Celebrating the Courage of Baby Eliot - 99 Baloons Vid

The you tube link below is a video made by the parents of Baby Eliot, who was born with Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome). About.com notes that this disease is most likely fatal, and attacks every part of a child's body, from the nervous system to the heart, lungs, muscles and that 95% of fetuses with this disease die before birth. About.com added that only 5% of baby's with Trisomy 18 live to see their first Birthday. If you want more informtion about this terrible disease please click on link: http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/chromosome18/a/050104.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

For anyone who has a child, this Video about Baby Eliot's courageous fight to live is especially inspiring. This video reminds me of how blessed I am to have a healthy 5-year old boy, and what a privilege it is to be a parent. I have always loved watching my son grow, learn, explore, laugh and become such a happy, healthy child right before my eyes.

I'm sorry that I ever became upset on those sleepless nights when my son was an infant. And when I was exhausted after work and was with him, and he was cranky and tired too, well those were challenging times, and still can be--especially when he's not listening.

It's my son's birthday soon, and I can't wait to see him! I will hug him a little tighter, and love him a little more--if that's possible. I have always celebrated our moments together, but I need to continue to do so, and never forget that I am blessed to be a parent and a Dad.

Some aren't so fortunate as this inspiring video shows. Life really is precious.

The parents in the video will never see their little boy: take his first steps, laugh, say "Daddy or Mommy" for the first time, ask for a hug when he's upset or tired, read a book to him, watch him ride a bike, kick a ball, do homework with him, watch a movie with him and eat popcorn, draw with him, play ball with him, watch TV with him, watch the wonderment on his face at Disneyland, have him cry on their shoulder if he's upset and wipe the tears off his face, encourage him and tell him how special he is, enjoy a meal with him, watch him eat a cookie and laugh at a cartoon, push him on a swing, play hide and go seek with him, watch him play with other kids, hold hands with him when crossing the street, and celebrate his 1st Birthday.

But this couple found a way to honor their son and celebrate all the little moments they had with him.

I want to thank them for showing us how to cherish and celebrate Living, through their son's triumphs and struggles and will to Live, right to the end.

Thank you Baby Eliot.

You made your parents proud, and it's why they posted this video about you, to Celebrate Your Life.

Computer Mediated Communication Technology Advances

Computer Mediated Communication Technology Advances by Adrian
Technology is as much a part of us as we are part of it. Thurlow, Lengel, and Tomic (2004) noted that technology is all around us in many forms. This is very true, and it seems like we can’t go through a day without engaging in some form of man made technology, whether it’s using a fork to eat with, or the modern convenience of a car that parks its self.As I type this Internet blog, my digital flat screen television is on, I have http://www.yahoo.com/ open for emails and Instant Messaging, my cell phone sits close by, and the cable modem lights blink to remind me that I’m connected electronically to anyone with a computer or even a television set. This is because I can type and send an instant message to a CNN anchor, such as Rick Sanchez on http://www.twitter.com/ about a particular topic or issue of interest, which may be posted on the television screen scroll feature almost instantaneously. This message can be read by anyone in the world who has a television or a computer and can view CNN; so really, we are all interconnected in so many ways. This instant interconnectedness has made our world much smaller and made our information driven world even faster. Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) technology has increased our ability to connect with people from so many different backgrounds and in many different forums, such as http://www.facebook.com/.
Some critics of CMC note that this form of communication is ineffective because of the lack of Face to Face (FtF) interaction. Thurlow et al. (2004) noted that these critics argued that the Reduced Social Cues (RSC) Model showed that without social cues, such as facial expressions and body language, CMC is more difficult and lacks flow and cohesion. In addition, Thurlow et al. (2004) added that because of the lack of these visual cues in communication, people are more likely to misread plain text communication (RSC Model), which may lead to more confused or misinterpreted responses while participating in CMC (miss communication).
This may be true if one just reads a plain text e-mail message, and I’ve seen this happen. Although, in today’s technological innovative CMC environment, there are multiple ways to communicate which more closely resembles FtF interaction, and allows for one to view visual cues such as facial expressions. These CMC technology improvements include such advancements as http://www.skype.com/ which is a web/text/camera technology communication website. In addition, there have been advances in video computer cameras and other social networking websites that allow for instantaneous access via picture posts and video clips, such as http://www.twitter.com/.
As we have evolved in this new technology age, most of us have adapted our responses and learned to interpret messages and information through CMC. We may need fewer visual cues to communicate effectively and correctly interpret Internet messages, such as e-mail, especially with the improvements in technology that have helped us become more three dimensional when we communicate on-line.
Again, most of us have adapted to all of the technology around us whether we agree with it or not. In addition, younger people are growing up in this very advanced CMC technology era, which in many cases, closely mimics FtF communication or a form of it. Children quickly learn to navigate this fast changing technological CMC environment as the following Microsoft "I'm a PC" commercial on Youtube shows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mz06mylMJY
As we move forward in this communication age, we will continue to advance and improve our ability to instantaneously connect in our fast growing CMC society. In the last five years consumer demand for more intimate forms of CMC may have driven the technological advances we have seen in CMC. Thurlow, et al. (2004) explained that such inventions like the telephone and text messaging originated as experiments or technologies designed for military uses/communication (email and the Internet), and business communication (texting). Thurlow et al. (2004) added that consumers wanted to use these technological tools to further enhance communication.
Consumers possibly instinctively drove researchers to connect people in a manner more closely related to FtF communication because of a possible human instinct to connect FtF. Thurlow et al. (2004) noted that media richness of computer technology includes the ability to transmit multiple cues, immediate feedback capabilities, its ability to support natural language, and the websites level of personal focus. All of these advances in CMC are important, and as previously noted are tools we use to communicate and connect with one another to exchange ideas and information, share common experiences and interests, participate in business communication and networking, etc. In addition, these technological advances in CMC has made us more organic, three dimensional, and more human during online communication.
With that said, the computer will never completely replace the human experience, and the joy of being around the people you love FtF. Striking a balancing between FtF and CMC is important and probably the healthiest approach in this era of enhanced CMC technology.
Here is a comedic short video that speaks to this, sent out by Tony Robbins to his Twitter followers, like me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN2HAroA12w
Thurlow, Lengel, Tomic (2004). Computer Mediated Communication: Social Interaction
and the Internet. Los Angeles: Sage

Hey Duke, don't mess with the Pres!

Last week, an ESPN college sports guy (Andy Katz) did a human interest piece in which Obama picked who would win the NCAA Basketball National Championship Tourney. It was a fun thing, a chance to see that the president still does normal stuff, like doing the "brackets" just like millions of Americans. And he's into basketball, so nobody should be surprised.

And here comes coach K, as they call him, the Duke basketball coach. He got a little snooty when one of the reporters mentioned to him that his squad did not make it far into the finals on the President's completed brackets. Here's Coach K's response:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXWkLdJAqig

Coach K was the one who made this political by becoming defensive that our President would actually pick against his team, and implying that the President should focus on his job. This is code for: "I didn't vote for you Mr. Obama because I make over $250K and you're going to tax my A-off"..."so go away and fix the economy, be useful!"

And Obama's response to coach's hyper sensitivity? Our Pres basically said, "I hope his team proves me wrong." That's it. Good answer. No reason to make a bigger deal than this has to be, I mean, it's just for fun right Coach K?

Millions of people watch college basketball, do the brackets, even our President who is promoting your sport Coach K, which might raise interest and ad/attendance revenues. So what's the big deal right Coach K? Why pick a fight with the President right Coach K?

Thursday night's college basketball final score: Villanova 77 - Duke 54.

Game over!

Now the "Obama question" from reporters will keep coming and coming, and Coach K only has himself to blame. Now what was that coach K? That President Obama should focus on what, our economy? And by the way, the (DOW) has gained over 1,000 pts in the last month.

Come again Coach K?

Obama Fails We All Fail

Make no mistake, Reps want our country to fail when they state that "they want Obama to fail" but I have news for them: because of Bush/Reps we are failing now! Our policies have been failing and Reps have been in charge the last eight years! Obama has been in office for two months!

Change is difficult. It will take time to get the economy back on track (the DOW has roughly gained 1000 points in the last three weeks), and Obama is taking an aggressive approach to fix some very difficult problems, but do people really want Obama's policies to fail?

Here are some quotes in the last few day from some noted Reps, and let's not forget that Rush Limbaugh started all of this by emphatically shouting to anyone and everyone who would listen, "Yes, I want Obama to fail!"

Former Rep Presidential candidate Fred Thompson this morning on CNN, "I WANT HIS POLICIES THAT I BELIEVE TAKE US IN THE WRONG DIRECTION TO FAIL."

Rep Bobby Jindal Louisiana Governor reacted to the issue of Reps wanting our President, and our country to fail like this... "My answer to the question is very simple: 'Do you want the president to fail?' It depends on what he is trying to do."

I don't ever remember any public figure of merit saying they wanted Bush to fail, many, many Americans disagreed yes and many times vigorously, and did not like Bush's policies, but to outright want our country to fail? No, and Republicans should know better that they will be attacked and questioned when they make these stupid, silly statements.

There was an election and Obama won. Now it's up to our legislators who represent us, to negotiate with the new administration on the many important and serious issues that face our country, and how to approach them.

But is anyone surprised that Obama is approaching these issues in a different manner, a new approach, I mean he's taking on "the Teacher's Union" and he wants to reform health care, implement new energy technologies, and approach tax policies differently. But so Reps really want this administration or its policies to fail? Shame on Republicans for taking this tone. But let's not forget that many Reps were calling everyday Americans anti-American for exercising their civil right to protest when Bush was in office. How hypocritical and anti-American is that?

Obama Reponds to CNN Dude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDRpcC4Vfzw

Ha, ha, what's the big deal? This Ed Henry dude from CNN asked in a sarcastic, accusatory manner, "...why did it take you two days to respond to the AIG bonus payouts?"

Obama, "It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I’m talking about before I speak.”

He responded to that question very directly and firmly. Why all of the sudden do some media people read to much into a firm response? Now this is a story? Wow, very silly. Henry needs to grow up, and be ready to deal with answers to the corporate media's "ratings obsessed questions."

It's amazing to me that the media which has been really tough on this man, asks this question, over and over again, obsesses for over one week with 24-7 non stop coverage and updates and more updates, and more commentary, more "experts" that pound this story to the ground,...he addressed it over and over again. No wonder why he pretty much told that Henry guy to "sit down and ask me something legitimate."

Meanwhile, per the USA today (2002) 18,000 Americans die every year because of lack of health care coverage, and there are people/families sleeping in tents. It seems like the news media has it's priorities so mixed-up. There must be a way to get the media back on the side of real people, real problems, and issues that matter.