OT:Dreams & Goals

Everyone has dreams and goals, but how many people have actually had a chance to live them out or accomplish them? Not very many because setting a goal is easy, but doing it may bring about many tribulations. As for dreams, they're easy to think up, but living them out is rather hard.

Have you stopped and thought about your goals lately? How you written them down and carry them with you? If you don't, you should research the benefits of writing them down. How about revisiting what you would like to happen in your wildest dreams? I have and I tend not to forget them thanks to a mentor I met freshman year of college. She told me, "Find a poem or quote that motivates you, makes you think, but above all, makes you feel good after you have finished reading it." This was great advice because I now have a poem I read once every month which helps me to accomplish many goals.

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

I believe everyone should have a quote or poem that motivates them to succeed. If not one of the two, there needs to be something. So, if you don't have one at the moment, use the poem that motivates me until you can find something else. If you already have something that motivates you, I hope whatever it is has helped you, like mine has helped me.

Florida Has a State Song

Did you know Florida has a state song? I did not and I am a native of Florida. It was not something I learned while in school. I learned Florida had a state song after I read an article discussing the racial lyrics. The title of the song is Old Folks at Home and the lyrics to the song are:

Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation,
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.

Chorus:
All de world am sad and dreary,
Ebry where I roam,
Oh! darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home.
All round de little farm I wandered
When I was young,
Den many happy days I squandered,
Many de songs I sung.
When I was playing wid my brudder
Happy was I
Oh! take me to my kind old mudder,
Dere let me live and die.
One little hut among de bushes,
One dat I love,
Still sadly to my mem'ry rushes,
No matter where I rove
When will I see de bees a humming
All round de comb
When will I hear de banjo tumming
Down in my good old home?

The lyrics in question are part of the chorus referring to "darkeys" longing for "de old plantation." I had to read the song again because I did not catch it the first time. When I did catch it, I could not understand why anyone would consider keeping those lyrics in a state song. Some Florida lawmakers feel the same as I do. They would like the lyrics to be changed to "dear ones" longing for "my childhood's station.”

Once Florida amends the adopted foster song, it will be the second state to remove offensive lyrics from a state song. I believe changing the lyrics of Florida’s state song will not take away from the song. It can only add to it and avoid controversy which may arise later.

The Weatherman Can Be Funny

It is nearing the end of the school semester for me and I am finding a little more time to surf the Internet and watch interesting videos. The latest video I watched was of a Florida weatherman screaming like a female after seeing a cockroach. Take a look and have a laugh.

Now Its Legal To Have A Gun at Work

A few nights ago I had a dream, a dream about me being shot by a person carrying a gun just because they could due to their rights. I woke up frighten because everyday I turn on the television and there is news of someone being murdered by a gun.

Recently a bill passed through the Florida House and Senate to allow employees to carry guns to work. They’re unable to take the gun inside the workplace and the only place they should remain is in their car. The bill is now waiting for the Florida Governor to pass it.

I find it hard to believe that Florida would consider making guns more accessible to any person. Why would a person need to bring a gun to work for protection? To shoot an employee if their being nagged at or maybe someone is looking at them the wrong way. I do not understand if having a gun in a car that you’re not sitting in is protection because the person is far away from the car it an incident was to happen.

After thinking about this bill for a while, I thought about alternative motives people could have for having a gun in their car at work. One motive includes shooting someone who has made that person’s life miserable at work. Question: What if a person snapped because they could not take the stress anymore and took that gun from their car and killed several people and then turned the gun their self? Would it still be okay for employee’s to bring guns to work? I do not think so.

It is hard to understand the reasoning behind allowing guns inside employees’ cars at work, no matter if they’re legal and I don’t understand why they will not allow businesses to set their own rules on their property about guns. I agree with businesses that do not want guns in their employees’ cars. I believe they’re considering the potential problem that may arise in the future.

A Slip and Fall

Surfing the internet, I came across a video of a woman slipping and falling in a Florida Store. I do not know if I should be laughing because of her fall or should I be serious. Watch the video and help me decide.

An Added Step for Abortion

Abortion: the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death.

It is also a word which can yield numerous arguments among people around the world. I myself agree with abortion. Why should a person have a child if they can not care for it? Or why should a person go through with the pregnancy and give the baby up? That is 9 months out of their life for something they did not want. Plus the world has enough poverty and if a person chooses this path then they should not be judged.

For people who do not support abortion, the Senate may pass a bill requiring all people considering an abortion to take an ultrasound. It does not mean they have to look at it, but they’re required to sign a waiver. If the bill passes, the Senate hopes it will intimate candidates of abortion into not going through with it or intimate them into considering alternative options.

Although I agree with abortion, I do feel this bill is needed to stop people from just taking the easy way out. If people who have had more than one abortion and does not take responsible for their actions, maybe numerous steps will make them consider what their doing. For those who are on the fence about terminating a pregnancy, maybe the ultrasound is the deciding factor which will change their life forever. Either way, another step in getting an abortion is needed in order to make sure each person terminating a pregnancy has made the right decision and not a regretful one.

Teen Driving + Cellphones = Dangerous

If you saw a teen on a cellphone flying pass you in a car, what would you think? Would you pay no attention or would you considering not driving close to them? I, myself don’t like anyone on a cellphone unless it is hands free because people have almost hit me while gabbing on the phone.

Last year one Senator attempted to get a bill passed banning all persons from using a cellphone while driving, but the bill was denied. Now there is a bill banning teens from using any cellphones while driving because they’re the most vulnerable to car accidents.

This is a relief considering many teens I see in Florida driving like to multi-task on the road. I mean, they’re on the cellphone, have the music blasting and they have a friend in the car who is talking to them. That is just way too much going on for a person who has been driving less than a year.

The bill has been passed and it is a great idea, but the problem is that officers can not just pull a teen over. Violations could be enforced only as a secondary offense when drivers are pulled over for other infractions. I have a problem with this part of the bill because if a cop is driving next to a teen and they’re on the phone, the cop ca not do anything but watch. What if farther down the road, the same teen caused an accident which could have been prevented?

Florida passes many bills which help to make the roads safer. With this bill, I feel they meant to make the roads safer and did not consider why they were passing the bill. To stop teens from using the cellphone while driving, should not they be pulled over when seen using the cellphone? Would not that make more sense in preventing accidents? I guess not because Senate does not see it that way.

The Talking Menu

Ordering off a menu in some restaurants can be a hassle. The small print and then there is just not enough light. Well a few restaurants in the Miami area have began using talking menus. These type of menus can be described as:

It’s a device about the size of a DVD with lighted, labeled buttons for each menu category — appetizers, sandwiches, salads, entrees, etc. Diners who can’t read the category names or the Braille imprints can tap the button once to hear the category name. Tap the button twice, and the talking menu reads all the menu items for that category. The device comes with a hearing aid-compatible earphone for diners who are hard of hearing or who are self-conscious about the talking menu.

The menu also comes in 8 languages and allows the restaurant to customize any other language. For five units it cost the restaurant $120 a month or to purchase them, it cost $3,500. This is a great idea considering we live in Florida where we get a large amount of tourist and a large amount of retirees. The best part of the menu is that it costs the diner nothing directly to use it.

Nope To A Second Job

Have you been looking for a job recently because you're considering leaving the one you have now? Maybe you don't have a job and you been looking. I currently have a job that I'm happy with, but I have been looking for a second job to earn so extra cash and to help me from becoming a couch potato.

I have looked on every website I know that provides job information. Each had jobs to choose from with the majority being healthcare positions. I didn't major in healthcare, I majored in tourist and now I am finding it hard to find a second job even with my experience. Due to me not being able to find a decent second job, I began researching to find out the state job numbers. What I found was not good and it shows our country is in recession. Tampa Tribune reported:

On Friday, the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation said it estimated that the state lost 27,700 nonagricultural jobs between February 2007 and February 2008. That is a loss of 0.3 percent of Florida's nonagricultural jobs. By comparison, the nation grew at a rate of 0.6 percent.

Until early this month, the state thought Florida's labor market was still gaining tens of thousands of jobs. However, revised numbers showed that Florida has been losing jobs since at least August.

After reading the first article, I linked to another article explaining that by the year 2014, 9 out of 10 jobs in Florida will not require a bachelor's degree. This is because employers will find new ways to find the right person for the job and discover new cost efficient ways to train the new person.

It frightens me to know I spent 4 years in school and in 6 years it may mean nothing. For me, getting a degree means I always have something to fall back on when I need it when looking for a job. For right now it looks like my time spend in college getting a Bachelors degree was a waste. In a few years, I hope I will not feel the same way.

A 6 Percent Increase Equals $200

Are you going to be a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior in any Florida college next year? Maybe you’re considering going back to school to get a degree in Florida? Well, if your answer to any one of these questions is ‘Yes,’ then you need to be prepared for a
6 percent increase in your tuition.

Florida has decided to cut $185 million in recurring general revenue funds, and cut all nonrecurring dollars for the fiscal year that begins July 1. To make up for the shortfall, $168 million will come from lottery funding, lowering the cut of regular, ongoing spending from 6 percent to 1.6 percent and adding the tuition increase for higher education will help the state to almost break even.

So how much does a 6 percent increase equal? The increase equals $200 for a full-time student. Money a student could use on gas, food and other necessities. For some $200 may not sound like much, but for people already struggling to pay for college will have to face another set back.

Raising tuition is not going to solve the educational budget problems Florida has. It is only going to stop more people from going to college, or it may prolong how long it takes a person to obtain a degree. Also, raising the tuition will contribute more to student debts in Florida.

Maybe the solution to this budget problem is for the state to examine where they’re actually spending their money and cut from those areas that are less important. For instance, they could cut spending on repairing roads that were fine before they were torn up and replaced or they could cut spending on unnecessary landscaping throughout the state.

Increasing the tuition is not solving a problem, it is only creating one. Education currently is becoming a must have to survive. Without education, many people may not be able to take care of their family, let alone themselves. Why is the Florida government not concerned about this?

Live Blog: Informing myself about the Holocaust at Edison College

4:00P.M. It’s Done: The presentation is over and I felt like it was rushed. Some things I would have enjoyed to read myself from the screen instead of someone speaking them like their talking to save their life. I guess if the presentation would have started on time, I could have enjoyed it much more.

If any of you are interest in the Holocaust or would like to attend on of the presentations, please visit Edison’s website for the Holocaust Memorial Project. Also, there is a Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida located in Naples.

3:52 A Powerful Poem: Jan Klein closes the presentation with the following poem written by Martin Niemöller (1892–1984):

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social
democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a
social democrat.

When they came for the trade
unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not
a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left
to speak out.

Even though I have heard this poem numerous times, I always feel the emotion behind. It makes me feel bad about what has happened and it makes me think about if one group of people had spoken up, the Holocaust may have stopped earlier and many lives could have been saved.

3:47P.M. The Question: She asks us the question she said she began asking at the beginning of the presentation, which I did not hear her say: Given the history of prejudice in the United States, could a holocaust happen here?

Many people answered and to myself I say, “It can happen again.” The other people in the room also agree.

3:41P.M. Facts on Hatred: She begins to discuss hatred crimes in schools across the country. Some include young children saluting a Jew peer like Hitler, wearing KKK to a Spanish club meeting and using the yearbook as a way to be racist. Some facts she states include:

§Every year half a million college students are targets of bias-driven slur or physical assaults.
§ Everyday at least one hate crime happens on a campus.

Blah, blah, blah is all I heard. I would like to hear more facts and take them in, but she is just talking so fast. “Slow Down” is what I want to scream out.

3:37P.M. Close To The End: We’re nearing the end of the video and Hitler engulfs the screen. Come to find out, the video was taped in 1969. Boy was I off because I did not know what 1960’s fashion looks like.

3:24 P.M. Video Time: Jan Klein introduces us to a video of a teacher attempting to get his kids more interested in the Holocaust. The video is title “The Wave – The After School Special.”

The video looks like it takes place in the 1980’s because of the hair and the clothes the actors are wearing. At first I don’t really pay attention, but a few minutes into the video I start to realize the point of the video.

I believe at this point, Ms. Klein wants us in the room to understand how easily young ones can be influenced. I encourage everyone to take a look at the video.

3:15P.M. We Have To Walk Around?: Jan Klein, the presenter tells us we’re doing an experiment. She gives us some rules and then hands us some cards. We can’t look at our own card and can’t tell the other people what type of card they have.

I begin walking around the room with the card stuck to our forehead feeling like a crazy woman. I can tell each person feels the same way because they’re not really moving and we’re laughing at each other. The point of the experiment is to walk up to the person who has a face card or an ace. We must stay away from anyone that has a 2 or 3 cards. I walk around for a few minutes and realize I have a low card because nobody wanted to talk to me. I must admit also that I took a peek after I got finished holding the card up to my forehead. Don’t worry, nobody aw me.

Us low cards are pulled to the side and I felt left out. I begin to think about society and how people are treated.

3:14P.M. It’s Starting: Finally the presentation begins, 14 Minutes late. She introduces herself and states she is a Prevention Specialist for the Lee County Board of Education.

3:08P.M. Let’s Start: I’m still waiting for the workshop to start. The presenter is walking around saying, “Where are all the people. For the ones already in here, move closer.” She is pacing back and fourth between the podium and a table. Glancing up from my computer, I find her wiping her nose with her hand a few times, but then I notice she has a napkin in her hand and she is not using it. I don’t think I will be shaking her hand.

While I wait, I place the yellow paper clip onto my shirt. It represents the 11 Million people who have died due to the Holocaust.

2:46 P.M. I’m Here, But Where Is It?: I have arrived on Edison College Campus and just got finish walking the hall trying to find the room the workshop is being held. I have found the room, but there are people in there. I guess I should wait until the workshop starts at 3:00p.m.

In the mean time, the workshop I am attending is pertaining to the Holocaust Memorial Project which was founded by Edison College in 1996. The presentation will be presented by Jan Klein and it is titled “Can It Happen Again? How easily influenced are young adults today?

A Millstone Marked

Ten years ago, women and African Americans were still working for prominent jobs in government. Today, both woman and African Americans still are fighting. This is sad to say considering the United States is the land of the free. Finally, the land of the free is evolving and beginning to make history.

Recently, Florida has marked a millstone. They have selected their first African-American female chief justice, Peggy Quince. It is not because she is African American and they want to make a statement, it is because she is well qualified with a college degree and ability to keep a court room in order. With her being selected, this makes her the second woman serving on the Supreme Court.

This is great news considering what’s happening with politics today. Today’s politics may mark the first woman or African American voted as President. Justice Quince being selected is great news for Florida. It is marking a millstone in history for Florida and showing that they are ready for change.

I am enthused to see how Florida is changing considering I am a native. I can’t wait to see what else Florida will mark as a millstone.

Fraud is Everywhere

Whenever a person leaves their home, they don’t think about their identity being stolen, their credit card information being hacked from a grocery store or someone digging through their thrash to find security information. Most of the time, people don’t even think twice before sliding their card at the gas station or handing their credit card to a server at a restaurant. Many people feel safe and rarely think about anyone ever stealing their identity or using their personal information illegally.

How can a person be safe when businesses across the country have reported the theft of millions of credit card information and other personal information of their consumers? Tampa Tribune published an article about The Hannaford Bros. supermarket chain asking their customers to be on fraud alert due to a security breach that led to the theft of 4.2 million credit and debit card numbers. The amount of stores involved include Hannaford stores in the Northeast and 106 Sweetbay stores in Florida. So far, about 1,800 cases of fraud have been linked to the theft and a representative from the company had to say this:

But Smith said "everything is safe" at Sweetbay stores. "This was a professional, coordinated attack that is being investigated by authorities," he said. "The hole has been patched. We have state-of-the-art systems in place and our stores are as safe as any retailer. Customers should absolutely feel safe shopping at our stores and using credit and debit cards."

Does anyone shop at Sweetbay? I do and I hate to think that my credit card information has possibly been stolen. After reading this article, I found myself at Sweetbay the next day purchasing groceries. Before I began my shopping, I took the extra time to go to my bank ATM and withdraw money to purchase those items. No way did I feel safe using any card to buy anything from the store, although they say they have the matter under control and state-of-the-art systems. How can a person feel safe when their personal information is stolen and the company says they have state-of-the-art systems? If they had that system at the beginning, how did the theft come to be? I am a little perplexed.

For people who don’t shop at Sweetbay, you should still be aware because your credit or debit card information can be stolen from anywhere. Here are a few tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help avoid fraud. Some tips include signing your cards as soon as they arrive, carrying your cards separately from your wallet in a business card holder, or another small pouch, notifying card companies in advance of a change of address and keeping an eye on your card during the transaction. One DON’T tip is not to give out your account number over the phone unless you're making the call to a company you know is reputable. If you have questions about a company, check it out with your local consumer protection office or Better Business Bureau.

If you do use steps to avoid fraud and you still don’t feel safe about your personal information being stolen, you can put a fraud alert on your credit file. Alerts start at 90 days and can be placed on a credit file for up to seven years. If you’re considering this option, the Fight Identity Theft website teaches you how to add a fraud alert to your credit file. This one thing could save you thousands of dollars.

With the number of ways for people to steal personal information increasing, there are no ways to completely stop this type of theft. All people can do is keep themselves safe by becoming aware.

Floridians Will Suffer In The Future

When you buy a bottle of water, have you ever thought about how much it cost to produce that one bottle of water? An article published by St. Petersburg Times discusses how much Nestle pays for raw materials. They pay nothing for pumping the hundreds of millions of gallons of water belonging to Floridians. They pay no taxes, no fees; all they had to do was purchase $230 permit to pump water until 2018. Nestle not only makes a profit from selling their own products, they also ship water out to private companies for additional profit.

Recently Florida has been having issues with droughts due to not enough rain and the increasing population. With the amount of water Nestle is drawing from the spring, it may cause a shortage of the water supply. Local water management district staff of Madison Blue Spring has stress the need for Nestle to cut the amount of water they draw by more than two-thirds. Nestle response to this issue is:

Nestle says Floridians should be grateful. Its bottling plant has generated taxes and created jobs. "You're talking about millions and millions of dollars in tax benefit,'' said spokesman Jim McClellan.”It's a very good deal for the state of Florida.''

Nestle and other large companies in Florida are not worried about the future. All they seem to worry about are their profits. With the amount of water they’re drawing from the spring, soon many Floridians will have issues with their water supply because the state chooses to do nothing. After many years of continuous droughts and people not having water for everyday tasks, I wonder if the state will step in and attempt to solve this problem.

A Saturday Spent With Readers

Being a Florida Native, I have attended a number of festivals. Today I decided to attend the 9th Annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival, a festival I have never attended considering I have lived in Fort Myers, Florida all my life. When I arrived in Downtown Fort Myers, I was amazed to see how many people were there. I was especially amazed at how many children were there laughing and dragging their parents from booth to booth.

I have never attended a reading festival as a child or at anytime in my life with my parents. My parents have never been interested in reading or purchasing a book, they have always had other things on their mind.

I was at the festival about two hours walking around; tasting some of the food from local businesses and hearing authors speak. I also got a chance to meet some native Floridian authors. One author, Brenda Jackson was a pleasure to meet. She has written a number of novels while having a full-time job. In our little meeting, she inspired me, considering I would like to write a novel or two in my lifetime.

I enjoyed the festival and everything it had to offer. Next year I see myself attending the festival and meeting a different bunch of authors and enjoying different types of food.

They’re Considering That Image on a License Plate?

At a stop light, how you ever looked over your steering wheel and looked at the license plate in front of you? Other than the usual license plate, there are some that are personalized. A personalized plate either reads something like CRUSN 1 or either supports an organization such as the military.

What if you looked over the steering wheel and the license plate supported something such as the KKK or the death of any person for that matter? How would you react to seeing that plate? Would you think about it after you drove off and no longer could see the car?

Recently, a state lawmaker wants to allow people to buy a 'Southern Heritage' specialty license plate. A specialty license plate showing the 'Stars and Bars' of the Confederate flag, an image igniting many unpleasant responses from people. In an article by Wink news, they interviewed a radio talk show host and got this response:

"Wherever you are in talk radio, the Confederate flag gets people fired up," says Mandy Connell. Connell, the morning host on WINK NEWS RADIO, found that out. She says, people perceive the display of "Stars and Bars", as racist or redneck. She got dozens of calls. "That flag is such an emotional issue. And it invokes such strong reactions from people, that you can not expect to fly that flag with impunity," said Connell.

When I first heard of the story, I was upset that anyone would consider allowing such an image on a license plate. As I read more of the article, it discussed what the license plate is for and what it is supporting:

“The Sons of Confederate Veterans would get $25 dollars for every plate sold. The group would use the money to restore cemeteries of Confederate soldiers, and for Civil War displays in museums.”

For what the group is supporting, does it make the license plate acceptable to be on the road? I don’t believe that a certain license plate with that image should be on the road because it ignites many responses. What if the group changed the image on the flag, then would it be acceptable to put the license plate on the road? It would be acceptable considering what they’re supporting and I believe what the group is supporting should be shown on the license plate in a different manner.

Keep Alert. There May Be Gunshots

Violence has become widespread in Florida, making there no safe place to avoid potential death. Violence has entered schools, entered the privacy of many people’s homes and now fast food restaurants. Usually violence at a fast food restaurant happens because the robber wants the money out of the cash register.

On March 03, 2008, a man opened fire in a Wendy’s in West Palm Beach, Fl. It was not for money, but just to shoot. He killed one person, injured five others and then turned the gun on himself. In the article it states, “The shooting occurred on a major suburban road lined with strip malls, car dealerships and fast food restaurants, about five miles from downtown West Palm Beach. Just behind the Wendy's was a billboard advertising an upcoming gun show.”

After seeing this story, I no longer felt safe. The advertisements of the gun show on the billboard behind the restaurant disgust me. If a person wants to attend a gun show, I know they can find out where it is being held. Large billboards with a gun and the gun show information should be prohibited because it might give the wrong person a stupid idea.

What is happening with Florida and violence? Eating out is no longer safe. You never know when someone might open fire and attempt to kill everyone in the restaurant. I believe there needs to be stricter gun laws. The current gun laws are not keeping people safe. I know making stricter laws will not stop violence, but it may help reduce the number of guns being given out to unstable persons and the banning of gun show information on a billboard might save a life.

Don’t Be Centless, Pick Up That Penny

How many of you Floridians have dropped a penny and did not stop to pick it up? How many of you have stopped to pick silver coins off the floor, but left the brown ones? I have; yes I am guilty of this. A few days ago I was walking into a convenience store and saw something shiny on the floor. I stopped and bent down to collect 2 quarters, 2 dimes, and a nickel. I left the pennies because I already had more than enough jiggling in my purse.

Later that day I saw a video on Yahoo! included in a 60 Minutes series talking about the cost of a penny. I could not believe what they said the cost was, so I restarted the video and listened harder. It cost $134 million to produce only $80 million worth of pennies. To myself I thought, why in the hell are they still producing pennies. Afterwards I did some research and found another video by 60 Minutes explaining why we can not rid ourselves of the penny. Some reasons include Americans losing money because everything will have to be rounded up to the nickel and how pennies are used for charity events.

After asking some Floridians, I came to the conclusion that we need pennies. Although I must admit, I would like to rid my purse of any large amount of brown coins jiggling to my walk. How do you feel about ridding the United States of pennies?

Just Not Quick Enough

When you call 9-1-1, the amount of time it takes an officer to arrive can mean life or death. In a recent article, the News-press looked into response times to top priority calls. In their research, they found Cape Coral has seen a drop in response times over the last year. What about Fort Myers? They have seen a 2 minute increase which is the highest in the county.

So what can Fort Myers residents do? Well, I guess they have no choice but to wait and hope the police will arrive in time to save someone’s life. So what are the causes for the delayed response times? The Fort Myers police explains it is because of traffic woes due to increased population and added construction, the need for new officers due to slashed funding and the increase in nonviolent property offenses.

In the article, Fort Myers police major states:
“Baker expects the response times will eventually level out, but he won’t try to accelerate that by encouraging his officers to step on the gas.”

I haven’t had to call 9-1-1 for any serious reasons, but the response times in case I ever have to concerns me. What if those extra 30 seconds could have saved a friend or a family member’s life? I know 30 seconds may not sound like a lot, but when you’re waiting, those few seconds could mean a lifetime. If any of you ever have to dial 9-1-1, I hope they response quickly.

The Edison Festival of Lights

If you have been in Florida for more than a year, I know you have heard of the Edison Festival of Lights. If you haven’t heard, then where have you been? The Edison Festival of lights has been named North America’s Top 100 events in the past and this year it celebrated its 70th anniversary.

Being a Fort Myers native, where the parade originated, usually my family always found time to go down to the parade, but as all of us children are aging, many of us don’t find it exciting to push through crowds to see floats. This year we all enjoyed it from the privacy of our home. We got a chance to see everything the hundreds of people did sitting on the road did, but without the traffic.

Now I’m not recommending you watch it on television unless you have seen the parade a number of times. If you haven’t seen it ever, I suggest you take a stroll to Downtown Fort Myers next year and enjoy the parade and what it offers during its various days. Attend the block party, join the 5k race and enjoy the fireworks show. As for those who have seen the parade numerous times, I suggest you watch it on television to see your favorite float and enjoy the newly added floats each year because you have experienced it before.

If you missed the parade this year, view some of the 500 photos thanks to the News-Press.

Frequent Unsafe Imports

When was the last time you stopped to look at your tag on your shirt, pants, or your underwear? Rarely are they made in the United Sates. How about the food you purchase at the grocery store? Fifty percent of the time it is not made in the United States and is imported from another country.

When a parent purchased lollipops from a local Polk County Dollar General, she had no idea what she paid for. She got a piece of metal embedded in a lollipop she brought her child to distribute around school. Other lollipops were found to be tainted and resulted in recalling the product from over 8,300 stores. The FDA says it is investigating what happened.

If you haven’t read the article can you guess where the product was made? China. The same place that produced toys that have recently been recalled due to toxins in the paint and the same place that produced toothpaste with the same chemical as antifreeze which killed several people. With so many products coming from China and other countries, how safe is our food? Better yet, is America taking the precautions needed to ensure safe products are entering the country?

All I have to say is, with the increasing amount of recalls from China, wouldn’t this give America the incentive to start making those products here to help the economy and become less dependent on other countries. I guess the next question will be if it is any safer.

No wonder you’re not losing weight

Artificial sweeteners such as Equal, Splenda, and Sweet’n Low were known by many to cause cancer, but with recent studies and the government answering questions to calm the public, they are now safe to eat and not directly linked to cancer. After reading a blog post titled “One Raw Sugar, two Splenda, and half a Sweet’n Low please,” it got me thinking about what else all those sweeteners are linked to.

Morgan writes on her blog:

“Nevertheless, being so enlightened, I still can’t help but cringe when I hear some one call a drink with nine Splenda, or eleven Equal. And even if it doesn’t directly cause cancer, you have to wonder about those rumors of unusually sized brain tumors…”

I thought about more than the tumors for a while. A few days ago I watched a 2 minute video on NBC2 News and found a study on Reuters explaining that artificial sweeteners are now linked to weight gain. The main component that contributes to the weight gain is saccharin which slows down the metabolism.

This is important why? Well, obesity has become an epidemic and in coffee houses around America people are getting fat. Not just with their coffee, but with diet drinks or anything else that contains an artificial sweetener. Once more studies are done, what else will sweeteners be linked to directly or indirectly? Why don’t we just take artificial sweeteners off the shelf and go back to regular sugar, this way people don’t have to worry about what that sweetener packet is linked to.

A Native’s Teary Moment

Reading Eugenia’s blog titled Lenscapes, I laughed about the guy with the fanny pack, but also cried in less than 15 minutes about a historical site. Tears trickled down my face as I scrolled through each of the three pictures. I don’t know why such a thing could evoke such a reaction out of me.

In the Separation post, Eugenia stated,

"I could not believe what I was looking at; I almost forgot to put Doug in park. The structure, which I later learned, is protected by a historical society. A piece of memorabilia from an ignorant past some would like to forget. It is the Port Charlotte Train Depot. Judging from the signage on the outside, the building functions as an antique store during the day. But what really made my stomach churn was what still adorned the doorways."

It was then followed by the three pictures of the doorways that made me cry. They read COLORED and WHITE.

Those pictures and this post brought to my attention that segregation was happening everywhere. I am a Florida native and never once had I seen anything in the state of Florida that separated Whites from Colored folk. I always thought it was happening in other states in our country such as Georgia and Mississippi.

I cried after reading this post because people of color had to encounter the hatred on a regular basis until someone stood up for what was right. I thought about it and wondered would America still treat colored people the same if it was not for Dr. Martin Luther King and any other person who fought for equality for all?

I guess I have been naive to think that such a building could ever lay close to home. I have never heard from any of my family members about segregation or from anyone I have encounter along my 23 years as a Florida native. Thanks to Eugenia I now know and the knowing has helped me to appreciate what others have done so I could sit where I am today.

Calling All Drivers

Cruising from campus Wednesday night after attending a poetry reading, I get cut off by some guy in a black SUV going down Treeline Blvd. I thought I was going fast enough considering I was doing several miles over the speed limit. I guess 58 miles per hour was not enough. After meeting the black SUV at the light, it turned green and he sped off, continuing to cut off other cars. With all of the unsafe driving happening, I wondered where the police was because that guy driving the black SUV is a hazard to himself and others.

The point of this story is not to complain about a bad driver, but have people examine how they drive and if they feel safe on Florida’s roadways. With the increasing amount of people moving to Florida and the ongoing construction, drivers need to be aware and drive safe. Safe does not include driving excessively over the speed limit, cutting off cars and driving under the influence of anything; Safe includes being aware of the speed limit and being aware of other drivers on the road.

Although I know driving in Florida will not get better considering the increasing amount of people relocating, but I just want to know every time I crank up my car and pull out of my driveway, I will be safe.

What’s on your list?

Surfing through The News-Press webpage, I came across a forum titled Rants and Raves. The topic being discussed is “Your Own Bucket List,” basically what you would like to do before you kick the bucket. I haven’t seen the movie and don’t plan on watching it, but this movie has brought to peoples attention what they would like to accomplish before they die, myself included. It was not a list that could be prepared in less than an hour because you really have to think about it. Therefore, this is my bucket list:

1. Travel Europe and buy fresh bread off the street.
2. Publish a fiction or poem book.
3. Meet and possibility be on Oprah.
4. Swim with dolphins.
5. Make a snow Angel and not catch frostbit.
6. Go on a safari in Africa.
7. Have kids of my own.
8. Visit the ancient pyramids in Egypt.
9. Attend a superbowl game without worrying about a budget.
10. Go skydiving.
11. Learn to change car oil.

If you had to make a bucket list, what would it include? Think about it and in a few days post your own list of things you would like to do before you kick the bucket. I would like to hear them.

Who's the Judge?

I was surfing the web looking for other Florida blogs to read when I came across a post in the St. Petersburg Times posted today. The post read:

Here's one vote for the gay marriage ban
This reader left voice mail at the Times this morning to show support for the proposed same-sex marriage ban. John Stemberger's florida4marriage.org is counting on such sentiment to attain the 60 percent threshold needed for a constitutional amendment.

After reading the post and then listening to the phone message, I started thinking about allowing gay marriages in Florida. I have no problem with it because people can live their life however they please. The only judge to them living the way they chose should be the person they pray to. Why should people be able to say what constitutes marriage just because it says in the bible about man and woman marrying and everything else is wrong. I could continue writing on this subject forever, but I would like to leave you with a few questions that I have been thinking about.

1. If a man or woman changed their sex and appearance, then can they marry?
2. Is it possible to make yourself not fall in love with a person due to their outward appearance?
3. Are you or any man for that matter anyone's savior that can condemn anyone?

Banning of Unhealthy Food Choices

Many people may think they know what obesity is, but they have no idea. It is being overweight, but by how much? What are the associated diseases? According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it shows that among adults aged 20-74 years the prevalence of obesity has increased from 15.0% to 32.9% in the last 15 years. This age group houses the majority of college students.

The amount of college students becoming obese is constantly increasing. This is not just a problem happening in Fort Myers, Florida. It is a problem happening throughout the nation. One university has taken a stand. FGCU’s Student Senate has voted “NO” to placing a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) on campus because of the unhealthy food choices they offer and its inhumane treatment of chickens. You can read more here. Thanks to the 525 signatures and the 14-2 vote, students on campus will not be given another unhealthy fast food selection.

With FGCU being the first college to reject KFC, this can be the example for other colleges to do the same in not allowing one too many unhealthy food choices on campus. With this attitude, many colleges can stop contributing to the obesity problem in America and start to solve this epidemic by encouraging students to live a healthier lifestyle. At this moment, some students may not appreciate banning KFC or any other unhealthy fast food restaurant on campus, but in the long run their gut will be thankful.

What will FGCU Be Known For?

Scandals happen at every university, but I guess that is normal when it is over 20 years old. For younger universities, they should be dealing with issues of what restaurant to put on campus, are the professors’ salaries going to increase and what are our future plans for construction. Over the last three years at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), I have read scandal after scandal in the local newspapers. After reading an article in the News-Press January 22,2008 about FGCU firing the head volleyball coach Jaye Flood because she showed "an interest in an amorous relationship" with a student team manager, I got thinking about what will FGCU be known for. Does being an environmental university that offers an array of degrees is what it will be known for or is it going to known as the university where Ex-President Merwin resigned after admitting to an affair with a staff member and softball coach Gina Ramacci being fired after the university investigated an inappropriate relationship with a student? Florida Gulf Cost University is young and has many more years to grow and it is my hope that they will not continue to have a scandal a year.

Which Outweighs the Other?

Over the years, Fort Myers and the surrounding areas have begun to offer a variety of dining options. Options include chain or franchise restaurants to the local mom and pop establishments. While dining at Carrabba’s for dinner yesterday, I came to the realization that franchise or chain restaurants do not compare to mom and pop restaurants or restaurants who are the only one in the world. In the “One in the World” restaurants as I like to call them, the service is consistent and the food is always fresh. Every time I enter the establishment, I see the same people, the food always taste the same no matter how many times I have ordered it and I leave the restaurant feeling as if I have left a family gathering. At chain or franchise restaurants I can order the same thing, but it is not guaranteed it will taste the same as it did last week. The food is overpriced and not as fresh as it is claimed to be. If you do not agree with me, think of the last time you were disappointed with your meal or when you got your check and you asked yourself, “Why does this food costs so much?” Then think about that last mom and pop restaurant you visited and walked out satisfied. Which one outweighs the other? Just a few thoughts to keep in mind the next time you’re choosing a place to eat dinner.

Welcome

I would like to welcome everyone to my blog. This blog will talk about everything from entertainment and dining to expansion and Florida Gulf Coast University. If you think of it, most likely I will talk about it. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share. Thanks for visiting and come back soon.

Welcome to the Blog

I have not decided on a topic, a name, color, or anything else. So please wait for me until I have been knocked over the head with one.