The Demise of Osama bin Laden

I am so disturbed by people like Osama bin Laden who abuse their influence and power by brainwashing and manipulating, weak-minded individuals into doing their dirty work. Osama bin Laden strikes me as one of those kinds of people. Or, some of us simply call his kind, a coward.

I can never remember a time in my four plus decades of living, when I have been tempted to throw a party and celebrate when someone has been hurt or killed. However, I must be honest, I did allow myself a brief moment of jubilation at the announcement of his demise.

I would definitely say this is “a feather in President Obama’s cap!”  I feel this way because in 2010 when he won the presidential election and before he had even taken office, many people seemed to believe that since he was now the President, he was responsible for the position of our economy even though George Bush had been President for the previous eight years and was instrumental in creating this mess. With that being said, I feel that President Obama should get full credit for the capture and demise of this terrorist for the exact same reason.  If we make Obama responsible for the unfortunate state of our economy on his first day in office, we should obviously give him credit for this accomplishment almost 18 months into his Presidency.

We have always had extremists in our country and all over the world, so, there is no reason to believe, just because one terrorist is dead that terrorism as a whole is dead.

Reflections on Facebook

There was a time not so long ago, you would have heard me say, “Facebook is driving our youth crazy, young people are obsessed with it!” My attitude is a little different today. I can no longer imply that only certain generations are using this social network. Facebook is being abused by every age group, every nation, every race and every gender. And yes, I am concerned with the dangers and use of information that is posted on Facebook. Once you have posted information online, you are no longer in control of that information.    

A few years ago I saw a statement in CareerBuilders that said, “Just like Vegas, what happens on the Internet, stays on the Internet. How that affects your job search is up to you!” I can remember when the only thing an applicant had to worry about was an error free resume and cover letter. With Facebook thrown in the mix, now comes the anxiety of trying to remember what personal information or photos you have on your Facebook Profile for others to view and judge.

On the other hand, the thought process of a human resource professional used to be, if they dug around online and couldn’t find anything about you, it was a good thing. Today, if you have no online presence, it could be more of a deal breaker than if the employer found something negative on the Internet about you.

The dangers and risks of being a Facebook user are numerous, however the reality remains, Facebook is an ever growing phenomenon. Social networking sites and their influence are increasing daily. Facebook is growing so rapidly, it makes you wonder if we are moving toward Facebook being this generation’s primary means of communication. People probably felt this same apprehension in 1875 when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.

How My College Major Chose Me

When I originally enrolled in college I decided my major of study was going to be Accounting. Let me remind you that I am talking about back in the early nineteen eighties.  A lot of things have happened since that time.  Let me just say I have changed my mind about what to major in.  I am now seeking an undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management.

From 1996 until early 2010, I had been employed in the area of Human Resources in several capacities: payroll specialist, human resource generalist, benefit administrator and human resource director. This gives me the confidence that I have chosen my major wisely, along with the fact that I’m a very organized, direct, impartial and unbiased individual. When the company that I had been employed with for approximately fifteen years changed management companies, I found myself without a job. With the economy the way it is today, I found myself competing for job opportunities with college graduates that were half my age. And although the college graduates had no experience, they were being chosen for the job opportunities instead of me, because they had college degrees.  All that said, I am motivated to obtain the undergraduate degree in that I failed to complete so long ago.

After graduation I am considering leaving the Dayton area. My son will be a senior at Ohio State University in the upcoming year so this would be a good time for me to spread my wings. My only criteria when considering a place to go would be the state has to have a better climate than Ohio has.  I would love to work as a consultant after I receive my degree, that way I my home base could be anywhere in the world.

Let's Unplug Our TV Sets

Common sense seems to indicate that if we could unplug all the television sets in America our children would grow up to be healthier, better educated, and more independent human beings.

The children of today seem to think all their leisure activity should be connected to a television or some type of electronic device.  They play games, watch videos, eat meals, and talk on the telephone, all while sitting in front of a television set.  This type of behavior lends itself to poor social skills, obesity and I imagine it even stunts their natural creativity.

Many studies have found that in addition to the physical effects of watching too much television, there are also increased risks of psychological difficulties in their future.  It is my belief that our children would be more independent if not negatively influenced by all the aggressive and violent behavior the TV shows exhibit today.

Although I agree that the creation of cable television and most of the technological advances of this generation are important to the growth of our society, I don’t accept the fact that the benefits of watching more than a couple of hours of  television each day, outweigh the harm that too much TV watching has on our children.

While growing up in the sixties and seventies, there was never a concern about TV watching too much television because the TV actually went off at 11pm every evening, with the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner.”  There was never an option to stay up and watch TV all night.  Parents didn’t have to worry about parental controls because there was nothing on TV that wasn’t rated G or PG for all audiences.  Our parents also felt it was important to have meals together as a family at the dinner table. In other words, you weren’t allowed to eat a meal in front of the boob tube.  Since there were limited choices about what to watch on television, we found other ways to amuse ourselves.

All this said, TV has a place in society, however I feel unplugging all TV sets for at least 20 hours of every day would be beneficial to our entire society.

The Little Deer by Frida Kahlo

What a unique self- portrait “The Little Deer” is.  I chose this painting to write about because of the variety of emotions it stirred up in me.  “The Little Deer” is one of over fifty-five self- portraits painted by Frida Kahlo.  My belief is, the artist was making a definite statement when she painted this portrait.  The basis for my believing this is, one of Frida Kahlo’s favorite sayings was, “I paint self- portraits because I am so often alone, and I am the person I know best.  I paint my reality.”

Ms. Kahlo’s reality on the day this portrait was painted was not a favorable reality.  She seemed   to be  communicating that she felt alone and lonely.  The look I see in her eye says, “life has had its way with me.’  The arrows in her back, chest, side and butt, indicate: misery, hardship, pain and difficulty at every turn.  The trees on either side give the impression that she is trapped.  This painting says the trials and tribulations of life are turning her into an animal.

My feedback is based on my reaction to studying the portrait, as well as, reading a minute amount of information about the interesting life of the artist.  Frida Kahlo was born in 1907 and she died in 1954.  Ms. Kahlo was not only an internationally acclaimed artist, she was also a feminist icon in a time when feminism wasn’t even heard of.  Ms. Kahlo had a serious car accident in 1926 this was around the time she began painting. Her life was filled with adversity.  Frida Kahlo displayed her life history and her feelings through her self- portraits.

                                                                                           

Why I Chose to Attend WSU

My journey getting to Wright State University is probably very different from the majority of my fellow classmates. That is, if you take into consideration the fact that my only son is older than most of the students, and, just like most parents, I have stressed the importance of education to my son his entire life.

I first enrolled in college immediately after graduating from high school in the late 1970s. After studying at Central State University for approximately eighteen months, I left college to get married and start a family.  My husband was enlisted in the United States Military at the time and because of his profession, we moved to Germany for six years.  Although being a part of the United States Military was a great opportunity, the move to Europe, along with family obligations caused me to put my education on the backburner for more than two decades.

As fate and the economy would have it, I was let go after working at the same company for over ten years. I became another victim of downsizing.  An exhaustive search for employment began.  That search resulted in my becoming an employee of WSU in the Center for International Education.  Working in a university has stirred up something in me and has reminded me of a very important goal that I set for myself over 25 years ago. 

So, with the support of my family and friends, I decided that now is the perfect time to finish the undergraduate degree that I started so many years ago.  I am now a proud student of Wright State University.