Why We Are Here

Why We Are Here
MSGT Ken Mahoy spoke of his deployment in Afghanistan; he’s a big humanitarian, who loved to help out anybody in need. He had the opportunity of handing out the humanitarian goods at a Koocha Camp on the outskirts of Kabul. MSGT Mahoy made an enormous difference in the life of the refugees’ who were staying at the Koocha Camp. While the supplies were being unloaded from the truck, Mahoy would teach the concept of tag to the children to keep them entertained. The children picked up a little of the English language and the knowledge of a common game. The children were also taught how to thumb wrestle, play ring around the rosie; duck duck goose, and London bridge. From both of these blogs the soldiers touched many lives, and many people had touched their lives. Having the chance to read these blogs have given me a whole new perspective on the war, it’s more than just fighting and patrolling villages to make sure nothing is wrong.

Afghanistan, The Beautiful

Afghanistan, The Beautiful
I am very glad that our soldiers blog about their experiences across seas. It gives everyone who reads their blog a new and positive insight on what is really going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only things we hear about the war are negative: a roadside bomb killed another soldier, or there was a massive shoot off. This soldier talked about making rounds through the villages he patrolled, and how he and his troop brought needed supplies to the elderly. The people of these villages are extremely grateful for what these men and women are doing for them. Another experience is dealing with the kids of Afghanistan; the kids aren’t playing games or hanging out with their friends. Instead they are herding sheep, operating shops, and riding bikes weighed down with lumber. The children ask the soldiers for pens, and occasionally a child is able to have a conversation with the soldiers.
While this soldier and his troop were in Iraq they faced a problem: their humvees had a tendency to pull down the wires in the villages they drove through. The locals would ask for money to fix their wires, after that the wires were torn down again, the people of the village re-hung the wires at a higher height. The people of the village found a new way to adapt to the soldier’s presence. The people of Iraq and the troops that are in Iraq learn many new things from each other every day they are there.

The Serious Issues of Pitfalls

The Serious Issues Of Pitfalls
The issues of pitfalls are very serious. Most teenagers think they are invincible and that nothing bad will happen to them. They post details of their lives that should be kept private just so someone will notice them. What teenagers don’t realize is how many people can access their profile without them having any knowledge of it. Online predators take advantage of teens when they have a profile that shows they are vulnerable, and want someone to notice them. The online predator seems like a normal person who cares about the teen and maybe they will want too meet in person. Teens’ meeting face to face with strangers is extremely dangerous their online friend could turn out to be their kidnapper without them having any idea of it, until it’s too late.
Some schools are advising and/or trying to ban their students from using the websites like MySpace and facebook, they try to educate the students on what is too much information to be giving out. Career advisors warn the students about what their explicit profiles can do for their future careers. Employers can and will look at their profiles before they call you in for an interview; they look to see if your personality will fit into what their company is looking for and based upon. In many cases doing online background checks is good. You are able to tell a lot from someone’s online profile, which can send up red flags to employers. Teenagers and anyone who’s looking up to set up a profile should think about what information they give out, they could be turning down a good job, or attracting the attention of an online predator without even knowing it!

Passions, Pedagogies, and 21st Century Technologies

Passions, Pedagogies, and 21st Century Technologies
For as long as people have been alive we’ve had a difference in opinion about many subjects. James Sosnoski discussed the difference in opinions about the preference of hyper reading or reading printed texts in his article Passions, Pedagogies, and 21st Century Technologies. Sosnoski himself preferred hyper reading, he continued to state what he says the advantages were of hyper reading; the convience of being able to correct your mistakes, or leave notes on a draft you read for a colleague. Another point he made was how our world is becoming more and more technologically advanced and hyper reading is the way of the future.
In his article, Sosnoski strongly preferred the hyper reading, but doubted technology many times. It seemed to me that Sosnoski liked using technology, but in the text he debased its worth; “the World Wide Web may be the ultimate antitheater of communication, said Sosnoski.” I felt that Sosnoski’s article was hard to follow while he jumped back and forth between the pros and cons of hyper reading and reading printed texts, but he clarified his ideas in the conclusion of this article.