Habemus Papam – Viva el Papa Francisco I de Argentina!!
I am a liberal/progressive Roman Catholic. I believe in birth control (chemical and/or barrier methods) for family planning, that anyone called to religious service be permitted to serve as priests and nuns (men or women) and they should marry whomever they want, and that transparency is the best solution to corruption. Because of these views, I am not considered a “real” Catholic by some. They can kiss my royal Panamanian ass.
However, I have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confession, Communion, Confirmation and Marriage. So even though I disagree with some of the Church’s dogma, I still identify socially and culturally, as a Roman Catholic. I am proud to be a Catholic. In fact, the Church taught me, in religious education, to ASK QUESTIONS and learn as much as I could about different aspects of the Church.
Today, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected Pope Francis I. This is historic news and I am excited for the future of the Church. Pope Francis lived a life of poverty and the Church can certainly learn some lessons from him. It’s time to revisit this vow, then reflect upon the corruption within the Church. Pope Francis may make some people uncomfortable, but I think it’s time for change.
I don’t expect changes to the Church’s stance on homosexuality, but Pope Francis ministered to ALL. He preaches compassion and I think he serves as a bridge to theological changes. It is essential that he address the child abuse scandal that plagues the Church and its followers. I am confident he will.
So, I am hopeful. This is the type of change and excitement I felt when Pope John Paul II, was elected. A door has been opened. Now, let us all pass through it, and share what makes Catholicism powerful – our compassion.
Tumblr. Why do I torture myself so?
As some of you know, I’m a sorority adviser. Back in the day, that meant keeping up with the antics of college students at social functions and making sure they were having fun, safely and within the rules/laws. I have a new respect for my advisers. It could not have been a “fun” volunteer job.
Today, that means that I am expected to monitor all sorts of social media to ensure the same things. Seems easy enough, right? I should be able to do this from the comfort of my own computer or smartphone.
Unfortunately, I am not a computer programmer with unlimited amounts of time and some of the things college students choose to share with the world, astound and frighten me. The internet is NOT PRIVATE.
I repeat. THE INTERNET IS NOT PRIVATE. EVERYTHING you put out there, WILL come back to haunt/hurt you once you leave school and are interviewing for jobs. Think twice about posting those distasteful, drunk, homophobic, racist, etc. photos and sayings on your social media accounts.
If I can read it, so can potential employers.
Which brings me to my “new” Tumblr account. An account that would not exist if I wasn’t an adviser, looking out for “my girls.” I honestly, don’t understand what Tumblr is for. Is it a combination, or truncated version of Facebook + blog + Twitter? All I know, it that it is, yet another opportunity to “tumble into” the pitfalls of social media. My goal today, is to link that account with this one, so that I don’t have another blog to manage – ignore – out in cyberspace.
My advice is simple: Monitor your image on the internet. On a regular basis. Control what others post on your behalf with privacy settings and make sure that what people see, is who you are – your BEST self.
Don’t be the young woman who applied for a job with me, several years ago, who had the outstanding resume, extracurricular activities and amazing grades. Unfortunately, she also had “friends” who liked to post pictures of EVERY social outing they had, including the myriad of ill-conceived (re: drunk) “projects,” all over the internet. Needless to say, when our Human Resources Director shared those photos and posts with us, the woman’s lack of good judgment negated all her hard work in college.
Don’t let it happen to you. Share your thoughts, but be mindful that others (who do not know you, personally) WILL judge you based on social media “appearances.” Fair or unfair, it’s the world we live in. Navigate it, carefully.
History of Rap – Fallon & Timberlake
Video Posted on
Even though these boys weren’t alive, or barely toddlers when the majority of these songs were popular, they do a great job with the remixed jam! Cracks me up EVERY TIME!!
New Design to Freshen Things Up
So, in order to have an active domain name, you must renew it every year. OOPS! Fortunately, WordPress was made for non-tech savvy people like me, and I was able to renew and this site with the click of a button – an a charge to my credit card, (of course.)
So, I’m sporting a new, more “mature” look that is in keeping with my “age.”
Time to pause, take a deep breath and count our blessings. Namaste.
I’m not sure why I’m compelled to share a real-life experience I had this evening with my peeps on the interwebs. Maybe it’s because I’m an emotional wreck after coming off the “Hot Ticket New Release” high, but tonight I have been reminded how very fortunate I am. Sometimes I think we need a reminder. Or maybe I’m the only one who gets wrapped up in myself and forget that the real world can be a very ugly and harsh place.
I was too lazy to cook tonight, so decided I wanted a burger from Chili’s. So the kid (he’s almost 20–I still think of him as a kid) and I head down Seawall Blvd in the driving rain to the restaurant for a mother/son dinner. The place is dead. There are maybe four tables with souls brave (or stupid) enough to go out in the pouring rain. When it…
View original post 1,662 more words
Year is ALREADY flying by?
As I was driving home, yesterday, this song came on the radio and it seemed appropriate for today, given the HEAT WAVE we’re experiencing here. In Florida. In January. It’s hot enough that I may have to turn the air conditioner on, for a few minutes, just to move the air around.
Enjoy.
Team Werewolf for the win!
Just call me “captain, team werewolf.”
Let’s face it: vamps are dead. Sure, they bite, and that’s cool, but they’re dead. Werewolves? They have it going on. Big, brawny, hairy alpha males with still-beating hearts. Yes, please.
Not gonna lie: I’m writing a vamp novel right now, part of a spinoff to my Ushers series, and vampires have their own attraction and appeal. I’m not anti-vampire, but when it comes right down to it, I’m team werewolf all the way.
To celebrate all things wolfie, tell me about your favorite werewolf in the comments–someone from TV, books, movies? I’d love to hear your favorites (and maybe find some new books to stack on my TBR shelf). I’ll draw one lucky commenter to win ebook copies of the first two books in my Ushers werewolf series, Amazon and United.
Don’t forget to follow the rest of the hop and meet the…
View original post 24 more words
Merry Christmas
Video Posted on
This is my favorite contemporary Christmas carol. Even though it came out when I was in High School, its message is still sadly relevant.
Let us remember the importance of the holidays – spending time with and honoring our loved ones. Merry Christmas to one, and all.
Well, thank God’s THAT’S over
After taking my final exam in Nursing II….well, after not studying and taking my final exam on Monday, I passed. I wanted it to be over and picking up my books and study notes made me physically ill. However, I obviously internalized enough information to give me the points I needed on the final to get over the hump. Do I wonder how much better I would have done, had I studied? Hell, no. It’s over. Moving on. I will miss all the instructors, though. They have the toughest job in Nursing school – taking Nursing I “babies,” and turning them into Nursing Students, with a higher degree of confidence and autonomy. It’s a tall order.
Now, I’ll take a much needed break for a couple of weeks. I decided to teach one more Zumba class for the year, and really take a vacation from everything. I want to go into the next semester with a clear mind.
Nursing III, I hear is “easier.” The material is more complex, but the course structure is more organized and logical. I know that will work in my favor, because I collapse helplessly in the face of chaos. I am happy I will be testing in the privacy of the Testing Center, and not with the rest of my class. That alone, played a big part in my success this semester.
Right now, I’m looking forward to the bliss of having “nothing” to do. I’ve got dates with a bunch of e-books and already have my reading list for my first exam in Nursing III. Guess which readings I’ll do first?
It’s still Hannukah, right? Happy Hannukah.
School Daze
Not everyone has the inherent skills to be a dynamic lecturer. Unfortunately, there are no performance-based evaluations based on observation of lecture style and student interaction. College/University professors/lecturers would be well-served by enrichment courses in Adult Learning Theory and using experiential learning methods to better connect with learners, of all ages.
Traditional lecture, even “enhanced” with Power Point presentations, should be only one, of many, tools employed, to reach all students.
I just received the finalized cover of Hot Ticket, which will be released February 5th 2013.
Isn’t it HOT?
I’m particularly fond of the new addition above my name.
So I have these two extra hard-copy ARCs of Hot Ticket and I simply have nowhere to put them. I guess I’ll have to give them away.
Click on the link above to enter! Yep, it’s open worldwide. Good luck!
The giveaway ends 11/29/2012. I will contact you by email within two days of the end of the giveaway. If you do not respond with a mailing address by 12/6/2012, I will choose a different winner.
Reading, Drinking and Dancing with a Chaser of Snark 