of St. Valentine are unclear. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of 14 February." Two of these men lived in the third century A.D., one being the bishop of Interamna (now Terni, Italy) and the other a priest of Rome. (Some speculate that these two figures were actually the same man.) Both seem to have been persecuted for their beliefs; the Roman priest reportedly was beaten and then beheaded on the orders of Emperor Claudius II, on or about the year 270. Legends vary on how the martyr's name became connected with romance: the date of his death may have become mingled with the feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love, or with the ancient belief that birds first mate in the middle of February. In modern times Valentine's Day is a day of special romantic sentiment and gift-giving among lovers.

Another story goes like this………..A man named Valentine (was in prison for helping prosecuted Christians), witnessed to his jailer and ended up converting his entire family to Christianity. The jailer also had a blind daughter, Julia, that valentine ended up falling in love with (as well as restoring her sight). But love did not prevail. On the morning of Valentine’s execution, he sent a message to the daughter signed, From “Your valentine”.

It’s just a matter of fact that over a period of time men lose a lot of the romantic feeling that they had the beginning of a relationship. Valentine’s Day has become a medium for expressing their love for their wives. I can remember a time when my father would have moved Heaven and Earth to get a single red rose for my mother on this special day. For all women, there is nothing more flattering than being wooed on this like it was the first time when he gave you a box of candy and flowers with that special phrase: “Will You Be My Valentine!” I guess it is a fair assumption to say “Valentine’s Day is for all women of the world, to rekindle a love and emotions for that special someone in life. I think it is for the young especially when love is new. Valentine’s Day is for all those who are young at heart and remember what it was like the first time. This is especially for the young, because it is a sparkle in your eyes that only comes once and it is when Love is New.

History Channel: The History of Valentine's Day. 14 February 2010 .

The History of Valentine. 14 February 2010 .

ONE

MY HUSBAND IS NUMBER “1”, WHAT ABOUT YOURS?

Oh! My husband is number “1” in so many ways. He’s a number 1 home provider. He’s
a number 1 helper when it comes to cleaning, ironing, keeping the lawn mowed, maintain the upkeep of our home and much, much more. No, I’m not bragging, I just want you to get to a sense of who my husband is. He does everything he should do as a provider; however, he’s lost in the sea of “1”,000 men when it comes to seeing a doctor.

My husband had never been to a doctor before in his life. I would always try desperately to get him to go. His famous words are, “I’ll let you know when I’m ready”. Now, I’m trying to be a good wife, so I decided I would only ask him every six months to a year. Well, years begin to pass by, and still, when I ask him if I can make an appointment for him, he would say, “stop pestering me, I’ll let you know when I’m ready”!

In the mean time, my husband would loose three people in his family, each one dying less than a year apart. Each death was un-expected. This is a family who had never seen severe sickness or death in their immediate family before. The first to expire was a younger brother who had always had problems with seizures, most of his life. He was mowing the lawn one early morning when he fell to the ground suddenly of an apparent heart attack. In less than a year, my husband’s mother suddenly fell to the floor and was rushed to the hospital where she expired within a couple of hours. We were told that she had a blot clot in the chest area. She too, had never been sick. In less than a year from the mother’s untimely death, another young brother, who had never been sick before, started to have problems about a week before being rushed to the hospital. Another brother tried desperately to get him to see a doctor and he kept telling him no, and he did not want the rest of the family to know. We thought that he thought, if we knew what was going on, we would have called the ambulance to take him to see about care. Well, this brother who tried desperately to get him to go to the doctor, finally ask, “why”. “I don’t want to go because the ones who went before me didn’t come back” he said. Needless to say, the brother finally convinced his brother to go to the emergency room. And to our surprise, he expired within thirty minutes upon his arrival at the hospital. His cause of death was, diabetes.

I stress this information to show you why my husband will not go to the doctor. He was afraid. But eventually, I put my foot down, made an appointment and took him to the doctor. He was furious; which didn’t matter because I am the boss. After everything was said and done, he received a clean bill of health. Before we left the doctor’s office, he thanked me graciously. I love my husband and hopefully you can see why he is number “1”FOR NOT WANTING TO GO TO THE DOCTOR. What about yours?

CYBERBULLYING

CYBERBULLYING: KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR TEENS


When comes to bullying, today’s teenagers are different than what we were years ago; or are they? The answer to that question is no, not really. Not long ago when two or more people disagreed with each other pass the point of words, they would fist fight and throw things at one another. Today, there is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is where preteens and teens harass each other over the Internet. They do this by posting comments that are vicious on what is called a forum. Two of the most popular forums for posting messages are MySpace and Facebook and they are only a few of the many that out there. These are some of the most common “hang outs” for preteens and teens. When one person decides that he or she does not like the comment or post, (as they may call it) made by another person, it may result in name calling, posting fake profiles, or email messages that are cruel. As an adult, we may say to our children, “Oh get over it” or we tell them that they need to be a little stronger than what they are being because the world is full of bullies and you can’t stay upset for the rest of your life. We as adult have also made the statement, “Eventually, it will pass”. This may or may not ease the pain that the teens feel in the online world. I think, that we think that it is only two maybe three people involved in this online bullying but in essence it may involve a multitude of people that they may or may not know. The child has to deal with the fact that there are a multitude of people seeing this information that was posted about them and it is embarrassing. They may be embarrassed to the point of suicide. I recently read an online article about a mother of a teen daughter going to trial for the first ever cyber federal bullying case in the US. This lady, fifty years old and a neighbor to the young child who committed suicide thought she was justified in what she did. She could not see how she had done anything wrong or broke any laws. Megan, the teenage who committed suicide thought this sick person was a boy, her boyfriend, and he wanted to break up with her and she could not handle it. This young teen hanged herself after the (pretend boyfriend) told her “that the world would be a better place without her”. I personally think that this lady should have gone to prison. I read another article that stated she was acquitted of federal charges which read as follows: “A federal judge on Thursday overturned guilty verdicts against Lori Drew, issuing a directed acquittal on three misdemeanor charges”. The laws and terms of agreements are being reviewed and re-written to protect our innocent youth and basically anyone on the Internet dealing with online posting, chatting and more.


Popkin, Helen A.S. Today: Tech and Money. 5 July 2007. 14 February 2010 http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/19620683/.


Zetter, kIM. Threat Level. 2 July 2009. 14 February 2010 http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/07/drew_court/.

Today and Everyday I am Thankful

My mother had to be rushed to the hospital a couple of weeks ago due to the fact she was unable to breath or stand. Upon her arrival, she was immediately given oxygen to aid her in breathing. Eventually, she was seen by an emergency room physician who then took X-rays of her body system to obtain some insight on her condition. Shortly after the scans, the emergency room physician alerted my mother, my niece and my self, that there may be a possibility of phenomena, or blood clots in her lungs and not only that, for some reason, the physician stated that her Co2 levels were very high. He also stated that he had contacted my mother’s private physician and he was on his way to the emergency room to further assist her. My niece and I waited anxiously until her doctor arrived. Upon his arrival, he read her x-rays and immediately sent her to Critical Care Unit (CCU) where she stayed for about a week and a half. During that time, it was very tiresome trying to find a place to sit in the family wait room due to the fact that there was one family who consumed all of the chairs and sofas in the family wait area. On top of that, every time we entered the wait room, there would be these BIG pans of food spread out on different locations of the end tables and on the reception desk as if they were at a family reunion. Some days neither I nor other families had any place to sit. I’m not angry or upset with these people because some of them traveled from afar to be with their mother, sister, aunt or grandmother. Upon the hurt in their faces, you could see the warmth and love they had for their loved one. For all I know, it may be their last opportunity to see her alive and say their good byes. But we know, GOD is able.

Visiting hours are for thirty minutes every three hours in CCU. I felt guilty, but I decided to go home after every visit which made it harder for me to see the doctor and the nurse never knew what time he would arrive to check on my mother. I decided to leave my contact information with the nurse to give to the doctor hoping that he would contact me but he never did. I questioned my mother about her conversation with the doctor but she could never remember what he said. After about the fourth day, I managed to walk into my mother’s room at the same time the doctor was walking which was from two different door way entrances. I waited patiently until the doctor completed my mother’s examination and then I ask for his report on how she was doing. He stated that her Co2 levels were still high and he was in the process of ordering more test of her lungs to see why. I asked if she had phenomena or blood clots in her lungs. He said she did not have phenomena nor did she have blood clots AS FAR AS HE COULD SEE. He also said he did not know if there was any underlying conditions that he could not see and that is why he had ordered more test to be done. Whatever’s going on with her lungs is obviously keeping her Co2 levels elevated.

Eventually my mother started to feel better and she was able to keep her eyes opened more often than she could before. After about a week in a half, she was moved to a regular room; however she was still having problems with her Co2 levels. Apparently, it was beyond her doctor’s expertise so he asks for another doctor to test her. Well, needless to say, he put a fear into our hearts, he did not know if she may have cancer in her liver or lungs so we had to wear that on our hearts until the test came back. After about two days, I was leaving work when my mother called and said to me, “the doctor has just left my room”, and before she could get the words out her mouth, my heart sank, and then she said, “my test results are GOOD”! I said, “LORD, I am THANKFUL”! At that moment, I could hear my heavenly father say, “CHILD, where is your FAITH in GOD”? I responded by saying, “LORD, I am weak but thou art STRONG, please give me STRENGTH”.

Today is February, 14 2010. My mother is still in the hospital mending and continuing to take breathing treatments. The doctor stated that she would be going home in about three days or so. Co2 is still a concern but we know that GOD is able and prayer works!

Has Google developed the next wave of online education?

YES! And I love the way that technology is advancing and making things more computable. You know, sometimes when we agree or disagree with new foods, gadgets, styles and more, it is sometimes because we do not know the ends and out of this new thing. For some people, if it is something new, they go for it just because it is new. Then, there are “others”, like me and Mikey, who says, “I’m not going to try it, you try it”. And after a year or two goes by and no one dies from it, we will try it. But now, in the case of the “New Google Wave Web 2.0, I am all for IT. Right now, I can’t see that where this new technology would damage anything. Normally, I would sit back and wait to see what would happen good or bad but not this time I’m all for the new wave of online education.

We already know and see the power of a computer and what it has to offer so far when it comes to education and document enhancements. Just think about where how we’ve advanced from hand written applications to word processing or online applications I think it is safe to say, that each one of us would rather view a well typed application any day rather than read a hand written application. So I think, if Google has improve education in distance learning, I’m all for it. I like the fact the Google has found a way for all parties involved to have the ability to interact with each other in real time with this new technology. It is even better now because it has features advanced enough to see the who, what, when, and where a person log in and interacted with class, students, teachers, the community, professionals, businesses, and more while being able to see corrected and non-corrected information. Also combining video with voice and text applications to create multimedia services is a major development in the communications area. Adding the video and other features will greatly enhance schools, business and other professionals in communication and presentation. Another great feature or option is the fact that the system does not allow just anyone access. Participation must be done by invitation only.

This new technology is another way to keep our children knowledgeable, growing and connected in a world where opportunity is a “must grab it now” before someone else does. I feel that most educators will agree with this new technology may be one of our greatest advancements so far. If they do not, it is because they themselves do not know how basic technology works. Other good features with Google’s online education are the fact that it is easy to use and it is F R E E! I think about the endless possibilities that teacher, students, businesses, community groups or leaders will be able to accomplish. Students would be able to work on group projects, teachers working with students and other facility members on their projects, church organizations working with other members or churches on their projects. I say W A Y to go G O O G L E!!!

Carter, Dennis. E School News. 19 January 2010. 13 February 2010 http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/01/19/has-google-developed-the-next-wave-of-online-...%201/26/2010.

Technology-The Good, The Bad, and the Cellular Phone

Part Two-Brain Cancer

As a little girl, I would often hear my grandmother say, “do not over indulge in any one thing because it is not good for you” or “too much of a good thing is NOT good for you”. Well, being a very young child at the time, I really did not totally understand what she was saying to me. Life, as you know, has its own way of teaching you. Now, as an adult, my grandmother’s words are apparent. Almost everything you do or eat in life will not hurt you as long as it is done in moderation. Let’s look at cell phones causing brain cancer. I constantly read or hear about their dangers in the media. It is a well debated issue.

While browsing the Internet, I came across an article about Johnny Cochran. His wife really voiced he concern about the fact that her late husband’s incessant use of his cell phone may have contributed to his brain cancer, which took his life in year 2005. Whether or not this is true, is unclear. There were doctors who agreed and some who disagreed. “Larry King had several doctors on his show, and most of whom agreed (to varying degrees) that there “may” very well be a link between cell phone use and brain cancer, though it is too early to say with any certainty”. I read another article that explained how this could happen.

“Cell phones communicate with nearby cell towers through RF waves, a form of energy located on the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and microwaves. Like FM radio waves, microwaves, visible light, and heat, they are a form of non-ionizing radiation. They cannot cause cancer by directly damaging DNA. RF waves are different from stronger types of radiation such as x-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet (UV) light, which can break the chemical bonds in DNA. At very high levels, RF waves can heat up body tissues. (This is the basis for how microwave ovens work.) But the levels of energy given off by cell phones are much lower, and the warmth from a cell phone does not damage body tissues. Electromagnetic radiation can be divided into two types: Ionizing (high-frequency) and non-ionizing (low-frequency) (2). RF energy is a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. Ionizing radiation, such as that produced by x-ray machines, can pose a cancer risk at high levels of exposure. However, it is not known whether the non-ionizing radiation emitted by cellular telephones is associated with cancer risk. The RF waves from cell phones come from the antenna, which is part of the body of a hand-held phone. The waves are strongest at the antenna and lose energy as they travel away from the phone. The phone is typically held against the side of the head when in use. The closer the antenna is to the head, the greater a person's expected exposure to RF energy”.


Young children and teenagers may be more at risk than adults for brain cancer due to the fact that their skulls are thinner. Being that some doctors agree and some do not agree to the fact that long term cell phone usage may or may not cause cancer should give us every reason to be aware of the dangers for ourselves and our families. It is quoted in an article by Professor Hardell that children twelve and under should be restricted from using hand held phones except in emergencies. Teenagers should be limited to hands-free devices until age twenty and at that point, it is stated that the danger diminishes. Keep in mine, there are many articles and doctors who disagree with the statement that the danger diminishes after a certain age. Be prepared…wear your armor

Lean, Geoffery. The Independent. 21 September 2008. 12 February 2010 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mobile-phone-use-raises-childrens-risk-of-brain-cancer-fivefold-937005.html.

Shireen. Health Is Wealth. 2 January 2010. 12 February 2010 http://healthiswealth.healthfreakmommy.com/?p=279.

Steele, Sandy. Omega-News. 6 January 2007. 13 Febuary 2010 .

Joe's Non-Netbook

My first reaction to the video is, “Whoa” this is abysmal but after looking at the video a few times, I came to the conclusion that this could actually happen in future years. I began to think about the different technology media from my earlier years. In reminiscing, I thought about playing the 45 record on the record player. It was very simple to use because I was taught how to operate it by other knowledgeable adults. I also thought, if I had to do operate it on my own, I probably would’ve been just like the kid in the video. Not.

Knowing the way technology has changed and how rapidly we are confronted with new gadgets almost on a daily basis, I thought, maybe this guy really didn’t know any better. But as I take a closer look at the video, I noticed the young lady sitting next to Joe had a notebook (computer) and Joe had a “note” book-physically. The young lady, with her notebook can actually move pictures, hyperlink to different pages or websites, and download information. Joe, on the other hand, can not do this with his “note” book and he is TOO SMART to figure out why.

So why would Joe click pages to turn them or try to click blue text to hyperlink or obtain more information? I figured, Joe was born using a computer and never interacted with a physical book before. When the book was placed in front of him, he didn’t know what to do with it. He thought, if the text was blue, it is a hyperlink and he would be able to click it to obtain more information. He also thought that he could move an object (picture) from one location to another with his “pointer finger”. From the look and sound of things in the video, JOE GIECO is too techno smart for his own good. It so easy a baby could figure it out.

Slightly, in the defense of Joe, I can think back a few years when the eight (8) track tape players were a big fad. Within a few years it had pass on to cassette tapes and, in a few more years people had moved completely away from those devices to the new media called the compact disc (CD’s). Well, as I stated earlier, technology changes quickly and on a daily basis and without instructions, we would be like Joe trying to figure it out.

OR WOULD WE? Hang in there Joe; someone will help you figure it out sooner or later.

Check the video and tell me what you think.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkhpmEZWuRQ

Technology-The Good, The Bad, and the Cellular Phone

Part One-Teenagers and Texting

I constantly worry about the use of cellular (cell) phones by individuals who are texting while driving, especially our teenagers. Cell phones, as we know, can be very helpful devices, and also very dangerous.

Cell phones were first introduced in the United States in the 1990’s. We were very elated about the fact that we did not have to be stationary in a closed-in space or room to make a telephone call. This newly hand held gadget allowed our families to stay in close contact with each other. In fact, we soon realized just how much of a benefit they were to have on demand while being away from home. We were able to make doctor appointment while standing in the lobby of a restaurant, receive calls from our children’s teachers while on the job and much more. Try to imagine this, it is the early 80’s and you know nothing about a cell phone. You do have a stationary phone at home and you have given the sitter your mother’s home number as an emergency contact just in case something happened while you’re grocery shopping. Well, just so happen, “Murphy’s Law” would have it that an emergency happened with one of the children. The sitter tried to contact you mother to no avail. It is a life and death situation. The ambulance and paramedics arrive but they can not continue because they need the mothers consent before they can proceed, a yes or no answer would suffice. Needless to say, the child has a thirty minute window between life and death. He probably will not make it because the mother has only been away for about five minutes. The mother stated that she would be away for one and a half hour before returning and no one knows what grocery store she was going to and each one was thirty minutes away. Now imagine this, the mother has been away for only five minutes and she has a cell phone, that’s good!

On the other hand, cell phones are sometimes bad to have in a given situation depending upon its use. For example, it is not good behavior to text while driving. Anything can happen, for instance, you may run off the road into a ditch embankment, hit a pedestrian or run into another driver. If you think about it, I guess we can call “Texting While Driving” is the new “Driving While Drunk “syndrome. People, especially teenagers, do not realize how dangerous texting while driving can be until it slips up on us. It seems to be more of a hazard to our younger generation than it is to the older driver. I realize that there have been instances where texting has saved the lives of some of our school youth involving shootings as well as other life saving events but more now than ever, we here about our babies dying in frequent car accidents almost on a daily basis from our local and national news. Stephanie Jones, an 18 year old former graduate of South Lenoir High was attending Lenoir Community College when she became involved in a two vehicle accident when she veered to the left while texting. A confirmation of this information was posted in the Kinston Daily Free Press by one of our spokesperson for the North Carolina Highway Patrol service which read, “Stephanie Jones, 18, of Kinston, was texting on her phone at the time of the accident that took her life Tuesday.” Well, just this week as I write this paper, another teenager was lay to rest on her 18th birthday for the same reason, although not yet confirmed from the same high school which I too am a graduate of and it touches my heart deeply. The law makers of Raleigh North Carolina realized some time ago, just how dangerous texting and driving can be. They’d asked teenagers three years ago to “to shut off their cell phones while driving”. We all know, teenagers think they are invincible and nothing going to happen to them. At least one major study has found that, “with mobile devices now central to their lives, young people often ignore laws against using cell phones or texting in the car.”

Please click the link below to play the ”Gauging Your Distraction” game—New studies show that drivers overestimate their ability to multitask behind the wheel. This game measures how your reaction time is affected by external distractions. Regardless of your results, experts say, you should not attempt to text when driving.” You’ll find it amusing, challenging, and to say the least, truthful about texting at any age…it shouldn’t be done.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/19/technology/20090719-driving-game.html

Thanks………………………………………..Comment to let me know how well you did.

I did not do well at all. :(

Da da da da daaaaaah da da daaaah “Clint Eastwood”


Works Cited

Dawson, Jon. Highway Patrol: Texting played a role in vehicular fatality. 19 September 2009. 28 January 2010 http://www.kinston.com/articles/accident-58664-texting-time.html.

Gabriel Dance, Tom Jackson and Aron Pilhofer. The New York Times: Technology. 19 July 2009. 20 January 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/19/technology/20090719-driving-game.html.

Gary, Robertson D. Kinston Free Press: Bill Seeks to ban text-messaging by NC drivers. 11 February 2009. January 20 2010 2010 http://www.kinston.com/articles/accident-58664-texting-time.html.