The Lovely Bones

I watched the Lovely Bones last night and I was a little freaked out by it. I read the book when I was in high school and I don't remember it being this strange. In the movie the main character Susie gets murdered and then spends most of the movie trying to figure out how to get to heaven. It's was crazy because she was watching her family try to figure out the crime and also find her body. It was a very well thought out movie and the man who played Mr. Harvey was great. He was the killer so I probably shouldn't say he was great, but he was, in a creepy kind of way. Overall I liked the movie and I thought it did a great job of making it as close to the book as possible. I was watching it by myself and when I was done I had the creeped out feeling you have after watching something like this. Mr. Harvey did a lot of window watching from his house and trust me, I shut the curtains right away. I know that makes me sound like a baby but this story could really happen. Minus the part where we see Susie trying to figure out heaven and earth, this story happens all over the place. Towards the end of the movie we meet all the girls Mr. Harvey killed. They were all under the age of 14....that makes you think. This movie also makes you think about who your neighbors are. Mr. Harvey lived a couple of houses away. No one knew he did it until he was about to kill Susie's sister. This was definitely not a 'feel good' movie but I thought it was good. Different from most movies that come out and I like that.

I personally love the underlying meaning thought out the movie and the novel. You may think the lovely bones is her remains but really its her family. They are the lovely bones keeping her safe. I also like the charm bracelet analogy. Mr. Harvey keeps one charm, the house. He keeps it because he builds doll houses but its also a clue. Susie is in his house the whole time and no one knows it. Once you figure out all the underlying messages, the story becomes more real.

Bring it down to their level

Daddy, how was I born?

A little boy goes to his father and asks 'Daddy, how was I born?'

The father answers, 'Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway!

Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other. There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said:

You've got mail!

Video Commentary

Sorry about the quality, my web cam isn't the best.

Interstate driving=time to think

While driving back from Fremont today I was thinking of a column to write. I don't want to do anything about the news because I feel like it's all the same right now. Then it came to me to tell a personal story. I know I already did one but this one is very different. I am going to write about my ER visit and hospital stay three summers ago. They way it all happened was strange and I think it will make a good column. The part I think will catch people's attention is the part about where the nurse asks me questions when being admitted. If you have been admitted to the hospital you may know what I am talking about. There were two questions that caught me off guard and it made me freaked out to even be in the hospital. I am trying to think of a good starting point of the story because the incident occurred two days before I went to the ER. I have an idea of a good place, I just need to get going on this.

I can't believe we only have two weeks of school left. This year went by extremely fast! I can't wait for the summer to start but at the same time I wish it was next fall already. Hopefully I can get everything done on time. Hopefully I can figure out this web cam thing as well. Shouldn't be too hard...I hope.

Don't Judge

After class today I was thinking about what to do my video commentary on. I am not a fan of watching myself on camera, let alone hearing myself. So I am trying to think of a way where you don't have to look at just me. I want to tell a story, maybe a personal story, but nothing has come to me yet. I don't think I would be good at giving a review because I would just want to tell you the plot. So I threw that idea out. I think I would be more excited about this if we didn't have to watch them in class. That makes me sound like a big baby and I know its only three minutes of my life. How hard can it be to sit in front of my computer and say my column....not that hard. I will do get it done, its just the fact of doing it.

I am thinking about telling a personal story and interjecting a picture here and there. Bring the column to life a little more. I feel like I am always talking about the same thing so I will have to look deeper into my life to find something good. This is different for me because I am used to writing. As a Language Arts major we write papers all the time. I am so used to expressing myself in writing and not speaking my thoughts. That's why I like this blog, I can just sit down and blab about whatever. I am really enjoying this blog and I think I will keep up with it after the semester is over. But before that can happen I have to get that video commentary done. All I ask is no judging....actually when its my turn.....pretend not to be listening.

Motivation

Why is it at the end of the semester I lose all motivation? The one time I need motivation, it just walks out of the door. I have all these projects to do and for some reason I think they will magically get done. Tonight I worked on a project and got most of it done. If I could just do this every night, I would achieve a lot more. So for the rest of the semester I made a goal to kick it into gear no matter what. Tonight I went to the Y and swam a 500 and that felt great. I even swam it in a good time! I can't walk long distances due to this large blister on my heel, so swimming was my last option. I found great motivation do that and now I hope I can do that with my school work. I wish professors had us do these huge projects in the beginning of the semester. But we all know that is not reality and will never happen. Dead week has it's name for a reason. Bring it on end of the semester...

The Break In

Mark slept on the couch the night he wrestled a kid breaking in to his truck. Not feeling well at 3 a.m. he got out of bed and headed for the couch. As he was settling in, car lights hit the curtains. Thinking nothing of it, he tried to sleep.

Five minutes later the lights were back, this time moving much slower. He found this strange due to the fact that it was three in the morning and a week day. Glancing out the window he noticed his truck door wide open. The truck was parked on the street in front of the house and it was unlocked. There were several cars on the street that night but Mark's truck ended up being the target.

He saw someone going through his glove box with their back to the house. Without thinking of calling the cops or waking his wife he bolted out the door. Without the slightest chance for the kid to escape, Mark grabbed the kid by the neck. Man handling the kid while walking to the house, Mark was yelling for his wife.

"Ann call the cops!"

Ann who was startled by the yelling immediately made the phone call. While getting twenty questions from the cops the kid managed to wrestle away from Mark. The kid didn't get far because before he knew it, Mark had thrown him to the ground and was on top of him.

The kid was pleading and begging for Mark to let him go. Thinking about giving into the plea Mark let up on his hold. But deciding not to let him go Mark began to wrestle with the kid.

The kid broke free and ran up the street like this wasn't the first time he had done this. Mark chased after him because he was not about to let this punk get away. When the kid got out of Mark's head lock, his hat flew off into the yard. Not realizing he lost the hat, he ran up the street, running past his getaway car.

"Start the car, start the car." He was yelling to his getaway. The car started and plowed up the street. After running a couple blocks, Mark didn't catch the kid. But he did catch the license plate number.

Out of breath, not feeling well, and no kid in hand, Mark was determined to get the cops the license plate number. Picking up the hat on the way into the house he noticed the kid’s full name was written on the inside. Having both the license plate number and full name gave this kid no chance of actually getting away.

The cops caught the two kids on their way to Mark's house. Satisfied with this kid not being on the streets anymore, Mark thought that was the end of it. He had landed a story in the Journal Star and was the talk of the neighborhood. A couple weeks later he received a letter from Cedars group home. Not knowing anyone in a group home he was very interested in what the letter was about. The letter was concerning the kid who attempted the break in. It was asking permission for an apology to be mailed to Mark. The apology letter never made it to Mark's house but he decided this kid will never be seen in his neighborhood again.

Not feeling well and sleeping on the couch started this crime stoppers event. Mark locks his truck now and all of the neighbors do as well. Mark didn't intend on being on neighborhood watch that night but instead it was the right time, right place.

Contact Mark Moss at 402-464-3728

Telling someone else's story

While working on my column I am trying to remember one thing...just tell the story. On my last column I was struggling on finding a focus point. I think I have that down for this one, I just need to tell the story. It helped me to do a rough draft on here last time so I am going to do the same. I talked to my dad and my mom about this story last night and it was interesting to hear both sides of the story. I am telling it from my dad's point of view because well....it happened to him. I am just going to tell it and see what happens. Here is goes,

Mark slept on the couch the night he wrestled a kid breaking in to his truck. Not feeling well at 3 a.m. he got out of bed and headed for the couch. As he was settling in, car lights hit the curtains. Thinking nothing of it, he tried to sleep. Five minutes later the lights were back, this time moving much slower. He found this strange due to the fact that it was three in the morning. Glancing out the window he noticed his truck door wide open. The truck was parked on the street in front of the house and it was unlocked. There were several cars on the street that night but Mark's truck ended up being the target.

He saw someone going through his glove box with their back to the house. Without even thinking of calling the cops or waking his wife, he bolted out the door. Without the slightest chance for the kid to escape, Mark grabbed the kid by the neck. Man handling the kid while walking to the house, Mark was yelling for his wife.

"Ann call the cops."

Ann immediately made the phone call. While getting twenty questions from the cops the kid managed to wrestle away from Mark. But he didn't get far because before he knew it, Mark had thrown him to the ground and was on top of him.

The kid was pleading and begging for Mark to let him go. Thinking about giving into the plea Mark let up on his hold. Deciding not to let him go Mark began to wrestle with the suspect.

The kid broke free and ran up the street like this wasn't the first time he had done this. Mark chased after him because he was not about to let this punk get away. When the kid got out of Mark's head lock, his hat flew off into the yard. Not realizing he lost the hat, he ran up the street, running past his getaway car.

"Start the car, start the car." He was yelling to his getaway. The car started and plowed up the street. After running a couple blocks, Mark didn't catch the kid. But he did catch the license plate number.

Out of breath, not feeling well, and no kid in hand, Mark was determined to get the cops the license plate number. Picking up the hat on the way into the house he noticed the kid’s full name was written on the inside. Having both the license plate number and full name gave this kid no chance of actually getting away.

The cops caught the two kids on their way to Mark's house. After being satisfied with this kid not being on the streets anymore, Mark thought that was the end of it. He had landed a story in the Journal Star and became the talk of the neighborhood. A couple weeks later he received a letter from Cedars group home. Not knowing anyone in a group home he was very interested in what the letter was about. The letter was concerning the kid who attempted the break in. It was asking permission for an apology to be mailed to Mark. The apology letter never made it to Mark's house but he decided this kid will never be seen in his neighborhood again.

Not feeling well and sleeping on the couch started this crime stoppers event. Mark locks his truck now and all of the neighbors do as well. Mark didn't intend on being on neighborhood watch that night but instead it was just being there at the right time.

Glee

Yes I am indeed a Glee fan! I don't watch a lot of t.v since I do not have cable but Glee is on my list of shows to watch. I download their songs when they come out and I am even of fan of them on facebook. It's hard not to love Glee. Maybe if you don't want your life to be a musical I would understand not liking this show. But lets face it, deep down inside we all want our lives to be a musical. I think I love this show because I can't sing to save my life and I am secretly jealous. Who knows but I am hooked on Glee. I was bummed when I heard it was going to be on Tuesday nights instead of Wednesday because I have night class. But at least you can watch it online. If I couldn't watch it online, I would be skipping class. haha. Just kidding. I am so hooked on Glee and I tried to buy tickets for the concert in Chicago. My friend Caryn and I were super excited when we heard they were going on tour. But when we tried to get tickets online the first day....SOLD OUT. It was upset but hey at least it's back on tv. The new episode was a great start to the season and I can't wait to see what happens. Call me obsessed but I just can't help it.

Update Time!

After walking 5 miles with my wonderful mom this morning I realized that this walk is for real. We are actually going to walk 39 miles in two days....no joke. Our team is doing great, minus two bum feet and one bad back. The training is starting to get intense but it's worth it. It may not feel like it at the time, but it is. We have raised $1,520 so far as a team. It feels great to break the $1,000 mark and know that we are on our way. This coming weekend we are having a candle/purse party at my house in Lincoln for a fundraiser. I can't wait to see how much we make this time. Also in May we are having a garage sale to raise money as well. I am starting to feel great about this and I am understanding what its truly about. It has been hard to me to train, raise money, go to school, and work all at the same time but I am having fun doing so. Asking people for money is something I am not good at but in this case I have found people are willing. Some big business are not so willing but they always send an encouraging no in their e-mail. Last weekend we were in the Neighborhood extra in Lincoln and I hope people read that and are willing to donate. I can't wait until we step off the plane in San Fransisco. I can only image what it is going to be like!

Charles Schultz Philosophy

I received this in an e-mail and just had to share with everyone. Makes you think about your life and what is going on around you a little more.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz , the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world .2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school...

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

This is so true about the news today. Most of us try to write something life changing, well not all of us. Some of our writing does change lives but it's those around us who truly impact us. Think about the second quiz a little harder and be thankful for who and what you have.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia..."
-Charles Schultz

Embrace Life...Always Wear you Seat Belt.

Not your typical seat belt commercial...that's for sure. This is a PSA made by Daniel Cox. Cox is a film maker in London and came up with this idea after reading about too many car accidents that could have been prevented by wearing your seat belt. Cox said,"It ditches every road safety campaign cliche and instead, simply shows the joy of living. In doing so it delivers a positive emotional response, rather than a tried old shock." This commercial says more than I ever could. It is so powerful and the music adds to the suspense! Most PSA's are cliche and not memorable. This PSA is the opposite. I have no words for this because it really says it all for me! Let me know what you guys think about this.

The New Stove and Lawn Furniture.

The New Stove and Lawn Furniture
By: Katie Moss

The first time my mom told me she had breast cancer was the night we got a new stove. I was in high school at the time. I was at my boyfriend’s on a Friday evening. I got a phone call from my mom telling me to come home. Not wanting to come home, I asked why? She just told me to get home. I was mad because it was a Friday and way before my curfew. Knowing not to argue I went home anyways. When I walked in the house four of my neighbors were helping my dad put in the new stove. They were all laughing and carrying on about how the stove didn't fit right. Life seemed okay in my house at that time, but I was wrong. My mom began to cry and told me to sit down. That's when she said the words no one wants to hear, "I have breast cancer." I stopped thinking at this point because I didn't know what was going to happen to my mom. I didn’t understand why cancer and why now. We immediately hugged and exchanged no words. This bad news turned awkward when the men in the kitchen would burst into laughter. It was hard to cope with the fact my mom could be dying, while the men were laughing and carrying on with life. The stove took priority in every one’s life for a second. Life seemed okay.

The second time my mom told me her cancer was back, my dad was throwing lawn furniture into the yard. I had just got home from school and most of my family was at my house. Not thinking anything of it, I walked in to find everyone crying. Mom looked at me and said, "My cancer came back." Being in shock and not understanding I decided I needed to do laundry. I just needed to be doing something and that was the first thing that came to mind. On my way downstairs I looked out the back door and saw my father throwing a lawn chair into the yard. After he threw it he leaned against the deck with his head down. This is when it hit me, this is real. My mom's cancer is real. I ran downstairs with my basket trying to understand once again what was going on. I was crying so hard while putting clothes into the washer, I didn't even separate the colors. After the wash had started I talked myself into going back upstairs. I don’t know how long I was downstairs but it felt like an eternity. Everything after that was a blur because all I could think about is my mother could die.

Six years have passed since my life was momentarily turned upside down on that Friday night. My family and I went about our daily lives dealing with breast cancer every day. The stove was installed, the laundry washed and dried, and we got new lawn furniture. My mom went about her life the best she could. Never missing events in my life made me forget about her cancer, but I knew it was still present. Watching my mom battle this and become a survivor has made me into who I am today. Losing her hair, chemotherapy treatments, and two rounds of radiation is enough to understand what cancer does. Six years have passed, but I will never forget the first time my mom told me she had breast cancer. Cancer should not be installed in our lives, but the stove needed to be.

The new stove and lawn furniture.

The first time my mom told me she had breast cancer was the night we got a new stove. I was in high school at the time and I was at my boyfriends on a Friday evening. I got a phone call from my mom telling me to come home. I asked why I had to come home and she just told me to get home. I was mad because it was a Friday and it was way before my curfew but I went home anyways. When I walked in the house four of my neighbors were helping my dad put in the new stove. They were all laughing and carrying on about how the stove didn't fit right. Life seemed okay in my house at that time, but I was wrong. My mom began to cry and told me to sit down. That's when she said the words no one wants to hear, "I have breast cancer." I stopped thinking at this point because I didn't know what was going to happen to my mom. We immediately hugged and exchanged no words. This bad news turned awkward when the men in the kitchen would bust into laughter. It was hard to cope with the fact my mom could be dying, while the men were laughing and carrying on with life. The stove took priority in every ones life for a second and life seemed okay.

The second time my mom told me her cancer was back, my dad was throwing lawn furniture into the yard. I had just got home from school and most of my family was at my house. I walked in to find everyone crying. My looked at me and said, "my cancer came back." Being in shock and not understanding I decided I needed to do laundry. I just needed to be doing something and that was the first thing that came to mind. On my way downstairs I looked out the back door and saw my father throwing a lawn chair into the yard. After he threw it he leaned against the deck with his head down. This is when it hit me, this is real. my mom's cancer is real.I ran downstairs with my basket trying to understand once again what was going one. I was crying so hard while putting clothes into the washer, I didn't even separate the colors. After the wash was started I talked myself into going back upstairs. Everything after that was a blur because all I could think about is my mother could die.

Being told my mom had breast cancer is something I would never imagine. Being told more than once was the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. Telling your family bad news is not something you plan for. My mom had some heavy news to tell and when the time came, she told.

Different Views

I am having a hard time deciding how to tell my story. I don't know if I want to tell it from my point of view, my moms point of view, or my families. Trying to figure this out my me think about the doctors. Doctors are the ones who told my mother first. They were the ones to break news that no one wants to hear. How are doctors able to tell horrible news with out becoming personally involved? It must take practice because this is a hard thing to tell someone. Cancer is not something we take lightly so I don't know how they do it. My mom actually changed doctors because the first one she had gave her no hope. I think this doctor dealt with this too many times and just gave up on sympathy. The doctor my mom has now is amazing. She had my mom do any thing and everything to help her. If one thing didn't work, she tried another. She seems to truly care for my mom, but at the same time she is not personally tied. That has to be a hard job and I personally could not do this.

Now I am conflicted on how I want to tell me story. It's interesting to think one event can have different stories. My mom didn't tell my brother the same way she told me and that results in a different story. I think I am going to tell this story from my mom's point of view. I can't imagine telling people you have cancer. It's not the person's fault they have cancer and that makes it even harder.

I can't wait for the walk in July and talk to different women about their experiences. Every women has a story to tell and they are all worth listening to. I just hope my story is as powerful as I want it to be.

Courage to tell

How do you tell someone you have cancer? Do you go over it ten times in your head on how to say it...or do you just say it? I have always wondered how my mom worked up the courage to tell me she had breast cancer. My mom and I are very close, so I can only imagine what she went through just to tell me.

That was a strange day for me. I was at my boyfriends house when mom called and said she wanted me to come home. When I got home, some neighbors were helping my dad put in the new stove. My mom told me to sit down, then she said "I have breast cancer." I didn't know what to say so we just cried. We hugged and cried in the living room while everyone else was in the kitchen. I don't know if they knew but it was awkward. We hugged for a while then I went upstairs. I didn't know what to do so I called my friend Jamie. I later went over to her house, which why would I do that? Why didn't I stay home and talk to my mom about all this? I was in high school at the time and just didn't know how to handle it. That was the first time she told me.

When she was re-diagnosed, my family was at our house when I got home from school. My grandparents, aunt Susie, and dad were all home. I knew something was up and then my mom told me it was back. My dad was beyond angry and was outside throwing the lawn furniture. I can't blame him for doing this because we thought we have to go through this once, not twice. I went downstairs and was trying to do laundry. Once again, why didn't I stay upstairs with my family. They were all crying, so it was okay for me to do the same. I was even more scared this time and i didn't want mom to know.

These memories are burned into my mind and I am sure into my families as well. You can't plan to tell someone you have cancer, it just has to happen. I learned a lot about myself on those two different days. I am now a stronger person because of it.

Consumed

Friday afternoon I sat down trying to decide what to write my column about. Reading through the list of choices wasn't really helping me because my mind was on one thing. The Avon Walk has my mind wrapped up and that is all I think about and talk about. People are probably getting tired of reading my blogs about this topic but I am consumed by it. This is not a bad things because if I wasn't consumed by it then there would be no progress. As of this weekend I have raised $140 and I am done with my first week of training. I am running out of fundraising ideas but I still have time. For my next column I want to write about a personal experience and I thought why not write about my experience with breast cancer. I understand I personally did not have breast cancer but I still experienced it. There are many stories I could share about my mother having breast cancer. They are not extremely happy stories but they are powerful. A powerful story is what people like to read so I am thinking of going this route. I am trying to not over do my blogging about the walk but it is exciting and something everyone should know about. Reading other walkers blogs have really encouraged me and I hope my blogs do the same for others.

Network

Faye Dunaway who played Diana Christensen in the film Network was a strong woman character. Being the main woman working for UBS, she stood up for what she wanted and usually got it. She stood up to the men and presented her ideas strong and in their face. She was a woman who lived for her career and nothing else. She was always talking about her ideas, the ratings, and the shares made by UBS. Most people like to leave their work at work, but Diana took it with her everywhere. She even took it into the bedroom with her. Just talking about work is simple enough to get her off. She was constantly yelling, talking on the phone, and seducing every man that came her way. All of these things Diana did shows me that the network business was cut throat. You had to be dedicated or you wouldn't last. You also had to be insensitive at times, well most of the time. It was clear that Howard Beale was having a break down on television and needed help. Max told everyone to take him off the air because he needed help. Diana took this as an opportunity to make her career more than what it was. She took advantage of the weak to make herself whole. She took advantage of Max when they had their affair. Yes he consented to it but he was in the wrong state of mind when it happened. She knew he loved his wife, yet she went along with it. I think Diana was afraid of failure so she made her career number one. She was good at it but at the same time she had no compassion for others. She is a good image of how the network is one large competition. She went as far as killing Howard because he was under contract and they couldn't fire him. Talk about a mean woman. Network businesses will forever be one big competition. Diana was the perfect character to show this.

Overall I liked the film because it really shows what goes on behind closed doors and off screen. I think Diana was mad as hell at herself for not having a life that she just couldn't take it anymore and killed Howard. Diana couldn't see there was more to life than the network.

Making Progress

I am super excited today because I am starting to make progress on my fundraising! I have made $60 so far and I am so thankful for those who have helped! It feels good to get started. I also started training this week. I trained on Monday and also this morning. So far so good. I just need new shoes because my old ones are giving me blisters. Other than that I really can't complain about how things are going. Our team is doing great as well. A fundraising project we started is going extremely well. We are selling Kolaches, made by my amazing grandmother. She makes the best Kolaches you will ever taste in your life. Our team will be delivering them over Easter weekend! I can't wait to thank all these people who have ordered from us. It makes me smile when people are willing to lend a hand and help with such a great cause. This also makes me thankful to have my mom healthy and able to do this with us. When my mom had cancer I never really thought I could lose her. She was a fighter and I think that made me even stronger today. I want to do this walk to help women every where and help give money to find a cure. It means a lot to me that people are supporting me and willing to help out.

Every little bit goes a long way and if you want to help out, here is more information on how to do so.

You can make a donation online by visiting my webpage on www.avonwalk.org (select “San Francisco” and then type in my name), or you can send me a check made out to “Avon Walk for Breast Cancer” along with the enclosed coupon. The funds go directly to the Avon Foundation where they will be put to very good use.

There is no donation too small, every bit counts, and of course, all donations are tax deductible.

Visit www.avonwalk.org for more information and if you have any questions, fundraising ideas, or words of encouragement, call/email me at (402) 326-0485 or mosskl@unk.edu

"Once you choose hope, anything is possible."

The Time Traveler's Wife

This post has nothing to do with my previous posts but I can't stop thinking about this movie. I watch The Time Traveler's Wife last night and now I am confused about the whole thing. It has Rachel McAdam's in it so I knew it was going to be good, she was great but the plot was confusing. The main character Henry is a time traveler and you never know when he is going to leave or where he is going. Rachel plays Clare who falls in love with Henry when she is six. But when she is six he is in his 20s. He comes to visit her on his time travels and they soon meet in real life. Confusing I know. Through out the whole film I was trying to figure out if it was present day or if he was traveling. Once I figured out that it was present day, I was then trying to figure out how old Henry was. The day of their wedding he traveled right before the ceremony, when he returned his hair was grey. Then they want to have a baby. She gets pregnant twice but looses both babies because the baby is a time traveler and leaves the womb. Henry has a vasectomy because he doesn't want Clare to go through this again. Strange and confusing. Here is the kicker and the part that has me very confused. She gets a call in the middle of the night from Henry to come pick him up. When he gets in the car he says where is Henry. They have a conversation about fighting over the baby. Then they have sex and she gets pregnant. She tells Henry a week later that she is pregnant and she says its not like I cheated on you. No she didn't cheat because it was the same man just younger and before the vasectomy. This film was a cute love story and I love Rachel McAdam's but this was way too confusing. I read some things online to clear it all up but that didn't help much either. Now I want to read the book and see if it's confusing as well. This film reminds me of the Lake House with Sandra Bullock. That was confusing as well because they lived in the same lake house, but in different time periods. Why are these women chasing men that are never there. Confusing to me but I guess it was a good movie if it stuck with me this much.

Ordinary People

I work at the YMCA as a lifeguard and I coach there as well. I love my job for two reasons. 1. I work with kids and I love every minute of it. 2. The ordinary people who take an interest in your life. I opened this morning as a guard and I haven't opened for a very long time. There is a man named Bob that comes it at 6:30am every morning. I got to know him very well and I was excited to see him. When he walked in this morning and saw it was he, he was super excited. He gave me a big hug and wanted to know how I was. He asked me what I was up to and how life was since he saw me last. I told him about the walk coming up in July and how much money I had to raise. He immediately asked me who to make the check out to. That made my heart melt because he didn't even think twice about it. I told him I would get more information to him before he writes me a check and he said that would be great. Then I told him I started training today and he told me if I need a walking partner upstairs just let him know. That also makes my heart melt because he wants the best for me. I have only known Bob about a year now and he is an amazing man. He is so kind and he wants to best for you no matter what. I haven't started asking people for money yet because I need to get all the information together first but the fact that he didn't even think twice makes me think that I can do this. I can make a difference and raise all the money. People can make your day or ruin your day and people at the Y usually make my day. I don't always love my job but today was special to me.

An Adventure

Yesterday my mom, aunt Susie, and I decided we are going to walk in the Avon 2 day breast cancer walk on July 10-11 in San Francisco. We are going to walk 40 miles in two days to end breast cancer. Each of us has to raise $1800 dollars before the day of the walk. Plus we need to be training for the walk. I set up a training plan this morning and I will begin this next week. This is going to be a great adventure and I can't wait to partake in something so much bigger than anything I could ever do.

I am going to need lots of help and support on this adventure. I need some fundraising suggestions as well. All three of us are working together with collective money rather than doing this individual. We will be out in our communities doing this alone but we also want to have other ideas on how to raise money. We are having a garage sell this summer and all the money we make will go toward the walk. Does anyone have ideas for a fundraiser or how to promote what we are doing? Support can go a long ways in my eyes and knowing that people are there for all three of us makes me smile.

I am personally doing this to end breast cancer because I don't want to see more women go through what my mom went through. I experienced breast cancer head when living with my mom. It was a very hard thing to witness but we got through it together. My mom and I were close before the cancer, but now we are even closer. My mom was the first to have breast cancer in my family so I am at risk of having it next. This doesn't really scare me because look at all the people stepping up to find a cure. I am one of those people. I am not doing this walk for myself, but rather for my mom and the cure. I am so proud of my mom for beating cancer twice and she is my inspiration for this walk. I am so excited to get working on this amazing adventure!

I have decided to turn this adventure into a blogging project. I am going to blog about our progress as a team and how our training is going. I want our communities to know what we are doing and join the fight with us. Here is a link to all the information about the fight.

Facebook is a Bandwagon

Does anyone remember life before facebook? Before it consumed your day, allowed you to chat with your mom, or farm a virtual farm? I can hardly remember life without facebook but I do remember when it was for college students only and I miss those days. Now that anyone can have a page, I feel like facebook has become a bandwagon. My nine year old cousin, Ellen has a facebook page. She told me she just has one to play the games, such as Farmville. Do I think a nine year old should have a facebook page? No but now my aunt Susie has a page so she can monitor. Now that Susie has a page, most of my family has jumped on the bandwagon. I now know what my family is doing through their status updates or new pictures posted. Facebook has allowed me to see pictures of my 3 month old nephew and keep in contact with my cousins. But some people jumped on the bandwagon thinking facebook was a private place to post as they please, well they learned the hard way.

Some facebook users are not like my family and I, these users post things that put facebook in the news. The status updates on facebook are supposed to be your thoughts or what you are doing. An Israeli soldier posted plans for an upcoming raid in his status last month. This may have been his thoughts at the moment but he posted them for the world to see. This made national news and I think we are all more careful with our status posts. Another thing facebook allows us to do is make groups. Groups are usually made for promoting a cause or complaining about an issue. A high school student in Florida made a group entitled, “Ms. Sarah Phelps is the worst teacher I’ve ever met.” Hundreds of students joined this group and wrote very hurtful words. Once again facebook is painted in a bad light for bad choices made beyond their power. People need to think before they post because the world is viewing what you write every day. I think these two people made these choices because facebook was their only way of being heard. Facebook became a way to express themselves without actually having to say it out loud. I think this happens to a lot of us on facebook and I have a friend that has encounter this head on.

Caryn Vincent, a close friend of mine has recently deleted her facebook. When I asked her why she would do a crazy thing like that? She replied, “I am just over it. People are way into themselves and have no clue about the world around them. I feel so liberated.” It would take a lot for me to delete my facebook. I just defriend people when they get on my nerves. I told Caryn this and she replied, “It was easier to just remove myself instead of friends. That way I don’t get yelled at for defriending them.” Removing yourself from the situation is what we would do in the real world, so why not do it in the virtual world? After talking to Caryn about facebook I can see that facebook has consumed our culture and it is leaking to many other places. I don’t want to say facebook has consumed me but at the end of the day, I am usually checking my page.

Contact Info:

Ellen and Susie 402 488 4531

Caryn Vincent: 402 366 7430

Banking on Facebook?

We already connect with friends on Facebook to share photos, videos, text updates and Web links, but might we also use the service to exchange money? This is the statement that started off the article, Why I'm Banking on Facebook. All we have to do it add the Buxter ap to our facebook page and we can send US dollars and Euros to our friends. The article then states, Buxter is unlikely to take Facebook by storm: While handy for settling a dinner or drinks bill between friends, it would prove truly useful only if all of your Facebook connections were to join. Facebook then credits themselves in the article stating facebook already has "facebook credits" meaning you can purchase things for farmville or send virtual gifts to your friends. I think thought doesn't this make paypal useless? Well, the article states that you can use your paypal account to purchase items on facebook. I just don't understand all of this and I also see no need. I would not spend money on farmville just so I can plant a different crop. Where does my money go? The article never touched on that...strange. The article ended in this statement, "If you imagine friends settling the dinner bill using Facebook credits the next morning, you're perhaps missing another major social networking trend: mobile." Meaning facebook users are now using more on their phones then ever. Can you imagine using facebook credits to buy dinner? Does anyone think this is going to far? Is this the next advancement? Maybe it is or maybe this will flop completely, but lets face it there are people out there who will use this. Here is a link to the facebook credits page and there is more explanation on there.

This video is funny because we all know it's true.

Facebook....friend or foe?

Has anyone noticed that facebook has been in the news a lot lately? I have been reading several articles about the use of facebook an why it appears in the news so much. Here is the conclusion I have come up with, people are using it for the wrong reasons. I wish facebook would go back to what it used to be, back to when you had to be a college student to use it. When I was in high school I could not have facebook because you had to have a college e-mail. Now anyone can be on it and I think that gives people too much access. What I mean by that is, the whole world can see you, your friends, what you write, and anything you are willing to give out. I am not that person who updates my status every two seconds, puts up every picture I ever owned, and all that. I am not against that by any means, that's just not who I am. When reading these articles I have realized that people forget that lots of people are on facebook and they do read what you have to say. The first thing I saw was a video made me say out loud, "are you stupid?" An Israeli soldier is in trouble after leaking plans on Facebook for an upcoming raid. This just blows my mind because people just don't think before they do things. Now don't get me wrong I think facebook is a great way for soldiers to stay connected with family back home, but lets use our head. The second article I read was about a former Florida high school student who was suspended by her principal after she set up a Facebook page to criticize her teacher. Now this is also crossing a line. I want to become a teacher and I know not all my students are going to like me, but it's one thing to know this and another to see it broad casted on facebook. The students was suspended for making this page but the school soon found that she had right to express herself on a social networking page. Since she made this page at home there really wasn't much they could do about it. That is nonsense to me. Here is my question to all of you. Is facebook giving kids too much access? I think if facebook would go back to what it was originally for, then I wouldn't have to worry about my 13 year old cousin being on there. I wouldn't have employers and my parents looking at my page. I have nothing to hide on my page but why does the whole world have to be one facebook. I know there is nothing I can do about it now but I think facebook is expanding more than we ever thought it would. People need to think before they post.....simple as that.

The Fake Front Page=Drama,

I read a lot of online newspapers because I like to know what is going on in the world. Lately I have been turned off by lots of news sites because they seem to all the be the same. Maybe I just read them too much but I feel like there is a lot of unnecessary complaining going on these days. I found an article on CNN about the fake front page of The New York Times. The front page was a large picture of Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter from the new Alice in Wonderland movie. The real front page was right behind this page. The confusion was that on this fake page there were real news ads and stories published from previous issues. This is what created a problem because it was said to be 'unjournalistic.'The stories printed on this fake page were altered and a reported said, "If I had written one of those stories, I would be pissed." Staff cuts are not being made at this newspaper due to this ad. Some staff members have already left because they didn't want to argue to stay. This is what gets me, its just an ad. It had no refection on the paper other than they made a deal for it to be in the paper. The money is going to Disney and this makes for more argument and discussion. The picture over powers the articles behind it and I didn't even read these stories. I think people are making a fuss about nothing. If people would open their eyes they would see the actual front page was behind it. I think this is just another thing for people to complain about and it's just not worth it. Maybe I am in a bad mood or something today but I just don't like reading articles like this. A small thing turned big...because these people have nothing else to do.

Rated 'R' for a reason

Why do parents bring their kids to rated 'R' movies? It must be the way I was raised but this really bothers me. Last weekend I went to see Cop Out with my boyfriend and when we walked in there were at least 4 kids under the age of 12 there. There were all with their parents but in my head I was wondering why the parents would do that. No babysitter? Then chose a movie your child can see. Cop Out wasn't as bad as other 'R' rated movies but it was still not for young ears. The f-bomb was every other word and people getting shot. There was no sex which is a plus but there was lots of sexual references. I know what you are thinking, I am lame because I think about these things but you have to be a certain age to see these movies for a reason. But here is my new question, what about Red Box movies? Any one can rent a rated 'R' film there so why not take them to see it on the big screen? I shouldn't be so bothered by this but I have been to a lot of 'R' movies where there are kids. It creates an awkward situation for those sitting around the kid. I know they don't understand most of it but why pay for them to sit and not understand. That's just awkward questions to ask later. Parents need to think before they allow their child to view whatever they want to. I understand that I am not a parent but in my house my parents made it clear what I could and could not watch. It's rated 'R' for a reason parents.

3 Day, 60 Mile Walk to end Breast Cancer

The Susan G. Komen 3 day walk is something I have always wanted to participate in. It's a 3 day, 60 mile walk to end breast cancer. This is something I want to do because my mother had breast cancer, not just once but twice. She has been 5 years out now but there are other women still suffering from this and I want to help. I dealt with my mother having cancer while I was in high school and I have so many stories about what my mother and I went through. My mother is the first in my family to have breast cancer so this puts me at a greater risk. Each year my family and I do the breast cancer walk in Lincoln. It's amazing to see so many people there supporting my mom and others around them. I want to apart of something bigger than I can imagine and I feel like the 3 day walk is just this. I was looking into the process of joining a team and where I could do this. I picked Denver because it was the closest to me. But then I saw something that made me stop for a second. In order to participate in this walk you have to fundraise a minimum of $2,300. I looked at this and thought that would be impossible. But then I decided this would be a great accomplishment for me and for breast cancer. The Denver walk is Aug. 27-29, 2010 and I am considering doing this. It seems like a huge task for me to earn all this money and train for walking 60 miles but in the end...it's worth it. To help these women get the treatment and help find a cure is what I want to do. No women should have to go through what my mother went through. I ordered more information about this and once it comes I am going to start planning for this adventure.

More than a number

Technology has made its way into the classroom and its here to stay. The University of Nebraska at Kearney uses technology in several classrooms. The lecture halls have adopted the clicker to make participating a lot easier. The Personal Response System, or the clicker, makes participating easier for the student and the professor. The clicker is very helpful in lecture hall settings, but most of UNK’s classrooms are smaller than 30 students. This makes the technology unnecessary in some forms. Making use of the clicker campus wide is not what UNK should do. UNK believes you are not a number in the classroom, but with a clicker that’s what students become. A number.

When using the clicker, students click in for attendance and to take quizzes throughout class. This may be useful for the professor but what about personal interaction? Professors then know you by your clicker number and not your name. UNK is known for their small classroom numbers and this is what attracts students to attend. The small classroom size gives lots of opportunity for personal interaction. Professors know your name as well as understand your learning style. The clicker takes all that away. Professors still encourage questions and input, but with a clicker in hand most students no longer talk in class. This is not the case for smaller classes on campus. Interaction is key in these classes and usually a requirement. Having a clicker at hand would put the interaction on the back burner and the focus would be on the clicker.

Having total focus on the clicker takes away from what should be learned in class. Technology does fail and the clickers do fail. If your clicker doesn’t register on the board, then you could be out of points for the day. Telling the professor may help but let’s face it; this just takes up class time. Technology will forever slow down classroom time when it fails, think about having 10 clickers fail in class. The clicker then creates an unnecessary frustration and class time is once again lost. Let’s take the clicker out of classrooms that do not need them. Small classrooms are made for discussion and the clicker halts the discussion.

UNK should not make clicker technology campus wide because it will hinder learning in small classrooms. Students come to UNK for the class size and personal interaction. Let’s not take that away from students by adding unnecessary technology. UNK does not want students to be a number in the back of the classroom. Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen by voicing our opinions about the use of clickers on UNK’s campus.

Katie Moss

What happened to rasing your hand in class?

The clicker system is called Personal Response System. Personal response is not something this device does in my opinion. I would much rather have my professor know my name rather than knowing me by my clicker number. I found an article at UNL about the use of clickers on their campus. UNL did a two semester trial run with the clickers and it was successful. 20 Lecture halls were made fully equip for clickers. The cost was 2,000 for each building...you do the math. Each student were to buy a non refundable clicker for $30. Many professors got on a waiting list to use the classrooms made for clickers because it was a hit at UNL. I think this works for UNL but not UNK. The size difference plays a role here. UNL has many more lecture halls then we do and their attendance is a lot more than us. That's okay because our campus focuses on the small classroom with personal contact. There are days I want to be a number in the back of a classroom but not always. I am not the loudest in my classes but I think if I had a clicker I would never talk. Technology is taking away a lot of personal contact and I think we are all falling into that trap. It's easier for a professor to take grades from a clicker. This is because you click in with your number and it automatically records in the grade book. I know this helps encourage students to participate because points are on the line but I want the normal lecture class to earn my points.Another thing I want to point out is our campus is making budget cuts left and right...how would we pay for this? Professors are asked not to print off things for students to save paper. Matt and I noticed today that Thomas Hall has new classroom numbers and office number boards outside each classroom. I don't understand the budget cuts and I don't even want to get into that one, but I think we need to think about the clicker issue seriously before we make this campus wide. Clickers are not needed campus wide at UNK, I just want to raise my hand.

Here is a link to the users guide book on PRS.

Clickers Number Us

I was talking to a friend about using clickers campus wide today and she brought up a good point. How long would it take to get something passed in order for this to happen? Would we vote on it or would it just be placed into our school? I don't have a problem with clickers in classrooms but I think they should only be used in certain situations. If every class had them would the attendance policy change? There is not a campus wide policy now so I think having the clickers might change that. English classes are made for discussion about a reading or something along those lines. Science classes are made for understanding and retaining information. English would be very different if we change it to click in to answer a question. I think this would make a professors job more complicated. I think this because they would have to make the clicker quizzes all the time, whereas now the professor starts a conversation and students give input. The reason I came to UNK is because of the class size UNK doesn't want you to be a number in the back of a classroom. With a clicker I think we would be a number. That's not what our campus is about and I don't want to see it move that direction.

Jail Tour

Yesterday my mother and I went on a jail tour. I wanted to go because in class we talked about individual showers and I wanted to see if this was true. Yes it is very true. But there is reason behind it and other things have been taken away. Prisoners no longer have contact with their visitors or the judge. It's basically like Skype. Each cell has two people in it and a shower. But what I am thinking is, the water is probably turned on for a small amount of time and that's it. There is no cafeteria, all prisoners eat in their pod. The only time they leave the pod is to exercise. The exercise area is no longer outside, its a small room with two windows. The officers said inmates just walk in circles. The jail is only half done but they will be using the new one in March. The officer told us that UNK students will be coming in this next week as pretend inmates. Officers will practice using the booking area, the pods, and serving meals. There are at least 100 students signed up. That would be interesting but I wouldn't want to do that. It was an interesting Saturday afternoon and I learned a lot about the purpose behind this jail. Safety is a huge issue so inmates hardly leave their cells. The officer said during the weekends they tend to fill up.....I wonder why.

Technology Does Fail

I have been thinking about using clickers in the classroom and I just had a thought...what if technology fails? Technology can either be friend or foe and we all know we get frustrated with it. What if I am sitting in a clicker class and my clicker fails? I will tell the teacher; we will change the batteries; and we will try it again. By this time we have used 10 mins of class time. What if this happens to multiple students? I would be frustrated not only with my own clicker but others clickers as well. Technology in Thomas Hall is lacking on the fact that it does not work well. Last semester a teacher of mine would yell at the technology for at least 20 mins then finally give up.

After reading the article in The Antelope I now understand that UNK doesn't want each building have this technology. A professor just wants all the teachers to know how to use it in case they want to. This is mainly for large lecture halls or teachers who find it handy. I used one and it was frustrating at first. You are assigned a number and when you click in your number shows up on the screen. Now let me mind you that there are over 100 students doing the same....good luck finding your number. I am not against this technology by any means I just don't see it working out too well on UNKs campus. Our classes are too small to have a need for them. But who knows maybe UNK will becoming a clicking college.

Clickers in the Classroom

Having clickers in the classroom is new to most students. I used one in a biology class here at UNK and it was fine for that class. That was a large lecture hall and it would be hard to have everyone participate equally. Now all of my classes are under 20 students and it would be ridiculous for us to get out our clickers to take attendance or take a quiz. I found a video of elementary and high school students using them, and I found it to work quite well. The teacher made a point that all the students have to participate because if your number doesn't pop up on the screen then you get called on. Also this shows students who think the same way they do and this doesn't make them feel different. Also the teacher can adjust lessons due to the results of the clickers. Also those students who do not like to raise their hand can simply click in their answer. This video put clickers into a very good and helpful light. But in a college class (that is not a lecture hall) I don't see this working as well. I also think the subject being taught plays a role in this. Clickers in an English class just wouldn't work in my opinion. I don't think UNK should rewire all the buildings to be clicker friendly because not all classes would use them. Where is the personal contact? Technology is taking over the schools in a good and bad way. The next generation isn't going to be able to communicate with out their clicker....lets not go there.

Resources that don't work

It has been one heck of a weekend for me and it's still not looking up. I had to make the long journey to Illinois on Thursday for my grandpa's funeral. It was a long and emotional weekend for me and my family. I came back on Saturday with part of my family but my parents stayed one more day to help my grandma. Since no one was going to be at my parents house I drove to Fremont to see my boyfriend. Now it's Sunday and time for me to head home. It's sunny out and the snow is beginning to melt. To me that looks like a good day to drive home. I checked 511Nebraska.org to check on the highway and interstate conditions because my parents who are driving home now say the wind it blowing snow like crazy. The website said everything was open and clear. Well guess why...they LIED. I was about to get on the highway when I saw road blocks and cars being pulled over. The highway from Fremont to Seward is closed. I go back to my boyfriends and we check the website. It is still telling me it's open. Now I am unsure if I will make it back today or if I will miss class yet again on Monday.

If we have these resources, then why are they not correct. I could have saved a lot of time, money, and energy if the website was correct. Why even have it? Aren't there people just sitting on their butts updating this? I think there should be. I am upset because I know the highway didn't just close right when I pulled up to it. This website appears to be reliable and functioning but it's a joke. A complete joke!

I am a little frustrated with this but there is not much I can do about mother nature. The website is now updated with the information I need. Thanks for that an hour later. Hope I make it to class on Monday!

What I learned from the Super bowl

Who knew the super bowl could be a teaching tool......here's what I learned

1. You can build a house out of Bud Light. It's best if the cans are full so then you can just rip one out of the wall any time.

2. Snickers can turn you into an old person in the middle of a football game. Also Betty White can take one hell of a hit.
3. We should focus on family because Tim Tebow tells us to. Also it's okay to clothes line your mom because you are clearly focusing on the family.

4. Dorito's Nice Play commercial is how every little boy should be.

5. The Simpson's will never die.

6. Sketchers Shape Ups just make you walk funny.

7. Bridgestone tried to be funny like the Hangover but it didn't work.

8. The Boost Mobile Shuffle is the new Cupid Shuffle for sure.

9. E-Trade babies are back with more attitude

10. There was a football game going on in between all the commercials.

For me the super bowl has always been about the commercials and this year I learned more than ever. Anything is possible in 31 seconds.

Teach what the Students want to Know.

School systems thrive on making their education program the best it can be. Nebraska thought they did just this when a large lump sum from the federal government was given to teach abstinence only. The abstinence only program teaches children nothing about sex, it’s just a regular health lesson. When the chapter about sex comes up, students are simply told, “don’t do it.” Students do not receive any information about protection, birth control, or how to use them correctly. If students don’t understand all there is to know about sex, then how can they make the right choices? Nebraska public school systems must teach sex education the correct way to ensure students can be safe in the choices they make with sex.

Sex education does not corrupt students but rather it helps them be prepared. Sex is a part of life, just like driving a car. We have students take drivers education to prepare them, sex education can be used in the same way. Teaching abstinence only simply leaves sex a big mystery and that doest not prepare them for when the time comes. Being prepared for anything in life is what school teaches us. School teaches us how to read, write, add, subtract, and even how to become apart of society. But why does the public school system leave out a big part of life? This is because the school system sees sex education as promoting sex.
Promoting sex is one thing but promoting safe and protected sex is the correct way. Teaching students how to put on a condom may be scary to any parent, but the outcome will be great.

Promoting safe sex will help reduce high school pregnancies. Parents will be happy to know their child is being safe and this can ease their minds. Public schools must teach sex education because parents don’t always have the talk. Parents avoid the talk at all costs because it’s awkward for them to tell their teenager about sex. If this was a required subject in Nebraska schools, then parents wouldn’t have to worry about this. Their child would be learning about sex in a safe environment and they wouldn’t be required to talk to their parents about this.

Nebraska public schools needs to take the issue of sex education into their own hands. Having sex education in schools will help promote safety and a life long education. We all learn about where babies come from in school, but what they don’t teach us is how to make them. Sex education needs to be a required course to allow students to make the right choices. Nebraska public schools needs to give the federal money back, and teach the students what they want to learn. Teaching sex education is a must for all public schools, especially in Nebraska.

Katie Moss

Nebraska State Law

Nebraska state law does not require sex education. Local school boards decide whether or not to teach sex ed and which subjects. In 2006 Nebraska received $1,256,681 in federal funds for abstinence only until marriage program in 2006. Why doesn't NE take that money and teach kids something valuable. On the web site sexetc.org there is a book being promoted in order to help teens get the sex ed they need in their schools. This book is called Road Map and it gives all the reasons why we should teach sex ed and also we schools are refusing to teach this. I read through most of the book online and I found it to be great. It even gives tips to teachers on how to make the sex conversation less awkward. Most sex ed classes fail to give the information and skills they need to navigate a world that is full of sex.

We need to force schools to teach sex ed the correct way. If students knew all there was to know then maybe teen pregnancy wouldn't be so common. Parents need to step up as well. Making it known all the consequences behind sex will go farther than you know. I feel like NE was given all this money to shut us up and just teach NO SEX. Well we all know kids do it....so lets teach them right.

The Video

I am trying to find a new out look on sex education in schools because it has been an issue for so long. Then I thought about the video I watched in 4th grade. The boys and girls were divided into different rooms and parents were invited to watch the video as well. I remember having no clue what this video was about. Once I watched it, I had a lot of questions. So here is my question now, should we even show that video at such a young age. I realize it's about puberty but we don't go through it in 4th grade. That is a question to ask parents and see what they think about that.

I was looking for that video on youtube because I couldn't remember what it was about. When I found the video, I was asked to use my youtube account because you have to be 18 yrs or older to watch it. STRANGE. If we can see it in 4th grade, why can't I watch it online.

Anyways I know I am talking about a whole lot of nothing but it's because the school systems just need to make a choice and stick with it. Parents are always going to fight the school system no matter what. I think if it's a mandatory class that tells you the outs and ends of sex, then parents can prepare their child before they take it. Talking about the birds and the bees is apart of life.

I think public schools systems are afraid to teach this matter because of parents. But if parents don't like what public schools are doing...then they can send their kids to a private school. I still haven't taken a stand on this issue yet because morals always play a role. Lets just say I feel bad for the professor who has to teach putting a condom on a banana to a bunch of high school kids.

Light one up...I dare you.

While reading the Lincoln Journal Star I came across an article that wants to target kids caught smoking by fining them $100 for having it in their possession. Senator Stuthman wants to outlaw the possession of tobacco for underage kids because he feels like it will keep the young from being addicted. I feel like this bill is a massive DTP! It's just like kids getting MIPs. They know that it happens but it doesn't stop them from getting wasted. Same with this bill, we know what will happen to us if we get caught....key word, caught. I think that lawmakers are honestly trying to make Nebraska a better place to live by making these bills, but at the same time I think we need to spend our money on better things. Don't we already have a law or something about this? Why don't we change the law about the age of being able to smoke. Make it harder to purchase them instead of seven 11 workers turning their heads. To scare you into this bill even more...it stays on your record forever. Scary right?

Who needs to teach it?

Should schools talk to kids about sex or should parents be responsible? Some parents do a great job and informing their kids but some parents who shouldn't even have kids probably don't care. When I was in high school sex education consisted of telling us the body parts and watching a birth. I think we watched the live birth because it was a scare tactic....didn't work for half my graduating class. The heath teacher taught us all the STDs but most of us had no idea how you even got them. I don't think it was even called sex education at my school. It was just a section of material for health class. Plus having an older man teach you about sex is not how you really want to learn it.

Do I think kids should be teach how to use a condom or what birth control is...I am not sure yet. I want to teach middle or high school kids and I don't like the thought of these kids knowing the ends and outs of sex. But at the same time we need to look at it from a birth prevention stand. You can look at this issue as a moral view and I think the school system does this. If it's simply education then what is the problem? Is there a problem with the abstinence only approach?

Watch this video and then you decide.

Revision is the Best Process

International adoption requirements must be revised in order to allow more children to have homes. The United States adoption agencies need to work hand in hand with international agencies in order for the adoption process to move quickly. Waiting 12-14 months for a just a referral is enough to shy families away from adoption.

This complex policy has families waiting more than a year to even meet a child and to top it all off, their religion becomes a factor. Religion should not play a factor when adopting a child because everyone has their own rights to religion. Requesting what gender and age of child should not be allowed. When you get pregnant you don’t decided the sex of your baby, so why should it matter now. Older children are not being adopted as much because most families want a baby. If the factor of not being able to choose wasn’t there, then older kids would have a better chance of being adopted. The policy requires the family’s marriage to be more than 10 years. Most families have kids before they have been married for 10 years, so this rule can easily allow more couples to apply.

Haiti is in a crisis and hundreds of children have become orphaned due to the fact. The adoption agency in Haiti made a mistake and closed all adoption applications for the time being. The United States needs to step in right now and take over that process. Allowing families to adopt these children now would be a blessing because the kids would be safe and out of Haiti. But instead the Haitian government is too afraid to let these kids leave due to trafficking. Let’s put trafficking into a new light for everyone to consider. If the adoption process wasn’t so long and open right now, then the kids in Haiti wouldn’t be trafficked, they would have families. The government in Haiti is allowing trafficking to happen by turning their heads the other way and focusing on a different issue. Making plans to revise the adoption policy could stop trafficking and make Haiti a better place to live.

Haiti has too many current orphans at this moment that are not eligible for adoption for 1-2 years because of the earth quake. Haiti needs to take a stand and allow these children to be eligible. The government would be helping themselves out because that would be one less child to worry about being trafficked.

International adoption is a long and complex process that most families don’t want to go though. They would much rather adopt from the United States because the process is easier. We need to step up and help the International policy become easier and more appealing. Revising the policy may take years but when the next disaster strikes, the kids will already have homes.