Social Revolution (Weekly No. 12)

While researching what classes to take back in August for my first semester in this program, I have to admit, I was hesitant to take a class on Social Media. What possibly could I learn? I have spent so much of my time on Blogger, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Tumblr, etc. I am, by no means, an expert, but I felt like I was a social media pro going into this class. Little did I know, I would learn so much.

Taking this class made me approach and question social media in an entirely new way: What is it exactly that I am getting by utilizing all of these social media tools? Why do I invest so much of my time using these tools? Is it worth it? It truly made me analyze myself and my behavior, and the only logical answer I could come up with to explain my excessive usage of social media tools was connectivity. Go figure.

According to freedictionary.com connectivity is defined as:

1. The quality or condition of being connected or connective.
2. The ability to make and maintain a connection between two or more points in a telecommunications system. 

Social media makes me feel connected to people. It makes me feel social, even when I'm sitting at home on my couch alone. Again, go figure.

This brings me to William Powers' Hamlet's Blackberry. How is it that I am alone, but still feel connected to people? And I don't mean an emotional or spiritual connection. If these tools didn't exist, would I feel lonely when alone? Probably not, but you get what I'm saying. Hamlet's Blackberry laments that technology is pulling us away from real life by our overwhelming need to be connected all the time. Powers suggests that such alone time should be used for reflection, a time to smell the roses, a time to enjoy life. Put it down and walk away. Now, I definitely need to put my Blackberry down and walk away, but I can also argue that there have been countless times I have been alone with my Blackberry and have had revelations. Revelations that have allowed me to enjoy life to an even greater extent. My Blackberry practically houses a virtual diary within the Notes application -- there you can find to do lists, recipes, and some of my deepest thoughts -- and even my personal statement that I wrote for my application for admittance into this program. It's a healthy relationship. Well, kind of, sort of...

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Although I feel like I have become a slave to technology and social media, it truly has--as cheesy as this sounds--helped me to discover a layer of myself I didn't know three-four years ago. And that's what I think is good and bad about social media.

I certainly haven't discovered who I am through Facebook, but I have cringed at past outfits. Seriously, what was I thinking? However, Facebook has allowed me to connect to my social world outside of my immediate friends. Frankly, something that wouldn't be possible without it because I wouldn't put in the effort. Oddly enough, Facebook has also moved me to protect those relationships and friendships that I hold dear to me by not discussing or displaying every little detail about them including our status. I find it rather strange that I am more scared of Facebook than Google. Facebook has turned me into an intensely private person when it comes to my real life. Of course I fell into the trap, as everyone has, and have shared my life on Facebook through pictures and words, but for the most part, those days are long gone. I can't tell you how many times I deactivated my account to later return. I'm currently on. Three weeks from now? We'll see.

My blog poor & fly helped me channel one of my greatest passions-fashion, and the other allows me to share photography, music and quotes, also things I am extremely passionate about. To me, this is a good thing, because these are the things I am passionate about and none of them causes harm to anyone, not even myself. Except for maybe sore eyes.

Then I think about the people who take advantage of social media and abuse the tools. Last week's lesson was frightful; it showed me that we are all passionate about things, but not everyone is passionate about quotes and fashion and music. Some are passionate about harming and killing others. That was painful to learn. I remember Kate whispered to me: "What if Jesus had a YouTube feed?" Clearly, social media has done some amazing things, but it has also turned some incredibly dangerous people into easily accessible and manipulative forces. Very scary, but therein lies the power of social media -- it is readily available to anyone who wishes to use the tools.

I think to determine if social media does more harm than good is like asking if people do more harm than good? After all, we are the operators of these tools. In my opinion the good outweighs the bad. Here's the way I see it: there will always be people who violate morality, take advantage of things and people, break the law and want to cause harm to others; that is why we have a judicial system and prisons. But I'd like to think, and maybe this is a naive thought, that most people are good at heart and have pure intentions in life, especially when using social media tools.

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Life isn't meant to be lived in isolation; it truly fascinates me how social media has caused a social revolution -- the name of this blog, if you haven't noticed. Never before have we ever been so connected to people whether they're right next door or in Japan. Whether or not it is a true connection is another story, but for the sake of this class and final blog post, it is still a connection. Never before have we had so much information at our disposal. Social media has allowed so many of us to gain so much knowledge about people, things, governments, places, etc. It has minimized the time we spend searching for things and maximizes the time we spend connecting -- or attempting to connect -- to others.

In an ever increasingly social world, I don't see the social media "fad" fading away any time soon. It is intensifying at a pace that is difficult to keep up with and it is almost hard to believe that there was a time when these tools didn't exist.

I never approached social media as more than just a user--as a bargainer--but I was really surprised to learn how much depth this sphere had. Exploring social media has been adventurous, scary and even self-revealing. I appreciate the lessons that this class has taught me and I value the challenges that came along with learning about social media and the people behind it -- all of us. We are all a part of this social revolution.

My Team (Response No. 3)

Being the only girl to play sports growing up within a blended family of six girls and one boy (think Kardashians), you can imagine how happy my father was. I remember "training" with my brother in our basement where we had a treadmill, punching bag and a weight bench. My brother was a football and basketball player; my sport of choice- lacrosse. Oddly enough, and unlike many parents, my parents never pushed me to play sports, it was something I took on myself. They'd much rather me play the cello and that be that.

During my high-school's off-season, I played on a traveling club team that traveled up and down the east coast participating in tournament after tournament. Talk about exhausting! I was captain of my club team along with a friend of mine who attended a rival school. She went on to play for Virginia Tech. I turned down scholarships because for the first time in my life, I didn't want to do anything but be a student. That being said, the idea of sports and how they unite countries, communities, even families has always been something that fascinated me. I even studied sport management in undergrad at Florida State (Yes, we did just lose to Tech in the ACC championship game.). I was convinced I was going to be the female equivalent of Jerry Maguire. Hey, who knows what the future holds. Eh, I'm actually over the sports industry, at lease the idea of working within the sports industry. I much prefer the fan side. This brings me to Jessie's post on her beloved E-A-G-L-E-S.

While I can't say I'm a fan of the Eagles, I will say that Michael Vick has really impressed me with his performance; and that's coming from a girl who owns two pit-bulls! We all deserve forgiveness and an opportunity at redemption. But enough with that. Let's talk about MY teams! Well, actually, my dad's teams:

1. The Washington Redskins
2. The Georgetown Hoyas
3. The Baltimore Orioles
4. Wait for it............the Los Angeles Lakers

Seriously? The Lakers? Now, I can understand the Redskins, the Hoyas, and the Orioles being that he's from suburbs of DC, but the Los Angeles Lakers? I still haven't figured it out...

It truly fascinates me how people come to identify with place. Italians identify with Italy because that's where their heritage lies. I mean, it makes complete sense. But how someone from New York or even North Dakota is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys just blows my mind away! And let me tell you, there are so many "Dallas fans." I will say this though, my father has been a fan of the Lakers since he was a little boy and I don't think any losing season (they never lose) will change that, because it sure doesn't change a thing for Redskins fans!

Anyways, I've talked about everything besides what I initially wanted to discuss. For the first time in my entire life, I can finally cheer for the Hoyas as a student! Woohooo! I grew up a Hoya fan, largely because of my father, but always felt so disconnected because, let's face it, I was never a part of the student body. Even though that didn't stop me from cheering for Georgetown while I was attending FSU. Needless to say, I am really excited for the season! We're 9-0, baby! I am especially thrilled to attend a game with my father. When I was accepted into this program, he was beaming with pride; it will be really special to cheer for GU with him by my side since he grew up loving the Hoyas and I am now a Hoya. Georgetown is finally my team! (:

Tumblr Monsters (Response No. 2)

First and foremost, I was thrilled to read Tiffani's response to my personal post. I was really touched to see that someone was moved by my friend's story and reached into their very own thankful bucket to hand out thanks. You'd be surprised to know that I sent the link to that post to my hurt friend, and he was also moved; now I'm not going to say he cried, but... he did. He also sent the post over to his mother, who also cried; she even printed the story out to share with her family, friends, and co-workers (she's also a police officer in Chicago). Reading your post and seeing his reaction was such a neat moment for me. I acheived what I set out to do by writing that post--encourage people to reflect and give thanks--and I was really happy to read how thankful you are for your life.

But, honey, can we talk about your new-found love for Tumblr?! All I can say is- Welcome to other side! How awesome is Tumblr? I was just expressing how thankful I was for Tumblr in our assigned post from Thanksgiving week! Everything you mentioned in your post is exactly how I feel about Tumblr, and why I am an obsessed Tumblr monster!

"I think what I love most about Tumblr is the versatility for posting. You don’t always have to do a full text post. It can be a quote, audio, video or perhaps the best feature, a reblog. I’m just starting out but I’ve found some great people on Tumblr that I reblog all the time. I also love it because I’m able to post great YouTube videos I’ve found or new songs I love."

The reasons you love Tumblr, is exactly why I love Tumblr. The versatility for posting is hands-down Tumblr's BEST feature. Likewise, the format of Tumblr is unmatched anywhere else on the web (to my knowledge), and I what I love the most about Tumblr. Don't you find it fascinating that we all use the same tools and yet everyone's blog is so different, unique, and one-of-a-kind? I also love that we are allowed to tweak our blogs in every possible way -- which I understand if you're familiar with HTML you can do, but the average person is probably not that familiar -- Tumblr makes it SUPER easy to customize your blog and make them visually captivating.

You also mentioned that the easiness of posting is the reason you post as much as you do. Uh, I definitely have almost 4,000 posts, and I promise I do not live on my computer; I do, however, live on my phone. I have to ask, do you have the Tumblr application on your Blackberry? I don't even know what type of phone you have, but let me tell you, if you have a Blackberry, download it! It is DIVINE! I am constantly posting quotes, pictures, lyrics, and even "re-blogging" some of my favorite Tumblrs. It is, no lie, the best application I have on my phone.

Like you, I've started blogs before on other sites and had a hard time keeping up with them. I mentioned that poor & fly was my most successful blog in another post and how it sadly became boring; but to be honest, it started to feel like a full-time job! Monetizing poor & fly was always an objective of mine, so I felt like all of the exhaustion and long nights were worth it, but the amount of money I was generating was dismal. So not worth it! Although I loved everything about poor & fly, I grew tired of it because it thoroughly exhausted me and I started to feel guilty about not posting stories; the bags underneath my eyes quickly changed my mind. Now I have different plans for poor & fly... something definitely way more exciting than posting about $5 rings I discovered at Forever 21. Although that's fun and dandy, it just got old.

I've been on Tumblr for almost a year now, and I know it sounds cheesy, but it excites me every day. Every day I carve out time to sit down at my desk and peruse some of my favorite Tumblr blogs. I genuinely look forward to it...it's one of my favorite things to do. I've already discovered yours, and I'm already a follower! (: I've learned that we have a few things in common, like our musical taste. Marsha Ambrosius wrote my favorite Michael Jackson song, ever! Butterflies. She's insanely talented. I've posted it on here before.

Like Lady Gaga dubbed her obsessed fans "Little Monsters," I have dubbed myself, inspired by you, a "Tumblr Monster." I know I sound lame, but there really are so many reasons to love Tumblr. I'm hooked!

Oh, by the way, about statistics, there is a way you can do that! ;)

E is for Ethiopia, F is for Filtered (Weekly No. 11)

Ethiopia

• Officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
• The second-most populous nation in Africa, 90 million people
• The tenth-largest by area, with its 1,100,000 km2
• GDP (ppp): $70.9 billion
• GDP Per Capita: $954

According to an annual report by the United Nations, Ethiopia is ranked as the second poorest country in the world with over 90% of its population living in poverty, 39% of its people living on $1.25 a day, and 61.5% of its population deprived of adequate schooling. I was curious to see where the blogosphere would be in a country whose people lived under such unfathomable circumstances and desolate living conditions.

Although there was an Ethiopian presence on Global Voices Online, a rather sparse presence (the last story was from August), I learned jaw-dropping information about the blogosphere in Ethiopia after further researching the web. Not only is Ethiopia one of the poorest countries in the world, but it has the lowest overall teledensity—the number of landline telephones in use for every 100 individuals living within an area—in Africa. With a population of 90 million, there are less than 1 million fixed lines in service, and a little more than 3.3 million mobile subscribers. Even more surprising, the number of Internet users was below 500,000 at the end of 2009. All Internet users in Ethiopia access the World Wide Web through the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC), a state monopoly and sole Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the country.

While researching the web, I was shocked to learn that Google, the site that so many of us, myself included, are so thankful for, was blocked in Ethiopia in 2007; and from what I gathered was blocked for two years until President Obama's administration released its Human Rights reports in February 2009 accusing the Ethiopian government of restricting Internet access to its citizens and of "blocking web sites." This is alarming news because as we all know, Blogger is owned by Google; millions of blogs created with Blogger were unavailable in Ethiopia as a result of this filter and still are. Ethiopian citizens heavily criticize government authorities of censorship, which is still an enormous issue plaguing Ethiopia today.

Ethiopia is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa to actively engage in political Internet filtering; authorities feel that many political bloggers who oppose the current regime are a priority in being blocked, and thus blocked. Not only does Ethiopia block Blogger, but they also block CyberEthiopia and Nazret, two extremely popular sites that aggregate Ethiopian news and has space for blogs and forums. Nazret even has a directory that displays Ethiopian blogs and bloggers.

Of the few Ethiopian blogs I did come across, many of them are hosted by Blogger and accessible by me because I live in America. I was shocked to see how much they cover American politics. This political blogger noted the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. This blogger pleads to President Obama that Ethiopians "need him" in a post. These popular bloggers, Enset and Ethio Pundit, are also blocked by the Ethiopian government; both host their blog on Blogger. The general tone of concern for the state of Ethiopia, particularly politically, from bloggers and their interest in foreign affairs was really astounding to me. Although their voices are oppressed and silenced and cannot reach their fellow citizens, they are still passionate about expressing their opinions and actively blog.

My discoveries of the blogosphere and the web in Ethiopia really blow me away. I believe as a human, we all have the right to express ourselves, but I understand that not everyone lives in a country where these rights are respected and honored. How ironic is it that I'm sitting here on my laptop using a wireless router to connect to the Internet, while using Blogger and Google as tools to help me complete an assignment for my studies at Georgetown University. Sounds fancy doesn't it? And a world away from the lives of Ethiopians, whose entire population is banned from the mighty Google, and who have limited access to computers and the Internet, let alone a space to express themselves.

Although there are Ethiopian bloggers, the blogosphere, as I know it, seems to be nonexistent in Ethiopia.

P.S. How strange is it to see this ad on an Ethiopian site while doing research for this blog assignment:

Weird.

I ♥ Tumblr (Weekly No. 10)

Choosing Google as the website that has made my life better would be the easiest choice for this assignment. Where else could I go to search for pictures of Beyonce, enter four words (possibly falling for you) to a song I am desperately trying to figure out and find exactly what I was looking for (Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg), assist in my education, and even help me figure out where I am trying to go? I suppose Bing... (Mike, that's not intended to be a low blow, I promise...)

There is no denying that Google has had a significant impact on nearly everyone's life who uses the Internet on a daily basis. Google's search engine has revolutionized the way we learn and acquire information, and Gmail isn't so bad, either. However, in an effort to choose a website that has been more impactful on a personal level, I choose Tumblr.

I initially started blogging on Blogger back in January 2009. I started poor & fly, and it quickly gained global readership. I discussed mostly fashion and entertainment on poor & fly, eh, mostly fashion, especially how to be fly on a budget. E-mails poured in where people asked me for my help in piecing an outfit together. Of course, I always obliged and did the best I could to piece the most "poor & fly" outfit together, which just means the hottest outfit for a guilt free price. Although I had a successful run, ever since grad school started in September, poor & fly has slowly fallen off of my radar. Talking about fashion and what Blake Lively is wearing, most recently Versace at an event for jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, isn't really appealing to me anymore, although she did look fly! Don't get me wrong, I still love fashion, I will never stop loving fashion, but blogging on poor & fly started to become boring to me. Nevertheless, poor & fly was my first blog and one that opened me up to the world of self-expression on the web; a world I wasn't necessarily familiar with before.

Not shortly after I started poor & fly, I started another blog on Blogger, eightsixteen:816. This blog was so different than poor & fly. It was definitely more personal, my musings in a sense. I posted everything from random thoguhts to my favorite quotes to news articles that widened my eyes to pictures that made me smile. A few months after blogging about anything and everything on eightsixteen:816, I decided to move my content over to Tumblr.

My best friend had told me about Tumblr. I had read hers religiously. Initially, I was apprehensive about making the move to Tumblr. I mean, it literally felt like a move! It was apparently a big decision for me, and one that would change my life.

This past February, eightsixteen:816 turned into the little yellow diary. I had also started the little yellow diary on Blogger, but didn't really know what I wanted to do with that space, or what I wanted to use that blog for, so it just sat empty for a little while. Actually, it's still empty. I guess I just wanted to ensure that I would get thelittleyellowdiary.blogspot.com domain, and I did get that.

Since discovering Tumblr, I have, in essence, been allowed to keep a journal of all of the things that intrigue me day by day. One of my favorite things to do is collect quotes, and I am constantly adding quotes onto my Tumblr via the Tumblr application on my BlackBerry. I also love photography, and come across really captivating pictures that I want to share. I have discovered that Tumblr is the perfect place to share the creative side of myself. It is unlike poor & fly where I rant about fashion, and, instead, a place where I share words, images, music, etc. It truly does feel like a digital diary, and it fosters an environment where people are not afraid to share their thoughts with each other. I major feature on Tumblr is the "reblog" option, where you can re-blog something you like from another person's page, kind of like a re-tweet. There is also a follow feature which allows you to follow your favorite Tumblrs and have their musings show up on your Dashboard when logging in to the site.

I am thankful for a space where I can just talk and post pictures and quotes, and actually feel connected to other people, which I never felt on Blogger. I am thankful for a space that I can be creative, where people give me feedback and share ideas. There is a huge feeling of camaraderie on Tumblr, which, in my opinion, is unparalleled anywhere else on the web. I think Tumblr is a really neat world on the web, and one that most people have yet to discover. I'm thankful I did.

When Erika Met Oscar (Personal No. 3)

"Never in history has there been a time when a woman has as much control over her destiny as she does today." — Oscar de la Renta

Earlier this year, I had the honor of attending a reception and fashion presentation at Neiman Marcus in our nation's capital, hosted by the Washington National Opera and Oscar de la Renta. I'm still pinching myself...

Oscar presented his fall 2010 collection, and the room was filled with oohs and aahs, and maybe even some drooling. Well, maybe not; this was a sophisticated crowd.

I sat in the second row, opposite of Mr. De la Renta, and was completely in awe of his presence. Was I really in the same room as him? Watching his work strut down the runway? Yes. Yes, I was.

After his masterpieces finished filing down the runway, Oscar gave a speech and thanked those in attendance. He was so gracious. No, Oscar, thank you! Then came time for him to mingle and meet those who came. This reception wasn't set-up to be a meet and greet, but he hung around to meet his admirers and take picture after picture after picture. Now, I was not about to let this moment pass me by!

I have deeply admired Oscar de la Renta since I was a little girl. Ever since my Dominican grandmother noticed my fascination with clothing as a young girl and told me about a Dominican fashion designer who was one of the best in the world, one of the best there ever was, who dressed everyone from first ladies to royalty to Hollywood stars, I've been borderline obsessed. I handed my glass of Pellegrino back to the waiter, I had only taken a sip. He looked at me like I was crazy, and in that moment I probably did look crazy. My heart felt like it was jumping out of my chest. I was really nervous and my mind was racing. I had rehearsed a speech in my head for days leading up to the event, but I couldn't remember a word. I tried my very best to keep my composure...

Now, I remember my speech only because it was saved in a Notepad file on my computer, which means I don't really remember it. Clearly, I was practicing and I don't know why. Practice didn't make perfect in this instance. Here is what I wanted to say:

It is such an honor to meet you! You have been an inspiration to me since I was a little girl, and you're the reason I fell in love with art and fashion. You make me proud to be Dominican. Thank you.

Like I said, I don't know what I was rehearsing for or even why I thought of writing/practicing a speech because when I approached him, well, actually, he approached me (I swear, he did), NONE of those words came out of my mouth. He started walking towards me, looked me up and down (I hope he liked what I was wearing. I hope he didn't think I looked a hot mess.) and smiled at me. That's when my face went blank, eyes froze, and all I could say was: It is such an honor to meet you. Ever gracious, he replied: Thank you, sweetie. And that's when this woman hollered: Mr. De la Renta, I feel like the ultimate woman in your clothes! Another woman jumped in and told him that the dress she had on was one of his from the 80's. "Do you still like it?" she shouted. Mr. De la Renta replied, "I love it." Wait a second, these women are ruining my moment! A moment I've dreamed of my entire life! I didn't get a picture, yet!

Oscar started to slowly move away from me, my heart began to beat faster and I started to clutch my camera with a nervousness I've never felt before, but before he was out of reach, I shyly asked for a picture. I don't know if he heard me, in fact, he didn't, but the lady escorting him did and told me to "jump in," grabbed my camera from my shaky hands and snapped a moment of history in my life. The result, the photo above.

For a moment, I was afraid I was going to walk away from this event with just an image in my head, but thankfully, someone recognized my nervousness and eagerness to ask him for a picture. Hallelujah!

Although, it lasted no more than ten seconds, that moment seemed like forever. And I know it's cheesy that I remember every detail, but that moment meant so much to me; it was a lifelong dream come true, and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Here is a snippet of the show courtesy of my friend, Elaine Mensah of SVELTE TV:

'This Is It' (Personal No. 2)

Today, I finally unwrapped the clear plastic on a movie that's been sitting on my desk for a while now. The movie I speak of is- 'This Is It', a musical documentary chronicling the rehearsals leading up to what was supposed to be Michael Jackson's very last world tour. A tour that the world would never get to experience due to Michael's sudden death last June.

That movie was hypnotizing! I was completely in awe! It was as if I had never seen it before. Well, it's been a while...

If anyone is a Michael Jackson fan, it is me. A proud one at that. I never got into or distracted by the clouds of controversy that surrounded his life and career, simply because I was too distracted by his music.

I truly believe that growing up playing an instrument, just being a musician, period, makes me appreciate music on another level. On a different scale, if that makes any sense. I can break down music piece by piece, sound by sound, layer by layer. I can pretty much tell you which instrument is controlling what within a score. I can also easily identify nearly any instrument in a sea of noise as easily as I blink my eyes, and I can always tell you when a cello is present. I think that easily identifying different sounds is a skill that most musician have; some, of course, are better than others. Now, Michael Jackson was like me, maybe even you, but on mega steroids, and I don't mean the drug addiction. His ear was sick! The way he analyzed and critiqued people's sound, of course "in love" as you will witness in the movie, was astonishing! I think this is what led him to make the timeless and revolutionary music that had us dancing through decades.

I love some artists, but there is bold line that separates the great from the popular. Although Michael was pop music, he was iconic and legendary; his music is embedded in the fabric of so many generations and so many cultures. Not many musicians can say that. Michael dissolved every single music barrier by transcending race, culture, religion, gender, age, etc., in a way the world had never witnessed before. He annihilated records and his success is a true testament to his talent. When he sang, people listened, when he danced, people watched, and we were completely transfixed. His music was an experience; it was explosive, captivating, and larger than life. Many have tried and certainly will continue to want and try to replicate his iconic style and sound, but no one will ever be able to. He was truly one-of-a-kind.

Michael is one of those rare and brilliant artists that come around every few decades or so and changes the game, changes the way we not only hear music, but the way we see it. There's a difference between loving an artist and appreciating an artist. People "love" Rihanna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, shoot even my girl Beyonce, and although they make great music -- some are even on their way to being icons and legends, some are already considered to be-- I wouldn't go as far to say that people appreciate the music these ladies make. I so desperately want to pull Beyonce out of that group and I think I will. She's truly in a league of her own. Even Lady Gaga. Anyway, my point is people from all over the world, not only loved Michael's music, but they appreciated his art.

I remember going to see This Is It in the movie theaters; I think that's why I wasn't in such a hurry to watch it at home, because I already witnessed it. I also remember the boy who sat next to me who barely spoke English, but literally sang along to every single song. How magical is that? I know this is probably the most random post in the history of this class, but watching This Is It really made me think about Michael Jackson and all he has done for music, and it really made me miss his sound. Thank YouTube for the Michael Jackson channel!

In closing, I leave you with one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs, probably my favorite ever. It is Butterflies from the 'Invincible' album that came out in 2001. I remember coming home from school and my dad had the CD waiting for me! (:

I Refuse to be a Gamer (Weekly No. 9)

What I think about when it comes to Mario, too. Wardrobe.

Okay, I don't know if refusing to sign up and test drive Second Life will constitute a failing grade for this blog post, but just hear me out. Matter of fact, just watch this video below:

Meet Nikki. Nikki hates her boyfriend's Xbox...

Story of my life. *sighs*

Yes, people are suggesting that she stop dating losers and stop being co-dependent in the comment section and others are crying over a destroyed Xbox, but I'm actually with her on this one; and I'm definitely NOT co-dependent, and I wouldn't go as far as to say my boyfriend is a loser, well, not on the Internet, because that means I can't take it back. Nevertheless, I am so unbelievably sick of video games, it is not even funny. What I am even more sick of? My boyfriend's brain being completely hypnotized by video games; in his defense, he definitely doesn't play for 10 hours, maybe two. That's still too long, in my opinion. The slogan "EA SPORTS - It's in The Game" forever haunts me in my sleep. Oh, and don't let my boyfriend and father be in the same room as an Xbox! This only means one thing- an intense match of 2K11 will ensue. That being said, I cannot bring myself to test-drive Second Life for more than five minutes. Actually, I refuse.

I won't deny that I've heard a lot about Second Life; there was a time I wanted to sign up just to play dress up in the virtual mall and purchase anything and everything. What girl doesn't want to play dress up? Eh, a lot. But I'd much rather window-shop instead of play within the virtual closets of Second Life because window shopping is free, and I'd have to pay to pretend to shop on Second Life? Key word- pretend. That just confuses me even further. Window-shopping is pretending! And I certainly don't care about Linden dollars, I care about Benjamins. Something I am severely lacking. Thank you, Georgetown!

This idea of adult gaming really triggers my brain cells in all the wrong ways. From my boyfriend to my father, I just don't get it. Now, I'll admit I was completely transfixed by Sonic, Pacwoman, even Mario growing up, oh, and the ducks, but I would never sit down and play a game of Sonic or Mario in front of my TV or computer for hours on end. Not as as adult. I could never sit at my computer for hours and play within the virtual realm of Second Life. Frankly, I don't want a second life, this first one is enough.

However, as hard as it is for me to say this, the idea of Second Life is strangely fascinating. They plaster on their homepage- "Escape to the Internet's largest user-created, 3D virtual community." For the sake of this blog post, talk about crowd-sourcing! This community entirely functions off of its users. Not only that, Second Life is literally offering you a chance at a second life. The life you've always dreamed of, or not. That is what I find the most strange. It can seem so real with its 3D images and life-like people, but it's clearly not.

Although Second Life's promise that you can do anything, buy anything, socialize, etc. within a virtual world, a fake world, is not something I necessarily identify with, millions of people are more than loving it. Kind of like Washington loves its Redskins. Why? I don't know, and I'm a Redskins fan! Last night was just painful. With its popularity increasing, MMOG's are proving to be more than an entertainment source, but a way to recruit and woo a crowd. Garrett referenced in a class earlier in the semester that Barack Obama's presidential campaign had taken out ads within gaming sites simply because they could. Now, everyone knows that Barack Obama had more than enough money to spend, but I'd like to think that this was a valiant concentrated effort and not just a way to spend money, but a way to target an untapped crowd in a new way. Or maybe it was just another way to spend money. I'm going with the latter.

What I find even more fascinating, rather confusing, is the usage of MMOG's as a recruiting tactic for the United States military. I just find that really odd. I can't help but think that the usage of such tools is an invasive and manipulative way to tap into our minds. Psychologically, people's minds must be somewhere else when engaging in such games. I know my boyfriend's mind is at least!

As I'm sitting here writing this post, I'm starting to think that gaming is all about living a second life. The people at Second Life are clearly on to something. Do my boyfriend and father feel like they have a second life, a better life, when they play Madden and 2k11? My father was an all-star athlete, and my boyfriend swears he's LeBron James. Maybe he really feels like LeBron James when he's playing? It will certainly be interesting to see how advertisers and marketers, even politicians, tap into gamers going forward. Some people's first lives are so different than their second. Will they attempt to channel an individual through their first/real life? Or will they attempt to channel them through their second/gaming-virtual  life? Which one will be more effective and provide the results they seek?

In closing, meet John. Witness his retaliation on Nikki:

Credi-pedia (Weekly No. 8)

Illustration: Wilcox

After last weeks class discussion on Wikipedia, my position didn't change; I still strongly believe that Wikipedia is credible and should be a trusted site. However, I still believe that people should be choosy with what they believe whether the source is Wikipedia or CNN.

In many respects, Wikipedia serves as a news outlet, receiving news in the same manner traditional news outlets receive news -- as a story unfolds. People take to Wikipedia to update a story the same way news outlets continue to trace back to a story in order to report the latest news and any updates. Traditionally, many news stories aren't given a seal of approval until a credible and reputable news outlets has confirmed the news. For example, I refused to believe TMZ with every blood cell in my body when they were the first to report that Michael Jackson died; I waited until CNN confirmed his death to believe it. In retrospect, TMZ was right, but I am choosy about the things I believe on their site because of their gossip-mill reputation, so I decided to halt my beliefs on anything Michael Jackson related until I heard it from what I believe is a trusted source.

I highly doubt anyone was racing to their computer, or handheld, to read Michael Jackson's Wikipedia page to learn about the state of his health, and ultimately his death last year. There was such a rush of information, that it would be nearly impossible for the site to keep up. Every minute there was something new. Everyone's edits would take over each others and create mass confusion.

Typically, breaking news tends to be negative; so when delivering breaking news, there should be one person/channel who is constantly providing updates. This ensures that the message is concise, but also provides some sense of clarity for the viewer. On Twitter, I follow @CNNBRK, for breaking news, and the breaking news that they provide on a daily basis is enough to take in. Can you imagine tuning into every possible news channel on 9/11? Or following every single new channel on Twitter today? Your brain would be every where!

In my opinion, people like to be addressed directly, especially when it comes to not-so-great news, so I wouldn't recommend Wikipedia for breaking news, because in a sense, it's almost like tuning into all of the news stations like I mentioned before. Talk about headache! Trying to keep up with breaking news is challenging enough, and since our brains are programmed to take things in systematically, I don't find Wikipedia functional with regards to breaking news.

However, I do feel that Wikipedia is a great site for news that has happened. The wealth of information that is provided on Wikipedia's site after news breaks is unparalleled anywhere else on the web. Wikipedia would definitely be my stop on the web, even before CNN, to gather facts after an event takes place; but CNN is who I am tuned into when an event is taking place, whether it's via TV, their website, or their Twitter feed. Wikipedia comes after.

Grateful for my Health (Personal No. 1)

I have a friend who is physically hurt right now. He is one of the sweetest people I know, which is weird because he is a police officer, and police officers have a solid reputation of being @$$holes, especially in the city of Chicago. A few months ago, my friend responded to an armed robbery call and after that call his life would change forever.

The suspect attempted to get away, and while doing so tried to run him over. His hand went through the car window and severely damaged his right hand at the point in which the hand meets the arm -- a crucial area on our bodies. The ligaments running through his hand were deeply cut and he has nearly lost the function of his right hand -- his dominant hand.

Growing up an athlete, even playing football in college -- quarterback at that -- the thought that he cannot be as active as he once was pains him, but nothing pains him more than the thought that he will never fully recover and his hand will never be the same; his life will never be the same.

Yesterday, he went to a different doctor than his main doctor to get a second opinion about the state of his progress and he, again, was given heart-breaking news. He would not only need two more surgeries, but this doctor is also uncertain to whether or not he will fully recover and gain the full function of his right hand. Of course this was painful news; any bad news relating to our health certainly jolts our nerves. He didn’t want to talk, in fact, he was being mean, but I knew that this was so unlike him, so I backed off and gave him his much needed space.

I let him wallow in his thoughts, because, honestly, that’s what he needed to do. He needed to have a minute where he felt sorry for himself. A minute to see his future flash before his eyes. A minute to reflect on his life thus far. After leaving him alone for a little while, I crept over to my phone to send him a message. I told him I was going to send him a picture and that I wanted him to make it the background on his phone.

The picture I sent him is the one shown above, and the message I sent him is below:

Be grateful and appreciate the life you have because there is always, always, someone who has it worse than you. Do you see the hurt in that little boy’s eyes? He has NO hands! Live for him. I know your reality is painful right now, maybe even hard to believe, but life is so beautiful, and you have so much to live for! Keep praying! And be hopeful that you WILL heal and return to 100% health. Have faith! Miracles are commonplace when you believe in the power of God’s love and grace.

Everyone has a tough life in some regards, right? But in my opinion, we are all so lucky to be alive. I know I complain about my life -- I won’t be a hypocrite and say I don’t -- my life can and does get challenging, extremely challenging; but the challenges I face on a daily basis pale in comparison to the challenges others face minute by minute. I have a home. I have family. I have friends. I have food. I have health. I have love. I have an education. I have faith. I have God.

Although I am far from financially stable, these are things that make me feel extremely wealthy. I don’t have a lot -- okay, I have a lot of shoes -- but in the grand scheme of things, I have so much. In fact, I have too much. I have health! Health, alone, is something people fall to their knees and pray for all day, every day!

Just last week my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. That news hit me like a brick wall. I can’t even imagine what it felt like for her to hear those words roll off of her doctor’s tongue. Hearing news like that is scary when you grow up thinking your mother is Superwoman. My mom is a soldier. I mean, come on, she made the monsters get from under my bed, out of my closest and out of my room, and she made torturous nightmares fade away. She’s invincible! Or so I thought…

People like my friend, and my mom, and that little boy with wet eyes and no hands remind me of how incredibly lucky I am for the life I have. It’s not perfect, far from it, but it’s a good one. And I know it shouldn’t take other people to remind me of how blessed I am, but the truth is, it does.

If you have a friend who is down, remind them of how blessed and loved they are, because one day you’ll need to be reminded. I have to remind myself of that every day, and more importantly, we have to remind each other of that!

I Wrote in an Encyclopedia (Weekly No. 7)

"You may be deceived if you trust too much."
— Frank Crane

I didn't grow up privileged, by any means, but the bookshelves in the basement of my parent's house were constantly filled with encyclopedias of all kinds: animal encyclopedias, black history encyclopedias, etc. I always remember my mother sitting on the phone with credit card in hand to order the latest edition. She deeply valued education, and owning collections of encyclopedias was just another way to ensure that her children had the resources they needed to complete projects for science fairs.

Although, my mother had a very altruistic intent when purchasing these encyclopedias, my father, on the other hand, took it to an entirely different level. I was forced to read encyclopedias as one of my punishments for misbehaving when I was younger. Talk about torture! He would ask me, or my sisters -- whoever was in trouble -- to go downstairs, choose a letter (book), bring it to him, open the book, and whichever page I landed on, I had to write a report on. Whoa. Was he serious? Yes, he was serious. He would peruse through the pages first so that he was informed on what I would be studying so I couldn't run circles around him. My dad is 6'5", at four feet, maybe even three feet, there was NO way I was running circles around him. I obliged, because I had no choice, and went off to my room to work on my report on orangutans.

It's hard to imagine anyone today punishing their child by sending them away to write a report on a subject within Wikipedia's database. I mean, I could easily land on Michael Jackson's page, even Beyonce, and this would be the furthest thing from torture; in fact, it would be quite enjoyable. Listening to "Thriller" or "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" could be classified as studying my subject of choice!

This experience couldn't have existed ten-fifteen years ago, nor could my experience from my childhood exist today.

This brings me to this weeks prompt- Which should be considered more trustworthy: A published encyclopedia or Wikipedia?

In my opinion, in today's world, Wikipedia should be considered more trustworthy than encyclopedias, but not to the degree where we rule out encyclopedias completely. News is constant, and publishing encyclopedias at a rate in which to keep up with the news is impossible.

With everyone being an expert on any given subject in today's Internet-crazed world (my expertise-Beyonce), Wikipedia provides a powerful tool for 'experts' to openly share their expertise. Now, this is Wikipedia's fortifying strength, but also its crippling weakness. The idea what anyone can post anything is frightening, but that's the beauty of the internet. You can land on a blog while researching a specific subject just as easily as you can land on Wikipedia; you're going to take in the information regardless of its credibility or not, that's the nature of reading. However, it's safe to assume that the general population doesn't use Wikipedia as their one and only source because of its known un-trustworthiness; which gives this site even more power, in my opinion, because it generally leads you to the actual published, factual, reputable article. Or is it?

The notion that Wikipedia doesn't claim to be fully trustworthy, is almost trusting in a way. I know that sounds crazy, but I respect that they provide a references section, which almost screams, 'if you need further proof, look below.' The internet is full of copy and paste content, the least anyone can do is cite their source, but that has become a rare act.

Another reason that Wikipedia is trustworthy in some degree is because for the most part, people are constantly allowed to edit each other and contribute to this sea of information; this wasn't possible in the day of encyclopedias. We were forced to believe that the information presented to us was factual, but who was there to edit them? There was no way you were going to write in an encyclopedia with the sole intent of editing the information, because the only person who is going to see that marked up page was you, and maybe your sister. And don't even think about writing in anything that belongs to the library!

I want to believe that most of the information on Wikipedia's site is factual, and that people are not abusing or taking advantage of the free-access and ability to contribute; however, it is known that some people do abuse Wikipedia's openness, which is why you have to be selective of what you trust, and determine the degree to which you trust information to prevent deception, as Frank Crane suggested.

The openness of Wikipedia draws people in; this has been the fuel of Wikipedia, and the utility and general trust of Wikipedia is the reason for its success.

You've Got Mail! (Weekly No. 6)

An e-mail from Barack Obama, himself, the day after he was elected 44th president of the United States of America. Well, that's what I'm supposed to think, but I truly appreciate the sincerity. Notice the 'please donate' link?

Did Barack Obama just e-mail me? I asked myself that a few times my last semester at Florida State University. I would often wake up to check my e-mail to see a message from who was very likely the next president of the United States sitting in my inbox. This was my second election; my first was when I voted for John Kerry in 2004.

I was 18-years old in 2004 and vividly remember posting a John Kerry poster in my dorm window at Florida Atlantic University which overlooked one of the most frequented paths on campus. If anyone was walking to class or to the food court or to the library, they were definitely going to see my John Kerry poster. I was asked to take my poster down by the dorm monitor. I guess we weren't allowed to have anything in the windows. Although perplexed, I obliged. I mean, this is hurricane riddled Florida we are talking about here, and we were in the middle of hurricane season, and a weightless John Kerry poster was going to do nothing but attract 80 mph winds. This was a safety hazard; and one that I didn't want over my head at night, literally.

Other than voting for John Kerry and the story about the poster, I don't really remember anything from the 2004 campaign/election; I don't even really remember why I voted for John Kerry. Wait, who am I kidding? Of course I remember and know why I voted for John Kerry! I voted for John Kerry because I was ultimately voting against George Bush; or so I thought. Bush was the victor, yet again.

Fast-forward four years later to the 2008 campaign/election -- to what became my first campaign/election; my last didn't even compare. I was getting e-mails from everyone. Barack Obama. Michelle Obama. Joe Biden. The Democratic student organization at FSU. Even phone calls from a local organizations asking when I had free time to volunteer. This was new to me. Like I said, I don't remember much about the 2004 campaign/election, but I also don't remember any e-mails from the candidates, and their wife, and their running-mate, and student organizations sitting in my inbox at Florida Atlantic, and I certainly don't remember being asked to volunteer. My inbox at Florida State was flooded, and this had nothing to do with transferring schools; nor did it have anything to do with hurricanes.

This was the very first time a presidential candidate had ever reached out to me, little 'ole me, by sending me an e-mail; although it was a generic e-mail, and one that I couldn't really reply to, it singled me out and it made me feel heard, alive, and valued as a voter. This was rare with presidential candidates, and certainly a first.

The first theses of the Cluetrain Manifesto suggests that markets are conversations; likewise, campaigns are conversations -- very important ones at that. Conversing with voters was taken to an entirely new level with Barack Obama's campaign. Ultimately, his methods to reach out to voters through the internet and mobile devices was something that had never been done before and something Barack Obama and his 2008 campaign mastered, and what left him victorious. As Gina Cooper explained in Infonomics, "Barack Obama's campaign [was] about rewriting the social contract between citizens and government."

In Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody, he offered three "rules" that were critical to any online endeavor: plausible promise, effective tool, and acceptable bargain. Shirky suggested that it would be difficult to have any online endeavor with only two of the three rules; so in order for you to find success all three must be present, active, and fused together within the framework of the endeavor. Much could be said for a political campaign.

Rewriting the social contract between citizens and government, as Cooper pinned in Infonomics, meant talking to citizens to ask them exactly what they wanted in this new social contract for the very first time. Citizens plucked long desires out of their pockets to sling them at the candidates: healthcare reform, education reform, Social Security reform, and so on and so forth. These were areas that citizens had long wanted reformed, but areas that seemed untouched by the existing administration.

Rewriting this social contract and making tremendous effort to reach as many people as possible in order to hear their wants and needs from their government was, in my opinion, Barack Obama's grand promise in the 2008 campaign. Never before had so many people been engaged with a campaign and felt that their voice could be truly heard and their vote actually count. This was mainly because in every campaign before, people felt like their government never really spoke with them or to them. Conversation was missing in a major way, it was pratically nonexistent; therefore, many people felt that their government didn't care about their needs and wants. This sentiment was a major hurdle in the 2008 campaign, and one that Barack Obama made his priority. Igniting conversation and dispelling any idea that the United States government didn't care about its tax-payers and didn't want to hear them out was a major point to be addressed in this new and improved contract; the first step towards fulfilling the promise of rewriting the social contract between citizens and government.

Engaging in conversation was a necessary tactic, and essential, in fulfilling the promise, but this came at a cost. A lofty cost. Barack Obama's purpose in running for president wasn't to lose, it was to win. In order to win, Barack Obama needed to mobilize citizens across the nation to volunteer in numbers unseen before. This was the bargain; in order for Barack Obama to effectively rewrite the social contract between citizens and the government, that so desperately needs to be rewritten, he needed voters to act, work, and vote on his behalf. This bargain meant that Obama supporters were going to go to work for him, so he could ultimately go to work for them.

"To say that Obama won because of the Internet would be an oversimplification; it’s more accurate to say that he couldn’t have won without it." – Garrett Graff

There is no denying that the Internet was the all-important and all-encompassing tool in Barack Obama's campaign, and one that was used incredibly effective. Graff notes that the internet is the only reason Barack Obama won the 2008 election. To say that he would have lost if the internet didn't play a role is a powerful and true statement. The levels at which he engaged with voters on the internet was unprecedented. Never before had a presidential candidate engaged with voters at this capacity, period; and it was the internet that allowed him to do so.

Two years deep into his presidency, and two years away from the next election, as a Barack Obama supporter, I do feel that he has lost sight of his initial promise to engage with citizens. However, the grand promise was to rewrite this 'social contract' and create 'change,' and I do think he has delivered on that front. With the help of Hilary Clinton -- let's admit it, she's the one who started this healthcare reform movement in the 90's -- and the Democratic party, he was able to push new legislation through congress to reform America's current and failing healthcare system. This was a major accomplishment for his administration, and one that he technically shouldn't get all of the credit for, but nevertheless, one that was championed by him.

Initially, Barack Obama seemed energized and inspired about the prospect of becoming the 44th president. Having a conversation with us, with me, seemed so important to him. He got everyone's attention, left and right, with the help of his astronomical campaign contributions and even enlisted his "friends" to get people excited about politics again. Bono. Oprah. Beyonce. Jay-Z. These are all people who are known by one name around the world! He wanted people to get out and vote, and feel like they were really affecting the outcome of the election. Like we had really helped him win; and we did. Now, I respectfully understand that being the president is a tiresome job, and that the president is a busy man -- he was before he became president and he is probably crying for sleep now -- but I know that it wasn't really him who wrote me that e-mail the day after the he won the election in 2008. The same man who was dropping his name into my inbox at least once a week doesn't seem to be talking to me now. The job isn't over. The conversation should have never stopped.

Barack Obama created a movement and even has a cult-like following, much like Lady Gaga, but the fizzled conversation is what concerns me about his agenda and administration regardless of his prior movement. I feel like the movement is at a standstill. The faded conversation with citizens is what I think will prevent him from being re-elected, but I will recognize that he has recently heightened his level of conversation, but almost solely because of the upcoming election. That doesn't seem as sincere as his e-mail.

As we all witnessed, conversation is important, especially in today's world with the internet being the most powerful and effective tool. We all know Barack Obama mastered the internet, and even has nearly six million followers on Twitter, he also over 15 million "likes" on Facebook; but how will Barack Obama reignite the once fluid and effective conversation that he so masterfully conducted? How will he change his plan of attack now that everyone knows he won the presidency solely because of the internet. Just wait for it! Here Comes Everybody, as in future candidates, who have studied the 2008 blueprint are going to follow suit! Will they be as effective is the question? Only time will tell...

I leave you with this last e-mail. Hey, at least he said "thank you!" ... He even spelled my name correctly! Now that is rare!

My Life Disrupted by Hurricanes (Response No. 1)

Kate, since you are technically a "hurricane," I just want you to know now that I don't mean that type of hurricane... (:

I was taken back after reading Kate's post about her life in a bubble. Her move to DC from New York struck a chord with me -- probably because I had a similar experience when I moved to Tallahassee, Florida to attend Florida State University for college. Our experiences are as identical as identical twins. Her unimpressed attitude towards DC being from New York was/is very similar to my unimpressed attitude towards Florida being from Maryland. The North and the South are two completely different worlds. I bet you think DC is the south, don't you, Kate? (:

I initially went off to college in Boca Raton, Florida to attend Florida Atlantic University, but ran home traumatized due to the back-to-back-to-back-to-back hurricanes (yep, four) that rocked South Florida in 2004. I'm used to five feet of snow, not 80 mph winds. I vividly remember boarding up my window in my dorm and packing a few weeks worth of clothes in my suitcase because all students were being evacuated from university grounds. I thought I was going home to Maryland, but the FAA would have the final say on that. One that would forever change my attitude towards Florida. My flight was scheduled to leave at 12:05 pm via Southwest --it was the earliest flight I could get -- but all flights after noon were canceled. WHAT?! I don't remember the day, but I remember that it was a Thursday. Needless to say, I freaked out, and my mother, well, she panicked like any mother whose daughter was a 17-hour drive away would. Where was I supposed to go? And with who? And how? I didn't have a car. The entire region was being shut down, and since Florida Atlantic University was a bike ride from the Atlantic Ocean, this was certainly not somewhere I wanted to stay. Again, where was I going to go?

I would soon find myself practically running away from the hurricanes with a group of out-of-state students who literally had no where to go (hotels were forced to close, too). We teamed up and devised a serious game plan: first stop, West Palm Beach, then Jupiter, then Orlando, then West to Tampa, then South to Fort Myers, then Naples, and then across Route 75 to Miami, then North on 95 back to point A- our destroyed campus.

School had been indefinitely suspended until further notice; of course it was. There was a city-wide 7:00 pm curfew strictly in place because the city had lost all power, and I still had no where to go. NEVER AGAIN, I thought. I was terrified, and I was 110% positive I would get out of Florida for good after the semester was over. I remember thinking to myself: "Who lives like this? Who wanted to have their lives constantly interrupted by hurricanes? Hurricanes!" That was/is something I certainly never want to get used to! I ended up staying with a family friend of one of my friends, who wasn't really my friend at the time, but we are now thanks to his fateful adventure trip!

After hurricane season faded away, so did my anxiety about living in the hurricane taunting region of South Florida. I did move home after the school year -- shocking, not after the semester, huh? -- and spent the entire summer recovering from an eventful, and I don't mean fun -- freshman year. A summer completely free of hurricanes, might I add! Here comes the part where I tell you about my move back to Florida. Hard to believe... I honestly still can't believe it!

I packed up my life once again to move to Florida, but this time I avoided the South. Tallahassee, Florida would be my new home away from home -- even though it never really was. See, much like you here in DC, Kate, when I lived in Tallahassee, I felt so unbelievably disconnected from everything and anything "Tallahassee" including their beloved Seminoles (ya know, football). When FSU played Maryland during football season, I cheered for the Terps. How could I not? When FSU played Maryland during basketball season, I cheered for the Terps. How could I not? I even had a bright red shirt with the Maryland flag that I would wear to class (in retrospect, that was pretty lame, but at the time I thought anything Maryland was far cooler than everything Florida). I became known as "the girl from Maryland." Actually, my name is Erika; Erika with a "k." One day during golf class (yes, I took golf -- I was practically required too being a sport management major), I overheard a group of guys discussing Bobby Bowden. Well, who the heck is Bobby Bowden? Was that another name for Jesus? I innocently asked who this man was, and up went the golf clubs! Not to swing at the ball, but to swing at me! Well, not really, but it felt that way! I felt like I asked: "Who is Jesus?" Well, Jesus in Tallahassee was/is Bobby Bowden, and somehow I did not know this before I moved there! Big mistake. HUGE! For those of you who don't know, I surely didn't, Bobby Bowden is one of the winningest coaches in college football, second only to Joe Paterno. Now I knew who Joe Paterno was, largely because my neighbor signed a full-scholarship to play for Penn State. Go

I tried to do anything to connect with home, whether it was staying up-to-date on my beloved Redskins, or having hour-long chats with my sisters. I even racked up some serious miles with my frequent two-day/too short trips home for the weekend. They were so not worth it, but they were so worth it! I did all of this because I never really connected with the people at school or with Tallahassee, let alone Florida, period, so I craved connection to the people I had already been deeply connected with. Blame it on the hurricanes -- and no, I don't mean "the U." By the way, we (I can't believe I just said that) smashed "U" [get it? ;)] the other week 47-17, but I bet neither of us even care! Matter of fact, I don't care, and I know don't! I didn't even watch the game! It's safe to assume that you didn't either. It's also safe to assume that 99% of Florida residents were tuned in to that game, no exaggeration! How about the only reason I even know that Florida State won is because of my Seminole infested Twitter feed. As I digress... Nevertheless, somehow my mind couldn't get past the torment of those traumatizing weeks from my freshman year, which were seriously preventing me from enjoying the state in love with oranges and college football. I don't like oranges, and I'm indifferent about college football. Basketball is my sport.

When I moved to Tallahassee, Florida, I honestly felt like I had landed on Mars. Was it because I was now living in a bubble due to my prior traumatizing experience in South Florida? Who knows, but I do know that I felt so out of place, which was new to me. People dressed different than me, acted different than me, talked different than me, and, even worse, everything seemed slow. For goodness sake, way too slow! I felt stuck in a time warp. I honestly thought the joke was on me; meanwhile, my mind and thoughts were racing a mile a minute and doing full out sprints in my brain racing each other. You're from New York, you, of all people, know exactly what I'm talking about.

It wasn't until my soon-to-be best friend -- who of course is a Florida native -- sat me down to inform me that I was selling myself short by not immersing myself within the Florida State culture and suggested that I get with the program. But, I'm a Hoya at heart -- even before I was accepted to Georgetown (My parents are lifelong fans of GU, and of course that rubbed off on me; isn't that how the story goes?). What she was telling me was as foreign to me as her field of study and what she was asking of me was like asking the impossible, better yet, the unfathomable. Before I could connect to "Florida State" I would have to disconnect myself from Maryland and Georgetown, two schools that, although I had never attended, had allowed me to have some of my greatest childhood memories (Maryland football games and Georgetown basketball games) -- it was never going to happen. She might as well have asked me to help her with her bio-chem homework. That can be done, maybe not correctly, but at least I'd give it a try!

I would go through my sophomore, junior, and practically half-way through my senior year of college feeling like an outsider; an outsider who avoided garnet and gold like the plague. I don't know what happened half-way through my senior year, but something turned on in my head -- or maybe someone busted my bubble -- and I began to feel myself truly enjoying life as a Seminole. I attended football games more frequently, and I even put a Seminole sticker on my car, right next to my Maryland license plate, of course. Trust me, that sticker had a very short life. But somehow I began enjoying the college life that everyone around me seemed to love and enjoy. I also understood that most of these people were native Floridians and grew up with an intense desire to throw frisbees on Landis Green and were likely decked in university gear before they even met the sunlight outside of the hospital. This was not uncommon on Florida State's campus, and I'm pretty sure is common on campuses around the country. I will be doing this to my future children, but with gear from Georgetown. Duh! Now, I never could understand how people stayed in Tallahassee through grad school. Six odd years in Tallahassee plus me was never going to happen! Never! EVER! Two and a half years already felt like an eternity...

Maybe this apprehension towards connecting with Tallahassee and Florida State was slowly erasing itself from my life because I knew that graduation was looming and I would soon move back to my home-state, or maybe it was because my mind recovered once and for all from the torment of the 2004 hurricanes. Those weeks really got the best of me -- I still don't trust Florida weather. Or maybe it was because Tallahassee rarely gets disrupted by hurricanes and I would soon learn that life in Tallahassee would never turn upside down like it did in Boca Raton; even though it took me nearly two plus years to believe that Tallahassee was in a safe little location in the Florida Panhandle. It really is. However, Tallahassee is not safe from the worst of politicians, but I won't even go there.

Looking back, I don't dislike Florida like I used to, but I don't love it either. I have this love-hate relationship with Florida, to be honest. I often overhear people discuss South Beach with such great admiration, a city I have visited more times than I can count on my fingers and toes, and I always listen in with such discontent. My experiences in South Beach have been some of the most memorable experiences of my life thus far, surrounded by family, friends, good food and music is always a plus in my book, but staying out until 3, 4, 5, even 6 am is not something I am necessarily fond of. I'd much rather stay home and listen to Tchaikovsky and Bach while perusing the web for never before read quotes. My mother has salsa and merengue playing all day every day, I don't really need to hear it in my sleep. I also eat platanos like it's nobody's business, but I certainly don't need it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That is just too much. Way too much.

Across the board, the state of Florida, and all of those cities I have either lived in or frequently visited are cities that have taught me a great deal about life, invaluable lessons, there is no denying that; but to this day, I can't say I love any of those cities the way I love home. The way I love DC, and I don't really love DC all that much. I also wonder to myself if my attitude towards Florida and my alma mater, Florida State, would be any different had those four hurricanes not rudely interrupted what was supposed to be an exhilarating and memorable freshman year. It sure was memorable! Those four hurricanes not only disrupted my life, but they disrupted my state of mind, they disrupted my thought-process, and they had a great deal, actually, they had everything to do with shaping my attitude towards Florida. I mean, can you blame them? I was only 18-years-old! I had flown out of the safety of my mother's nest into 80 mph winds and forced to figure out how to fly on my own... I like to think that I did.

Ironically, I'm thankful for my experiences in Florida, because had I not moved to Florida and been tortured by hurricanes I wouldn't know or have some of the most amazing relationships/friendships I have today. Nearly all with native Floridians. Go figure. Did I have to experience all of that for these people to be in my life? I'm sure someone knows... I'm also happy that I was able to somehow live in the moment while I was in Tallahassee, even if it was for the few months before I said goodbye for good.

Now can you believe my boyfriend asked me to move to Ft. Lauderdale?