Life's Accomplishments!

People start dreaming at an early age. Little girls dream about being princesses or owning a candy store. Some of these dreams may turn into their "Big Five for Life", but most of them will fall into the clouds of lost dreams. My "Big Five for Life" are things that I have thought about doing and I don't think my life will be satisfied without accomplishing them. My first "Big Five for Life" was going to see Israel. In April of 2010 I traveled across the world and was in the Jewish Homeland for a week. I climbed down Masada and floated in the Dead Sea. Going to Israel was one of the best weeks in my life and allowed me to check one of my "Big Five for Life" off the list. My second "Big Five for Life" is to graduate college and start a career. I am so glad to be able to say that I am already in the progress of checking this one off my list. My third "Big Five for Life" is to backpack around Europe. I have already been to France, England, and Poland, but I want to see the Lennon was in Prague and eat pizza in Italy. My fourth "Big Five for Life" is to have a family. I grew up in a big family and I can't wait until I have my one of my own. I don't have a fifth "Big Five for Life" yet, but I'm not worried because I'm sure I will have one in the years to come. I might even already have one, but not know it yet. If I accomplished my "Big Five for Life" before I die, I think I would consider those parts of my life a success, but I am a person who is always wanting more. I love trying new things and going to new places! I don't see my "Big Five for Life" for life changing as time goes on, but I do think my list will grow past the number five. No factors will make me re-evaluate my "Big Five for Life" that I have now because they are things that I will bend over backwards to accomplish. 

Masada

 

STOP RAPE!

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According to a 1996 sponsored survey by Department of Justice of 4,446 women, rape is forced sexual intercourse including both psychological coercion as well as physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s). This category also includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object such as a bottle. Includes attempted rapes, male as well as female victims, and both heterosexual and homosexual rape. Attempted rape includes verbal threats of rape. 90% of victims of assaults that occur on campus say they know the perpetrator. The National College Women Sexual Victimization (NCWSV) discovered that seven months prior to the study, 1.1% of college women had been a victim of an attempted rape and 1.7% had been a victim of a completed rape. The survey concluded that annually about 5% of female college students will victimized and 25% will be assaulted by the end of college. Two ways to prevent rape are by supporting a healthy norm in college campuses and by providing students with a safer environment by installing emergency call boxes and surveillance cameras. 


I believe this is a very important issue to discuss on school campus'. I think there should be mandatory school lectures that talk about sexual assault and its impacts on peoples lives. So many people lives are being ruined by this horrid act and it needs to be stopped. I think that if we had someone talk to all college freshman about the safety precautions on campus, this will promote a campus atmosphere free of fear and intimidation. I personally could make sure that I never walk alone at night and that none of my friends do either. 

Risky Facebook

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Five Hidden Dangers of Facebook by CBSNews explains that there are more than 400 million people have Facebook accounts. The first danger that they review is that a third party can view users posted information. Every time users play a Facebook game, they are downloading an application to their page that shares some of their personal information with a third party. The second danger is that every time Facebook changes their layout, users privacy settings get switched back to the unsafe default mode. This happens a few times a year and Facebook does not alert its users of these changes. The next two dangers go hand-in-hand, they are that some Facebook adds have malware and that some of Facebook users  friends may may make them vulnerable to malware. For example, the article talks about the 419 scam which is when a Facebook account is hacked and the hacker claims to have been mugged in London. The hacker asks for money to be wired over to them, but the money is really going to Nigeria. The final danger is that fake profiles are being made by scammers. Last year there was a study done that came to a conclusion that 40 percent of Facebook's profiles are fake. People are sharing private information with people they do not even know. These are all very important things to think about before they post information on their Facebook. 


I think all the ideas presented in the article are very important to review and think about. I understand that having a Facebook is dangerous and that people all over the world can figure out what I am doing and when I am doing it, but my Facebook is very important to me. I have friends who live all over the world and Facebook is such an easy and convenient way to communicate with them. Also, it is an easy way to share pictures from nights out and allows people to talk through messages with up to 20 people. I can't think of any other way to do that. Although I am a true believer in Facebook, I am going to seriously consider all of the dangers that come with owning an account. 

Beer Punch

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/bernard_brewery_beer_mug?size=_original


The advertisement is a picture of a man holding a mug full of beer. There is a picture of a woman's face where the handle is. The advertisement uses a clever way to share their message that when someone loses control of their drinking, it may lead to abuse. The creator of this advertisement used all of the space that was given and covered it with graphics and left no white space. The add states that most beer consumed in Europe is by Czech Republic men. This causes them to go home and be aggressive towards their families.


I believe this is a very persuasive add because the mug causes people to look at what might happen if they drink too much. They might have a beer too many and go home and take all their aggression out on their loved ones waiting for them. Too many people are victims of abuse that was caused from too much drinking. I think every bar should have to have mugs like these and ones that prevent drunk driving. 

Stereotypes

      The youtube video, Why Men Don’t Talk to Women, is a stick figure of a man who keeps on asking woman when they are going out or that he likes their shoes. Every time he goes up to a woman and begins to talk, she kills him and then he goes on to the next girl without any remorse. He finally finds a girl that allows him to talk, but only after he tells her that he has money. The central message that the author is trying to communicate is that the only thing women care about in men is money and that men don't care about the women he left behind. Also, the author shows the man walking past a bigger girl. This is the only girl that he didn't stop to talk to. This is trying to show that all men are shallow and just want a small girl that is portrayed as beautiful in the media. I disagree with the author's viewpoint about why men don't talk to women because not all women only want money. Most men and women actually care about what each others feelings and what they have to say and not only money and looks. 

Our Heroes

November 11th is Veterans Day. It is a day to recognize on the men who have served for our country. Both posters are very powerful and moving. The first poster is taken from www.kickacts.com and shows the sun shining through an American flag. The sun is peaking through dark clouds which represents America succeeding through all of the hard times. Although I love the first poster, the second poster inspires me more. The second poster was found on https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYntDPuH-Wm-hPBbblnx4v8sQMYa0eL1WiGErBC6PIiF_FHj3ZCStUnCNlGIqWzY8phgUXBBHQPFYeij9LEHWRRFZqhLMjsa2RlE9KPaWQ6OvTGEwaIEgP3frWwVjSI1co_yl3PokA4kZT/s400/veterans_day_poster.jpg. It is a picture of a combat boot footstep in dirt. The footstep represents all men that have served for our country, are serving, and will serve. The only coloring on this picture are the words "Veterans Day" written across the bottom. This is because color would get rid of the rugged feeling of the picture. Thank you to all of our soldiers!

Go SlideRocket!!!!

I used SlideRocket as the technology tool in my reflection. I chose this particular tool because I feel that it makes the best presentation out of all of the choices we were given to choose from. I think SlideRocket allows my information and pictures to be in a well arranged formation. I had a really good experience while using SlideRocket because it was really easy to navigate and I watched the tutorial of how to make a presentation before I even started. If I were to revise this assignment, I would change the layout to make it more interesting to watch. This will help make my reflection better. 


My Midterm Reflection Assignment Part II

Hit the Road....

Passing cars left and right on the highway. Both are envied by other drivers on the road. I love driving my Audi TT Coupe and riding on the back of my dad's Harley Davidson. Although they are alike in some ways, both give you completely different experiences even when driving to the same location.

My Audi TT Coupe and my dad's Harley Davidson both have black shiny paint jobs and black leather seats. On bright sunny days, I am blinded from the refection of the sun beaming off of the chrome rims of both vehicles. Even though my car has four seat belts, my backseat is so small that only two people can fit in my car, just like on my dad's bike. My dad uses his side pockets with fringes and buckles hanging off of them, to hold everything he needs when hitting the road. My car is a little more roomy when it comes to storing things. You wouldn't guess it by the look of it, but I have the biggest trunk!

My car is to nice drive in when I just want to sit back and have a chill ride to my destination. I hook my Ipod up to my car and blast my latest playlist. I roll the windows down and have my hair blow in the wind just enough to feel the fresh air on my neck, but not enough to mess my hair up. When I'm on the back of my dad's bike, I feel like my whole body is flowing with the wind. It allows me to have peace and quiet thinking time with sound of the wind hitting against my helmet as my music. It's such a nice feeling on hot days when I feel the hot sun mixed with the fast winds. 

When riding on the back of my dad's motorcycle, i feel the urge to get my own motorcycle license even though my mom would kill me if I ever did. I support my dream of one day owning my own Harley by having a Harley Davidson sticker on my back windshield. Both modes of transportation are enchanting rides and get me where I need to be. 

Coke and Pepsi Challenge

The following is a comparison-contrast of two commercials: Christina Aguilera's Coca Cola Commercial and Britney Spears' Pepsi Commercial. 


In the Coca Cola commercial, a boy named Teddy wins a chance to go on a date with the 90s star Christina Aguilera. Coca Cola made more of a comedic commercial. Every time the boy saw Christina, he would faint later talked about how he knew him and Christina would "hit it off". The Coca Cola logo is only shown three times in the commercial. I think Coca Cola was able to be more subtle with the appearance of their product because it is such a huge company that is well known. People were able to enjoy the commercial without being bombarded with the logo, but still knew what the commercial was trying to sell and promote. 


Pepsi's commercial starts with "Pepsi: Cola" in lights and then goes straight into Britney Spears dancing. She is decked out in Pepsi delivery man outfits, surrounded by the trucks, and is later joined by others wearing the apparel. Pepsi makes sure that everyone who is watching the commercial knows what it being promoted. I like that not only was she dancing while wearing the Pepsi logo, she also used the brand name in her lyrics. 


Coke and Pepsi have been competing to be the best for many years. Although Coke is still in the lead. I enjoyed both commercials for different reasons. I did not feel like Coca Cola was forcing their product on me, but Pepsi made their product seem much more refreshing. This is one competition that I don't see coming to an end in the near future. 

Stolen Words

      The growing use of technology has made it easier for students to "copy and paste" work off the Internet into their papers. Our generation has grown up in a time where information on just about anything is just one click away. The only problem with this is that a lot of this information does not have a listed author. This allows people to believe that they do not have to cite the information and that it is there for anyone to use. The amount of people who believe taking information from the Internet is a serious crime is declining. They do not understand that using other peoples words is stealing and is a serious matter. This was all explained in the New York Times article, Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age.
      I agree with the article in that plagiarism is a serious crime and that students do not take it seriously enough. It is unfair for someone to have worked on on a piece of writing and put it on the Internet for other people to read and expand their knowledge on the subject just to have it stolen from them and not get any credit. I know what this feels like because in my marine class in high school, we worked in groups while doing lab assignments. I would always make sure that I did my share of the work because I hate when people just sit there and copy after not doing work the whole class period. There was this one kid that was always in my group and while the rest of us were finding answers, he was always texting on his phone. When class was almost over he would always rush to copy our answers. I hated when he did this because I would have much rather text the whole class time and not do any work, but I knew that was not fair to the rest of my group. People should be penalized for plagiarizing and should not be able to take credit for other peoples work. 

The Studious Ball of Fur

Teddy's life can be extremely grueling, especially when working on the finances. When just a petite pup, Teddy was a gorgeous white with a hint of tan here and there.  After the stress of supporting a family of six, Teddy has turned into a dull tannish-red, and clearly has forgotten what it's like to take a quick trip to the groomers.  With most of his time taken up by work, unfortunately Teddy also forgoes bathing every now and then, leaving a mortifying smell lingering around the entire house.  After a long tough day at work, it's no surprise Teddy drags his poor old paws across the chilly tile floor to hit the sack.  Not very exciting, but poor old Teddy doesn't seem to mind after doing this for thirty-five dog years.

Deliciousness In my Hand

Mhmmmm.... The sweet savory taste of the melting chocolate touching your lips. It smells like a little piece of heaven in your hands. When I devour Hershey Kisses, it is though I'm listening to the Oompa Loompa's from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory singing. When you finally swallow the small bite of happiness, you are only left wanting more.