Social Media has changed the way we live our lives with 2.8 billion social media profiles. One can say every aspect of our daily life especially since 4 out of 5 Internet users find time to visit social networks and blogs. It has changed the way 67% of Americans maintain relationships, conduct business, and communicate. [...]
Spring 2012 fashion trends are fun, refreshing, and NEON! Do not be intimidated when you go shopping and try on that neon suit that highlights your every flaw. The trend is not meant to be splattered all over your wardrobe. It is to bring a little excitement into your life. If neon is new to [...]
Carly Rae Jepsen’s career was launched into the US airwaves by Justin Bieber himself. The young superstar first heard Carly’s music while visiting his hometown in Ontario, Stratford Canada. Fellow Canadian Carly released here song “Call Me maybe” with her label 604 Records. Bieber heard the song on the radio and thought it was “possibly [...]
The citrus filled fruit known as the lemon has many uses outside of sweetening a warm cup of tea. There are several beauty benefits including anti-aging. The best way to keep the Botox away is a natural beauty regimen. Let us call it the Luxurious Lemon Facial. There are various ways to use a lemon [...]
The Trayvon Martin case continues on. The rally the took place in Sanford Florida about a week ago on March 22nd was one of many rally’s that took place all over the nation. Since then leaders like Al Sharpton and “” have been quoted to encourage and promote equality and Justice. Al Sharpton’s Speech [...]
In my studies on the current education system it seems to have a wealth of information on what went wrong in today’s school system. Everyone is talking about. For example, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban even blogged about it. His thorn to be reckoned it the financial aspect. Cuban states, ” Did you know that there is more outstanding debt for student loans than there is for Auto Loans or Credit Card loans ? Thats right. The 37mm holders of student loans have more debt than the 175mm or so credit card owners in this country and more than the all of the debt on cars in this country.”
Blogger Lauren Landry of BostInno, on July 25, 2012 blogged about the students views the current education system. She points out that students are taking the blame when they are surrounded by distractions like television and social media. These distraction at times are confused with disorders like ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).
Sir Ken Robinson discusses his views on the current school system and the so-called misdiagnosis of ADD in several students. The video below is a compilation of his speech at the RSA conference in 2008, a story on BBC News on changing school system, and the trending online School Kahn Academy.
In my research I am finding more and more that we are in need of a change in schools. Children have a lot more distractions and responsibilities. We are due for a change. Times have drastically progressed and everything should progress naturally.
According to the National Education Association, Bullying is defined as systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt and/or psychological distress on another. Bullying can be physical, verbal or social.
In Florida School Districts and for the Florida Department of Education, Bullying in Schools is becoming a major focus. Florida Statute 1006.147, also known as ‘The Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act,’ requires school districts to adopt an official policy prohibiting Bullying and harassment of students and staff on school grounds, at school-sponsored events and through school computer networks.
According to floridasuicideprevention.org in 2011, 12 kids committed suicide per day. Below you will find information on suicide rates in Florida.
To this day there has been several incidents nationally due to bullying. One incident that that I will always remember took place a couple years ago in Orlando, Florida. A young boy was found hanging at a playground and had to be put on life support. According to CBS Tampa, “He left a note and the note said that he wanted to tell some little girls that had been nice to him that he would see them in heaven and that he couldn’t live anymore because he had been so badly bullied at school, Orlando District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan told WFTV.”
In America there are several organizations focused on the youth of America. Dream Believe Know It or DBK for short is one Non-Profit Organization that has made an effort to reach all children of various backgrounds to build-up their confidence and self esteem I had the pleasure to sit with Meghan Latare a mentor and motivational speaker for DBK Orlando and I am encouraged to hear the good works that Organization is carrying out in Orlando.
The Dream Believe Know It Foundation’s (DBK) mission state that its mission is to provide educationally based programs, workshops and seminars to the youth of our nation. They strive to empower kids of all ages and backgrounds to believe in themselves and be confident. The Foundation was founded by Daryl Washington who has believed in helping other from a young age. The foundation matches children with mentor all throughout the nation. They make it easy for anyone to join, volunteer, or donate.
Jonathan Bertrand is an eighteen year old high school student at Evan’s High School in Pine Hills, Florida. After years of bullying Jonathan found himself battling with severe depression. With no outlet to release his emotions he turned to writing. He brought attention to his story to writing a letter to anyone who will here is story. The letter revealed what he was going through and how his case was handled by the Apopka School district where the said bullying took place. You will find a copy of the letter below.
Stay calm and alert. Consider the options and do nothing to escalate the situation.
Walk away. Fighting isn’t worth it. You do not have to prove yourself by fighting.
Take a non-violent stand. Speak respectfully: ”I don’t want to fight you.”
Report it to authorities, but discuss with them how you will be protected from retaliation.
Get away. Find safety or call for help.
I hope many will be inspired to give back and fight for a cause that means something to them. Children should not be moved to commit suicide in any generation. This is a serious matter to be addressed.
I had the privilege to speak with Jonathan Bertrand who once was a bully victim. He has since overcame that time of his life. He wrote a letter to publicize what he went through and to reach out to other victims and give them hope. Below you will the interview with Jonathan and his letter.
The Letter written by Jonathan Bertrand…
Hello and Good Morning,
I’d like to introduce myself to you, my name is Jonathan Bertrand. I’m contacting you because I believe you can help me with my mission. It saddens me to live in such a cruel and uncaring World. I am a 17yr old man who attends Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, Fl. I have been a victim of severe bullying and even cyber bullying for some time. My attire and style was the main focal point of this bullying. I am different and I believe all people are created the same. I have grown thick skin because of what I had to endure in my life. All of this started when I was in grade school, then it progressed. For years, I was scared to even leave the class room fearing that someone would harm me. My anger started to grow inside myself. I am a very “happy-go-lucky” type of person, always trying to keep the “the glass is half full” attitude. This attitude has been pushed to the way side because that person who was so positive, turned into a very emotional distraught, low self esteem and depressed person. I managed to keep my sanity because I started to separate myself from others….from the World.
Like I said earlier, I’m only 17yrs old. I have lived with so many incidences of bullying, but I’m still standing. The school districts can only enforce what’s in their guidelines, their rules and regulations. It was my eight grade year and a student ran my head into a brick wall. The student was punished but was allowed to complete his punishment on campus. My freshman year of high school was even worse. I was put into a locker from the football players because “I talked white”. I have several examples of bullying but I think you get the point. Most of the school administration would turn their head until they where forced to do something. The reason for this is when it continued to happen; it was more out in the open. People started realizing that I was being tormented on a daily basis. Administration finally issued a “No Contact Policy” arrangement with me. It’s a double standard because the students who would assault me would tell their friends. Then their friends would take up where the assaulters left off. Needless to say, this policy or arrangement didn’t work at all. I expressed my concerns to (the School Administration; My Principal) who would turn their head and look the other way. I contacted the Superintendent of schools to help me. I was told that I may even be treated worse because of this, but I saw it as my last resort. Things managed to get a little better but Administration and my Principal alienated me. I was alone but it was better than being picked on anymore. I am an African American student; I hold my head up high as I should. Some students of other races have been treated with more respect, with more attention. Regardless of my ethnic origin, ALL students should be treated fairly and be able to gain an education without living in fear.
Everyone has a breaking point and I had reached mine. I understand why some students turn to drugs; skip class, suicide and other negative avenues. My grandparents & parents have been my rock, they have saved me. I made it through because I had a great support system. I was never able to talk about this to them because I was ashamed. I never took matters into my own hands because I will not tarnish my good name or ever embarrass my family. Some teens DON’T have a “rock” or a support system. They feel lost; they feel like there’s no one to turn to. These people, these loving beings are the ones you read about in the papers….the statistics. It’s a different era now and people go to extremes. Instead of fighting it out and calling it a day after you win or lose. People involve guns, kill and do even more insane acts. I’m not a fighter anyway, I would certainly lose. An older friend of mine had to fight all throughout his middle school years. He was 1 out of 3 American Indians out of his entire school. He was picked on every day until he was forced to fight. He told me it was easier back then. I asked him why and he stated that when the fight was over, everything was over. He may have had black eyes, busted lips, broken teeth but the abuse stopped and that was fine with him. I am fighting this battle using my brain and I know you can help me. Mothers driving their children to fights, jumping on school buses, airing differences on Facebook or Twitter makes things even more difficult. Adults acting like children, it’s a sad state of affairs in which we live. Cyber bullying just escalates matters and this is why LAWS governing Bullying must change. I write scripts in hopes of writing a movie addressing the social prejudices of students in our school systems. I’d like to start awareness programs in schools to address these issues. If people can love each other in school, it will certainly change people’s lives outside of school.
It saddens me to know people are killing themselves because the pain is too severe to deal with. Martin Luther King once said he had a dream, well so do I. Florida has implemented some laws regarding Bullying and other forms of Harassment, UNFORTUNATELY, these laws are not being enforced. I have attached a copy of the Florida Statute regarding this topic. What are the consequences? There are no fines implemented. This is another example of a law that looks GREAT on paper but does absolutely nothing. Help me change these laws; help me get legislature to implement harsh penalties for these crimes. Yes, I call them crimes because that’s exactly what they are. If the police were called on you at your home, they would call this Aggravated Assault OR Battery. Fortunately these crimes are not at someone’s home but for 3-4 yrs out of a child’s life, it is… What would you do if this was affecting your son or daughter? What if they committed suicide because of depression or feeling inferior? In the grand scheme of things we are ALL brothers and sisters. I LOVE THEM ALL regardless of what they look like, who they are or their ethnic background. If I sent this letter to you, it’s because you were the most influential person I know. It’s not a question of if you can help me, it’s a question of will you help me? You have my attention, HOW DO I GET YOURS? Please feel free to contact me via email.
These great minds that are being tormented here are the minds of potential leaders. Help me be the leader I need to be to save lives. This is a picture of me, I depend on you, my brothers and sisters do as well. I will not live in fear. I will do whatever I have to do to save lives. If you want to interview me, please do. These LAWS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN ALL STATES, NOT JUST FLORIDA. Felicia Garcia, 15 of Staten Island….I’m sorry you threw yourself in front of a train. I wish I would have done this earlier; maybe I could have saved your life. Rest In Peace.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it.
Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University
A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying
10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study above
According to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying.
Respectfully,
Jonathan Bertrand
Orlando, FL
jonathanbertrand94@gmail.com
Trisha Volunteering at Women Build 2011 (C) Trisha Connell
As you may have seen in my previous post challenging the woman of Orlando Florida to take part in Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build 2013 I will be taking part in the Build myself. Habitat for Humanity has a great cause especially in Orlando. According to the Orlando Sentinel homeless families have risen 79% since 2009. Leaving 10,000 children to become homeless at some point throughout the year.
Habitat for Humanity has helped several families become new homeowners. The Stag Horn Villas have been in development for several years and our almost completed. This is a great opportunity to be a part of the effort to house homeless families of Orlando.
Hi I am Trisha Connell, producer of A Better You Online and the soon to Launch A Better You TV. As a proud resident of Orlando Florida, I want to bring awareness to the approximate 10,000 homeless children in Orlando. Thank goodness for organizations like Habitat for Humanity Orlando. They are in the final stages of development of the Stag Horn Villas, where several underprivileged families have become New Homeowners. Although men and women can volunteer year round, I want to challenge the woman of Orlando to join Women’s Build 2013. Here is some more information from Habitat for Humanities Development Officer Patrice Phillips.
“Habitat of Humanity of Greater Orlando area is very excited to be having our National Women Build Week to take place May 6th through the 11th, 2013. National Women Build Week brings together women from all walks of life to address the housing crisis facing millions of women and children across the globe. Last year 375 Central Florida women volunteered 2,500 hours and raised more than $100,000 to fully fund a home for a family in need. If you would like to participate in Women Build Week 2013, just go to our website www.habitat-orlando.org/womenbuildweek.”
Blogging has come a long way over the years. It began several years back during the boom of the Internet. The home viewer began to have a voice and the blogging phenomenon grew. As the Internet craze developed into a leading source of media so did the creditability of bloggers. We then had the Perez Hilton of Entertainment and Bob Somerby of Politics leading the force. With the invention of Internet Marketing bloggers could now monetize their newly found voice.
According to the Electric Frontier Foundation bloggers share the same constitutional rights as do journalist. Specifically when dealing with governmental agencies. According to the site the First Amendment protects bloggers. Some courts feel that no press should be allowed in case where the public is not present. In these cases the blogger can consult an attorney the blogger may have a case against the government.
As a blogger there is steps to be taken to get a press passes to political/governmental event. Governmental agencies are the ones who determines who is allowed to attend events as press. The regulations do include blogging as a form of press. For more information feel free to review the regulations details at the State Department Press Credential Standards.
For those looking to get into the business I had the privilege to sit down with J’s Everyday Fashion in a previous interview. She gave some great tips on how to start a career in blogging.
Some tips that she gave or as follows:
1. Find your niche. Have a new a approach in presenting your topic.
2. Research your topic and other sites focusing on the same subject.
3. Be consistent. Keep the content coming, so you readers can build a routine.
Below you will see the interview with J’s Everyday Fashion where she gives tips on fashion and shopping on a budget. J is a rising blogger with an online web series.
So if you are looking to get into journalism know that blogging is a great way to enter into the business. The continuously growing industry is now recognized as a form of creditable journalism. There are rules and regulations to follows as most reports so be sure to research.
The infamous paparazzi have been upsetting and exposing celebrities for years. For public figures privacy is something that is fleeting. Once one is in the limelight it is hard to keep moments personal. The people want to see their favorite celebrity in their day-to-day lives. That feeling of knowing, understanding, and being friends with your favorite celebrity is contagious. Where does the line end? When does curiosity become invasion?
A recent example of these paparazzi exposé is with the royal Kate Middleton. The French Tabloid Closer published pictures of Middleton sunbathing topless. This outraged the palace especially since the events took place soon after the release of nude photographs of Prince Henry. According to Huffington Post, the palace responded saying “Their Royal Highnesses have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner.”
According to Jurist.org the UK laws are similar to the U.S. laws stating that once you are a public figure your privacy rights diminish. An example given is the Axel Springer AG v. Germany case. This case was in regards to Axel arrest photos being published. He claimed it was an invasion of privacy, but the court found different due to him being a public figure. Should these laws apply to Middleton’s case? She was on vacation and not affecting the public legally.
I interviewed Fashion Blogger Yvonne of Figure Out the Fashion Trends. Her views on the Middleton case are as follow, “The lines between privacy and publicity should not be blurred”. She continues to say, “Popularity and craft should not include your personal and private life.” It is hard to regulate that one you are in the public eye. Spectators want to see what you are doing in your private life to feel connected with you. The law is also against celebrities once you are public.
There is a fine line that can be crossed easily. It is hard to pursue your rights once a public figure. The only way out, unfortunately, is to not care or to not do anything in public you do not want seen. Especially with current technology there are no hiding places.
As October closes many lives are still affected by Breast Cancer. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This month had several events that took place to help raise money for a cure. Susan G. Komen is one of the largest foundations dedicated to find a cure to breast cancer. They hold marathons all over the nation to help raise money. Orlando, Florida had several events and one large race. I had the pleasure of participating in the Race for the Cure event at the University of Central Florida. It was great to see the diverse crowd come together to help make the event success and raise money.
Thousands of participants including survivors, friends, and family of all ages either ran or walked the 3.5 miles. The entire event everyone’s spirits were up as high school cheerleaders encouraged the runners and walkers on.
In addition to the big race there were other events including the Orlando Style Magazine October Issue Launch Party. The proceeds to this event went to the Susan G. Komen fund. This event was a mix of fashion, networking and good food. I was able to speak with the Stylist of the event Leah Davis. Her Publicists BluPrint Style Public Relations brought Davis onto the project. Davis informed me that, “tonight’s event was put on by BluPrint Style PR and Orlando Style Magazine to help build awareness for a cure for Breast Cancer.” She also pointed out her work in the magazine stating, “I was honored to style the leading ladies of BluPrint Style PR” in their spotlight article in the October Issue. Davis in addition to her Styling skills is an advocate for the Heeling in Fashion Foundation help inner city children.
It is always good to see a community come together to help a cause. Everywhere you turn this month there was something focused on Breast Cancer Awareness. There are many survivors that are living strong lives due to the great strides that research has brought us. This is all due to organizations like Susan G. Komen that bring awareness and raise the money necessary to see a change.
Everything has been affected by technology. It seems today the focus is on creating ways to make everyday activities more virtual or technologically advanced. One trend that has increased over the years is Phone Applications. According to Pew Internet studies 82% of adults have phone applications (apps) in 2010 and 43% of those people have applications. Two-thirds of those adults actually use their apps. Lately, there have been apps for exercise and health. So far this seems to be an app that people are downloading but not using regularly. There are apps for calorie counting, Yoga, and Exercise.
These apps can be useful for professionals on the run. You may already have your cell phone as a central place for all your tasks. When on the run it is hard to count calories, but having and application on your phone makes it easy. If you travel a lot you may find it useful to bring a yoga instructor on the road. You can do this with an app. That stay at home Mom chasing her children around all day may find the app with exercise tips helpful. She can quickly and quietly pull it up while the kids are napping.
Let us hear your thoughts. Try out some of the applications and see how it fits into your life. Tell us the pros and cons of the apps and is this a fleeting trend or a sustainable tool. Does this make it easier to stay on your diet? Or exercise regimen? Keep us posted. Take a second and fill out the quick survey below on how you use your exercise app.
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Everyone has there own way of living healthy. We eat different foods. We exercise and do different activities. Me personally, I try to do things I love when it comes to work. As for exercise I enjoy Yoga, and taking my dog to the park. I do not always eat as healthy as I should. I have a serious sweet tooth, but I try to cook as opposed to eating out. When I do eat out my portions are small. How about you? What is your exercise of choice?
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Happiness and health go hand in hand. We have control over our health, happiness and over all well-being. Several Americans suffer from depression and/or obesity. Happiness and Health is a National epidemic. Here is a video of how to make a conscious effort to live a healthier lifestyle.
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