Dialed in. Wired up.

Driving and Texting.


Cell phones have been known to distract the driver from concentrating on the road causing numerous accidents. Okay so let’s say your boss wants the latest numbers from today's sales meeting, or a friend wants to set up a place to meet for drinks. Traffic is backed up and you know it would take less than a minute to type a response with your thumbs, so you do.

There is little risk here, you think. And then it happens ... the person in front of you stops more quickly than you expected and you crash into them.

During the claims process your insurance company starts checking your cell-phone communications in the run-up to the accident. Now you've just lost a claim and a heck of a lot of money, all because that text was “oh-so” important.


If you avoid text messaging in your car, you stand a considerably reduced chance of a loss of a claim or a loss of life. Texting while driving, or fiddling with devices including your cell phone, BlackBerry or GPS system, is a leading factor in accidents across the country.

Dangers of Texting While Driving.


Many people today are trying to ban driving while texting (DWT). So we all should just forget DWI because the big new traffic-safety issue is DWT: Driving While Texting. When it comes to teen driving, you might as well put the danger of text-messaging while driving right up there with drunken driving as Public Enemies number one. Text messaging while driving leads the list as the biggest distraction while driving. However, we still continue to text and drive even though in fourteen states it has been banned, but none of this should surprise you! Everyone still reads articles everyday about texting and driving, how it’s way more dangerous than drinking and driving.

“Only two states specifically prohibit texting while driving. Washington banned the practice last May, and New Jersey followed suit in November. Similar bills are now in the works in Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia" (Schulte para 4).

“An estimated 20 percent of drivers are sending or receiving text messages while behind the wheel, according to a Nationwide Insurance study. And, according to another poll, that number skyrockets to 66 percent when drivers 18 to 24 are isolated" (Schulte para 1).

This is what happens,...with texting while driving! This is also very graphic stuff so if you don't like veiwing such things, I wouldn't look...

"There is also a magazine testing on how long it takes to hit the brake when sober, when legally drunk at .08, when reading and e-mail, and when sending a text. The results are scary. Driving 70 miles per hour on a deserted air strip Car and Driver editor Eddie Alderman was slower and slower reacting and braking when e-mailing and texting" (LeBeau).

The results:
• Unimpaired: .54 seconds to brake
• Legally drunk: add 4 feet
• Reading e-mail: add 36 feet
• Sending a text: add 70 feet

Works Cited
LeBeau, Phil. “Texting and Driving Worse Then Drinking and Driving.” 25 Jun. 2009. (WEB).
Schulte, Bret. “Outlawing Text Messaging While Driving.” 11 Feb. 2008. (WEB).

New York Times Article "Earth Day"

In many ways I believe that the world has changed so much when it comes to dealing with “keeping green clean” and helping the earth stay fresh. Earth day was founded about 40 years ago and the big businesses have taken it way out of proportion. Author Leslie Kaufman says in her article, At 40, Earth Day Is Now Big Business, “Many groups now accept money from corporations or partnering with them to change social behavior” (Kaufman, web). So many communities still celebrate earth week, they have an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues. A lot of citizens still have the idea of keeping the earth bright at heart, they love working and cleaning to make their home a better looking place. So many are serious about making shirts and asking college students to get out and help, it’s so important to them, that it kind of seems like a religion. They want it clean and that’s what they’ll work for until it is but according to these big corporations they could care less what it looks like, just so they continue to get their money for making “keep green clean” products. “To many pioneers of the environmental movement, eco-consumerism, creeping for decades, is intensely frustrating and detracts from Earth Day’s original purpose” (Kaufman para 5). Many people have turned to the negative light and the well-known celebration itself has outlived its usefulness, it isn’t the way it used to be.

Earth Day is now observed each year on April 22 in practically every country on Earth. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. It’s a great awareness and appreciation day for the environment and it always will be unless everyone turns out like the big corporation owners and workers.

Kaufman, Leslie. New York Times: At 40, Earth Day Is Now Big Business (WEB).

Driving and Texting. (rough)

Driving and Texting.

Cell phones have been known to distract the driver from concentrating on the road causing numerous accidents. Okay so let’s say your boss wants the latest numbers from today's sales meeting, or a friend wants to set up a place to meet for drinks. Traffic is backed up and you know it would take less than a minute to type a response with your thumbs, so you do.

There is little risk here, you think. And then it happens ... the person in front of you stops more quickly than you expected and you crash into them.

During the claims process your insurance company starts checking your cell-phone communications in the run-up to the accident. Now you've just lost a claim and a heck of a lot of money, all because that text was “oh-so” important.

If you avoid text messaging in your car, you stand a considerably reduced chance of a loss of a claim or a loss of life. Texting while driving, or fiddling with devices including your cell phone, BlackBerry or GPS system, is a leading factor in accidents across the country.

~ Easter ~

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan celebration of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.

The Germans brought the character of the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter it was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.

As with the Easter Bunny and the holiday itself, the Easter egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians.

From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of birth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs (those made of plastic or chocolate candy).



As for my Easter Sunday we had a family get together like everyone else, ate a delicious meal, went out to hunt for Easter eggs, and watched the Blind Side. It was a pretty good day, and I enjoyed spending it with my little brother and sister and the rest of the family.

~Cause and Effects~

-Cause and Effects-

Everyone carries a cell phone these days!

--Cell phones are a large part of our society in this day and age. Everyone from businessmen to country farmers has a cell phone. I admit that I am an avid user of my cellular phone. With the unlimited minutes that my cell phone comes with, I can’t help but to use it for all of my calls.

--Using the smart phones for anything you need to look up on the internet wherever you’re at is very convenient. When many people have car wrecks or they go hiking and they feel the need to call at anytime is also a good advantage.

**Cell phones have been known to distract the driver from concentrating on the road, causing numerous accidents.

**Low level of Radiation

**The negative impact on the environment

**Privacy and data leaks becoming an issue with your service.

Creativity for Life

I think that the Sir Ken Robinson makes an important and interesting subject about how schools these days are killing the chances of creativity. So many people don’t even know their hidden talents and if we learned more with art and less with academics we could have the ability to succeed in either but it depends on what we grew up in life liking better. I also enjoyed the presentation is very funny and certainly mastered but I totally agree that many aren’t as smart with creativity as they are with math, science, and reading. Too many people focus on academics these days thinking that it’s all we need in this world. I think that creativity gives you the fuel to have your own point of view along with originality and appropriateness. I know I don’t like to be made to do something or have to listen to someone else’s view of things for long, I myself like to think of ways to make my own intelligence creative. As he talked about Gillian in this video I think that many just do what others want, like parents making them go take certain classes in school and don’t get to experience the fun things that could turn out as your life-long career in this world. In the future, I wonder how many will turn out having these certain jobs they’ve all went to school for and when they go to their interview, who will have the type of personality a boss will want because of their creativity and so forth.

Winter Fun

As temperatures dive below freezing for the winter and the long nights take hold, it's important to focus on some of the positive things that winter weather can bring us. Without cold weather there would be no snow, no ice, no backyard skating rinks, no sledding, no snow arches to build, and certainly no kite ice butt boarding! So, as long as it's winter time in the northern hemisphere, put on an extra layer, and head outside for some winter time fun.



Winter feels good in so many ways and it’s good for the heart, the head and the soul. Hibernation isn’t a choice any longer. With more winter activities becoming popular, you can find an activity that suits your interest and ability level. I on the other hand have never tried skiing or snowboarding but my brother did and he came home and sat in the tub all day long. I’m sure it’s very tiring and after a couple of hours, you finally start feeling the soreness. Of course, skiing and snowboarding are identical with winter, but have you thought about snow tubing, and cross country skiing? Sledding, a child’s favorite activity can be enjoyed by adults alike. I absolutely enjoy it, my sister, brother, and I all go sledding a lot. It’s a way to get out and have a great day. I do love the winter weather except for all the freezing cold because I’m not exactly used to it. Coming to Wisconsin and actually having it stay and not melt for a couple of days are superior except now I’m ready for it all to melt and get warm! It has been my first long winter actually living in it and it has seemed to be one of the longest times of my life but it’s a different experience so it’s been good. I would much rather have all four season than miss out because having winter makes you enjoy the spring a lot!

Grant the wishes. Everyone feels good. Everybody cries.

Although you cannot wish for something that you believe is impossible to achieve in the real world. So no flying pigs or bringing people back from the grave but if you did get the chance to win a prize and change this world, how would you go about it?

After watching the TED prize video in class, I thought about all the things that anyone could change. I have thought about poverty, so many go without the basic things in life for example clean water, nutrition, clothing, and shelter. Although I wonder sometimes, how many Americans really know what poverty is? Most of the people in this world talk about poverty on television but they don't look like they've ever been poor. Poor folks know firsthand that poverty is more than just a lack of money. It's also a lack of spirit, a lack of optimism about your abilities and resources.



My first wish would be to help with the poor health and nutrition. It’s the main way to keep away the common health problems. Inadequate nutrition in childhood undermines the ability of individuals to develop their full capabilities. The lack of many essential minerals could impair brain development. Almost two billion people in this world are affected by iodine deficiency and an estimated forty percent under the age of four are suffering from anemia because of insufficient iron in their diets.
The second wish would have to deal with homeless people. Even though many have lost their homes because they wasted and threw away their money, I still don’t think anyone should be without a warm bed. Even though a lot of them are just poor and have never had anything, they should still have the ability to feel safe somewhere.



Finally my third wish would be to see that education prices be lowered so many can afford to go to school and be successful in life. Research has found that there is a high risk of educational underachievement for children who are from low-income housing circumstances. Or even for homeless children and poor people. Many children in the United States drop out not completing their high school education. I f people in this world would try and actually work together to become successful, it would be a better place for everyone. Not as many would be living on the streets nor would they have to worry about being poor. A prize is one thing, but the power to use it makes matters better for us Americans. I mean anything is possible, if you just set your mind to it.

Everything Scary

There are some who view scary movies as a product of society in decay, and the increased interest or need for violence to be satisfied. This theory bears some scrutiny, and really in the end doesn’t hold much weight. Even the earliest societies had their “monsters” or stories of gods, men and beasts that committed terrifying horrors. If you think Hannibal Lector in scary, try reading some of the stories in Greek mythology, the ones that are related to cannibalism. Even the bible has its giants, destructions of whole cities, and the wrathful God that may stomp on people until his feet are wet with their blood.

There’s something to the cautionary tale (warning) theory when we watch some scary movies in particular. They do seem to portray chaos that occurs when people venture outside of what is considered societal norms. They have been used in the past to promote themes of how innocence may prevail. A huge criticism of the movie “Halloween” was that the only surviving character was virginal and sexually inexperienced. They make some of these scary films so many will not experience sex and so forth, trying to set values for people. Which is crazy because I never got those values from watching a horror film?

I watched a movie called The Last House on the Left this week and it had to be one of the most vicious movies I have ever seen. Of course I was jumping and screaming every now and then but if someone awful was hurting someone I loved I’d definitely go out of my way to get revenge. It’s sad that people have to kidnap, assault, and kill. It’s depressing to know that we have citizens who are sick in the head and actually find this enjoyable.

Some studies imply that the real draw to a scary movie is the feeling that it is over but many people argue that the reason they like watching scary movies is that they are a way to experience both positive and negative emotions all at the same time. I certainly love watching scary movies, and the adrenaline rush. You know you’re going to be scared but you also know that you’re safe. After all it’s just a movie.

Life is Orange and White

The Tennessee Lady Volunteers stand for the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in woman’s intercollegiate athletics. The lady Volunteers name is derived from the state’s nickname, the “volunteer state,” because of its history of many Tennessee citizens who volunteered to fight in the military. The 1902, UT football team was referred to as “Volunteers.” The name was also applied to the women’s teams when they formed in the 20th century. UT’s lady varsity teams are often referred to as “Lady Vols.”

The softball team has experienced recent success making multiple Women’s College World Series appearances. The WCWS is the final portion of the NCAA women’s softball tournament for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series to determine the Division 1 WCWS National champion. The WCWS takes place at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tennessee played for the 2007 National Championship at the 2007 Women’s College World Series, losing 2 games to 1 to Arizona. The best-of-three championship series as said before featured Arizona and Tennessee. The Wildcats advanced into the series defeating other teams while Tennessee advanced to the championship series by beating Texas A&M, Arizona, and finally Northwestern. Monica Abbott, 2007 NCAA player of the year, had a no-hitter on the first night of the WCWS and also did not allow a run before entering the championship series. Although, Arizona did win the deciding game, 5-0, and it was their school’s eighth national title in softball. That is a little about the Lady Vols softball facts and how great they did in the year of 2007.

In 2008, my high school softball team took a trip up to Knoxville, to watch the Lady Volunteers play against Alabama. We got there pretty early so that we could make sure and get enough tickets for every team member coming to the game. We watched the game and people were going crazy trying to meet a lot of well-known players and coaches there. I was going to take a picture with Phillip Fulmer, the long-time Tennessee Head football Coach, but all kinds of older women were acting like they were looking at Elvis Presley in the making so I just took a picture of him and he signed my t-shirt. I also got to watch his daughter Allison Fulmer, 1st baseman, play against Alabama. Although if I could have met Monica Abbott instead of watching her play, it would have been amazing! She is by far the best pitcher I have ever watched in person. It is hard to believe because she is six foot tall and pitches left-handed, it just has to be the weirdest combination for any athlete playing sports.

"I think I can, can"

As we go throughout life, like any human being we want to make our dreams come true. We feel as if we can do anything we set our minds to, willing to take that next step if life. Thinking as the people sang in the video “I think I can, can, yes I can, can, I know I can, can.” When you tell yourself you can, it helps accomplish that certain goal. In life there are always going to be obstacles but you have to overcome them and keep trying.

It is usually hard to get acquainted with the feelings of new things. It could be the first day of high school, first day on the new job, or moving states, something you have never experienced before. When I was little I always told myself “I can do this” like any other child would while playing sports. I have played softball ever since I was in the sixth grade and well I can go ahead and say I was not the best when I first started. Although I kept on trying and telling myself I could, it still took a little time to get used to and the same for volleyball. Many times I have thought of that little saying and it helped me get through things. I remember when my mom told me she was going to leave my home town in Tennessee and move to Wisconsin, I did not know what to think or say. All I knew was that I wanted to go with her and that was not possible at the time being. I had school, sports, all my friends and family at home. Well after I graduated from high school, I decided I was going to move in with her and so I did this summer. The whole time thinking of leaving the people I loved so much was hard, but when I finally moved in and got settled I thought well maybe this was the wrong idea. I missed them a lot and I kept thinking I am never going to make friends and know people like I did down south. I did not feel like I belonged but I gave it a little time and told myself it would work out for the best and now I am starting to see the better side of things. Having to make big changes in life make you have second thoughts, is it right? Should I really move that far away from everyone I have known all my life? It just seemed so unreal to do at the time but I had to show everyone I could do this and go off to college and become successful and hopefully that will happen. So as the elders said in the movie, “I think I can, can”.

~Tinkering School~

This video on children at tinkering school makes me think about how great the kids react to being treated like adults. They enjoy having the freedom to make things with their imagination, not by having someone tell them exactly what to do or make. Being trusted to deal with power tools and hammers, when most parents would never let them do a project with this type of equipment. When the children are told to do something it is usually something they would rather not be involved in, on the other hand kids are going to choose to do something they enjoy. Your parents should help you be successful in life and to be independent. In many parents minds they want to keep their children protected from danger, and never let them experience things on their own. They experienced everything while they were younger so they believe that by telling us it will be enough but it is not kids need to learn from their own mistakes. If you shelter your kids from the real world how will they know how to act in this world? If you limit them they will only succeed as far as they have been allowed. They need to have a better sense of how to make things, do hands-on projects. That is part of life, growing up as a child and your dad teaching you to build objects, learn to ride bikes, fixing parts on a car. Or to build random things like rubber-band booby traps, not many things go as planned but they turn out great. Children need to dream big and feel good about the things they accomplish.

Many things in the educational systems today also make me reflect back on these children. The way teachers make you get involved in so many activities. If you have a different view over things then you should do it your own way. Have confidence in yourself, one huge setback in today’s society is that children expect their parents to offer and provide too many things. Also the way new technology is these days does not help kids want to get out and be productive, they enjoy being lazy in front of the television and playing video games. Things at tinkering school help many recognize that the best things in life are free and having the opportunity to build things with your friends and family are very fine experiences to live up. At tinkering school these kids are open to let their imaginations grow and to dream.