My New Badge

I have my new photo badge in the right column of my blog. It is basically pictures that I brought with me to college. They all remind me of back home and all the people I miss. I thought it was a nice touch to my profile and wanted to add it to my blog.

UPDATE: My blogroll now has active links! Something was wrong with the code on my first transfer and someone notified me of the error. Also my e-mail link now works too.
**Does anyone find it weird that on a blogging site the word "blog" and "blogging" is corrected to "bloc" during a spell check on www.Blogger.com ?***

technorati tags:
Flickr, Me, Technology

When September Ends

This post is in response to Alison's post of "Hoping for October." I couldn’t agree more with the points made in the post. September has been a huge month. So many things have come and flew by that I totally missed. I have had to change my habits as well as my lifestyle. Being on my own, away from everyone I was by for my early teen years is a shock. It feels in this month, I have gone through more changes and have had to adapt more than any other month in my life. I have a girlfriend back at home of over 2 years and even though our relationship is harder than before, we are still making it despite what everyone has speculated or predicted for us. I am not one to say it has been an easy road, but I believe it is more of a growing experience.
Good things come from change, and without change there is no excitement. Whether it is good change or a bad change, each change has its own specific meaning and purpose. When I read the post, the song by Greenday, "When September Ends", immediately popped into my head. I am sure many people can agree October of this year is going to be a long awaited month.

technorati tags:
September, College, GreenDay

How To: Mobile Blog Post

Here is my second mobile post. I didn’t know what to take but I needed a picture for my example so I decided to take a snapshot of my computer tower.
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How to mobile blog:

1. Take a picture with your cell phone and save it to your phones memory.
2. Open a new text message or picture message (picture obviously if you have taken a picture) and attach the picture.
3. Any text will appear as the title of your mobile post (which can be edited later).
4. Send your Picture/Text message to this address: Go@Blogger.com
5. Moments later you should receive a text message stating the address of your new mobile blog address, as well as an activation code. (keep this key code on hand for the next step)
6. Log on to Blogger using your user name and password. (fig 1) (fig 1)
7. On your Blogger Dashboard in the right hand column, click "Learn how to start mobile blogging." (fig 2) (fig 2)
8. Next, you will come to a screen that asks for your "key" (the one that was sent to you in the text message) and a word verification code which is similar to the one you may have to enter in to comment on a post. Enter your unique "key" as well as the word verification and then click continue. (fig 3)
   (fig 3)
9. Lastly a new window will appear and ask if you want your text messages to post to your new online blog or your previous online blog. Select your previous class blog.
   
   

   Thats it! Now to put another picture on your blog from your cellphone simply take a picture, send it to Go@Blogger.com, and then go back to edit your mobile post!
   
   Make sure if you have time to check out my other mobile phone tip found previously on my blog. This tip is also mentioned in Thomas Friedman's book, The World Is Flat.
   technorati tags:
   mobile, HowTo, Technology

   
   
   
   

My First Mobile Blog

Here is a picture post for my first mobile blog. While I was driving down I-65 Sunday night to come home, a huge F-350 brown utility fan came speeding up behind me. The van had a large open mouthed-tooth grill and decals all over the window. I had no idea why he was in such a hurry or why he was speeding so fast in the rain. I pulled over to the right lane and let the van pass. To my surprise, it was a Sheriff transport van. This was weird because on the side of the van was a clown face painted with the words “inmates onboard” directly under it. The back of the van had a police license plate as well as a gold Indiana State Sheriff star. Needless to say, I followed the van and took a picture with my phone, making it my first mobile blog post.

My Name as a Serial Killer

(Via: Flickr Names)

The Second Cancer

(VIA: Med Center) "The second-cancer rates are going down. What we must do is find a cure for the first cancer but at minimum risk for second cancers."

If one can survive the harsh treatments of chemotherapy, radiation, or other cancer destroying cures, why should there even be a chance of another type of cancer coming back?

The article mainly touches on the point of secondary cancer. Secondary cancer relates to victims of previous cancers who have undergone excessive cures and suffer from another type of cancer in their later years. Research shows the younger age the cancer is treated, the greater percent chance there is of a new cancer arising in the future. Many types of secondary cancer are the following: the bladder, colon, lung, pancreas and stomach.

Therapiess take a lot of energy and strength out of a patient. Usually after the first treatment, the second treatment is harder to come by. I know this from personal experience. My grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and when it was cured he discovered he had lung cancer nearly 14 years later. Although harder than the first fought battle, the second cancer is usually non-terminal in most cases.

With new advancement in technology and medication, it is interesting to keep an eye on the many new cures and therapies being discovered today. To post on the internet or forum about new discoveries or new found facts help better promote non-profit organizations, such as the American Cancer Society.

technorati tags:
cure, health, technology

Can You Feel the Power Yet?

In an overwhelming era of every day combusting technology, one can only try to keep up with the unbelievable amount of technology being thrown out into the world wide world. When you buy a computer, Ipod, or any piece of modern day technology, how long is does the product really stay up-to-date? The answer, unfortunately, is not long at all. Technology seems to be disposed of almost as quickly as it is introduced to this world. For example, did you know you can trade in the old technology you own for cash at your local Best Buy, in a motivational cause that you will upgrade to the better item with more bells and whistles? As awesome as this deal sounds to most people, the technology we consider “old” in actually ancient and the technology we believe is new is in a sense “already old”. Perhaps the best quote for technology today can be summed up by Darwin himself, “The Survival of the Fittest.”

Can you feel the power yet? Although the feeling of not having the best technology available is somewhat uneasy, being a little behind is not such a bad thing. In Purdue English class I have been introduced to two extremely powerful tools. The first tool was called Stat Counter. Stat Counter, as mentioned in my earlier post, allows you to find an overwhelming amount of valuable data. Stat Counter not only displays statistical information, but it displays more valuable data than one can handle. In English class today, we were introduced to another powerful tool called Technorati. Technorati allows one to see the rank of their blog along with who has linked to the blog. With all of this easily obtainable valuable information, how hard is it not to be overwhelmed?

The overwhelming part may be these programs, which are extremely informative today, may not be as extremely informative as the programs of tomorrow. When looking back on electronics and comprehending how fast they pop up, it’s not hard to foresee the advancement these programs or new programs will be capable of. One thing is for certain, it’s almost impossible to stay up-to-date in the world today. But, with all the power available as of now, it is harder to not “feel the power.”

technorati tags:
technology, stats, information

Eat Your Isothiocyanates

(via: healthdiaries.com)

Broccoli is said to be the new food out to help reduce and kill cancer cells, specifically lung cancer. Isothiocyanates, an active substance found in broccoli, was used in a study to prove it helped kill the lung cancer cells faster than untreated participants. The Isothiocyanates were shown to reduce the chances of lung cancer due to tobacco products. When your mom told you to eat your vegetables, there always was a reason. New developments like this one for instance, should help in finding other temporary solutions for certain cancers.

technorati tags:
cancer, health, food

I Yahoo!... not Google

They Got It....

It was sometime around 96', when I was in elementary school. My family had just gotten our new Acer computer for Christmas. It was my dad's idea, my mother didn’t understand what we needed it for, and it meant nothing more to my sisters.
After Thursday's lecture in English 106, I was asked the question, "Do my parents get it"? Once thinking and debating, I came to the conclusion that they did get it. My dad was the person who first introduced me to the internet, let alone a computer. The computer had become such a high demand tool around his workplace he had no other choice but to hop on the train. He basically taught me how to use the internet. He was the person that introduced me to Yahoo!.
The situation however, is the advancement rate. See, after just a few years, I had spent so much time on the computer, in school and at home, I passed the level he was at. Which makes me think, my parents have it, but why do I have it more? After thinking, I realized how the later you are brought into this technology driven world, the more you will get it. In Friedman’s book, The World is Flat, he discusses how the later generations actually understand technology more because by the time they are born, they will not have had to go through the gradually increasing technology we had to, they will instead be introduced to the higher standard already.
If I stood still will I freeze, or will I lose it. I wouldn’t lose what I know, but I would fall behind. Somewhere along this increasing technology phase I am in, I completely missed Taxonomies.
(via: Wikipedia) The definition I came to of taxonomies and folksonomies is a different way to obtain information from many different sources, rather than just a few. The fact is, and not one person can overlook it, the later we are brought into this world, the faster we will advance and the more we will understand and know. I was reassured by this when I saw my 6 year old nephew this last summer. We were outside swimming and he said he wanted to go play a game. I agreed and told him I would meet him upstairs. Surprisingly, when I had gotten up stairs, I noticed he had gotten onto the computer, connected to the internet, navigated to Cartoon Network, and was playing flash cartoon games. I had nothing to say, I was completely amazed.

technorati tags:

Google,Yahoo,Information

the GREAT trip

Hundreds Cycle Across New York for Mesothelioma

URL: Hundreds Cycle to Raise Awareness
Raise the awareness! This is a terrible, terrible type of cancer. My grandfather suffered from asbestos cancer in his early years and amazingly overcame it (although it was still in his system). The bad thing about this cancer is it "rests" in the body for quite some time. My grandfather, the great man that he was, worked in a steel mill before asbestos was taken off the market. The "hot gloves" he used contained asbestos and were eventually destroyed (after use of nearly 7 years).
To sum it all up, my grandfather was fine for nearly 50 years, and then the cancer struck. This cancer is very dangerous because it lies and grows in the body of who it infects, and does not cause symptoms until it has spread greatly, making it extremely hard to prevent and detect.
Upon early detection, the cancer can be reduced making the life span a lot longer. My grandpa on the other hand, did not catch the cancer early enough.
This is a great idea to raise awareness.

UPDATE: This article is dated but I felt it made a strong point. I thought I would share this article with everyone

technorati tags:

Cancer,Asbestos,Organization

My Non-Profit

A Working Definition

"What are the characteristics that define an effective nonprofit organization?

Grant makers for Effective Organizations, an affinity group of the Council on Foundations, defines an effective nonprofit as one that has "the ability to fulfill its mission through a blend of sound management, strong governance, and a persistent rededication to achieving results." Establishing a nonprofit organization requires a full understanding of the key characteristics that will be important to future funders. They include a vital mission, clear lines of accountability, adequate facilities, reliable and diverse revenue streams, and high-quality programs and services."

( VIA: "How to Establish a Non Profit organization". )

I have looked into and decided I want to pick a Non-Profit Cancer organization. This is very important to me because I lost my grandpa, a man who I will never forget, to a very rare type of terminal cancer. My parents are actively contributing a yearly donation the American Cancer Society, so I chose to find a blog relating to this. I am unsure if the American Cancer Society has a weblog, but if anyone knows if they do, please let me know.

technorati tags:

Organization,Group,Cancer

StatCounter

My Stat Counter

Can you feel the power yet? I sure can. It feels awesome to know that people, other than the ones in West Lafayette, are viewing my blog page. After a very quick overview on my stat counter, I discovered some person in Alaska decided to explore my blog for nearly 3 minutes! That is good considering the average person visits a page for on an average, not more that 1 minute. I also noticed I had a few "returning customers". My writing aspect is sure to change now that I feel I have an audience. When I realized I was writing for more that just my Purdue English class, I realized I needed to alter my writing style.

technorati tags:

Statistics,StatCounter,Information

The Echosphere

The Echospehere, related to Reily's piece, is related to the World Wide Web several times. The World Wide Web is making a discussion of whole nations together. For example, when one posts on a blog or web forum, the academic or personal world of writings can be almost merged together. If one responds to the post in the blog or forum, a discussion occurs often blending in both the worlds of writing together. The Echosphere does not only stop touching with touching two of the worlds of writing, it is possible for it to touch all 4. By this I mean the public world of writing could be expressed by a non-profit organization looking to reach out and "touch" the people. While on the other hand, the professional level of writing can be used by a business creating a web site to inform people of their product or service they offer. So, in conclusion, The world Wide Web basically created an unlimited amount of possibility's of writing style being blended together, creating an Echospehre of discussion and information.

technorati tags:

Technology, Ecosphere, Information

A Time of Need

America the Beautiful

According to the NY Times, at the time America is in need and needs to pull together, disaster has struck and people have taken advantage of the situation. Many people, around the U.S. have set up counterfeit web sites that take donations for Katrina.

Americans and new-to-the-internet users will have no idea how to distinguish between a fake and real site. It is sad to think that in this time of need, when people are willing to be so generous, one could take advantage of the situation.

Around Purdue Campus, many tables are set up taking any donation you will give for Katrina. I urge you to at least donate a dollar of your money to them; this will at least go to a good cause.

It’s a shame sometimes we see the true side of some Americans. But in retrospect, why would a fake internet donation site be bad when they have video of police officers looting abandoned Wal-Marts? I am not trying to say that either one is right, but when the looti ng cop was interviewed and recorded saying "I am just doing my job", one can only imagine how wrong that is. So, to reach a better conclusion, this fake internet donation sight is only one of the many wrong situations in cause of Hurricane Katrina.

technorati tags:

Organization,Katrina,Red Cross

Where It At

Fed-Ex Meets Google

As a response to the new Fed-Ex Google feature on Lifehacker, I decided to comment on it and post my own trick. I think the package tracker feature is awesome! For people who miss a lot of packages, (me being one of them), this will help out a great deal. Google has really been stepping up their performance lately; I can not wait to see what else they have in store.

My Google hint has to deal with cell phones. This trick has been out for a while but many people are not aware because it was never highly publicized. Using your cell phone and Google, it is easy to find the location, number, and address of nearly any business in any area with the click of a text message! To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open up the text message screen on your cell phone.
2. For the address, type in " GOOGL" (without the quotation marks) (46645)
3. For the message, type in the area code you are in, or want to find out about, and place a period at the end. (ex. 60612.)
4. Lastly, directly after the period, place the keyword you are searching for, or the category you are inquiring about. Ex( 60612.Pizza )
5. Click send and wait for your response!

After those steps, you should receive a text message with the address, phone number, and listings of your search, in and around the area code. In the example I used, it would pull up all the surrounding businesses in Chicago dealing with "pizza" in their description or title.

This is just a little trick I felt is very useful, when you don't have a computer handy, the yellow pages, or do not want to pay the prices of dialing "411".

technorati tags:

Google,FedEx,Trick

A New Writer

The Weekly Conclusion

After nearly a full week of classes, I am looking at writing in a whole new way. This class seems to be a more realistic, valuable course that I will enjoy more than past English classes. Within a week, I am already looking at my writing ability in a new style. In just this short time, a new window has been opened that makes me view composition in a new way. Finally, an English class that brings the focus "out of the book".

technorati tags:

Writing,English,Me

Non-Profit

Uncovering a Non-Profit Organization

This post deals with my continuing search for a non-profit organization that suits my needs, located in the Western Lafayette area. After some searching, I came across a site that has many listed organizations. After further reading descriptions, I came to the conclusion that I still need to decide and do a little more research. There are many to choose from, and I feel the decision will come soon, but just not right now.

technorati tags:

Organization,Non Profit,Volunteer

Refutable

Refutable

This word was discussed during Thursday. When I heard the word used, I realized I did not know the meaning of the word like I thought I did. The definition of refutable is:
1 : to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false or erroneous
2 : to deny the truth or accuracy of <refuted the allegations>.
So, to use it in a sentence, once could refutably argue with someone. Or someone could be used to following a refutable pattern or schedule.

The End of the World

The World Is Flat

After having some time to read Thomas Friedman's, The World Is Flat, i feel i will enjoy this book. The writing style is awesome and it seems to be a book that will hold my interest. I love technology and this book mentions plenty of technology. After reading just the first few chapters, I am already hooked. Finally a book that is required to be read that I enjoy.