2041

In the year 2041 waking up would not be to just any normal alarm clock. It would be my favorite sound. The sound of orcas calling to one another. Such a peaceful way to wake up. The sound would come from my PRF, personal robotic friend. A robot that gets things done. Breakfast is made, outfit ready, school items packed up and ready to go. All thanks to my PRF. All outfits would be intergalactic jump suits. Everyone would walk to class to help the environment.  In my backpack for class, there would be a small device that resembles a tiny laptop. It weighs one pound and has all the technology a person of the future could need. Instead of the normal laptop screen it is like a hologram. A virtual pop up screen. College would be similar in course load. Two to three classes a day, each about an hour long. Homework, but paperless. Everything would be done on the holographic computer. After each class there would be an hour break, where students could sit and study. After the two or three classes each day, students would go to their dorms, or their homes and start all over the next day. There would be no friday classes, saturday classes, or sunday classes. The semester would be extended.  The world would be a more educated place.

Skunk Ape Tutorial

     The value of The Skunk Ape Tutorial was to inform it's participants in how to conduct a proper search for papers, or projects, etc. In all honesty, I never thought to use an encyclopedia when doing research for anything, although I do know that's what they are used for. (I know that seems really odd). Explaining the information gap, in my opinion, was a little unnecessary, unless someone had never written a paper before. Its kind of obvious that when you do research you're finding out basic or common information, and you'll need to look other places for more information to fill in that gap. Something else that is definitely needed is explaining about reliable and unreliable resources. Some are apparent but there are a few that seem really reliable when they truly are not.
     A few things I knew when starting the tutorial were using things like journals, newspapers, and books for research. Going to the Library to find these things, and using the internet to locate others. Something I didn't know was using encyclopedias were more helpful than I thought. THe entire tutorial wasn't that interesting, but I did enjoy finding something interesting I could look up, the Skunk ape.

My dreams will become my realities!

               Life Safari by John Strelecky is officially tied for the position of my favorite book. Inspiration now flows through me. Motivation encourages me to discover my Big Five for Life and the people who can assist me in achieving them. There are so many things I want to do in my life, but there are five in general that I want to accomplish more than anything.

            Number one, I have always been obsessed with sharks. The creature of the deep that people fear so much and a creature that has roamed the Earth’s oceans for millions of years; producing such successful offspring that they have survived to see today’s world. I find them fascinating! As you obviously know, sharks have a bad reputation for “attacking” anything that has a pulse and flowing blood. They are not vampires. They are simply an animal with great agility and intriguing hunting abilities in the water. When we enter their territory, their world, we humans tend to lose respect for this ancient species. There are several reasons a person is “attacked” by a shark. The animal may feel threatened, and use the only form of defense it has, its teeth. The shark may be driven to starvation and be willing to eat anything that will sustain its life. And lastly, their curiosity gets the best of them. They are naturally curious creatures, and due to this fact, they feel the need to examine objects that they cannot touch or see well. (For example a surfer on a surfboard looks similar to a seal. A common instance.) The reason they are forced to bite is because their taste buds are on the back of their tongues. Sometimes a shark will “bump” an object. Their snouts are extremely sensitive. Their skins, specifically an area along their dorsal side called the lateral line, picks up movements and vibrations in the water. So why am I explaining all this to you? I feel it is one of my liabilities to educate people of an essentially less dangerous creature. I don’t just want to study sharks. I want to travel to California, Australia, and South Africa where one of the most feared species of sharks inhabits the salty sea; the great white shark. I desire to help change the possibilities of their extinction due to fishing nets, safety nets, loosing and being food sources. With studies such as tagging, tracking, and observing the lifestyle of this misunderstood animal, I desire to change the minds of the world. From people thinking they are dangerous, bloodthirsty, man killers; to thinking of them as an animal that deserves more respect than they receive.

            Number two; I want to fulfill my dream of becoming a Marine Biologist. This includes obtaining my boaters and scuba diving license; and not that I’m materialistic, but I’d adore having a boat! The ocean has always been a mystery to me. So many life forms thrive there. From the microscopic organisms such as viruses, phytoplankton and other bacteria, to the largest, the blue whale. I find ecology – The study of how organisms react and interact to their environment - equally interesting. It may not make a lot of money, but that’s not something I truly care about.

            Number three; I want to run a successful organization to rehabilitate abused and abandoned animals, not limited to domesticated pets. I have always been an animal lover. You might even say I like animals more than most people. I watch television shows of people who are eradicated or attacked by wild animals, and the animal is euthanized. Why? Because someone did not understand how to care for it or because someone did not respect it, yet the “beast” is at fault. I remember recently watching an episode of Fatal Attractions. A woman owned a few tigers and at some point lost her job. She could no longer afford to properly take care of her exotic pets and it resulted in her scavenging the streets for road kill to feed them. The tigers became malnourished. One day, this woman was in the process of feeding a rotting cadaver to one of the tigers and she left the gate open. Being a hungry hunter, the tiger attacked her. Not only did he attack her, he killed and ate most of her corpse. Needless to say, the animal was euthanized for being famished. No matter how long you have had an animal, how much you think you have connected with that animal, or how much of its trust you think you have gained, it is still an animal with instincts that have generated through successful breeding over many, many years. Any animal, including domesticated pets have animalistic natures. For example, the best dog I ever had, Shadow, had never bitten me, growled at me, jumped on me, etc. Yet one day when he was a bit older in age and sore, I was petting him and in return I received a snarl. I feel people do not understand their so-called connections to animals and do not respect them properly. Another thing I can’t stand is animal testing. I have never and will never understand or like the process. I do not even like the fact that as a human race, we kill more animals than necessary to eat. It just all seems so wrong. These thoughts have driven me towards this dream of saving animals in hopes that eventually they can be released back into the world they came from, and live safely. 

Considering the first three of my Big five for Life were topics of the oceans and animals, this fourth one will seem a little strange. Then again, the oceans play a magnificent part in this and animals are present. Number four; I want to chase storms. Even when I was younger, I found whether interesting. I could watch tornado, tsunami, typhoon, and hurricane stories over and over. Absorbed in the strength of nature. Even though I am currently majoring in Marine Biology, I am considering majoring in meteorology as well, and environmental studies, but that is a different story. Just the thought of storm chasing thrills me and mesmerizes me. Such an exciting profession would be astonishing.

            Finally number five; I want to have a happy family. I have always been a family oriented person, but I see no point in trying when I am not financially, emotionally, or any other kind of stable. A successful happy family thrives on connection and even though I hate to say it, money. Expenses for life are high; weddings, houses, bills, children, etc. Not that a family needs money to be happy, but in all honesty, it doesn’t hurt. Considering I am only eighteen, and a college student, I don’t have too much too elaborate this with.

            These are my Big Five For Life. The “who’s” that will help me to achieve them are yet to be determined, although I feel my family and some of my teachers will be in that category. If I am able to experience these things I will consider my life successful. Although in school I was taught that seeking higher education and getting a high paying career was the only success, I believe there is so much more that defines my own success. Right now I don’t see my choices changing, but that does not make it impossible. Factors that may cause me to re-evaluate my ideas may be experiences and the unknown. I prefer to live life here and now, rather than seeing my future. If all you concentrate on is what is going to happen later, how can you enjoy what is happening right now?  

Judgmental Lions discover the truth.

     Is there good in everyone? Or is this just an unexperienced way to look at others? The Lion King is one of my favorite movies. I'll be honest. I love ALL Disney movies, but The Lion King is in my top five choices. At this particular time I would like to specifically address The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. Kovu is an outsider, along with his mother Zera, his brother and sister, and many others that Simba felt were unfit to thrive in his pride. Simba's daughter, Kiara only sees the good in others. Kovu and Kiara fall in love and try to change Simba's thinking; but he is too strong minded to see what they see. This already is a perfect example of the necessary pieces to an argument. Simba only sees through his prospective and has no desire to educate himself with the other. A true argumentative anything involves a common ground. In the end, Simba is wrong about all but one of the lionesses, Zera; who is actually a rather beastly character. As for all the others, they did not deserve banishment from the pride lands. Simba wanted everyone to believe that every single one of the outsiders were substandard. That is why they were banished in the first place. His argument, however, is extremely unethical. He himself only knows a few of the other lions and lionesses. He is too quick to judge another for where his father Mufassa sent them to live. Rather than appraising someone by who they are, he chooses to judge them by where they live, and has no ambition to hear otherwise. From this movie I learned not to judge one by what they do, where they live, the color of their skin, etc; but fairly by who they are. 

Green Talk (Extra Credit Blog)

     A few days ago I had an eye opening realization of how many resources I use, on my own without the help of others. 3.6 Earth's to sustain the way I live. Just for me? It's hard to imagine one person could make such a large scaled impact on our planet. In my blog, previous to the last entry, I discussed my ecological footprint and three ways I could reduce it. I chose to recycle, I chose to walk to class rather than drive, and I chose to unplug all electrical items I was not currently using. For the most part, I was successful in my options. I remembered to walk to class. (Not only because I was running low on gasoline, but because i wanted to be ecologically friendly.) I remembered to recycle all the plastic water bottles that I used, even if it meant walking that extra few steps to the recycling bin; rather than tossing it in the trash can. The only task I managed to forget every now and then, was unplugging all of my chargers, my television, and my clock from the outlets. To be honest, I don't know exactly how much I have reduced my footprint, but considering I have been more eco-friendly than I used to be, I know I have done some good. Because we only have one Earth, I want to do my part it keeping it healthy. In Fall, I would like to continue my practices of recycling, and other environmentally safe tasks. Hopefully by then I can remember to unplug everything on a regular basis. Maybe I will be able to find an environmental club to join that also participates in creating a greener planet. At my orientation I signed up for the big beach clean, which is another way I will help our planet. I'm sure there are several other things i can do as well. I hope that in participating in these activities, I will help create a healthier planet, because we only have one Earth.

Car Insurance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFVpaQGltrI   Allstate Commercial: Mayhem 


     In my opinion, all the mayhem commercials are hilarious. This one is my particular favorite, and it always makes me think my mother should switch our car insurance to Allstate. Maybe it is due to the fact that I find strange things humorous. For instance, a man pretending to be a "hot babe" out jogging. Not only is it odd, it is funny. Allstate does not really have a "catchy jingle", but something it has plenty of is web-ads. Its catch phrase, "Are you in good hands?" is always intriguing. 
     (theses) Have you ever wondered how well your insurance really covers? Is there a specific reason you chose the company that you currently have? Maybe its because its full coverage for a cheap price. Maybe its because there is super friendly service. Perhaps it is because you really liked their commercial or ad, and felt compelled to give them a call. This is Allstate's tactic. (audience) They make commercials that appeal to everyone. Ones that make people laugh, ones that make people worry, and much more. Mayhem and car crashes. Their audience includes anyone who is old enough to drive and actually thinks about safety and not just how cool their brand new car is. How fun it is going to be, driving everywhere. (purpose) The purpose of all this work is to gain costumers. They pay for web ads, they pay for commercials, they pay people to pick up the phone when someone feels they should call; just because they thought Allstate was safer than their current company. This is how Allstate runs their business, and to intrigue someone like me, to buy car insurance at my age means they're doing a pretty good job!

How many Earth's do you use?

     After taking the quiz, the footprint calculator determined that it would take 3.6 planet Earths to provide enough resources, if everyone lived like me. My lifestyle would take 16.2 global acres of Earth's productive area. 
     A footprint, excluding the physical definition, is the impact you leave behind in this world. As humans consume more and more resources, they create a larger and larger negative impact on the planet. If everyone was to unplug items they weren't using, like their phone charger, their computer, their television, etc; if everyone would recycle paper and plastic. If everyone committed to walking one day a week rather than driving, not only would we have more resources, we would a healthier planet. The human race does not comprehend the danger we put out by using so much and giving so little. 
    In order to reduce my footprint, I am going to commit to three areas that will assist me. One, I will walk to class everyday rather than driving. Two, I will recycle my paper and my plastic bottles, and three, I will unplug all of the items I am not using. I hope by choosing these three activities that I will help create a healthier planet, because we only have one Earth.

Through My Eyes

Staring out at the lake, a grey, clouded sky overhead. Wind blown plants and trees, green, swaying ever so gently. Strikes of lightning illuminate the darkness, and crash into the ground. A hawk soars up above, waiting ever so patiently for it's next sighted meal. An airplane comes in to view. Flying low, ready to land. It descends lower and lower until it is no longer in sight. The clouds push through the sky, rather quickly. The color of the water transitions from light to dark, following in the footsteps of the raging storm above. A bike lays on the beach. White caps on top of the water appear and just as rapidly disappear. Over and over again. The water is rough due to the high winds that blow. Looking now at just the water, in a small area of the lake. Waves roll roughly up to the shore, washing over the dry land. The plants that sit in the water sway along with it, moving the same direction. Being pushed toward the shore. The ripples of the water start small, and expand until they disappear among the agitated waves. Although discordant, I see peace. Whenever I am outside in a peaceful setting, in nature, a song plays through my head. A very relaxing, beautiful piano piece. A river flows in you by Yiruma. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-4wUfZD6oc&feature=related 

Introduction to - Molly Anne Dacey

WARNING: After reading this blog, you may be slightly or even extremely disturbed. Okay, not really. My name is Molly Anne Dacey. I am eighteen years old. I was born November 4,1992. My initials spell MAD (Just a little fun fact that felt necessary.) I am from Dunedin, Florida. (No one really knows where that is so, I will just add that it is around the Tampa area.)  I am majoring in Marine Science. I am currently unemployed. I am very independent and sarcasm is a massive part of my personality. I'm very straight forward. Most people tell me I have an interesting sense of  humor. I love making new friends. My hobbies include snow skiing, photography, fishing, boating, anything to do with good music, and the most important one, I am a closet dancer. I have one cat at my house in Dunedin. Her name is Tinker. I love animals. I have always had an animal, growing up, so college is a very big adjustment for me. I could buy a fish, but they don't do much. I like to travel. I have been to several different states, including Colorado, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. I hope to soon travel outside of the United States. I have always wanted to go to Spain, France, and Africa. In high school, I took one year of French and five years of Spanish.  I was a cashier at a local Winn-Dixie for a second time. ( I had previously worked for them the summer between my freshman and sophomore years.) Let's move on to random facts, because those are always fun. When I was about six years old, I stepped on a metal tent stake and ended up with six stitches in the bottom of my foot. I have one older sister, who is twenty-three, and she currently attends Saint Pete College. She is studying to be a nurse. Before attending Florida Gulf Coast University I lived with my mom. My favorite color is green. In high school I had a project in which I dressed as a guide named Virgil and lead Dante Alighieri down into Hell. (We made two separate movies. You may know the book, Dante's Inferno.) In all honesty, that's all I can say about myself. This has been an introduction to Molly Anne Dacey.