ON THE SUBJECT

The Heart Of Locke

2008-06-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

" If man in the state of nature be so free, if he be absolute lord of his own person and possessions, equal to the greatest, and subject to nobody, why will he part with his freedom, and subject himself to the dominion and control of any other power? To which it is obvious to answer, that though in the state of nature he hath such right, yet the enjoyment of it is very uncertain, and constantly exposed to the invasions of others. This makes him willing to quit this condition, which, however free, is full of fears and continual dangers, and it is not without reason that he seeks out and is willing to join a society with others, who have a mind to unite, for the mutual preservation of their lives, liberties, which I call by the general name, property. The great and cheif end, therefore, of men's putting themselves under government, is the preservation of their property. "But though men when they enter into society give up the equality, liberty, and power they had in the state of nature onto the hands of society, yet it being only with an intention of everyone the better to preserve himself, his liberty, and property, the power of society can never be supposed to extend further than the common good. And all this to be directed to no other end but the peace, saftey, and public good of the people." I love this

The dynamics of time

2008-05-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Time has passed since my last blog,a couple of years in fact. I will begin by saying it feels good to start using my time doing something I enjoy.I have worked a couple of jobs for a while and not much time for anything else.Now that I am back in school with only one job I can prepare an agenda that works for me. I haven't had much time for what I consider to be the essential elements of life like relationships. I feel as if I have not spent enough time with God, family and children. The last month of my life being out of one job has been even difficult.I went out a few times not knowing where to go or what to do with my time.I randomly selected a few places.A walk through a lower socioeconomic class may have taught me to excerise caution in my levels of restlessness.I realized that I didn't want to achieve immortality through my work. I wanted to achieve it through not dying. I felt like a fishstick at a cat festival . Speaking as a human being ,my self indulgence for attention getting deserved a much better performance and an audience.Confidence and a play on words mixed with some alochol has left some open-ended room for discussions about myself and provocative statements. I will say no more on this subject for now except Gods forgiveness is unmeasurable. Nice to be back.....

The comprehensive Final

2006-05-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, I have taken the three tests required for this business credit hour. I passed them all but I have noticed that my grade for one of them is a C. I have a comprehensive final today and I want to pass. I have taken this business course over a period of time and now I need to know information about 21 chapters in one morning. Thinking positive would be really handy right now. I think i can... I think i can... Well wish me luck!!

My computer class

2006-04-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Sherri

It has been great working with you as a student--one of the best!

You earned at A for the course!

Mona

Late Easter Memories

2006-04-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hello, I had a good Easter last weekend. My son, my fiancee and myself went to his family's house and had a wonderful Easter. I had to study most of the day on this business course because I had a test on Monday morning at 8:00 am. The guys all helped Grandpa (Charles) pick up the sticks in his yard and clean up the " doggie dootie" Grandpa is 75 years old now and has a hard time with the yard, it was nice for everyone to pitch in. Grandma(Gereldine) can get up out of her wheelchair on her own, and sit down on the couch. This is a great relief since she had to spend six months in the nursing home because she couldn't do these types of things for herself anymore. She worked really hard to get better and came home. It's good to see her able to help herself. We are so proud of her and happy to not have to worry as much about her. I spoke with my mom and dad, children, sisters and nephews, I wished them all a Happy Easter. I also had a couple of birthdays in the family this week my dad and sister. I was happy to talk to my boys and wish them a great day! We were suppose to sing in the choir at church on Easter Sunday but my fiancee wanted to spend as much time as he could with his family, so we missed this. That's ok!! We all remember that Jesus hung on the cross and died for our sins, and we said a prayer before dinner to remind us about Easter. It is amazing how events that happened over 2000 years ago, bring family's together still today. God Bless You! Well bye for now...

Marketing and Financial Management

2006-04-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hello again, I am on to my next adventure in my education courses for this year. I am starting a business course this morning. I have already completed 2 credit hours in this course so this will be the last one needed. I am proud that I recieved a 99% grade in my public speech class. I am waiting to see about my grades for 3 credit hours in computers. I have one test left so wish me luck. I have also made employee of the month at my job.This is the second time in a couple of years that I was choosen for employee of the month. My performance review says I am outstanding at interacting with customers and I am a great person to work with.I think it is important to have a great attitude at your job no matter where you work. It is hard sometimes especially when boses are always evaluating you.I have had other reviews that were not so great and it upset me but life is a learning experience. You have to learn that diversity comes with having a job, being in a relationship, owning your own company, going to school, ect.. Just move foward and try to learn something. Try to remember that we live in a democracy. Different personalities and opinions will always be a part of life.

This morning I will be starting on chapter 13 in business "Building Customer Relations Through Effective Marketing." I have already completed the other 12 chapters in this business section so hopefully this will go good. I love to study business, I tried to take an international business course and was told I needed to be on campus to do so. Long distance learning has it's advantages but also some disadvantages. It's possible that we might be moving soon, to a place that will put me at a college, so that I can complete some of the courses that I need to graduate. A type of change will be necessary to complete my higher education. I miss being at the campus where all the other students study for college. I miss living at the doorms at UNK, that was a blast! It was a great benifit to me to have other people around with the same goals as mine "to graduate." Well wish me luck!!

Dreams

2006-04-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

" I dreamt last night that hate was defeated and love ruled the earth.

I dreamt last night that hunger was wiped out and nourishment filled our bellies.

I dreamt last night that homelessness disappeared and shelter covered the land.

I dreamt last that injustice was overcome and goodness filled all hearts.

I dreamt last night that despair was no more and hope shone eternal.

I dreamt last night that war ceased to be and peace settled the land.

Some people say that dreams are for children.

I say that dreamers keep us alive."

Unit Completed

2006-04-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

Sherri completed Unit 1 of SPCH 111 with a 99%.

Brent

Speaking event #3

2006-03-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

The speech I critiqued was given by Shawn Boonstra.The speech was about what to do when doubt and disappointment enter your world. The speaker talked about doubt, and doubting the divine. The speaker used the story telling method to arouse the interest of the audience. It was the story of King Herod and John the Baptist. The king takes a prisoner, John the Baptist, and puts him in prison. John was in a prison cell of sorrow. He had heard of the works of Christ. John sent his disciples to ask Christ “Are you the expected one, or shall we look for someone else?” Jesus does not criticize John for his doubting. The message was go to the record book when we doubt, where is God? The bible states “ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are rised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them”(American Standard 1154). His point in the speech was, people drift away from God, and they need to be reminded of their faith. The speaker was careful to select and phrase his words effectively. He used hand gestures and maintained great eye contact.

One type of speech connective that was used is a transition, where the speaker completed one thought and moved on to another. The speaker ended on a quote from an unknown author, "The path of the righteous is as the light of dawn that shines more and more under the perfect day. By faith we may look to the here after and grasp the pledge of God, for a growth of intellect, the human faculty uniting with the divine, and every power of the soul being brought into direct contact with the source of light. We may rejoice that all which has perplexed us in the providences of God will then be made right. Things hard to be understood will then find an explanation, and where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken purposes we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harvest.” This was a speech arranged in a problem- solution order it was dived into two main parts. Part one presented the existence of a problem. Part two gave a workable solution to the problem. This was a creative speech that delivered the message: God’s got your back. When in doubt don’t trip out!

Online Research Exploration

2006-03-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

I went to the Nebraska Access Site and clicked on tutorial. The learning center was closed when I wanted to do this assignment. The Nebraska Access Site required me to give my personal information to enter.I am not comfortable giving any data base my personal identity numbers. I typed United States of Europe into the search engine and pulled up several files linked to a pdf file that explained the US divisions online computer library. The United States Worldwide Library Services. http://www.oclc.org/promptcat/about/success/northtexas.pdf. I explored the news stories on current topics at http://news.google.com and found several news stories that I had watched on CNN earlier in the day. The author and the news story that caught my attention: Ausuebel, Judy." Key events Since U.S.-Led Invasion of Iraq to Overthrow Saddam Hussein." The Associated Press 18 March. 2006. I began to think about democracy taking hold In Iraq, and how hard we have worked to help Iraq establish a free society, away from the brutal dictatorship that plagued them. http://www.startribune.com/722/story/315707.html . I looked around my house and realized everything was oil based. The computers, glasses, pens, book covers, picture frames, notebooks, television, ect.. I wondered, are we addicted to oil? The answer was obvious to me, yes. I think the people of Iraq deserve to live in a democracy even if it's not the way we think a democracy should be. They deserve to have a nice life and a house in Iraq, made out of oil based products not mud and clay. After all it is their oil, not ours! I am happy that we have don't want to be in the oil business with a dictator liked Saddam Hussein anymore. Now that Iraq has a government made up of several voices instead of one, the people of Iraq will have a chance to live a decent life. I praised President Bush for being the decent man he is. I went on to http://www.google.com/unclesam and punched in the words National Security. The lists of results displayed. A name of a book and an author caught my eye. Patterson, Robert B., Jr 2003. Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account Of How President Bill Clinton Endangered America"s National Security. This type of a story from a credible officer of the United States Military makes one thing clear, "The National Security of the United States must stand on it's current policy of Preemption." In 2006 vote for National Security. Our future deserves an honest chance! Stand on the side of freedom, not dictatorship! This assignment is done.

Speaking Event #2

2006-03-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

On Sunday March 12th, 2006 at 10:30 A.M. I attended the Ord United Methodist Church. The guest speaker was Allen Knapp. He was speaking on his missionary trip to South America. He made good use of his microphone. He spoke clearly to the audience. His speech was well prepared. The disposition towards the topic suited the audience members. It was the backing from the Methodists Church that paid for the missionary trip. It had been approximately 5 months since he had taken the trip to South America. They went to Paraguay, a very poor country. The trip was a humanitarian mission. The flight was from the United States to Brazil, and then on to South America. The trip took approximately 30 hours one direction. Customs questioned whether the medical supplies that would be used to help the poor people of Paraguay were legitimate. After some persuasion customs let them through. The mission had 15 acres and three school buildings. The children wore uniforms. The speaker spoke of faith, courage and strength. People were building restrooms and showers for the kids. The mission was trying to teach them about personal hygiene. The missionaries were very fortunate to have three doctors and two dentist's. The missionaries worked from morning until night. They loaded all the medical provisions and food supplies. The place was described as primitive. The public speaker was audience centered. He painted a wonderful picture verbally for the audience as to capture their imagination and keep their attention. When the speech was finished he asked if anyone had any questions. I asked a question regarding security and was given an informative answer. The only thing I noticed about the speech that I would have changed would be the amount of times the speaker said the word..um

Self Inventory Worksheet

2006-03-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

The self inventory worksheet has allowed me to see a clearer perspective about myself in certain areas. I like to travel and visit family. I have been recently taking my laptop and doing college work as I travel. It is possible that I am a very business orientated person. I have noticed in the answers to the questions regarding my dream jobs something important. I answered to positions that deal with International Business Relations. Questions asked about local, state, regional, national, and international issues answered by me all point to a heavy involvement in government affairs. The answers to authors, people, and characters that interest me seem to represent government, psychology, and business. The answers to the volunteer jobs that I have held indicate a strong interest in God, and a desire to help children and the elderly. Also that I will take a position of authority and responsibility where accountability is a factor. I am a giving person who is in support of my community. I have an interest in reading and keeping up on current events. I am interested in the viewpoint of other countries and their diverse cultures as well as the many voices that represent the United States Of America and it's Democracy. This self inventory worksheet will shape my speech and limit my purpose statement to one distinct idea. It will help me state precisely what I hope to accomplish in my specific purpose for giving my speech. This self inventory will help me choose a subject about which I already have some knowledge and will keep my specific purpose from becoming to vague or general. I have learned a lot about myself and my areas of strength for public speech in answering the self inventory worksheet.

Attended a Speaking Event

2006-03-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

Situation: The situation is on Monday night March 6, 2006. It is 7:30 pm. I have been invited to the city council meeting.
Speaker: The speaker for tonight was Beth Ann Coons. She was representing the Valley County Chamber of Commerce. It was apparent she had knowledge of the subject. Her preparation was in order for the speech.
Message: The County was applying for a $250,000 down payment assistance grant through the Department of Economic Development. The money will be used for down payment assistance program for 14 new homeowners. Only low to moderate income family's will be eligible for the first time home buyers project. This will supply the new home buyer's with the total down payment for their first home. A clear voice tone was used in the message being presented.
Channel: The channel of the message was given through a microphone. There was no public access channel for this city council meeting.
Listener: This was a public meeting. The city council is a eight member board including a city attorney. The knowledge and experience among the city council members varied on this subject. The council members listened closely to the speaker. The members of the community sat quietly and waited for the speech to come to a close.
Feedback: One city council member asked if this grant would effect another money project the city council was involved in? Beth Ann stated "No, this is a housing project. This will not interfere with the donation project." Another council member questioned why the request for $7500.00.
He stated "Are we using the $7500 as leverage to obtain the $250,000?" She responded "Yes." There was good communication and feedback in the room. An approval of the request was given.
Interference: There was no interference observed at this meeting.

Work and homework

2006-03-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

I am so happy tonight that I have finished my homework. I had a long day today.I don't usually work on Sundays. A girl at work had a contest so I said that I would cover her shift for her. I had a good day. Work was fun. I came straight home and started my homework. I am finished now. I work tomarrow from 8:00am to 4:00pm. I better go to bed now. Write again later

The atmosphere and a planet

2006-03-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Hi , just thought I would say hello. I had a nice day. I hope to have a great night. We have a thunder shower going by as I write. I always enjoy a thunder shower. I like to go up on the hill and watch the light show, and smell the rain. I just heard the thunder. I am interested in the atmosphere. I wanted to see Mercury last month on the 24th of February. It was the best night of the year to see Mercury. I missed it. The next night I stepped outside and looked at the sunset. I looked to the west. Mercury is the bright" pink" star shining through the glow of the setting sun. It was beautiful! Well see ya later. Have a great night! Write back later.

Self Intro Speech

2006-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

The speech of self introduction was an interesting experience. I decided to make my speech on an activity that I enjoy which represents my values. I took the time to prepare and develop my speech. I feel I organized my speech using the introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
I used a variety of words, pictures, text, and color in my power point presentation. I started to add some clip art to my presentation and then I changed my mind. I realized that I wanted to have real life pictures. The expressions on the faces of the children showing their true emotions mad, sad, glad, afraid, ashamed, and hurt brought a visual reality to the presentation. I added my own children's pictures. The power point method helped in giving my speech. I noticed that the timing on my power point did not match up exactly with the timing for the words I used for my speech. It did set as a reminder for me to move along. The speech turned out a lot better than expected. It was not a perfect presentation. The lighting was brighter than in my test tape. I took the teachers advice and added more lighting. I think that I have improved since my last test tape. I will be turning this assignment in on Monday. Wish me luck.

No life with the bug

2006-02-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

Hello, This week I have had the flu. My fiancee came home one day sick from work. He had a fever and a cough. The next morning he was standing across from me and talking. All the sudden I began to speak, and something entered my mouth. There was a tickle in my throat, a little cough and my stomach turned. I knew I caught the flu. All day that day things were good, work was great. My bosses asked me if I thought I could sell 56 day packs in less than 2 hours. They told me, " if I did that I would get a big bonus". I sold them all. It was great!! I was again running to get my homework for a computer class in on time. I got my Victoria's Secret Magazine in the mail, and a rebate check for the purchase of my computer. I took my 15 year old to get his driving permit. I paid all my bills went to parent teacher conferences. I took care of my responsibilities as the treasurer of the New Beginnings Group, and had been out looking for a car for my eighteen year old, when all the sudden my life came to a stop. I had to lay in bed with the flu for three days. I could not even drive to pick up my son from school, make phone calls for my international bible group, cook, clean or do my homework for college. I called my boss on Friday trying to go back to work, but she didn't like the sound of my voice. She said "she wanted me, but she needed me healthy and she needed my voice". Talk about the worst week. Well thank God my head is above the radar now. I talked to my mom tonight. Moms always make you feel better!! Write back later.

Valentines Day

2006-02-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hello, tonight I thought I would write a little something to say "I had a nice day today". Valentines day is a great day of the year for me. It reminds me of sugar and spice and everything nice! Today I recieved a knock on my door and it was the nicest surprise. A teddy bear and a rose with a big balloon in three tiers that said "I LOVE YOU". Its always nice to know that you are appreciated and thought about. Everything kept going well. I managed to get my homework done for this other class so I would not get marked as late. I had a wonderful day at work and then a fantastic home cooked new york strip steak and salad for dinner. My fiancee had a very happy look on his face when he opened his box from Diamonds Are Us. I can tell he knows that I love him. My oldest and middle sons called me today to say Happy Valentines Day and tell me they love me. I also heard my youngest son was pretty excited when a balloon with a candy basket arrived at the high school. The card said: "guess who? Sugar and Spice and everything nice". Happy Valentines Day!!

Meetings in the community

2006-02-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

I have gone through a little research to find out what meetings are available in my community to attend. The ord public school board of education will meet in the board room on Monday February 13, 2006 at 7:30 pm. I have attended this meeting before as a extra credit project for my sons history class. The topics of discussion included information regarding school districts funding for multijurisdictional tasks, and title five program grants for special needs children. The ord city council will meet at City Hall Council Chambers on Monday March 1, 2006 at 7:30 pm. The agenda will deal with issues regarding the city's business, such as finances and development. I have also attended the city council meeting here in Ord. I was invited by Charter Communications employee's. Charter was requesting the city give up their FM signals for a new channel line up throughout the state. It was an interesting issue. The ord township library board will meet this month also at the Ord Town ship Library on February 23, 2006 at 7:30 pm. I take some of my college classes through the learning center here at Ord. The Ord Methodist Church will be having a lasagna dinner and speaking event on Sunday February 12, 2006 at 6:30 pm. My performance and listening skills are evaluated on a regular basis. I work a job dealing with the public and deal with the faith based community everyday. I have never attended any community meetings for a college class. I believe this will be a lot of fun.

Bills, Robots And Cats

2006-01-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hello, I have made good progress in the past few days in my classes.I decided to stop drinking coffee.I have been a little agitated lately but I am sure it will pass. I had to go to Grand Island over the weekend to pay a bill because they would'nt take a payment over the phone.That was frustrating. Later however I saw this robot. Its name is a robosapien v2. I had to have it. After that I found some rasberry jalapeno preserves and chai tea.Things started to look up. I ended up having a wonderful day and a fun filled night. My cat came home after taking off for a few days and now he's running from my robot. LOL

My first Blog

2006-01-26T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hello there, I am posting this blog for for my public speaking class. I am not really comfortable thinking other people will be reading my personal thoughts and feelings on the Internet. I understand that a blog is like a personal diary so lets begin: I started school last Friday night when I came home from work and realized my books were finally here. I spent all weekend on a microcomputer course because my syllabus said I needed to turn in two weeks worth of homework by Monday. I took a test for the course and turned in all work necessary to meet the deadline. I then went to work . I am also taking another course in business administration which I am more comfortable with. It is my last credit hour in the course so I know the format well. I have reviewed the information necessary for this public speech course. I had a great time completing the presentation for software acquisition or power point presentation. I feel a little pressured for time. I am a mom with a fifteen year old son who is at home and in school wanting to get his driving permit. I also have a twenty year old son who is in telecommunications and working on becoming a police officer. I have an eighteen year old who is a sales representative he is just beginning to think about what he wants for his future. These boys are always calling me with some question for support. Most of the calls are not understanding why girls are the way they are! I am grateful to the man that I love. I do a bible study every morning because I enjoy the peace and understanding that I get from gods perspective. I love my country and recently received news that my nephew who is just a few years older then my oldest is back from Iraq. This is the second time, what a relief. I am the treasurer of a group and a member of an international bible study. I have taken a class with Brent before it was speech 139. This course was a delight to take and taught me a lot about communication. I have decided that when I am done with these courses I am going to take a little vacation to Tahiti because I deserve it. Well,that is all for my first blog. Post more later....