School's End

November 28, 2016 was my last day of college at the University of Phoenix; however, I was waiting until I received my final grade to make this post.  Oceanography (the final course) was interesting, but it was a little difficult when I started learning about the micro-organisms.  That said, I pushed through and ended with a high note.  My final grade for the course is 92 (A)!

My total required credits (120) is met, and received three B+'s and the remaining were A's; for a GPA of 3.9!

I chose to work at a restaurant chain for now (not fast food) because I have not worked since I was in school.  It was a choice that I do not regret.  I like the atmosphere and the fellow employees; the benefits are an added bonus (full time work).  So, where do I go from here?

I thought long about this burning question, which I determined working at this place while writing my first novel is the best decision.  My passion to write is becoming reality, and with this degree, I will accomplish more, but now have the confidence within my writing capabilities.

Onward and upward!  I'm slowly climbing the ladder, but experience has taught me that to reach a goal, each step has to be completed.  One step is done and the next one starts!

The Completion Countdown

Now that I am in my final week of this course (Criminology), I thought I would start the countdown to completion of my degree!  November 28, 2016 is my last day.  Four more courses!

Needless-to-say, the excitement and nerves are kicking in.

They say life starts at 40, and since I am turning 40 in September, this old saying has some new insight for me.  My life will be starting anew this year!

So, let the countdown begin!

Challenging night

As the title of this post says, it is a challenging night.  First, I was vacuuming and an ale bottle in another room decided to explode.  I had to clean up that mess, along with throwing the others out before they popped as well.  I finally got that all completed and looked at my college site.  My "team" member decided to portion out the project (nice and thoughtful), yet it was not correct.  There was three examples of people we had to choose from for the project (one offender), but this person chose to divide the portions between the three examples (not correct).  So, instead of this person waiting to hear from the team, she started her part.  Now that she has done that, she "decided" that this was the team's choice.  Um, where is the team participation?  Then, after I mentioned it (that in the future they should wait so the whole team has a chance to speak - you know, a proper discussion) and I get told about it from another member.  He said I was complaining.  I wanted to write back and say that I thought it was rude, but I held my fingers back.  I am a little irritated right now.  There's a simple little thing called "respect," but I do not believe it is practiced any longer.  So, now that we are conducting this project in this manner, each member has to wait in line to complete their portion.  We have no idea what she is writing, so we have to wait for her to post it, then someone types, then wait, and so forth.  Talk about disorganization!  I like to know what I am writing about and what references will work best for my portion.  I guess that will not be happening this week.  I have NEVER had a team (or a member of a team) forget about the remaining members.  So sad.  Now, she is making more work for the rest of us; not to mention the time wasted waiting.

I just needed to vent that out.

Social Letter to a Local State Representative

To the Honorable J. Craig Gordon, Georgia House of Representative:

Good evening, Mr. Gordon.  My name is Jesse, and I am currently enrolled in college, finishing up my final year within the Bachelor’s program in English Literature.  Today, I am writing you on this blog because it is an assignment for Media and Society.  However, after researching, I found that I am intrigued by the innovative approaches toward intellectual property rights and digital surveillance the State of Georgia is introducing.  I came across the House Bill 138 that, if passed, “may be cited as the ‘Social Media Privacy Protection Act” (Georgia General Assembly Legislation, 2016, p. 15).  Although it mostly entails the media privacy between employee and employer, there is a relief that such an Act is in the process. 

As we know, social media is part of daily life, some more than others.  Sometimes, people post a picture or comment that they do want to share with their friends and family, but maybe not meaning for our workplace to read.  You may be thinking that we should not post anything on social media that can damage or embarrass the individual.   You are correct.  We must, as I try to accomplish, think critically before clicking the send button.  However, there are some instances where we may want to have information out for the world to see, except for our place of business.  One example that I can think of right now is sexual orientation.  Some people may not care about friends, family, or strangers knowing who they are, but may want to keep that separate from work.  Even though there are laws that protect this community from termination on the grounds of sexual identity, it continues to happen.  Thus, the potential for the enactment of this bill will enable many people to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that “No employer, employer’s agent, representative, or designee shall request or require that an employee or prospective employee disclose any username, password, or other means” (p. 15).  This aspect reminds me of the Fourth Amendment, which states that it “protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures” (United States Courts, 2016, p. 1).

I realize that certain conditions protect the business as well, such as justifiable cause.  In other words, if the employer has a legit reason for needing these access methods, they are protected to do accordingly.  However, they also must maintain the information only needed for the cause.  For instance, if they are searching through the employee’s social media sites because he posted a picture of money that he stole, then, yes they have that right.  They do not, however, have the right to terminate him if they determine that he did not post a picture and did not steal the currency, but fired him because they found out he drinks after work or is a homosexual.  As a result of this bill, I think it balances out the privacy and protection on both sides.

I did not, however, find any information regarding copyright protections, which I thought was strange.  Then, I looked at the federal level, and I believe, if I comprehended everything correctly, that all citizens of Georgia are protected by the federal standards.  In a way, I think this is sufficient for now, but I think we need to update the laws to reflect the modern times and technology.  For instance, the Fourth Amendment talks about “person,” “home,” “schools,” and “cars,” but nothing about technology (United States Courts, 2016, p. 1).  I believe that we should update this to include many variations of social media (pictures, comments, and artistic works).  As an aspiring writer, I would like to see that what I post in regards to creative works (my works I created) are protected without having to register them.  If I registered each piece, I would have many applications for registration.  Before you question my thinking on this matter, I know that once I create art of any form, it is mine, and the copyright belongs to me (United States Copyright Office, 2016, p. 1).  However, I do “have to register…if [I] wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement” (United States Copyright Office, 2016, p. 1).  In the days of computer and the Internet, is it necessary to register anymore?  Everything we post is permanently imprinted in the memory of the Internet; it is never fully deleted.  Therefore, I stand to believe that my IP address, name, date, and computer memory card is exceptional evidence that I am the owner of my works; that is, should someone should try and plagiarize.  The court system tends to react favorably toward technology as evidence, such DNA and various computer technological advances that help convict a criminal. 

Yes, people share other’s works every day, especially on Facebook.  Though, the original imprint is on the originator’s computer for the design of that post or comment.  Some may say that sharing is too easy with the developments in technology, but almost all computers save information, even if we are not aware, such as what sites we visit, when we visit them, how often, and so forth.  So, if one person tries to say that they created a story (plagiarize) that I originally wrote, I could sue them for infringement because my computer would prove that I wrote it first.  In my mind, registering for copyright is almost useless in the information age in which we live.

That brings us to the debatable privacy portion.  I recently read about a policy that “the Federal Communications Commission’s proposing” for this year (Reardon, 2016, para. 1).  It states, in short, that “would require broadband and wireless companies to get user consent for most uses of their data,” but would exclude “Amazon, Facebook, or Google” (Reardon, 2016, paras. 2 & 3).  I can see why the author says “not everyone’s a fan” in the title (Reardon, 2016, p. 1).  I cannot say that I am either.  What makes these companies inferior to all the rest?  Does this sound like the free nation that the founding fathers imagined?  I do not believe they did.  I think they would be ashamed to know that not everyone is entitled to their information not being shared “with third parties” (Reardon, 2016, para. 2). 

I do have to stress that I love that the government cannot legally monitor my behavior online, on the phone, or in person without my knowledge and reasonable cause.  Do I do anything do draw concern?  No.  Some may say that I am boring.  I like posts on Facebook, play a couple of games in the morning time when I am waking up, and post a comment about once a week (if I am lucky).  Most of my time is spent on classwork.  In fact, I have not written a post on this blog since….I cannot remember when.  With that aside, I still love the idea that they cannot monitor me because of two reasons.  The first is because they would most likely take a few naps while watching.  The second because what I do in the privacy of my home is my business, especially since I am not harming, nor do I plan to harm, anyone or myself in any way. 

Privacy and intellectual property is an issue that is going to be discussed and debated for many years if any agreement is successfully administered at all.  I do, however, have hope after conducting this research into my state and nation’s potential laws.  Maybe the future is not as bleak as many may believe it will turn out to be regarding social media.  There are many advantages of this technology, and maybe that will lead to more incentives and laws that protect those who do not abuse it, but punish those who do abuse it. 

               

            Thank you for reading, if you are.  My mind is clear now, and I can submit this assignment while praying for a remarkable grade.

Sources:

Georgia General Assembly Legislature (2016). House Bill 138: A bill to be enacted: An Act. Retrievedfrom: http://www.legis.ga.gov.

Reardon, M. (2016). That FCC plan to protect your privacy? Not everyone’s a fan. Retrieved from:

http://www.cnet.com.

United States Courts (2016). What does the Fourth Amendment mean? Retrieved from:

http://www.uscourts.gov.

United States Copyright Office (2016). Copyright in general. Retrieved from: http://www.copyright.gov.

HIV/AIDS is NOT a Gay Disease

Danny Pintauro just recently revealed that he is HIV positive, which he was diagnosed in 2003.  Most of you may remember him from Who's The Boss? (1984-1992) as Jonathan Bower, Angela's (Judith Light) son.  He admitted that he was using drugs at the time and did not use protection.  He realizes his mistake and he is the one that has to live with that decision for the rest of his life.

However, upon reading the comments in some articles posted on the Internet, I was dumbfounded by the views people were expressing.  Most of the comments were hateful and discriminatory.  The majority said that he was gay and that was his punishment.  They also mentioned that it was a gay disease, which God gave to the LGBTQ community to get rid of them.

If this disease is a "gay disease" then why did the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report in 2010 that gay men's HIV/AIDS new cases increased by 12% and another group's (not affiliated with the LGBTQ community) new cases increased by 44% during the same time frame? (CDC, 2010).

I cannot wrap my head and heart around the fact that we are in the 21st century and many people are still connecting HIV/AIDS with the LGBTQ community.  Gay people are not the only one's who are irresponsible.  Every person on this earth makes bad choices concerning sexual activity and protection.  If gay people were the only irresponsible ones in sexual conduct, then why do many heterosexual people continue to be diagnosed with STD's (including HIV/AIDS)?

We are in the new millennium people!  It is time to wake up and realize that we are in this together.  We cannot fight something if we do not have support from every person without prejudices, discrimination, and 30 year old thinking.  HIV/AIDS is a disease that effects life on planet earth.

Resource

CDC (2010). HIV/AIDS. http://www.cdc.gov.

The Future: Bleak or Bright?

The past year has been harsh.  I am trying to maintain my respect and love for humanity, but that is, I'm afraid, quickly diminishing.  There are people killing people on the streets in the back.  People rocketing bullets through cinemas, malls, churches, parking lots, and schools.  Those in government positions refusing to complete their job because they want to satisfy their selfish needs.  Moreover, the one's that are discriminated against and affected by the criminals are posting rude comments, which include name calling and hateful messages.

Meanwhile, Chile had one of its strongest earthquakes it has witnessed.  Volcanoes are erupting.  California's drought that is so extreme that water usage is limited.  Wild fires killing nature and firemen.  There is enough natural disasters that are devastating.  We cannot keep killing each other on top of that.

When does it all stop?  When is humanity going to stand up and realize how we are treating each other?  What will be the defining moment that wakes us up?

I am beginning to think that humanity needs another wake-up call.  I do not like to suggest such a thing because I believe that we, as a world, can come together and make a difference, and change our way of thinking selfishly.  We can show our future generations that we are not evil.  We can stand together and fight for love and freedom.  Unfortunately, the majority have already decided that they, as individuals, are more important.

Not only is the United States divided, but the entire world is divided.  We are overpopulated, and increases every day.  Thus, there is more people to deal with and tolerate, but we can, I believe, start caring about each other now.  The time is now!  Otherwise, we are not going to like the results in the future.

Religious Beliefs, Work, & LGBT

There are a few articles I read recently about religious beliefs, work, and the LGBT community.  First, I completely understand that this is a free nation and people have the right to believe in a higher power.  However, if you work for the city, state, or government then your personal beliefs are not an option.  You have a job to do; do it!  You get paid to do your job; do it!  Millions of people go to work everyday and do things that they think are beneath them or against their personal views, but they do it.  Why?  Because it is their job!  If someone cannot complete the task; then they need to find another job!
The LGBT community does not want special rights!  They want to be equal with the one's who DO have special rights.  Now, those want even more!  When is enough, enough?  When will people just do the correct thing and love everyone, or at the very least, respect others!