Life on the go.....

Mapping Digital Presence

2005-12-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

As I promised I have a picture of my presentation created for my english composition class. Long hours went into the project. Here is a link to the power point I created to go with the tri-fold. If your not familiar with pwerpoint, just press F5 to view the slide show. Leave me a comment of your thoughts about the presentation. Enjoy!

technorati tags:
Presentation,mapping

Yeah! Class is over

2005-12-09T10:04:00.000-08:00

Aaahhhh! The stress has been lifted. Yesterday was the last day of my English class. I now have time to relax a little before the next semester begins. I presented my presentation called Mapping my Digital Self. It went as well as could be expected. I will post pictures one I can get them downloaded. I’m so glad to be done with this class.

Although I won’t miss the work, I will miss the people. Even though most won’t admit it, we are better writers for being in Mary’s class. At first I wanted to drop the class because the idea of writing digitally scared me, but I found the courage to continue. I wish my classmates all the best on their finals. With class over I can start thinking about Christmas.

I have not done any of my shopping yet! As a stress reliever, I took the time to put up the tree to get me in the mood. The other day I found a funny post from busy mom about internal Christmas meter. What puts you in the Christmas mood? I feel more Christmas-y when it snows. With 7.8 inches of snow, I am in the mood now. I have even been playing Christmas songs.

Becoming a better writer

2005-12-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

A question was raised the other day in class of whether I believe I have become a better writer. Using the many resources I learned from my english class, I am a better writer. I learned from Picturing Text that a picture can have a different meaning depending on what I choose to exclude from the writing, and the reader’s point of view. With the last project, I will not have enough time to inform my listeners of all the ways I have composed myself -I must choose what to exclude. I can also improve my writing by helping others with the edit process.

Mary gave the class tips for a final edit process. First, edit for the paper for meaning. Editing for meaning helps the organization process. The next step is to use the same process on each of the paragraphs. Another process of editing is reading the paper out loud. Reading out loud helps with clarity. I helped my daughter with a paragraph she was writing, and a thought came to mind of what I learned in class. I have room to improve, but I am starting to see myself as a better writer.

technorati tags:
English 106,better writer

Grrr!

2005-11-30T17:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had something that bugs you enough to grit your teeth and say grrrr? If you have, I found a colum you might want to read. Mike Straka writes a colum called “Things that make you go Grrrr!” Check it out here and let me know what you think.

technorati tags:
fox news,fun articles

Online Presence

2005-11-30T17:21:00.000-08:00

With project two done, I’m onto the next project. Project three is composing our self in the digital world. In the last class, we talked about all the places we write or are written into being online. Think about all the websites or people you have given your e-mail address. We made a list of places where we have an online presence. I thought of 15 right away- if you add the number of websites I visited for research or just for fun, the list would be over 50. Also most people have more than one e-mail address. I have three-work, home, and school. The idea of having such a major presence is hard for me to fathom.

Part of project three is mapping our digital presence. Using Cmap, which I mentioned in an earlier post, I created what I wanted the poster board to look like. Mary reminded the class we could come off the board. At first I was confused of what Mary meant by coming off the board. Now I understand and have devised a slightly different look to the poster board. If I remember to bring a digital camera to the presentation, I will post pictures of the presentation on my blog as a good ending to the class.

technorati tags:
digital self,projects

Top ten list put to use

2005-11-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

My English class was given an assignment to take a paragraph written by another classmate and edit the paragraph using our top ten lists. My top ten list was posted in an earlier post. Below is the edited post.

Today in class, Mary spoke to us about writing and how writers choose the things they write. She made the comment, “High school writing is easy, because you write down what you already know. Writing at the university level is tough, because you have to choose what you write.” I could not agree with her more. It is so frustrating when you are writing a paper, and you realize that you cannot write everything you know about a certain topic. You realize you have to pick and choose what to write. Mary wrote a sentence on the board from Picturing Texts, “Seeing is learned.” I did not know what she meant by the phrase until she went over it with the class, and I realized then you must see what you write and what to eliminate. I came to the conclusion, deciding what not to write is sometimes more important than deciding what to write: you already know what you are going to write when deciding what not to write.

technorati tags:
top ten,homework

High cost of gasoline is big bucks for Exxon

2005-11-16T17:42:00.000-08:00

Is your pockets empty from the high costs of gasoline? According to a Fox News article, Exxon Mobile’s pockets are overflowing. Exxon and other oil companies had record breaking profits in the third quarter of this year. Exxon alone had an increase 75% over profits from last quarter. I find the news infuriating! With the high fuel costs, businesses must raise prices just to break even. Has anyone noticed paying more for groceries? I am finding that what use to be a $50 grocery bill 6 months ago is now more like an $80 grocery bill for the same items. High fuel costs are hitting consumers twice as hard. Something needs to be done about the excessive profits.

Congress steps up to the plate for the American citizens to ask questions of the oil companies making the outrageous profits. But are they inquiring for the right reasons? Fox News writes another article about congress wanting to charge the oil companies a “punitive tax” on excessive oil profits. At first I thought this would be good-money from the tax would go to hurricane victims. After reading the rest of the article, it made sense not to tax the profits, because it would discourage investment into the discovery of new oil. Maybe Exxon should use the profits to upgrade their facilities in the gulf to better withstand hurricanes. Less downtime means supply could keep up with demand.

technorati tags:
gasoline,Fox News

Mapping my digital self

2005-11-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

I enjoy learning new things each day. It is amazing the number of different maps which can be used to map someone digitally. Looking for an inspiration on our third project, we looked at An Atlas of Cyberspace. Our third project is a presentation of our digital selves in the 21st century. I had initially picked a map from the surf web, which is what I’m use to. But after taking a second look, another map caught my eye. The topology map reminds me of Cmap, which is another program we used today.

Once I figured out how Cmap worked, I could not stop. I can see why Mary likes Cmap so much. I found the program easy to use. Mapping my digital self has taken a turn for the better. The program is so versatile; I could use the program at work and at home. My daughter said she has used something similar to map a storyline at school. I could have used Cmap for the second project, but I am on the final stretch of completion.

Another website we looked at for our second project was the Library of Congress. I was impressed at the sheer magnitude of information available. Although I did not find much in the way of recent periodicals for my career choice, I will keep this site bookmarked for future use. The site impressed me with the fact several languages are combined and romanized for easier use. I was disappointed that I could not drill down to read some of the periodicals I found.

technorati tags:
mapping,project 3

My top ten list

2005-11-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

For my english class, we had to come up with a list our top ten items to check for before posting to our blog. The items on the list are most important for my writing. Lists will vary from person to person. As I grow to be a better writer, my list will change. But for now, here is my list.
Top Ten List

1. Write post in Word so changes are made easier, and copy post over to blogger.

2. Run the spellchecker because spelling is not my best subject.

3. Watch out for fanboys. Fanboys is the words we use between two complete
sentences separated by a comma.
Example: A complete sentence, F complete sentence.
a. Fanboys stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

4. Check for modifying phrases. Phrases that add conditions to a sentence.

5. When using “quotes”, the end marks must go inside “.” unless using a ?.

6. Read the post out loud to check for clarity.

7. Use the “I” format for paragraphs.

8. Be sure to use who, whom, and which in the right context.

9. Check the context for continuity. All wording in the same tense whether
past, present, of future tense.

10. Check for sentence variety like SVO, OVS, VSO. (Subject, Verb, Object)
Example: Susan threw the ball. The ball was thrown by Suan. Thrown by Susan
was the ball.

Would you have some of these on your list?

technorati tags:
top ten,homework

Blogging is everywhere

2005-11-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

Fox new has an interesting article today on bloggers. The article mentions senior citizens have popped up on the blogging scene. Before I took my English class, I did not know what blogs were. I hear it mentioned everywhere now. I heard it on a commercial the other day. I have been searching for blogs by accountants. I have not found too many. The more I think about it, accountants working for public companies have to watch what is said in fear of insider trading. A person could be sitting in a restaurant talking with some coworkers, and the group next to you overheard the conversation about a company sale which is not public knowledge yet. The group could take the information and buy or sell stock in the company mentioned. Even though the conversation was not directed toward the group, the situation is considered insider trading. Anyone working for a public company must be notified of insider trading and cannot disclose any information that is not public knowledge. If convicted for insider trading, one could receive jail time. Accountants should blog though for networking opportunities, and to pass along communication skills that work.

I told my daughter I would let her make a blog of her own after I’m done with my class. She is participating is a Math-a-thon for St. Jude’s. She created a website to keep track of donations and make it easier for our family out of town to donate. We tend to fight over whose has been on the computer longer. This week, I’ve been on longer: my project is due in a week and my house is evidence I haven’t been cleaning. I’ve been trying to put into practice all the tips that Mary is giving us in class. As I write I need to keep reminding myself of the “purpose” of the paper. My purpose is to inform the reader of the plethora of ways writing is used is the accounting field.

technorati tags:
bloggers,Fox News

Time is Flying By

2005-11-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

I am hard at work on the next project. Yesterday, I started to panic because I have less than two weeks to finish this project. Time is flying by so fast with so much to do. I sent an e-mail to a gentleman, who was a controller for Wabash National, to get his input about the project I’m working on. He has since moved on to another company and has not replied back to my e-mail.

After researching journals and magazines, I remembered a book that is a must read for any profession. Who Moved My Cheese! is a book about change and adapting to your surroundings in the business world. I know the title sounds funny, but I highly recommend the book. My daughter listened to the audio version and surprisingly liked it. Read more about the book in my project after I have posted it on my webpage.

technorati tags:
research,books

Time to get back to work

2005-11-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

Listen to the post here.

Life can be hectic when trying to balance family, work, and school at the same time. I took the weekend off from my everyday life to go shopping with some dear friends of mine. I had a great time and now I need to hit the ground running to get the next project underway. Project #2 will cover writing used in the field of Accounting. I would also like to include information on women in this profession.

I came across article about compensation while reviewing a few journals and magazines in the Accounting field. A quote from the article reads “Many CPAs begin working for a company with one set of responsibilities but as time passes their duties gradually grow or change (Oct, Journal of Accountancy).” I agree with this quote, because I have experienced the situation. The article continues with what steps to take before confronting your boss about your salary and practical tips to remember. The most important tip I learned from the article is to do your research.

On Thursday, Mary taught our class the differences between essays and research papers. Any research project should start off with a purpose. A purpose will guide one to their call to write and will establish who the audience is. Proper paragraph format is something else we learned. The “I” format is a good tool to use.

Introduction-topic sentence
-Expand the idea
-Give an illustration
-Refute or backs up the idea
Transition

Paragraph format and feedback from my previous report should help me improve the next project.
technorati tags:
project 2,research

Organization in writing

2005-11-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

Organization is a key element needed for a project or research paper. If a research paper is not organized, the person reading the paper would think the writer did not know what they were taking about. An assignment was given in my English class to take a given mixed up paragraph, and rearrange the sentences to make a paragraph which is more organized. Below is an example of how I organized the paragraph.

A computer analysis of five million words in context revealed many subtle and not-so-subtle clues to the status of women in American society. But the world created for American schoolchildren presents a different picture. In an article describing the preparation of a dictionary for schoolchildren, Alma Graham recounts the imbalance discovered in schoolbooks in all subjects in use in the early 1970’s. Not only are women put off, they are also put down, numerically and otherwise. The numbers alone tell us a lot: men outnumber women seven to one, boys outnumber girls two to one; girls are even in the minority in home economics books, where masculine pronouns outnumber feminine ones two to one. In general, the pronouns he, him, and his outnumber she, her, and hers by a ratio of four to one. In the real world, women slightly outnumber men.

technorati tags:
organization,assignment

The Fun of Typology

2005-10-31T20:40:00.000-08:00

In English class, we examined typology. Typology is a different way to express words or pictures telling a story with an unusual technique. I learned words can be expressed in many forms. Picture outlines can be used to in addition to filling up the picture with words that describe the picture. Words have more than one meaning, and a picture is worth a thousand words- literally. I’m sure if someone took a picture of the Purdue skyline, there would be a thousand different words to describe what is in the picture. Here is a link to see example of typology I created.

The more I read Thomas Friedman’s book The Word is Flat, the better I see the real picture of the flat world-how it became that way and what Americans need to do so we’re not left behind. Thomas Freidman examines the “quiet crisis” of American children showing lack of interest in mathematics and science. The American children need to maximize there opportunities within the flat world to keep the

United States

afloat.
technorati tags:
typology,Friedman

Communication in the workforce

2005-10-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

Click here to listen to this post

Professor Mark French from the Mechanical Engineering Department here at Purdue spoke to my English class. I enjoyed his lecture about skills needed for a job in today’s society, not just in Engineering, but in any profession. Professor French mentions a key skill to have is being able to communicate well with others. I strongly agree with Professor French: little or no communication between departments within a company can lead to chaos.

Professor French also mentioned a company he worked for that fired 150 people at once, and hired new people for the positions because the company wasn’t making profits. Good communication can lead to higher profits for a company which means less loss of jobs. Companies are looking for employees that can add value to the company.

A tip for becoming a better writer mentioned in class is to read books or magazines you enjoy for examples of good writing. I have a 12 year old that wants my attention any time I pick up a book. It is hard enough just trying to get through the book I’m reading for my English class. The book is interesting when I have a chance to read it. At times, I compromise and have her read to me.
technorati tags:
communication,guest speaker

Writing in the Professional World.

2005-10-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

According to the survey conducted by the National Commission on Writing, good writing skills are essential to success in the professional world. It’s important to have the ability “to say things correctly, to say things well, and to say them in a way that makes sense” (Kerrey,3). Educational Leaders should take this survey to heart to prepare the graduates for the professional world. The survey points out that e-mails, and oral presentations with visual aids are ubiquitous in the American economy. Applicants can either be hired or lose the position due to their writing skills (Kerrey,11).
technorati tags:
Survey,writing

On to the next project

2005-10-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

With project 1 done, I have had a chance to step back and take a breath before I dive into project 2. On the first project, I started by narrowing the field before I had seen what information I had to choose from. With the second project, I’m trying to find out all I can about my career choice, which happens to be business finance, before I narrow my scope of what I want to focus on.

In my search for information about the business finance world, I have found two websites for accounting standards. The first is the FASB, which is the Financial Accounting Standards board. The other is the GASB, which stands for the Governmental Accounting Standards board. The difference between the two websites is the GASB is regulating the state & local governments accounting information, whereas the FASB is looking out for the investors. FASB wants to ensure that the accounting standards used by one company are used by all companies for investors to use in comparison of the companies for future investments.

With a google search, I believe I hit the jackpot of information with another website that mentions the FASB and GASB standard setters. The American Accounting Association (AAA) provides student super links on their website. It has listings with links to other accounting associations, accounting and professional service firms, government agencies, business and accounting journals, and other useful links. The AAA website has made my research easier, but I still have to go through the information. As Mary says, I need to see how far this rabbit whole goes.

technorati tags:
project 2,finance

My webpage

2005-10-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

For the first half of the semester in my English class, we have been working on creating our own webpage. I never thought I would have a webpage, let alone creating it myself. You can see my webpage here. I can't say that the process of creating a webpage is painless. Even though James gave us step by step instructions to create a website, I still had problems. I feel proud of myself that I worked through the problems myself and was able to produce a website that I can share with my peers and some day my future boss.

I plan to keep updating the website as I go through the class. I have already posted my first project on the webpage and will post the second project when it’s finished.

Adaptation

2005-10-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

Can you adapt to your surroundings? In class today, I had to do some adapting as we examined podcasting. We watched clippings that showed examples of what podcasting was, and how media could be remixed, mashed up, and borrowed to make something new. When I think of podcasting, I think of music downloads and people creating their own type of radio broadcasts. After watching the clippings, my head was spinning. I liked what I saw, but my mind kept thinking: I can’t do that because it looks too complicated. After the class was over, I realized I had to adapt myself to the situation and get over my initial fear.

Being an older student, I find myself having to do more adapting than my fellow students. I tell myself I can’t do the work, and in the end, I surprise myself by being able to get through the situation without a major meltdown.

Adapting to the situation is something I do best. Thomas Friedman brings up the subject of being “really adaptable” in his book The World Is Flat. A “really adaptable” person is someone who is untouchable and cannot easily be outsourced. Being able to adapt will allow one for an easier transition than someone who is stuck in the “old way” of doing a job. The business world is constantly changing and one needs to adapt to make the transition easier for oneself and for the company.

Here is my first podcast.

technorati tags:
podcasting,The World is Flat

Which would you rather work for?

2005-10-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

Corporate companies can have their leadership filled with “layers.” With “layers”, there will be Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers, Supervisors, over the majority, and the majority is the little people who do all the real work.

Author, Thomas Friedman brings up the subject of leadership in his book The World is Flat. Thomas mentions leadership going from “Command and Control to Collaborate and Connect.” Command and control means leadership directs their staff to research information, and the leadership makes the decision from the information. Collaborate and connect means leadership can look up the information on the internet themselves, and ask his staff to collaborate with some ideas to use in the situation.

Command and control is a vertical more where information moves up and down the latter. In a flat world, collaborate and connect is a horizontal move that will work better for the moral of the employees: the employees will feel like they are an important part of the company. Which would you rather work for? I would like to work for a company that valued my input.

technorati tags:
peers,The World is Flat

Take two asprin and call me in the morning

2005-10-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Amelia’s post about Chicken soup leads me to tell my story about being sick myself. I have had a back ache for the last two days. I called the doctor after much prodding from my co-workers. I was told take two Tylenol and call back in two weeks, which sound like something a doctor would say.

Even though my back hurt so much my eyes welled up with tears, I still went to work. Unlike Amelia, I don’t have a mother to call when I’m sick. As I had mentioned in a previous post, my mother passed away several years ago. I do however; rely on my friends and co-workers to ask how much Tylenol to take for a back ache. I’m the type of person who hates to miss work when I’m sick, but tell other people to stay home when they are sick. If you work in a close nit office like I do, you’ll find there is always someone willing to be a mother hen of sorts.

When I came into work today, my friend Kandy saw me in pain. She made sure I called the doctor right away. She also made sure I took the medicine prescribed on a timely basis. Kandy does this for others too not because she feel she has to but because she wants to.

Working in an office takes some camaraderie among coworkers like Kandy and I. Office work can be stressful at times and people can get on your nerves, but good managers make sure people that work together can get along without personalities clashing. Friendship at work can also be a bad thing when someone you’ve been friends with moves to a different building within the company or leave the company for a different job.

technorati tags:
coworkers,sick

Google is awesome!

2005-10-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

In my English class, we learned to use Google more efficiently. I already knew how to "google" a person. I searched Google using my name, and found 147,000 entries with either my first or last name. Four entries had both names, but none not relating to myself.

Did you know one can narrow a search by using the advanced search feature in Google? The feature helps to define your search in several ways. For instance, if I wanted to search for a bookstore in Rochester, Indiana, which is my home town, I can make sure the search narrowed down to a 30 mile radius of the city and state I requested. The defined search should bring back only locations in or around Rochester, IN not Rochester, NY.

I use the local search on Yahoo! to find local stores and phone numbers. Since I established my Google homepage, I will be using Google instead of Yahoo!. Google is more user friendly than Yahoo!. Google Local search can be used for more than your local area. It can be used if one were to go on camping on vacation
in Kentucky, one might want to know if there is a Wal-mart in the town close by just in case extra supplies are needed. Check Google Local before you leave to go camping.

I tried Google Blog search when it was first announced to the public. I used it frequently when researching my project on the American Cancer Society. Several people use blogs to write personal journals about their daily life with cancer. Blogs can also be used to spread the word about a cancer fund raiser like Daffodil Days in the spring or the Great American Smokeout coming up in November. Just in case you don’t know, during Daffodil Days, daffodil bunches are sold to benefit cancer research. Great American Smokeout should be known by all. This is when smokers stop smoking for one day in an effort to make the community smoke free. Updated: 10/08/05

technorati tags:
Google,Search Engines

Flattener # 9-

2005-10-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

Amelia and I were discussing in-forming as a "flattener" of the world from The World is Flat. We decided in-forming is using technology such as Yahoo! and Google on the internet to locate anything one needs to (re)search. Google can go as deep and as in-depth as one need when doing a project.

After Amelia and I talked, I wanted to "google" my brother because I haven't seen him in over 5 years. My brother and sister in-law live in California with two children. My brother owns a landscaping business and doesn't have much time to write. I was able to find him through a website for his business. The last time I talked to him, he had to have his daughter show him how to run a computer program. I didn't expect to find him on the internet, let alone his own website..

Author, Thomas Friedman, writes “The flatter the world becomes, the more ordinary people become transparent” (158). As I found out with my brother, no one can hide on the internet. In-forming is a flattener: it empowers users to form groups or join global communities with people that would be impossible geographically.

Cancer survivors can be found easily with Google Groups search. I used Google Groups to find more information about the American Cancer Society. Cancer survivors have a close nit community for people suffering with cancer and family member who have lost loved ones to cancer. The cancer community helps the members cope with cancer. It also helps survivors to connect with new patients to let them know that there is hope and cancer can be beaten when treated early.

In a flat world, crossing international boundaries has never been so easy for the cancer community to spread their message of hope. Other communities have been able to take advantage of the flat world. Communities for “pro-life” or “pro-abortion” have been around for a long time, but are now able to connect with people other side of the world that have the same belief. Updated: 10/08/05

technorati tags:
technology,flattener

Are you a technophile?

2005-10-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

A technophile is someone who is “an enthusiast of technology.” I know I’m not a technophile. I work all day on a computer at work, and it’s the last thing I want to do when I get home. I know my daughter is a technophile. She lives for every moment she can spend on the computer. I can see my daughter 4 years from now with an I pod, iTunes: so she can call her mother and listen to music.

In my English class, we talked about camera phones, PDA’s and VoIP as flatteners for the world. These types of devices flatten the world because one can connect from anywhere. With VoIP, long distance phone calls are cheaper through the internet. Journalists can work better undercover if they can take pictures with their camera phones instead of using a photographer.

Most of the people I know use a cell phone or camera phone. All of the managers at work have PDA's or blackberries. The opinions I've heard able the blackberries are good and bad. The blackberry is good if you want to be "reachable" by phone and e-mail when you're out of the office. To be "reachable" can also be bad because one feels like you can't get a break away from work. I decided to get a cell phone two years ago for emergency purposes, and I was attending night classes at Ivy Tech. I only wanted the basic package. When I renewed the contract for my cell phone, I upgraded my phone to a flip phone and joined my husband on the family plan. I chose not to get a camera phone or internet access. I didn’t see a need for the extra features: I barely use all my minutes I have available. In the last two months, I have used my phone more often and I have to have my phone with me at all times.

I know my cell phone usage is rare compared to the majority of cell phone users. Cell phone companies have started to realize that more people are using their cell phone to check e-mail and use text messaging. Cell phone companies figure more people are using the internet access on their phones. If one waives the internet access, there is an extra fee. If you know you're not going to use internet access, it is cheaper to waive the access and pay the one time charge than it is to leave the access on and never use it. Updated: 10/04/05

technorati tags:
technology,flattener

Project # 1

2005-09-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

I’m almost finished with my first project in my English class. It’s been tough to figure out what to put in the report and what to leave out. After the conference was over I tried to figure out if what I had in the report is what will give me an “A or B” on the project. Putting the report down for 24 hours gave me a new perspective. I started to second guess myself. I’m hoping for the “A.” After the first project is done, I will have a better understanding of what to do for the next project.

technorati tags:
project1

Peer review

2005-09-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

I took a recommendation from Mary, my teacher to let someone I know outside of class look at my blog critically. I had a friend I work with look at the blog and give his comments. “I have looked at your blog and compared it to others that I have experienced and I think yours is pretty comparable.” He liked my blog and gave me two other blogs to look at and get ideas. The comment was a relief coming from a peer of mine. Not many people I work with have heard of blogs especially being used in an English class. Feeling more at ease with my blog, I’ve given out the blog address to people I work with so they can experience the new technology with me. I like going back to work and sharing the new things I learn in class and what I’ve read in The World is Flat.

technorati tags:
peers,my blog

Flickr

2005-09-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

I learned something new in my English 106 class today. I learned how to use Flickr. Flickr is much easier to use that the Hello program. I attached a picture I took in Tennessee. Enjoy.
technorati tags:
flickr,pictures

Great American Smokout

2005-09-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia is an amazing website. I wondered onto the site to find more information about the American Cancer Society. I found an entry for the society and for the Great American Smokeout. Smokey Robinson was the spokesman for the Great American Smokeout. Did you know 45.8 million Americans smoke? This number is only the adult smokers. The Great American Smokeout will be held on November 17, 2005. I challenge all the smokers reading my blog to quit for one day. The less one pays for cigarettes the more money one will have to pay for the rising cost of gasoline.

technorati tags:
project1,wikipedia

Introducing Sarbanes-Oxley

2005-09-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

I came across a news article from Fox News talking about whether the heads of corporate companies will learn a lesson from the top executives that were caught "cooking the books" or misusing company funds like the TYCO executive Dennis Kozlowsk who was sentenced to 30 yrs in prison. "Cooking the books" means to change financial reports so it looks like the company is making a profit when it wasn’t. I don't think it started with Enron and World Com but these are the first to go through public trials and sentenced to prision time.

The article also mentions a government act that was put in place to prevent executives and its Accountants from defrauding its investors. The act is called the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). The article provides pros & cons for the act. I work in an office where SOX is a common subject. SOX require each company to have documentation of all the procedures throughout the company. SOX is a good piece of legislation but it can also be bothersome as stated in the article. The company I work for had to add a new department to keep track of the processes and to audit those processes every quarter.
Updated: 09/26/05

technorati tags:
Fox News,Sarbanes-Oxley

Losing Jobs in the US

2005-09-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I’m reading The World is Flat. I have come across a news article from
Fox News which talks about Goodyear Tire Company cutting jobs in the US and increasing the exporting of goods from Asia. Goodyear is a prime example of offshoring. Offshoring is a flattener that companies use to lower their overhead costs. In the US, offshoring has become a familiar subject to the big manufacturing companies trying to survive. Americans are against offshoring because Americans see labor jobs going away and nothing replacing the jobs. Americans need to see the whole picture. The companies that offshores the manufacturing to take advantage of cheap labor also bring money back into the US by using exports from the US in their foreign factories. I was against offshoring until I learned both sides of the issue.

technorati tags:
Flatteners,Fox News

It's time to fill up

2005-09-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Fox News is reporting oil pricing going up as Hurricane Rita gets closer to the coast of Texas. If Hurricane Rita turns out to be worse than Hurricane Katrina, we will be in bad shape for gasoline. If the hurricane stays on the same course it currently is on, the hurricane will go through the middle of the oil fields in Texas. I filled my car up with the notion we will have a tougher time at the pumps than with Katrina. Hurricane Rita is now at a category 5 and it still has a couple of days before it makes landfall. I can't imagine the US going through another disaster so quickly after Katrina.

technorati tags:
Hurricane Rita,Fox News

Gasoline Humor

2005-09-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

I received this picture in an e-mail today and wanted to spread the laughter.

technorati tags:
Humor,Gasoline

The World is Flat

2005-09-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading The World is Flat by Tom Friedman. One of the flatteners mentioned in the book is open sourcing. Open sourcing is software that the source code is made available on the internet so it can be improved or used to make new software on top of the old version. Free software is created in this manner. I see individuals who work with the source code as scientists that experiment with the code to see what can be made. Sometimes you can get better software for free than you than buying it. More users around the globe will have access to use the software if it can be downloaded for free rather than paying for it. Fire fox is a good example. I had problems with spy ware on my home computer. A programmer had told me to use Fire fox instead of Internet Explorer to access the internet. I have not had a problem since. I found another example of open sourcing software on Lifehacker.
technorati tags:
Homework,Flatteners

A Good Start

2005-09-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get a good start on my project this weekend by meeting Cassandra with the American Cancer Society. She is the Community Director for the Great Lakes Division. I had an interesting conversation with Cassandra about how the organization presents itself in writing. As I picked several pamphlets from the huge selection, I tried to stay focused on lung cancer. The American Cancer Society had stickers to use when leaving a restaurant or bar to thank you the owners for being smoke free or one would come more frequent if place is smoke free. I mention the stickers because I found a blogger whom feels differently. Tom’s Snowbird wants to ban the smoking ban. Tom has an interesting point of view. I prefer smoke free restaurants when dining out. The non-smoking sections of resturants don't stay smoke free if there isn't something to prevent the smoke from lingering. I have a right to beathe clean air. Stay tuned to see how the project is progressing.

Do you get it?

2005-09-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

Do you understand today’s technology? I knew little about blogs until learning about it in my English 106 class. The idea of creating an online presence in an English class didn’t occur to me. I know my parents would not understand. My parents didn't have the technology in school during their generation like I have. My dad is someone who prefers to use pen and paper rather than a computer, let alone knowing how to use the computer. Individuals who use the internet daily for a multitude of reasons understand the World Wide Web and its uses. Before starting this class, I didn’t use the internet often enough to stay current with the technology like taxonomies which are used to help you search for an item of interest on the internet. Taxonomies are used by search engines to get the information you need from several different selections, not just one way to get the information. Technology moves at such a vigorous pace. As I write this post there will be at least 2 new pieces of technology or ideas I won’t understand, but I know my daughter will understand.

Quality of Life

2005-09-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

I read a post about human euthanasia.When I read this I thought of people living on life support. Life matters but when your brain dead, you don’t have that quality of life you once had. I disagree about living on life support. When you’re in a coma for 10 years or more your chances of coming out of the comma are slim. I would ask myself if this is the way the person would want to live. A living will is becoming more popular these days due to the news stories of situation with Terri Shiavo. Keeping our loved ones on life support just delays the inevitable. I wouldn't want my loved ones to suffer. Coma patients may be sleeping, but sleeping doesn't mean they're not in any pain.

Change Is Good

2005-09-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

The ecosphere is communicating in our surroundings. A definition of ecosphere is our environment on the World Wide Web in which we read and write to communicate or to be informed of up-to-date information. We can connect in a way that couldn’t be done in the past. When the web first started up, it was used as a reference. Now you can contribute to the web by adding web pages and blogs. With the read/write web, you can step into your ecosphere with an online presence.
Mail lists help professionals like doctors to keep apprised of diseases quickly such as the case with the SARS epidemic in China. Short message systems (SMS) helped in the same way.
The academic world of writing can use wiki’s to help build student skills on the internet. The ecosphere can help individuals grow as a person with more knowledge on the web than in previous years. Now you can look up anything on the web with just a point and click of the mouse. On a personal level, college students can use blogs to keep their parents up-to-date with what is going on in their life.
Non-profit groups can use the ecosphere to communicate what the group is about and how you can join their cause. Non-profits also use the ecosphere to give notice of upcoming events.

My Pick

2005-09-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

I chose to do my project on the American Cancer Society (ACS). While doing research, I came across a blog which is a must see. Blog for Hope is a weblog sponsored by Yahoo! and the American Cancer Society. I am both intrigued and brought to tears by the posts.
I picked this non-profit organization because I lost a good friend to cancer. She was a funny and vibrant person. She had uterine cancer and went into remission but the cancer can back in her lungs. She was a fighter all the way to the end.
According to the ACS about 1,500 deaths in the United States are cancer related. Early detection is the key to being a survivor of cancer.

Articles of interest

2005-09-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Checking over bloglines tonight I found an article in the New York Times that might peak some interest. The article is written by the author of a book we are reading in my English 106 class, The World Is Flat. The article makes a comparison between how President Bush handled Osama Bin Laudin and Hurricane Katrina. Just reading the title intrigued me. I don’t know that I agree with the article but I can’t say I disagree either. I agree that something should have been done sooner with the levees in Louisiana. We all had to see it coming. The new FEMA director should have had more experience with handling disaster than he did. Katrina has been felt ubiquitous. Why can’t we concentrate on helping the victims and do the finger pointing later?

I also read another article from the New York Times. Be smart about where you donate your money. How do we know the victims are getting the money that’s collected? Is Hurricane Katrina going to turn into another 9/11 for the Red Cross?

After college...

2005-09-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ismail Muhammad: Purdue Eng106 had written a post about the gas prices going up along with the cost of living but the minimum wage has not. After you’re out of college your comparison between the cost of living and the minimum wage won't change. It is hard to keep up with expenses and still have time to spend with your family. Even if you find that great job, you might find yourself working more hours to keep up with expenses. Gas and food costs are not the only expenses going up. Medical costs are also rising. Here is another fellow student that wrote about not being able to get medical insurance and her prescriptions were so expensive. With medical insurance the price of medicine is still expensive. I have asthma, and with my insurance I still have to pay $50 a month for my medicine. So if your future employer offers a great medical and dental plan, don't think that you won't have to worry about medical costs anymore.

Test your mind

2005-09-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

I was reading Body Electric, and noticed the cool post about 3-D Alphabet. I tested my mind and was surprised at the results. There are 10 pictures to look at and I got the first three right without any help. The next two I needed help with a couple of the letters, and then the rest I could not figure out until I looked at the word. The test was very interesting and I plan to tell my coworkers about it and see if they can figure it out.

Imbibe- Do you know what this means?

2005-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

I was doing some research on the YWCA of Greater Lafayette and came across a word that I had not heard before. Imbibe means to take it all in using you senses. For instance, when driving through Kentucky, you should stop at a rest stop and imbibe the scenery. When I went to Florida on vacation a several years ago, I saw the ocean for the first time. I wanted to stop and imbibe the ocean and the sound of the crashing waves.

My Life Expectancy Results

2005-08-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

I read a post on my class blog about Life Expectancy. This got me thinking about my life expectancy so, I decided to take the test. Here are my results.

Life Expectancy: 84.34
Lower Quartile : 77.55
Median Lifetime: 86.43
Upper Quartile : 93.05

I met a gentleman over the weekend that told me about his parents. Both were still living and in there mid-90’s. This gentleman’s parents also walked 5-6 miles every day and worked out at the fitness center. His grandparents lived to be at least 102. This just amazed me and I had to write about it when I read the post.

So many non-profit organizations to choose from.

2005-08-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

How can you pick out one choice out of the many non-profit organizations that are available today? I want to write a composition that not only educates the reader but also touches the readers’ heart so that the reader will want to go right out and help that organization. I have narrowed it down two four organizations.

All of them touch my heart in some way. The March of Dimes is one of my top choices. My daughter and I walk in the March of Dimes Walk every year. Another top choice is the YWCA. This organization helps women in many ways. Most of all the YWCA wants to empower women. I also chose The American Cancer Society because I had a good friend that past away due to Lung Cancer. Last but not least is the Lafayette Transitional Housing Center helps many more people than you might think. Lafayette Transitional Housing doesn’t give hand out, just hands up. This will defiantly be a hard choice.

Test link

2005-08-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is the class blogger.

Use your right to vote to make a difference.

2005-08-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

The

constitution gives people a right to vote. Half the people in the

United States

including myself think that their vote doesn’t matter, but they’re wrong. In 2004, only 60 % of US citizens who were able to vote actually did so. 2004 was a record year to voters coming out to the pole. During the years when there is not a presidential vote, the percentage is smaller. To me, the off years are the most important time because the people voted into office during that time vote for taxes, make laws and discuss budgets, where the money is spend and what gets cut out. I have heard many people complain about what the government is doing, but it’s those same people don’t exercise there right. The

should take the example from the people of

Iraq

. 72% of the voters risked their lives to come out and vote. The American people don’t have to risk there lives to vote and no one deny us that right. We just need to make the time. Our vote is our voice. I will be voting every year from now on so that I can let my voice be heard and be a part of the enumeration.

BlogItemURL>
">Link

My introduction

2005-08-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

My name is Rita. I am a beginning writer. I do most of my writing in the business world. In my line of work, I write accounting processes that have to make sense. I write mostly inter-office memo’s and e-mails. I want to do this with confidence so I don’t have to worry about who is looking at it or whom it’s sent to. It takes me a long time to write something because I rewrite it over and over again until it makes sense. I am a working mother, wife and student, so as you can tell, time is precious to me. I want to be a writer that gets to the point of a subject and not beat around the bush.

Life on the go.....

Mapping Digital Presence

Yeah! Class is over

Becoming a better writer

Grrr!

Online Presence

Top ten list put to use

High cost of gasoline is big bucks for Exxon

Mapping my digital self

My top ten list

Blogging is everywhere

Time is Flying By

Time to get back to work

Organization in writing

The Fun of Typology

Communication in the workforce

Writing in the Professional World.

On to the next project

My webpage

Adaptation

Which would you rather work for?

Take two asprin and call me in the morning

Google is awesome!

Flattener # 9-

Are you a technophile?

Project # 1

Peer review

Flickr

Great American Smokout

Introducing Sarbanes-Oxley

Losing Jobs in the US

It's time to fill up

Gasoline Humor

The World is Flat

A Good Start

Do you get it?

Quality of Life

Change Is Good

My Pick

Articles of interest

After college...

Test your mind

Imbibe- Do you know what this means?

My Life Expectancy Results

Life Expectancy: 84.34Lower Quartile : 77.55Median Lifetime: 86.43Upper Quartile : 93.05

So many non-profit organizations to choose from.

Test link

Use your right to vote to make a difference.

My introduction

Life Expectancy: 84.34
Lower Quartile : 77.55
Median Lifetime: 86.43
Upper Quartile : 93.05