Where's My Stuff?

In my last post, I wrote about cloud services and the fact that almost everyone uses them. To be honest, I'm still learning about the ins and outs of cloud services myself. Upon reading an article recently, I finally solved the mystery of where all the "stuff" in the cloud is stored. I cannot say with all certainty that my stuff is in any particular location, but I do now have a better idea. According to the article linked above, information from an iTunes account is stored in facilities in Oregon, North Carolina or California. Weird, right? I thought so. I, probably not unlike many others, tend to envision some sort of magic to be responsible for things I don't understand. Now that I am ready to look beyond the myth, I'm finding ansers and becoming better informed. Is a cloud magic? No. Is it still completely amzing? Yes.

Cloud Nine

How many of us utilize a cloud service? Anyone with a smart phone or an email address certainly does. The bottom line is: almost everyone uses a cloud service. But, why? Cloud services allow our information to be easily accessed from anywhere with an internet connection; this may include emails, documents, or contact information. Cloud services help us to streamline communication and our lives. After I synched my iPhone to the cloud last year, every time I purchasde a new iPhone, my information is "magically" transported to the new device before I even exit the Apple Store. I have one word for this: awesome!

Hurricane Preparedness

As I type, Tropical Storm Sandy is barreling towards South Florida. Once again, we are in "the cone of uncertainty." I must admit, I do not prepare for these storms. My hurricane preparedness plan consists of waiting for others to put up my hurricane shutters, and then I head over to my boyfriend's house, which has an in-ground generator to run everything. I probably should be more accountable for my children's and my own safety, but it's too easy to just rely on the plan I have in place. I am curious if anyone else has even gassed up a vehicle or purchased extra water.

Blog Topics

For many years, I believed that I hated to write. The only time, though, I believed this to be fact are the years that I wasn't writing. In junior high, I was writing a novel (I wonder what happened to it?). During high school, I prided myself on my ability to produce writing assignments with ease. Then there were the in-between years; the years I was raising young children and could barely put a sentence together to have a conversation, let alone formulate intelligible manuscript. Upon re-entering an academic environment, I found myself at home, once again, with jotting down the dialogue in my head. I like to write. No, I love to write. What is it about assignments that seem to strip the joy from an otherwise enjoyable activity? I like to write about simple things. I would enjoy writing about my favorite travel experience or my most enjoyed meal. Who doesn't love food? I don't even like to cook, but I watch cooking shows, and I read recipes like they're Harlequin novels. I totally understand the term "food porn." I think I could really enjoy writing about food. But, then again, if it's an assignment, a sense of duty accompanies it to snatch away at least a piece of the joy.

The Dreaded Peer Review

What is it about having one's peers review a person's work that is disconcerting? It has never bothered me to have a teacher or professor read my work, even in its most infantile stages. This is in sharp contrast to how I feel about having my classmates review my work, even if it's finished. I have a tendency to want only expert opinions regarding my work. I am a perfectionist; I have a very hard time letting go and letting others take control of a situation...any situation. To me, the peer review process is an exercise in tolerance and uncomfortability. It's more psychological for me than academic. Nonetheless, regardless of the benefit, I realize that it will make me a better, more well-rounded person. Simply by experiencing something new and uncomfortable, I am conditioning myself to be more receptive to others' assistance.

Sports Teams

My whole life--at least as long as I can remember--I have been a Green Bay Packers fan. It's easy to understand why; I grew up in Wisconsin where seemingly everyone is a Packers fan. I thought upon moving to Florida that my affection for the Green and Gold might waiver. It hasn't. I still cried when we they won Superbowl XLV. I felt like it was a personal victory. What does seem a bit foreign to me is my more recent fan affiliation to the Saint Louis Cardinals. First off, I have never been a fan of baseball. Second, I am not from the arched city. However, my boyfriend was born in Saint Louis, and a great portion of his family still lives there. Last year, we stayed up late to watch the awe-inspiring games of the World Series. Their performance in Game 6 was extraordinary. I couldn't believe the pride I felt in the Cardinals when they won the championship. I had all these feelings for a team that wasn't even mine. This year, the Cardinals have had a strong showing in the post-season as well. I am excited to watch Game 5 of the National League Championship Series tonight. If they win, they will be heading to the World Series for the second consecutive year. How exciting is that?! Also, go Packers and beat the Saint Louis Rams on Sunday!

Long Island Debate

Last night, I watched the Presidential debate broadcast from Long Island, New York. The contrast between the two Presidential debates held thus far was, quite frankly, substantial. I felt President Obama performed much better than in the previous debate; he must've spent countless hours in preparation. I felt that both candidates were at the top of their game--so much so that it was almost uncomfortable to watch. Neither man held back. I found that the questions posed by the undecided voters were very telling. I cannot wait until next week Monday when my home state will host the third and final debate. Even more exciting, the election is mere weeks away. Finally, political ads will slow to almost a halt...thank God.

Vice-Presidential Debate

Last week, I watched the vice-presidential debate. It's very difficult to be unbiased because not only am I a Republican, but also I am from Wisconsin, Paul Ryan's homestate. Saturday Night Live parodied the event, which I knew it would. Paul Ryan's widow's peak seemed so much more pronounced than I had remembered it to be, and clearly, SNL picked up on that fact. I felt that Vice President Biden showed blatant disrespect for Congressman Ryan by continuously laughing, smiling, and interrupting while Ryan spoke. I thought that Congressman Ryan performed well, especially since this was his first debate in such a capacity. As a Christian, I was offended by Biden's response regarding abortion. How can one consider oneself a Catholic and still support abortion? I do not envy any individual who puts himself or herself into the public arena. I would never subject myself to such scrutiny.

Halloween Costumes

Although some retail locations would like to skip straight to the big, money-making holiday of Christmas, it is only October, which means it is the Halloween season. As a child, I would dream-up my costume many months in advance; I never was satisfied wearing a run-of-the-mill store-bought costume. A few years back, I spent more than I care to admit on a custom costume. It seems that expensive purchase has become my go-to attire for the sugar-laden holiday. Just because I wear the same costume every year, it doesn't mean that I don't fantasize about creating other ensembles. I'm curious to know if other adults also fantasize about dressing up for the holiday, even if they do not act out on it. Are you going to dress up in costume this October 31st? If so, what will your costume be? Or, if cost was not a factor, what costume would you concoct?

Big Bird Tweets

I just read on Facebook that the most tweeted about political event is Mitt Romney's spiel about cutting funding for PBS in which he referenced Big Bird. I find it a little misleading that individuals mention that this event or that event is the most tweeted about happening; Twitter was officially launched a mere six years ago. I will continue to hold the belief that if certain political events occurred in the past six years, they would have easily surpassed the ridiculous volume of tweets that Romney's Big Bird received. In my opinion, there are a handful of tweet-worthy political events that happened just in my lifetime: the fall of The Berlin Wall, President Clinton's "I did not have sex with that woman" speech, the events of 9/11. My only hope is that something--anything--happens soon to replace this event in the Twitter record books. I feel confident that by tomorrow there will be a plethora of contenders.

Mitt, Mitt, He's My Man!

I am going to let you in on a little secret: I have a crush on Mitt Romney. I suppose it is not too unusual for one to have a crush on such a public figure, but there are many who believe that he is so straight-laced and stiff, like a stuffed suit. I see an attractive man with perfectly "seasoned" salt-and-pepper hair. Although at this point in my life I consider myself to be a republican--a fact that only serves to increase Mitt's attractive factor for me--I feel that I would be open to voting for a democratic nominee if he or she had a platform that better reflected my beliefs. This election I lucked out. Not only do I feel strongly  about my Mitt's candidate's platform, I get the opportunity to see his face plastered throughout  the media. In addition, I have grown weary of the years of high unemployment numbers. In 2009, I was "let go" from a wonderful job because of the downward-spiraling economy. I love this country and the ideals it was built on, and I believe we as a nation have it in us to return to our former glory. This November, I will vote for change; however, it will not be for the campaign with the ironic motto "Change."