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Thearmysdaughter's facebook and blog are full of flaws, alot of them are mental blocks that are author/user centered. My pictures are crap quality, my profile picture is lousy, my computer skills are laughable, the important thing is that the heart is there. Even if I am privately reluctant about this endeavor, still I'm passionately attached to it.This project makes me cry because I did not realize how personal, it would and could become. I think I forgot somehow that my big Army years, are seven years that I can't even talk about, and shouldn't talk about. This inhibited access to my readers is not what I had planned on because I think those are the years I wanted to write about. The research I did for this blog reminded me that I am not the normal Army kid, and speaking to the masses pretending I am is so much more difficult than I imagined. I hope the message of the blog/Facebook page is clear none the less, I love our military and I am so proud of this culture. I wanted 100 likes out of this page badly, today I have 207. One of the biggest portions of this project was the TalkingPoint interview. That one hurt, the evening before the show, my dad recieved a call from a former troop whom he had mentored through his deployments and afterwards. This soldier came over for dinner often, and knew to run to my Dad at any roadblock or sign of turmoil. He called me Dad in shambles the night before the interview and my dad spoke to him well into the night about some of his afflictions and his personal struggle with PTSD. When this topic surfaced right before the interview I felt my Dad shrink down, in this life you'll be dumbfounded by how ironic life is sometimes.  I put my Dad into that situation with the interview, since then I have been sort of scared to even bring him up on my blog now, I don't like to see my Dad worried. My dad wouldn't look worried before battle, or staring the adversary in the eyes, I know that truly, but his worry shown over a fellow soldier just yanked my heart. That was something different. It wasn't something I haven't seen before, but still it's hard to see. I wouldn't do the interview differently, it taught me something special, and reminded me to not be so scared. Things will turn out fine, I don't have to prepare perfectly, and I need to have more confidence in myself because when I don't, it shows. Being an Army kid and putting my best foot forward has left me exhausted at age 22, I can't be outgoing and pour out confidence anymore like before. I have spent so many seconds trying so hard to be there that I've become the complete opposite and reverted to a unfounded shyness I do not recognize in myself. The outreach and messages and pats on backs with this project have shifted my perspective.


A neighbor from North Carolina, a neighbor from the hard years emailed me after she watched the show and it really got me. I forgot that people that knew me would see this. Her first email is the one I am going to share, the rest are just for me.

Hey Bette. I just wanted to say that I have been following your blog since the beginning and watched you on Talking Point today. I heard the host say that you are doing this blog as an assignment. I wanted to make sure I told you how great I think your blog is. It tells the story of us Army Brats in a way that most people can't understand. When your assignment is over I really hope you continue your blog. Our way of life is something that should be shared and our stories should be told! Keep up the good work and let me know if you ever want a guest writer!

All posts were a success, because they shared a little bit of the military life as I know it. And even if it didn't help someone else, it helped me through a hard transition. This blog is going to live a very long time.




Time for the number crunch!

My momma shared most everything, and she knows a ton of military mommas, so that was a great outlet, and she was so good about our TalkingPoint interview, she was on it for photos and sharing the link so people could watch it! She tagged me in a billion pictures, there was no way people could ignore them, and not be curious to watch me talk on tv. Ya know, like my grandparents and stuff... 

Inviting people was hard but it worked! I was nervous and apprehensive, most of the people you know don't get to see your writing, they simply see the "youre a babe" or "lookin great" comments you make, so exposing people to my writing was scary. But I did it, and I'm so so proud of the 200 something likes. 

The links for readit sites, or buzzfeed, with the "23 signs you're an Army brat" or "12 signs you lived overseas", those kind of shares did well, they got reshared and clicked on, with reaches in the thousands. It inspired me to one day spiff up my writing and be more clear like those sites.

The biggest disappointment is how big of a gap there is between men and women users. Whyyyyy such a female presence ?!?! Like where are the male troopies at?? 72% to 28%, that gap is enormous, which is why I started posting more photo-memes, guys seem to like those.

This puzzled me huge, the sites people got to my page that weren't on Facebook.... Ldsmatchups.com? Huh?

Contextual Analysis

I pulled the plug on my former topic for the Contextual Analysis, someone from the base I was stationed on contacted me and asked me to address a controversial book that had hit the streets and schools of Caserma Ederle. I started the research, and hit some roadblocks due to the official website being taken down. This approach was maybe a little different than what we were asked to do, but the context of this book hit a culture really hard and I couldn't ignore all the fuss that was hitting this book back. As a member of this culture, I was personally offended and that is quite clear within the text of my blog. With that being said, I wanted to highlight the idea that people were commenting on this matter, they contacted companies, they banded together to throw this book away, and they didn't brush it off... 

For a culture that is considered "invisible" on Wikipedia, they've sure been loud lately..... I gathered that as the importance of this assignment, people adovcating in a responsible way. This is my idea of a perfect example of such.  Go to my blog thearmysdaughter to read all about a stinky book that I don't like at all.

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A glimpse into the life of an Army kid, the perspective, the humor, the hurts, the triumphs and the way we understand a life is that always changing, Visit the blog of a real brat Thearmysdaughter via the Thearmysdaughter page.

Have you ever overheard Military jargon? Wondering what PCS means? Ask Thearmysdaughter, she'll shed some light on acronyms she's as familiar with as the back of her hand.

Sustainability can be conceptualized as an effort to achieve a balance between social, economic, and environmental goals. 

St. George: 

Suburban 

Growing population

Livable winters

Dixie State College turned Dixie State University (influx of college students transferring to a small school with better accreditation, while still boasting small school tuition prices) 

Close proximity to Vegas, comfortable drive to California and home to Zion National Park

Good area for experimentation. 

Commerce: Use education to inform people about creating a better balanced system of survival in St. George, use education to let people know that the law will start to buckle down on conserving. Officers can start to issue more wasteful tickets. (My brother in law just got a "waste of fuel" {speeding} ticket)  that name game verbiage alone is eye opening. This ticket was for harming the environment instead of putting the rest of the public in danger by going too fast. These tickets can all be sanctioned for use in creating a more sustainable city. Hold people more responsible using the law. If we overuse, not only do we have a high bill, but we also get a ticket. My brother in law has to fork over some dollars, and he also has to shrink back at the claim that he hurt Earth.
Rebate incentives for conservation efforts:
http://www.sgcity.org/departments/water/conservation/#tab-2

Energy: think about food waste, perishable goods often get thrown out in the fridge clean out every couple of weeks, keeping a stocked fridge means that there is a likely chance food will be wasted. Make more trips to the grocery store, keep a smaller fridge and see the amount of money saved on energy and grocery costs. Food goes bad before we know it and we end up wasting many of our grocery trips anyways. But what you will use over the course of three days , and monitor  what percentage you actually use. Just because a gallon is a better deal for milk doesn't mean you should buy it if you're only going to use half a gallon and then throw out the rest of it. Having a massive fridge sucks up energy, think about how expensive air conditioning is and then times that by a million and think about what it costs to run a huge refrigerator. 

Technology and development has improved these obvious versions of solar energy (almost throwing the idea that the earth will become obsolete and unlivable- but no worry you'll be able to tell what folks are loving our earth because their big ugly solar grids on top of their homes...)  new shingle solar panels created to look normal, and similar to ordinary shingles. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/im-getting-my-roof-redone-and-heard-about-solar-shingles/

Reduce the need to travel for business.. use this site to help you find communication avenues to avoid a face to face meeting.
http://www.techsoup.org/green-technology?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc-gg&utm_term=GreenApp&utm_campaign=GG_GreenTech

Economy:

creation of jobs

Dixie State University may not have harsh winters, but they do have hellish summers. We may benefit from a connected campus, a hallway or walkway that allows you to travel from building to building in an AC structure so you don't have to walk out to your car crank up your AC to avoid back sweat while you're walking up to the testing center. These walk ways wouldn't build themselves, and we might want to hit up some contractors and construction teams before the housing market kicks back up. We could buy/order local material through ACE hardware. 

Could influence more students to attend Dixie without being scared of the heat come August and July. Students may stay for summer time which would allow for Dixie to offer more classes and the apartment buildings here to not sit vacant for the hot months that students return home. 

Create a sustainability resource center at Dixie where students can learn more about creating a less wasteful community. Like the University of Utah http://sustainability.utah.edu/resource-center/
and adopt some of their current practices within housing here at DSU http://housing.utah.edu/life/sustainability.php

Transportation- use non-conserving citizen ticket revenue to line the bike paths with solar panels along the side edges of the path (it's a double whammy of safety, by providing solar charged lights along the path, and contributing to the power grid). http://www.sgsunsmart.com/energy.php This is a link to a pre-existing solar company in St. George and the power generated specifically on December 4th, include this in the curriculum for schools, teach students how to read and understand a chart like this. They won't ask you that dreaded question, "why do I need to know this?" (um because do you want to live on earth? okay then this is your future) Look at how much CO2 isnnnn't output because of solar energy.

Personal solar energy panels for households.  FAQ for the Rookies like me!
All highlighted portions are copied from http://www.sgsunsmart.com/faqs.htm St. George Energy Services Department 2008.

(Commerce/Economy)

1. Why is there no federal tax credit?
   This type of program is so innovative that legislation on a federal level has not been created yet

(Commerce/Economy)

1. Why is it only available to people living within the St. George city limits?
   The bill that was passed to make this program possible was for a municipal project so the tax credit is only available to St. George residents

(Commerce)

1. Why did St. George choose solar?
   St. George looked at all of the renewable sources of energy and performed multiple studies; it was determined that, due to the weather and the landscape, solar was the best choice.

(Commerce)

1. Are there any fees after I pay the initial fee?
   No, only monthly credits on your energy bill!

(Commerce?)

1. Why should people participate if there is not a good return on investment?
   There is a return on investment, but not a financial one. By participating in this program you are investing in your community.

1. It seems kind of expensive, why isn't it cheaper?
   Each unit is priced to cover the cost of the equipment and installation. The city is not making any money off of this project; all of the savings go to the purchaser. By having a solar farm of this size the purchaser benefits from the economies of scale.

Education: 

Teaching the newer generations how to farm (not on the Fb FarmVille app), how to grow a cucumber and water tomatoes. At school they can include agriculture into the curriculum. Instead of reading about photosynthesis they can watch it occur as they watch a radish seed sprout. 

If you want people to utilize various types of recycling, captivate them and generate interest using social media. Make YouTube videos to educate them, or show them how to install lowflow shower heads, don't expect them to stack on more bills by having them installed in their homes. Don't just send someone a letter with recommendations for how to save a few bucks, be interactive. Show you care by really putting in the effort. Flood twitter with conservation and sustainability concepts that people are going to see over and over, so much so that they will think of them when they are leaving their home and don't turn down their A/C. The television commercials that display apps that allow you to turn off lights while you are away from your home  

Contextual Analysis Rough Draft

Hand held devices have changed the game, I can look up how to style the perfect messy bun through a six minute tutorial on Youtube, while I'm in the bathroom trying to look like I'm not trying too hard.

These how-to videos and lyric video have sharpened up and now everyone is used to getting their dose of secret style tricks, or easily watching a math whiz teach them the tricky Pythagorean theorem since they can't understand their professor's foreign accent. They Pinterest and Facebook during class hours relying on Youtube for a step by step how to later on, during crunch time (aka, before 11:59pm when homework assignments and quizzes are due).

Releasing a music video isn't sufficient anymore, everyone wants to stay ahead of the game and feel special. (Our generation is like that, a pinch of entitled, slightly trophy seeking, and of course madly self centered as evidenced by the alarming number of selfies that hit the web daily before 9am). People want to feel like they are getting singled out and treated right (they are trying to make the most of their bought data perhaps? or their 500$ plus cellular devices).  So naturally entertainers try an make their fans feel included by releasing a behind the scenes "making of" video. It still does not wake people up to the idea that makeup helps, things are staged, choreographed, and basically these celebrities are fed by their assistants. But the behind the scenes allows people to pretend like they were there and extend the satisfaction that a very rehearsed crafted music video brings. The what to watch popular page of Youtube's main page showcases videos titled, "Woody Harrelson 1989 Monologue (SNL)", "Hollywood Documentary: Johnny Depp", "Fifty Shades of Grey" (Official Trailer HD), and Jim Carrey giving people bowl cuts on Jimmy Kimmel. You can access almost anything through Youtube. Is it any surprise that the Utah National Guard was thrown into the lion's pit for the content they participated in that ended up on Youtube?

Everyone uses Youtube, for the most part, that's even where Ellen Degeneres finds half of her guests on her talk show. The main goal on Youtube is to generate views that sometimes result in a Like or Dislike, thumbs up or down, but the main ticket is views. I contributed to those views when I first caught wind of a controversial Youtube video linked to the Utah National Guard. Bad press for the military? Yikes, once that fire is lit, there's no defusing it. Same goes for many stories that are prematurely reported on, throwing out word of mouth before facts are clear and available.  Don't even get me started on fine print retractions. Damage done. Reporters and their halfhearted apologies.


Camp Williams Utah National Guard Base https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aopM_BdYg0U


The point of this is that the entire Utah National Guard was not involved in this project, in fact in the video you rarely see uniformed soldiers. This video launched an internal investigation, that may have been reported to ease the public but then again it creates a panic, how did the base commanders and high ranking officers not know what was occurring on their own base, that is supposed to be heavily patrolled and trained soldier surveillance? It leads to the assumption that people looked the other way when they saw this activity taking place, that does not help the public view when the military is under the scrutiny of the media lens.

Not only half dressed women operating artillery and vehicles, but the fact that this brought attention to Utah as well. Perception of Utah and it's people varies but a common compliant is that the people are judgmental. The public was able to point the finger back at Utah with the surfacing of this story,



"Your tax dollars at work ladies and gentlemen" (abcNEWS.com New York 2:26) Ouch, buuuuurn.
He's not wrong, but this incident casts shade on the whole establishment, frustration from the public who wants more from their government and by more they don't mean more clips of bikini clad women hanging out with soldiers. It was for a good cause unfortunately doesn't suffice in this case, and I'm sure the word getting about about this calender is the silver lining that they are leaning on. I hope the fact that the calender got a lot of recognition was worth demotion and an investigation on these soldiers records. Think twice about that internet stuff everybody, if you don't want people to see it, DO NOT VIDEO IT.

Clairvoyant

I watched these documentaries knowing this question was coming.
Patriot or Traitor.
This question is meant to be either or, and probably simple.
Gauge what you personally hold more important.

Freedom or Privacy.

The problem is it's not about me.
I operate in a unique mindset, where I have been raised to do what is best for the Army, who represents America. This scores me as unwavering supporter of my government. My example has always been my dad who I have never heard utter a single negative comment about his Commander in Chief (President). You could call that naive, but loyal sounds better to me. Yay for propaganda!

We're talking about a nation that does not give a shit about their privacy.
They dispel every gosh thing in their life on the internet.
Why do they care about privacy all a sudden?

On written record Edward Snowden is a liar.
On written record the Government is a liar.

Edward Snowden signed a non-disclosure agreement indicating he understood that he was agreeing that he would never reveal the content associated with the NSA.

If your signature doesn't mean anything why is this still a thing?
By that point alone, Edward Snowden belongs in prison.
In this aspect, I'm unsure why there is even debate, did his agreement say that he could whistle blow or did it say he could never reveal the content of the NSA? Because you cannot do both.

Read the privacy agreements, these companies under scrutiny probably told you in some undecipherable way that they were breaching your privacy, using and sending you information to a third party, the GOV... You probably said yes. Even if you didn't mean to.


The U.S. Government falls under the U.S. Constitution as well of the Bill of Rights indicating that the Government is limited. They lied, so I expect the people, if they care so badly, to overthrow the government.. Follow through. Send these men that violated the Bill of Rights to prison too. You'll quickly discover that will not happen, the people do not care enough.

The Government will argue that this was all done in an effort to protect the people of this nation.
Edward Snowden will say that this was all done in an effort to protect the rights of this nation.

Okay Edward, protect our rights while simultaneously releasing information that we were/are spying on the German chancellor? Hurt our relations with the Germans? Sure, why not it's not like we haven't had enough wars with them already. What's one more. Consequently, this has caused several other countries to really wonder, weakening our alliances. Would you still argue that this was done for the greater good? Where's the give and take? Take our freedom and privacy and put it to work and in action, exercise it, while giving the rest of the world dangerous information?

Germany already knew we were spying on them, why would you show evidence to confirm it?
The public already knew that the Government was watching them, everything they did, WHY provide evidence to confirm it?

In the back of my mind, because I'm not a politic crazed patriotic heartless drone, I recognize Edward Snowden as someone who spoke out against the majority. (This could be because I have been studying the Spiral of Silence Theory in Comm 1050) I want to believe that had I been in Nazi German in 1900's that I would have resisted the German Government and spoken out, and fought against them. I want to believe that if i had been on the same bus as Rosa Parks that I would have chosen the right, and opposed the adversary. I wouldn't argue that these instances relate precisely to the Edward Snowden uprising, to be honest I really kind of believe that he has an immature idealism. I will commend his bravery, America is a bitch to go against. Bullies suck, but life is life and really the Government is not trying to control you, they are trying to protect you, HOW is the blurry aspect. Edward's intent is genuine. And I'm inspired by his ability to explain and expound on this breach in an non-egotisical way, I really do believe he did it because he thought he was empowering his (at one point) fellow Americans. It's easy to ascertain that he is no longer considered an American citizen.

The only time I've ever really believed a politician ever is when President Bush was in office. {Professor Young I can just see you boiling} I've never seen a more vulnerable man in my life than he post 9/11. He was broken that his nation, his brothers had suffered. In fact, any time I hear his voice I feel the whole event all over. My tender heart swells when I hear his voice. He was broken that such a wrong had occurred. I genuinely believed him when he said that America would be okay. After, before, the politics... whatever. That's my one and only united believing connection to the Government. The rest, irrelevant. I just do what the President says and if every fiber of my being says a situation is wrong, and that there is no good resulting from it, that is when I will ruffle my feathers and make some noise. The government ignoring my privacy? Mmm, I'm good its all on my Facebook  forever anyway. Have at it.

Both the U.S. NSA and Edward Snowden are relying on a what if argument.
Snowden arguing that it may not have significance to you immediately, but one day the Government may rain down on you for something, and they will be able to use every intel they have accumulated over the years against you. They have a case on you prepared and ready in the chance that the opportunity arises.

The U.S. NSA is banking on the what if of look at what we could potentially thwart with our research and intel, look what we can try to stop from happening. "We are ready we have it all.. " We have your back, we'll find the enemy. We are watching.


I hope Snowden likes Russia.




And I mean that, in a polite loving neighborly way.
Thanks for thinking of me Ed, unfortunately I think that I pick the NSA.
Pointing out the obvious, Snowden you will now go down in history for telling people what they already know.
Hey Ed now that you're in cohorts with every other nation but America, tell your pal Germany not to be pissed! (even though they are spying on us right back) You may have been trying to stand up for us USA folk, but you handed some mighty powerful folks the dagger to make a big mess.

Undecided

I'm doing my analysis on the Utah National Guard's youtube video behind the scenes footage of a shooting of a calender, which they have been heavily scrutinized and reprimanded for. Would the culture of the state that they created this footage in have anything to do with the widespread coverage of this event. How do people even know about this? YOUTUBE.

Or I'm doing my analysis on the Ebola outbreak and the U.S. sending military forces to help treat those affected in Africa, also touching on the debate of whether or the returning troops will have to face mandatory quarantine in Italy for twenty-one days. Should they just get to go home after deployment, shouldn't we trust their medical precautions while they are there. However, the last thing we need is for the public to be aware that the U.S. military brought Ebola back home.

Religion IOS8

The fact that this was our topic in class today is eery.
Stupid October.
(I hate halloween)

It was eery because I had just written my next Thearmysdaughter blogpost.
It still is living in my notes section of my iphone, I'm stumped on this post.
Explaining Thearmysdaughter page name is harder than I expected.

All because of religion.
Breaking down the why of the name kind of gets religious for me.
Daughter is instrumental in this project, it's a huge compliment to the Army. By putting daughter behind Army, the meaning goes beyond being a traditional (My dad's daughter) and nontraditional  (the community's daughter) daughter. I relate it to being a daughter of God. I take it very seriously, it molds the kind of daughter I am in other areas of my life.

How do I explain that without diving into religion. Is it the wrong move to incorporate God into my blog? Will that change my audience? People could build a wall. How do I get them to understand?

Can I even explain why I chose to name my blog that without telling them what being a daughter means to me?

I really hate even caring about what people think.
But that's part of being human, I have to see things from the other sides.
I have to try and understand.
Hesitating to share my religion is just not something I do. I'm surprised that I'm apprehensive, I'm public about being religious and LDS on twitter, facebook, and among my peers.
Religion on the internet is expanding quickly, is it the norm to add that to my blog? Or will it throw me into the hot seat?

That's a scary thought. I'm aware that any time I get into a religious debate or arguement, I'm going to lose. People's facts and evidence are going to trump my insisting that there's a "feeling".
Good for me, and good for them. That's what I have to say?

When we talked about our generation being more skeptical, I sank in my seat. TRUTH.
People might even be able to guess from my social media that I'm not a perfect Latter Day Saint. In fact, I've been inactive for the past six or seven years. With social media, you get to see way more, you get to see people who criticized you years ago, messing up or in bad situations now.

I'm skeptical because I play into watching and waiting for the next person to mess up.
When I was fifteen, I got kicked out of seminary in my new ward. I was on swim team and the team had yearbook photos, all of us had to wear our team shirt and a pair of jean shorts. I wore shorts to seminary and my Bishop asked me not to come back. I visited the town I lived in seven years ago this summer, and learned that the Bishop who publicily embarassed me had been excommunicated because of a long going affair with a younger woman in the ward. I immediately called my parents and told them, my dad said something like "Hallelujah, that jackass"........


We were pumped. Social media lets me glimpse at other people's lives, it has it's ups and downs.
In some ways it has shattered my character, preying on my flaws and occasional weak resistance to pride and relishing in other's failures. On the other hand, my life has been changed, I get to see people in a different way, and be excited for most of their accomplishments and acheivements.


Internet is affecting religion because how you react to what you intake and perceive is usually rooted in some type of religious teaching lesson or principle. Because religion is a culture.


Or maybe I'm just getting older and so skeptical is one of those things I'm starting to gain in old age.
And when we talked about Columbus briefly.
My mom is too cool.
I'm Native American, like... Certificate of Indian Blood registered, real deal kind. Scholarship reservation going I check that denomination when I apply for jobs, take a standardized test etc.
I always knew to be skeptical about history, because until I went to high school my mom would come into my class and teach about Native Americans (my tribe specifically) the week of Columbus Day.
I learned to appreciate and respect both sides of the story. Of course I've always leaned towards the Native American account of what happened, but I listened to Columbus's journey every time teachers taught it to me. So perhaps I've been steered towards being skeptical from the beginning with my mom educating me, I know to question and examine and decide for myself, I think.

So I don't blame other people for having doubts, and I don't blame myself for wondering if my blog is the right place to put religion. Ideally, I'd love to include it in my blog because I always try to live by the idea that I want to be really hard to offend... I want to try and understand as best I can.... so I'd be thrilled if that same kind of courtesy was present in my blog audience, like the fact that I am a Daughter of God wouldn't make what I'm saying less relevant..

Sink or Swim

The last line of my previous post was, "I believe in education. I just don't know what kind."

I haven't heard that new idea.
The inspiration and passion for the fight in education isn't there. Mostly because of the depth and range of the problems. There's too many.
I often fall back from projects because I feel like they're too big. I hate cleaning my room when it has reached hurricane level destruction. And it is tremendously easier to clean up a bathroom that has been somewhat maintained. When it has reached filth, I shy away. I feel like that is the same situation regarding school. I don't know what it will take for an idea to be produced that will be a part of the maintenance of the school system. The maintenance being the analogy of fixing and cleaning up as we go in order to reach a clean fresh workable system.

Maybe that inspiration isn't there because the whole system needs to be dumped. No revamps just complete revolution. It is possible that many small consistent changes are not the answer or the way. Maybe that's why no ideas have sparked for me.


In my previous post, I wrote something along the lines of I used to know that I could be anything I wanted, and that confidence is long gone. Why do you have to help someone find their niche (build a personality) AND shatter their confidence on the way. Professor Young talked about his son changing his demeanor, and also experiencing a drastic confidence shift after attending school at a young age. Could this be more prevalent than we have acknowledged? If the answer is starting small, start with that. Monitor confidence. Boost it in a constructive way. Don't over trophy every kid but let them know that if they aren't comfortable in front of a class room speaking, it doesn't mean they don't have a" room working" personality, it doesn't mean that they don't belong on debate team and at the head of some corporation, it means that they WORK on it. If they want to be good at it, they have every chance to work on it and try. Don't let them sink at it the first time they try, help them tone and build swimming muscles to get them to where they want to be.

If the answer is huge, absolute reworking all at once, then I hope somebody has their thinking cap on cause I've got nothing.

"We don't need no education..."

The video we watched in class today was stirring.
Hopefully for everyone.
Can you think of an individual that the education system has failed?

I mean that pun intended.
Failed, and failed. The letter kind, and the regular kind.
How about all of us?
At one point or another we have all failed something, school, a quiz, a paper, a presentation..

Easily, I'll name five hundred people that public education has failed.

Don't ask me to name them because I will.

Here are a few of my key thoughts as we watched that video.

I have a deaf older sister who went to mainstream school her entire life. I'm not a stranger to adovocating for students that don't fit the norm education is trying to produce. Is it even possible to argue for someone who needs a place and a fair opportunity in a system that is already corrupt, a system that doesn't have a place for her because she isn't the same as everyone else. In fact even if she focused everything she's got into trying to be what the school system wants, she won't achieve it. She's never going to be like anybody else. So instead of applauding and appreciating that, the school system says " oh gosh, how are we going to make this work"

I have the same kind of frustration for students on the spectrum, diagnosed/undiagnosed with any shape or form of condition or disease. (- I'm trying to be politically correct with terms I'm not learned on so please excuse my twisted way around that sentence) Instead of throwing pills their way, spend some money. Create an opportunity for them to thrive, there has to be a way. It's easier to let people slip through the cracks than face things head on. Sad isn't it, it's easier to forget about someone than to care about them. Weird when one of our basic HUMAN instincts is supposed to be caring and helping.

School is about money.
Wishing it wasn't won't do any good, neither will pretending it isn't.
The cirriculum is usually based out of a textbook that comes with a hefty price tag.
Then you get graded on it.

And you know what else?

Some of the most vile bullies I've ever encountered have been teachers or school administraters.
After I've bitched and griped I usually find myself giving them the benefit of the doubt.
They are a product of the school system, they are the successes.
I'm not. Clearly. Thank sweet goodness for that.
I believe they've fallen victim to the stupidity that we are lawfully required to participate in (school).
They tell you how to act, how to behave, and how to be successful. Then they adamently shake their heads when you don't conform,
disagree or don't measure up.

They blame it on lazy generations that don't care and require structure.
No, it's the content. It's the personalities and the deliverence.
It's the dumb goals, and heartless nonsense policies.
I think in school it is important to recognize when you are the problem, or at least when you're participating in the problem.

I know when I'm being a poor student, I know when I'm giving less than my best. I know when I'm my problem. The terra nova or the FCAT don't know me and they'll never know my brain. When are the folks in charge going to get it?

It's interesting, Sweden believes in supervised play until a child turns eight years old.
They dress up and have tea parties and scream and sing, until they are eight.
No book reports, reading assessments, placements tests, gifted programs...
What were ya'll doing at eight years old?
I was learning cursive and long division.
Hmm, isn't Sweden named the happiest country in the world?
Could that be connected?

My advice to those Swedes? Hold on to that, cherish it and play til the cows come home.
I chuckled to myself when we started class with Professor Young's childhood.
I had a similar upbringing, forts, banged up elbows and knees, catching tadpoles and digging massively big holes. I played in quick sand, and ran around the block during hurricanes. Back then, I really knew I could do anything, that confidence is long gone.

I want to be a mother one day.
Now I'm forward thinking asking myself, am I going to be hung up on my kiddo knowing how to distinguish between colors on my ipad and recite the alphabet or am I hoping my little one has had like forty five splinters from trying to hop a fence? Do I want my kids to have grass stained blue jeans or a pristine score on some educational iPad app?

Am I going to be disappointed in my kids not getting an high A on their assignments.
Am I going to anxiously await their Terra Nova scores in the mail.
Gosh I hope not.

The video kind of led me on a tangent
I believe in education. I just don't know what kind.

Location (Bette Haley Shelby) Connect the Dots

Location has always mattered, think of the infamous phrase "location, location, location", important enough to say three times.

There's a comfort in knowing where you are, where your children are, being able to know the whereabouts of your pet.......

this information is accessible through the WWW (world wide web), and once it's on the WWW, it's a free-for-all. The information is accessible by everyone. You don't own where you are anymore, everyone has the right to that information, especially through the convoluted mess of terms of agreements. They have that right because YOU gave it to them. You "agreed".

The article on Gigaom.com written by Ryan Kim titled "Location: where is the new who" states, "Cell phones are the king of the location-based world." The location based world is expanding because the population of cell phone users is growing. Cell phones are becoming more affordable, the majority of people are cell phone owners. In fact, probably every person in our class owns a mobile device. 


Scary,
what will the courtrooms sound like?

a victim of a stalker says, "You can't just follow me everywhere, that's invasive."

and the stalker replies with, "Well why did you tell me exactly where you were, via facebook or twitter? You invited me here, or else why would you put it out there?"

Argue that one.

That's a nightmare I'm not prepared to face, but how do you stop it without halting innovation and progression and limiting yourself to the advancements of this age?


Who recognizes this?

Pros: why it is helpful and beneficial
Cons: why it is invasive

GPS
Pro: finding a destination, locating where you are hiking or driving
Con: businesses link into people who have accessed them because they've been near their store and they flood your email and home with coupons and deals

RFID (radio-frequency indentification)
Pro: useful for pet owners, medical identification/history, tracking license plates
Con: where else can these micro chips be placed discretly? especially on a network that you've already given permission to have your location?, Hacking

Facebook
Pro: someone FB chats with you from your group project at school and they went on vacation and you see from their location that they are back in town so you can meet with them promptly
Con: what if you didn't want your group partner to know you were back in town, you would have had to of been aware and remember that the location is telling on even a fb chat

Near Field Communication
Pro: card free
Cons: hacking, accidental purchases because of proximity to receivers



http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sharon-vinderine/geotagging_b_3165873.html



http://www.postplanner.com/9-things-you-should-never-share-on-facebook/

This article's tips emphasises how it is a bad idea to put one’s address online, or even “check-in” at one’s home.


This article goes over not posting about travel plans.
http://netsecurity.about.com/od/securityadvisorie1/fl/What-Not-to-Post-on-Facebook-While-Youre-on-Vacation.htm

This site gives a few more tips on vacation posting dos and don’ts.

here goes nothing

http://thearmysdaughter.blogspot.com




https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thearmysdaughter/343975895775613?ref=hl

Starting from Zero (fb profiling)

My vision for this Facebook page has been twenty-two years in the making, which means it's starting at zero. Initially, I will not have a single like. This is a brand new endeavor and it has the potential to push me past comfort zones that I don't even know. I may have to censor myself in an unexplored way. I'm starting a blog, I want it to reach the military community and I want it to be specific to the people that have grown up Army. If it is explored by people with no military affiliation, I am okay with that but it's directed to get military kids to feel like they belong. I want them to find comfort and I want them to be able to identify with my words on some level. I want to inspire them to write about their feelings and understand that the way they live is as unnormal as can be. There is a significant chance that military kids won't ever feel like they belong somewhere, so I want them to create one, a place they belong. Create a space where they can voice what it's actually like, how they deal with parents who go through the unthinkable.

I plan to create a Facebook page that promotes my blog and helps it reach the public and my past communities. I want to allow for a glimpse into the life of an Army kid, the perspective, the humor, the hurts, the triumphs and the way we understand our parents even. It's personalized to my perspective, my understanding, and so on. I won't argue that every military brat feels the way I do, or even could utilize this outlet, but I think that on some level someone somewhere is going to touch base with where I'm coming from. Sometimes I've ached for someone to say, yeah me too, and now that I am far away from a military community I am going to create that possibility through the internet and social networks. I don't want to lose touch with the people that have been, and always will be my family. I want to remember the stories that often get lost and unrecognized and I want to keep our struggles on the front burner because they matter.

I've had a relationship with the Army from moment zero, born on one of the largest military bases in the USA. I recognize that every bone in my body is army, and I've never even enlisted. I didn't sign my life over to the Army, I just was. Everyday has been a give and take system, army has me endure some roughage, and then propels me into something astounding. I'm the daughter of a retiree, and at that ceremony, me and the army squared up, we said alright our contract has been met. But, that is a load of bologna, I still believe I owe something to the army, and this is my way of coming through  for it cause in the end it came through for me. And still does.



Who....
Cares.....

The brand spanking new army wife
 of a private first class who has not two stinking clues about the army what in the world she is getting into. She may browse the internet for some sort of support group and pass by my page with a link to a blog about army kids. Funny, she was just talking to her soldier about when they want to start trying for kids. Secretly, she's a little nervous, one because she's heard brats are kind of trouble and she's stressing bringing a baby into the world on her pfc's salary. AH!(rightfully) She's 23 and she enjoys my young perspective and my honesty. Her husband has been in the army like a minute and she wrote and wrote him all through basic. She wants to know what it's going to be like when she has a baby in this culture. How she can answer questions that her family and friends ask her about her new life she's beginning when she is still figuring it all out herself. She may not even be aware that she is about to bring an army kid into the world one day... She's from Delaware and she's shipping out to Fort Benning, Georgia in a week, she's excited but terrified to leave the town she grew up in and planned to raise all her babies in.



The brat
the other me-s. The 19 year old kid who goes out to college in cedar Utah that doesn't realize Utah has a smaller military community and misses that feeling of support. He's hours away from a military base and his family is stationed in Heidelburg, Germany. He may want someone to know what the crap he's talking about when he says that he doesn't want to go eat at mcdonalds he would rather go chow at the DFAC, what the what? ( thats what his college roommate from sandy utah says, the dfac?) How do you explain something that was never even explained to you, it was just there. Uh, the dfac, the mess hall. thats where we get our chow on. They'll be like yeah I dunno what you mean by that sounds gross. The brat might want to hear me talk about four years ago (before the giant furloughs, when the DFAC used to do lobster and crab leg days) He may find comfort in reading an article of someone who has experienced something similar to him, for nostalgic purposes and homesick days.

The boy
who's dad died on the deployment that all our dads were on. The one that gets to see us years later via Facebook photographs going to our university football games with our dads. His dad didn't make it, and he gets to remember that everyday. Guess what? All of us remember it too, everyday, we just don't say so. He will seek my page and see me talking about it like it was yesterday proving that the occurrence, can't be forgotten because its a part of me too. He's going to feel a tie to the community that will always his family even if we all have to move on with our lives. He will get to see that I'm having a hard time with it too, he's not the only one even if my Facebook page makes it look like I'm carrying on just fine. Instead of burying deep down to pretend like it can't touch him, he might see that it's okay to talk about it, and it could be theraputic to write about it. Because instead of him bottling it up, I'd love to know what he's thinking about it. If his thoughts have changed or grown or worsened over the years.

The teenager
whose dad is gone. He's been gone a week and it all just hit her. How do you get along, "Can my dad really miss my hs graduation? How do i stay connected. How do i even know what he's really going through right now? His emails say he's fine he's tired but its great and they are progressing everyday.. "do your hw and practice the piano an extra hour this weekend" This blog might help her find humor or deep compassion for her dad, and it can help her not forget about him and the reality of the situation when sometimes you get so used to them being gone you chalk it up as a smaller deal. Don't get in the routine of, I miss him, I missed him yesterday, I'm going to miss him tomorrow so why boo hoo about it. NO. Miss him, feel it. Feel it worse on some days and feel it less on others. Miss him everyday but don't ever get used to it.

Refresh (Diane Rehm)

First and foremost can I say that I am so glad that I had a childhood before technology took over. The value of rollerblading, front porches, waterfights, well it's not lost on me. I'm lucky and I know it. Second, was it difficult for anyone else to listen to Diane Rehm's voice? Sure it was nostalgic to hear such a aged voice and hear her echo the words of my grandparents, but it basically lulled me to sleep, in the best way. I had to listen to the talk show through twice, I was aching for the whole thing to be typed up into words so I could re-read and make sure I wasn't lost especially with the multiple guests and the occasional callers. Then those commercials, wow what a tune. This isn't sarcastic, I really did enjoy the show especially the context, the discussion was interesting. The topic generally was made up of information that I have heard before though, this time I wasn't halfheartedly listening. Did i just admit that I halfheartedly listen when my grandparents tell me I'm too consumed in my mobile device? Shoot. I usually listen good. Swear. I started dwelling on the talking points they covered quick, like "Hey Bette do you realize most of your relationships in your life are online centered, like ballpark 80%? Uh, thats over half." But why. You heard her say that folks out in Sardinia are living much longer lives, while you're generically liking one of your pals photos on instagram.

Okay Diane, I hear ya. Internet is like crack to me and I soak up data like crazy. Guilty. I'm a military kid though, I've moved on average of every two years of my life, or something like that I quit keeping track a really long time ago. One of the age old sayings associated with the military life is, "Goodbyes are never forever", social media has given that saying a giant supportive boost. I know inherently that I am going to see my military comrades again, I'm going to run into a teacher I had back in Alaska at an airport someday, I might see a church friend from Italy down at Lake Powell. I don't doubt the happenstance and chance that life gives, but facebook and texting and skype, it's all connected that further. It's upped the possibility. I can keep up with the comings and goings and triumps and disappointments of all of my peers that I don't live anywhere close to. My inner circle, it's small and why wouldn't it be I've shown up to towns not knowing a soul but my family. My outer circle has tripled doubled and just grown with each and every move. I feel lucky to have gotten to meet all these people, and I would feel stupid if I didn't do my best to maintain those relationships. So yes, I am going to spend alittle more time on the internet corresponding with my relationships that due to distance, I have to keep up on the world wide web. If I see my swim teammate from tenth grade is going to be in Vegas because I saw on his facebook, well I am going to make the effort to go see him. Skype and gmail allowed my dad to tell me he was proud of me from eight hundred billion miles away, should I have been hiking or volunteering somewhere instead? I have logged too many hours on a number of sites, but I can't regret that. A handwritten letter is also a means of communication but facebook is a tool at your fingertips that connects you to not just one household but hundreds of people. I'm not shelled up in my apartment neglecting potential relationships because I'm too busy caring about my online outside circle, but while I am out there building new relationships I am checking my cell phone occasionally. Could I be missing out, and wasting valuable time, sure. But I am also smiling cause someone who was significant to me just got an A on their first college paper at Brown University, that information could of waited. But why wait. If that information can travel faster than faster, lemme hear about it faster than fast. Or.. read it.
Do I know my neighbors? No. But how many times has that been true in my life? Tons of moving trucks are proof of that. Doesnt bother me now because I've never really known my neighbors. If the situation arises, I'll chat them up no problem but they dont necessarily come first before my existing friends just because my neighbors are around in the flesh. I would absolutely feel more singled out and flattered if one of my friends actually called me to tell me that they are engaged rather than seeing a photo of it on my feed, I would love to hear the excitment in their voice and the nervous laughs but I'll take a photo and a caption over nothing at all any day.
I can say that I agree with the show, get off your phones back away from the laptop but I'd be a hypocrite. The web is vital for me, dramatic I know, but it's vital because I value these blurbs I get from people from my past. I know I get a narrow scope of their life, I get what they put out there, which diminishes some of the realness but so what. I'm not opposed to spending less time on my phone, I can start to cut back slowly and see what occurs with that change. However, I'm still going to check my phone, alot.