Computer Application 2 Final Blog Post

So I just finished a very successful first year of college and I feel good but if there was anything I miss now it has to be high school. This was the most direct time in my life yet. I had so much free time in college and I dint know what to do with it. At least in high school there would be a time and almost a place for everything. Now I just go with my own flow. As an adult of course this is great but then it leaves me time that I can’t occupy. Something else I could never say I hated was the rule. Everybody knows rules are to keep bad thing from happening usually. Well there aren’t that many of those at college and I tell you with the college I go to we need some rules. So bad things won’t happen to people.

My best critical analysis post was “Internet Communi.. What? (Critical Analysis)” I think this was my best one because through all the critical post that we had to do this was one that interested me and excited me the most. Probably because it was about phones and even newer the iPhone and everybody like an iPhone. A question I still have from that is when is sprint going to get the iPhone so I can be cool like everybody else?

I might every now and then put up a blog post but I doubt it will be often. If I do though they will all be about my daughter and what she’s learning how to do and how much fun her and I will be having all summer long and how it will be difficult in the beginning but I will eventually be able to get the hang of it and I will soon be a pro.

When people start telling me that they are looking for a job I’m definitely going to tell them to make a brazen careerist so they can connect with people and try to find jobs for themselves. Hopefully it won’t be a lot of teens though because they like to overtake websites. I probably won’t really recommend about.me because most young people don’t have those sites and therefore probably wouldn’t do any good for us.

Basic things that cause digital divide are age and knowledge in my opinion. Mainly because even though we think that were young now and we know everything. All the generations behind us and that are still to come will know way more than we do and again we will be the old people who barely know how to use the newest thing in technology. A step that I could take to make sure to stay on top of the game is hopefully have a job that makes it so I have to deal with teens or children that could keep me afloat so I can always be part of the in crowd!

Well I already know that literacy means to know something, and if your illiterate then it means that theres something that you don’t know. Therefor ei have to conclude that all the students came into this class “ not knowing” something about the different social media websites that we use some on a daily basis and some that we have never heard of. Things and websites that we will be great full to have made later in life or even in college just the fact that we know about them and how to use them puts us at an advantage.

Its Almost Here!!!

So my baby shower is this coming weekend and I am very excited. That means that one the baby is closer to coming and two, I will have all these pretty girly gifts to have and look at and use. I feel like it has taken forever to get here and I feel like I’ve been planning like crazy. But it’s not like that. I have invited every senior that is in my class and a few from other classes also! I really hope everybody who can brings me a gift especially something I can use, that would be great.

I think I will be okay if everyone who comes doesn’t bring me a gift, but then I would wonder what it was that they came for. Going to a baby shower is one of those events, in my opinion that is like an automatic gift giver. The whole point of it is to give the new parents to be some things to help them along the way and for the baby who you just might want to buy stuff for. It’s not like those other holidays that people might or might not get a gift for, it’s a given!

I’m okay though most of the people who said they were coming have talked about bringing a gift. I guess this is what I get for inviting a whole bunch of teens to and event usually attended my adults. Though there will be adults there (and not just to chaperone) I know they will probably give some good gift also. Seeing as though most of them have already had children and or have been around children long enough to know what an expectant mother would need just in the weeks before the baby is born. After the baby shower the baby will be due in 2 weeks, now isn’t that exciting!

My Computer Beat Yours!

In the article Cyber-warfare ‘is growing threat’ the author describes how attacks on government and different communications systems throughout the world and military infrastructure is becoming a big set up for newly developed cyber warfare. That a cyber-warfare is something that no country is ready for despite advances made in technology over the years. For the countries that are not necessarily on the top technology level as other such as the US and China are, would be the “sore” losers in the new battle. Though lives would be disgruntled in the process of using cyber warfare, there would be physically less lives lost and there would be a significant breakdown in the economic system of that particular country.

Just to think of all the important information that nations keep stored and backed up on their computer and hard drives and different media devices can and maybe even will one day be exploited. That is one way that people will die, not physically but if all their information is gone then its like they were no one at all. then people really would not know who was dangerous and who was not.

Whole economy's would come crashing down, their would be something like a famine just not really with food more with accessibility. President Obama has publicly promised that his administration will protect openness and privacy on the internet, he will have to make choices that will have big repercussions for the future of an over-growing confusion of new communication techniques. my questions are, will America’s networks be entrusted to civilians or to the military? Will cyber security be treated as a kind of war?

File Sharing- Good/ Bad?

The article Artists Break with Industry on File Sharing describes some musicians and artist who think that courts shouldn’t punish the companies that allow file sharing because it is really the person who is downloading the files fault. They believe that even though file sharing companies deprive artist of all their dues, they are a very important way in which people find and are even able to hear those artists’ works. And helps the artist capture a more worldwide audience.

Major recording studios and Movie studios say that by allowing peer-to-peer file sharing it deprives artists of compensation that they would more than likely get if the file sharing was not done or if those who did it were either made to pay the monies owed or given some sort of punishment. Some artist say that if it had not been for illegal file sharing then they would not have as much success as they have today, this is because as stated earlier that is where a lot of artist get "found out". The article mentions about how if it was for file sharing then a lot of just starting out artist would not have made it because the process of being signed by a very known and established label was very difficult.

I believe that even if Record companies and artist continue to sue file sharing companies and even if they win the case and the file sharing company gets put out of business, there will definitely be another one behind it that is probably a little bit better, easier for the consumer to use, and will offer more features. File sharing is a tool that Artist should not necessarily be proud of, but yet should take advantage of because without it some artist wouldn't either be where they are now or they wouldn't be making as far as they are to this day.

I Just Learned how to Steal!!

So putting music on hand-held devices has never really been my thing. Especially when it comes to putting music on my apple devices. I believe this is because when I was young I never really listened to music on my own. I just heard it while in the car with my mommy then I was doused with activities to keep me busy. But the older I’ve become the more into music I became. Interesting isn’t it? Unfortunately with my increase in wanting to hear music I never actually figured out how to get it, unless I bought it from iTunes. But as many other young people at my age then (around 12/13) I didn’t have a credit or debit card or an iTunes gift card for every time we want to get a song.

I had always heard about people getting free music from somewhere places like LimeWire was what I heard of first. I definitely tried that and I’m not going to lie it actually worked for a while, but then the whole legal mess came out about it and I was very hesitant to use it. Plus I didn’t own the laptop that I had downloaded it on, it was a government laptop, so I was intensely nervous. After I stopped using that I actually resorted to getting other people to put music on my devices for me. So I wouldn’t have to struggle myself.

Now especially since I have an iPad I am trying to find out how to get free music so that I can access it easier. Also that is easier to download. Being in my computer Apps 2 class has actually helped me out with that and other things of course. But music was a really hard one for me and I found new websites and easier methods of obtaining and using music sharing websites, for FREE!

Conclusion

Okay I’ve come to the conclusion that TMA’s prom will be boring as all get out. I know people always say things are what you make them, but I just know that it is inevitable that TMA’s prom be boring. Mainly because there will only be TMA seniors there. How we have a prom and only we show up is ridiculous. Out of the whole senior class about 5 or less people are bringing dates. From what I’ve heard some of our own classes aren’t even coming, and to make matters even worse we probably won’t do anything interesting after prom.

I say this because I went to, not the prom itself but just the beginning of DeMatha’s some of the students meeting up together and getting a limo and driving to prom all dressed up. Then their school throws them and after party till 5:00 am at the David Busters. Their prom ends at 12 and they have about 200 people in their senior class.

I’ve concluded that I’m not even excited for our prom. I’m kind of upset I bought a dress that was more than $100, because I don’t really think our prom is worth it. That’s why some of us aren’t going. I kind of feel like I’ve been let down. But I guess I’ll get over it and keep moving in my life. It won’t be something as I get older I’ll be pressed to remember.

Who Doesn't Know??

I’m sure that all of you have realized and heard that Osama Bin Laden has been killed this past Sunday May 2, of 2011. Yea yea same old same old cheer cheer. I feel like I’m that only one who could have went days not knowing let it had not been just as famous as the Will and Kate marriage scene going on. For some reason it didn’t faze me at all. I felt like it was so leisurely unimportant to me that I almost fell back to sleep when my mother told me.

Yet of course the rest of the world was out partying and having it up. I understand that this is a very critical time in our ongoing try to keep America safe. Keeping America safe has been the major goal of almost every person who has some sort of high position. But now i feel like we are all at risk to just get killed at any moment.

Owell, my stance still remains it doesn't really phase me at all. If i was older I would probably have a little more excitement. But trust me I could Live without.

I Need Help Already!!

Okay so I’m only 17 and I like some other and most teens I still get my money from my mommy. Since this is senior year there are a lot of things to be paid for now and before the end of the year. Things such as prom, prom dress, (for me personally) a baby shower, and then just the normal bills and things. So it would be this year that I come to find out that in about 17 years she hasn’t really been saving, anything. No money for college no money for big expenses, nothing, just enough to get pass and get whatever is new out that she wants. She does make a significant amount of money, but we are not rich! Therefore I can’t believe she hasn’t been saving. Also not too long ago, I came to the realization that my mother definitely is a shopaholic. She buys whatever (or almost) whatever she wants. And I don’t know why but she tends to always want a lot. So as we go out to the malls and things on the weekends she will go in a store and rarely come out empty handed. She will talk about how she needs to save or pay for th9is or that and still shop. She just loves shopping and I mean something serious.

The sad part is now, I think I’m becoming just a little bit like that. If I see something I want I usually buy it regardless of price or really whether I need it or not. Now yes I am already spoiled by being an only child but now I’m one expecting to spoil myself and my soon to be daughter and I usually and unusually expect other people to spoil me, but I’m no brat. I just hope that the problem that my mother has I don’t just happened to inherit it. Not saving is something that I just can’t do in all my situations, but lavishly spending is what I like best. This weekend I had to have spent about $200 on things that I probably either could have waited on or just didn’t need. I’m 17 and I already have a bag on layaway that is one about the size of me and that I probably didn’t need, but I can’t wait to get it.
I’m wondering should I get help for this problem which can actually become serious if I let it build and go on since it’s starting at a young age or should I just shop till I drop. Hmmmm. I like the shop till I drop option most!

President Obama believes that bullying is not inevitable and should not be accepted.

In the article that was read President Obama states that he was bullying in his younger years because of the name that he has and the way he looks. He says that bullying is not something that has to happen in order to get through in life. Experts say that bullying in schools creates a higher risk for students to fall behind in their studies, abuse drugs or alcohol, mental problems or other health problems. Students who are seen as different from the other kids are more susceptive to being bullied.

President Obama says that the higher up the bullying rate go the more we will see our academics dwindle compared to young people in academics in other countries. A boy in Massachusetts hung himself in 2009 because some of the kids at his school tormented him on a daily basis. President Obama says that if an atmosphere that is safe and the children can feel like they belong is what is really needed in schools to lower the bullying rate.

Some adults overlook the fact that children are bullied because they believe it is just part of the process of growing up, as stated in the articlce. President Obama says that that is not true. That in order to grow up does not mean that you have to have suffered some type of bullying in the process. He says that if death rates keep going up, as they have been because of bullying out country is going to have to make a severe change.

I Got myLearners Permit

Okay so I went to the hairdresser this weekend, like I always do and this time after the hair dresser I had a plan. My grandmother and I go to the same hair dresser on the same day every 2 weeks so this weekend I had told her that she can no longer go out and about without a valid ID. So this weekend my mother and I had planned to take my grandmother to the DMV so that she could get her non drivers license without her complaining and stuff. It was really so that I could get my learners permit.

So we get there at about 12pm and it not to crowded and because my grandmother is old we got to go to the head of the line (YES!!). Even though the line was like 5 people long. Things seemed to be moving right along in the DMV on the first of the month, shocking. So once I got all of her business done and out the way, I then started to work on myself. I had studied all week long getting prepared to take the knowledge test but I was still nervous.

I sat down to take the test and I was getting all the answers right. Oh boy was I excited! After the first 26 questions the test stopped me and told me that I had pass. I was relieved. I then went to go take my picture for my ID and pay the fee. Saturday was a good day for me. During spring break I plan to attend a driving school. Not that I can’t drive I just need a little extra help. Anyway the last thing on my agenda is to convince my mother to now buy me the car that I want, which is the 2011 Ford fiesta, Green!

I'm Not an Addict!!!

I believe that timing my time spent online is a good way to help with the use and over use of social media networks. I actually kind of do it already. I sometimes actually try not to get on the computer at night when I get home. But if I have to then I try to be off by about 9:30 pm. Going outside would work for me also but not all the time, since its cold outside now. Calling people is something that could work for me but I don’t really talk on the phone that much and I do it on purpose so I would try to avoid that suggestion.

In my opinion I don’t think any teenager with the Facebook or Twitter app on their phone would never delete it unless one of them went out of style or something. Most young people use social media to connect with their family and friends. So going out and making plans usually all takes place on the particular social media, it’s sort of like a meeting place. I think the best thing that a person could do is the social media detox that we did in class. Or something like that, that would ease people away from using social media outlets.

I personally don’t think I am like an excessive addict for over using social media. I do get on like every day, but I only look and sometimes I just get on my phone and refresh my page. If I don’t have any notifications or something I get back off because in my opinion there isn’t that much to do on there anyway.

Yes Facebook!!! Uhhhh NO.

So in class on Monday Mr. Morean informed the class that we would be doing some sort of detox. The detox was from Facebook for I believe 7 days. So that was from that Monday when we received it until this upcoming Sunday night. That is a long time from a social network that we all use, yet I think we can do it. Some of my other class mates thought it would be hard. But I advocated for us and said that I knew we could do it.

Come to find out, the truth is I spoke to soon.  My friend MB has already broken away from the detox and then on top of that did it on the same day we started the detox. He is not a soldier. I don’t believ3e anyone else has broken away from the detox yet I also do not have everybody in the class as a friend on FB so hopefully we can all make it until Sunday.

I personally am doing well with the detox by not getting on FB and I also didn’t think it would be that hard either. In my opinion with all the other stuff we had to do (especially seniors) with all the projects and homework and major assessments that we had do this week the only time I would have had to get on FB was when I was laying in the bed, eyes half open. So I say yes! To the no FB for a week.

I just want you to know... We lost

So we were given this project to do in our Computer Apps 2 class by a lady who worked for social media. The point of the project was to start a trend on twitter about a cause that people cared about. Our class decided our cause would be animal cruelty.  We chose animal cruelty because w know that it is an emotional subject that a lot of people care for. So we go started that Tuesday in class, it was supposed to be done by basically the end of a work day on Thursday.

So in class on Tuesday our class made a “for all” twitter page that everyone in our class would have the password information to. Like I mentioned earlier I wasn’t very excited with this project so I was kind of just chilling back.  Mainly I was just finding organizations that we could follow on twitter such as the Humane Society and PETA.  Some people were doing some tweets in class but not many. Most of us left that class and didn’t think about it anymore, I know I did.

So I get to class on Thursday (the due date) and I’m really excited I’m tweeting away over and over again adding pictures of my own bird and everything. . Then our class page got put in twitter jail and we couldn’t tweet for about the last 10 minute of class. We were reminded to tweet after school up until the deadline time. At first I wasn’t then I ended up in the library for last period so I decided to get on. I say the other schools and how much they were tweeting and then I started tweeting like crazy over and over again saying things about animals. In the end we lost. We had 944 tweets and one of our competitors, Austin, Texas had 1385 tweets. I was so upset. I had sat in the library tweeting my heart out and I don’t think other people in our class remembered, and we lost. We lost $10,000 for our school. I felt bad.

Can't Have 'Nothin' in DC

So this year being my senior year and things changing in my life i started to realize what i needed money for, and then what money i would be coming into. I was at a federal building (in dc of course) there to talk about social security that i was supposed to be getting because of other event that happened. So I’m at the office and I’m filling out the application, when all of a sudden a customer next to me starts getting mad because the person tells him that he’s been trying to beat the system. That he can’t get social security and have a job to because then he would be making too much money to be able to get social security.

I’ve noticed something like this too when us seniors go to apply for scholarships. Everything is based on how much your parents make. If your parents make more than some chart says they should then you won’t get that scholarship or financial aid money. Then in my opinion the numbers that they come up with are stupid. Like whose parent really makes that little with all those people in the house. Also for some reason I never qualify for any of the need based scholarships or financial aid because my mother makes too much. That doesn’t mean I don’t need the money from the outside organizations it just means my mother has a good job that pays well.

So there for in my opinion DC doesn’t want you to have ‘nothin’ because when you do, you won’t get anything from them. They basically want you to be poor otherwise they won’t help you which seem like they’re only focusing on only a particular group of people, one in which I’m not included.

Slummm Party...

Okay so after school Friday when the power went out my friends and I didn’t have anything to do so we just hoped on the train and set off to go anywhere. We ended up going to my mother’s job. By then I had already made plans with my best friend to go to some random tattoo partythat some girl she knew was having. So I left my mother’s job, after getting some money and telling her I was spending the night at my friend’s house. I headed to my best friend’s house. We chilled for a while but then round eight-thirty we left out. The party started at 9 and we got there finally round ten. 

First we got there and it was a birthday celebration for a girl turning 16. They had everything illegal going on there and could you believe her mother was there? It was hard to breathe in that place, and you know I’m pregnant don’t need to be inhaling all that smoke. And then on top of that the tattoo person wasn’t even there. Half the people there were like 18, 19, and 20 or even older, and again her mother was there and into it just as the rest of the teenagers were. A dag on shame!

I could not believe that any parent, especially a mother who would let their daughter engage in activities like this. On top of that the party was slum it was in a small apartment that was kind of dirty and some of the people who were their looked kind of dirty. I and my friends could tell some of those girls didn’t have any type of self-pride at all, wearing and saying who knows what.