Yes…Virginia there is a Christmas without modern technology.

One of my Facebook friends reminded me today that there are only
18 days left until Christmas.

Only 18 days….so little time for me to complete my college course work, finish decorating the house, throw two holiday parties, shop for friends and family, complete a freelance research project, and try to squeeze a day trip to New York to see Rockefeller Center.

Where the heck has all the time gone?

Every year I promise myself that next year I will have a plan of action / strategy for success and be well prepared for my favorite holiday.

One would think in this age of digital communications, social media and internet based shopping I would be able to locate all the great decorations for the house, send out Christmas Cards (yes we say Christmas in our house) and shop for the perfect gifts.

Technology is great and I enjoy its benefits everyday yet somehow at Christmas I want things to be more personable and friendly and the computer seems to be a bit more impersonal than performing the task myself.

I want my friends and family to know:

- That I spent the time thinking about them and took great care in preparing a meal or creating a special holiday event versus having a caterer show up at the house.
- That the Christmas card I sent them has a hand written note from our family versus buying the cards with our names printed on them or electronic cards sent to an email address.
- That the gift I handed them was thought out carefully and not purchased on a whim.
- That I still love my mother even though she absolutely makes me crazy with her list of what to do’s.
- That our children understand the true meaning of Christmas and how important it is that we share the holiday together.

Each year technology advances but it still can not take the place of a Christmas Movie night with the family. Watching the classics such as Rudolph, Frosty, Miracle of 34th Street, or It’s a Wonderful Life with family and friends isn’t digital social media but is social.

So for your holiday I wish everyone gifts that enhance their social media and the time to spend with family and friends that will enhance you socializing.

So, Yes Virginia there is a Christmas with out technology.

For those who had never had a chance to read the famous letter to the New York Sun written by veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church to Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon to answer her question “Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus”. Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

What to Blog, What to Blog, What to Blog,

For the first time this holiday season I had my OH MY moment. I realized that it is December and Christmas is less than 22 days from now. My mind was a jumble of things I need to do: send a box to our son in Iraq, decorate the house for our holiday parties [yes more than one], finish two papers for VCSU and then the fun task - shop for the kids.

As I sat down to write this week’s blog I have the verse from Let it Snow running through my head and I wondered…

What to Blog, What to Blog, What to Blog?

I searched online for something to inspire me on what to write. I thought to myself what is on the top of everyone’s mind this time of year, Santa – Cards – Friends and Family. So I Googled these key words and found a sited called make your own Dancing Santa Card. The site DancingSantaCard.com allowed me to upload a photo and make a jolly e-card to send to my friends and family. I created one and emailed the link to those in my contact list.

I digress…What to Blog, What to Blog, What to Blog?

The phone rings, it is our daughter with some Christmas hints. Our kids have to have their hints in by a specific date or we buy them what WE THINK they need. She gives me the list with some links so that I can go online to see what she wants this year. I find the items and we discuss others.

I digress…What to Blog, What to Blog, What to Blog?

I begin to wonder how can I tie the holiday season with digital media and social networking and use it in my blog. This is when I have what many would call a DUH moment.

Today I created a Santa e-card that was sent out electronically to friends and family, I searched for gifts online, I searched Facebook for updates on my friends’ holiday plans and I checked the status of those attending our holiday parties from our Evite invitations. Without knowing I just tied the digital age and the Christmas holiday together and found a message for my blog.

The digital age and medical peace of mind

Not long ago I would have searched online to find

• Great recipes
• Places to dine
• Vacation packages
• Best selling novels
• Check my Facebook page

Recently I have used the full resources of this digital age to search the internet for information on Cervical Cancer and Diabetes to help me with my medical piece of mind. Within the last few months several people close to me have been diagnosed with serious medical condition, one with cervical cancer and the other with type 2 diabetes.

These two medical conditions are deemed silent diseases due to the fact that the person may not know that they have the condition until it is too late. This is why most physicians’ suggest that women get annual pap smear and that everyone have a routine physical with blood work.

Thankfully with my online research I have found that both medical conditions are treatable when detected early, although both have vastly different types of treatments. Cervical cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation and if spread to the other areas of the body chemotherapy while type 2 diabetes can be regulated with medication and diet. Yet if left untreated either of the two diseases is left untreated they can result in a loss of life.

Some of the credible sites that I found to learn more about these two diseases are the American Cancer Society and American Diabetes Association. The American Cancer Society’s website deals with all forms of cancer while the ADA only discusses diabetes. Both sites provide explanations of the disease, research taking place, success stories, and support group services as well as hyperlinks to other sites that can provide additional information.

So what does surfing the web have to do with medical peace of mind?

Think back to some of the clichés that we use in modern society. Knowing is half the battle, forewarned is forearmed, live and learn, failing to prepare is preparing to fail and so on. What does this mean? That by knowing what is happening a person can determine what needs to be done to conquer any or either of these two diseases.

The Fan Page and more…

Many of you many have read my previous weeks blogs and Tweets know that I was in the process of creating a Fan Page on Facebook. The Fan Page has been activated and was named Cervical Cancer: Radiation Patients Unite.

This Fan Page was my way of inviting others to see some of the equipment and to learn more about what women with Cervical Cancer endure during radiation treatment. To also provide a platform for those diagnosed with Cervical Cancer along with their friends, family, and associates to talk about the disease and create a virtual support group.

During the research process for finding electronic / digital links to post on the fan page I found that there were a lot of sites dedicated to breast, lung and skin cancer yet very few that spoke about Cervical Cancer. This seems add since the statistics show that 13,000 women each year are diagnosed with the disease. One group that looked to be more Web 2.0 savvy was the CDC (Center for Disease Control) they have a Pod Cast that discusses how getting regular Pap tests can save a woman's life.

The next step…

So let’s see I have blogged, tweeted and created a FanPage on Facebook. The next step is a video for YouTube. When I was speaking to my sister she thought that a it would be nice to see a video that she could watch that would life her spirits not be a doom and gloom presentation. Why not, I created the presentation in power point added some music I purchased and tried to upload. What was I thinking; this was the wrong type of presentation, no PPT or PPX allowed only WMV

This is when I thought that I was going to have to pay to convert the presentation and was wondering what I had gotten myself into. My normal perky attitude had abandoned me, as I scoured the internet to find out how to change the file from PPT to WMV, in its place was the pouty expression of exasperation. Thankfully I found that the wonderful IT person who loaded my computer software had included Windows Movie Maker. I made the changes and uploaded the video. Yahoo we are back in Perkyville!

Enjoy:

Please note that the images were either taken by myself or obtained free of charge from royality-free internet sites. The music was from the CD I purchased "A Tribute to Lurther Vandross" and is not intended for reproduction but merely to enhanace the presentation.

This is one tattoo no one wants…

Have you every thought about getting some ink on your body?
Would it be a butterfly, ship, disney character or perhaps a heart with your loved ones name? What about freckles that triangulate a direction?

Several weeks ago my sister received a new tattoo. It was located on her abdomen. It was inked in blue and looks like freckles on her body. These freckles are to show the physicist where to administer a radiation treatment. This unwanted ink will be a permanent mark to remind her of a disease that she didn’t want and is working hard to eradicate from her body.

This was the beginning of her external radiation treatment to cure Cervical Cancer

They tell her that External Radiation is used in the first phase of her Cervical Cancer treatment. A machine directs high-energy rays at the cancer site. The treatments are usually painless and take less than 30 minutes. She will have a team the helps her during her treatments.

The Radiation Team usually consists of the

• Radiation Oncologists – This is the doctor who determines the type and amount of radiation for your treatment.
• Physicist - This is the person who sets the machine to disperse the correct amount of radiation
• Dosimetrist - Helps your doctor calculate the right amount of radiation
• Radiation Nurse - This is the nurse who you get to know quite well. This nurse tells you what you are going through and is there to help you through the process.
• Dietitian - Helps you to manage the side effects that can affect your diet
• Social Worker - Helps to arrange for community and at home services that may be needed
• Service Coordinator - This is your own personal concierge. This person greets you when you arrive, helps you to register and schedule future for your appointments, and points you to the right person to answer all questions.

How’s does digital age or social media help cancer patients?

Having cancer treatment can be a stressful time, getting together with others who are also having treatment is helpful. National Cervical Cancer and HPV Coalition has an online support area that connects patients, families, friends and caregivers for support and inspiration. One November 14th Facebook will have a Fan Page for Cervical Cancer Radiation Treatment Patients who will be able to connect with others who are going through cancer treatment or receive support from the virtual Facebook community.

A Web 2.0 Project – My Facebook Fan Page in the Making…

It began with a class assignment of what to do for a Web 2.0 Project that could be distributed to the masses. It became an assignment of the perservance and hopefully of triumph…

What could I do? What would have meaning? What has affected my life that should be heard? I could think of only one thing that had dramatically affected my life in the last month and of those of my family, the diagnosis that my sister had been stricken with Cervical Cancer.

Many do not know my sister; she is a tell-it-like-it-is person with a brash attitude and a straighter shooter vocabulary. She likes to be informed about all of the details and hates those people who can never give a person a straight answer. Her gruff manner and direct conversation mask her sensitive and caring personality that many have witnessed and been recipients of her let-me-help nature. Those who do know her soon realize that she has the one of the biggest hearts in the U.S.

So now you are asking what has this to do what digital communication. My sister is one of those people who does not have a traditional social life. Yes she goes out to dinner and to see my brother when his band is playing. Yes she enjoys shopping and talking with friends. Yes she is in a wheelchair and many of those people she knows and speaks / communicates with are online.

Although difficult for me and my sister to reveal information about a very personal situation our hope is that through social media we can inform others about this cancer and how with proper detection this cancer can be detected early thus making it curable. Also, that we create a forum for those who are undergoing treatment to speak with others and learn that they are not alone.

This brings me to my Web 2.0 project. I, with my sisters blessing, choose to create a Fan Page on Facebook that discusses the radiation treatment that my sister is undergoing to cure this cancer. This Fan Page will have links to sites that will help define Cervical Cancer, different forms of treatment used to cure the disease and sites / places where those affected by this cancer can go to seek answers.

Early next week I will be posting this Fan Page on Facebook with a link to my blogg and Twitter account. I hope all of you who read this blog will help me by sending the link to others so that together we can inform women of the importance of yearly exams and let those who are undergoing treatment know there are others out there who understand exactly what they are enduring.

What would we do without computers?

This evening as I was taking an exam online and the compatible internet feed went down half way through my test. As I sat in front of the screen and stared at the computer, I was contemplating whether I should use a hammer on the unit or toss it down the staircase, I wondered, what would I do without the internet and more importantly this computer.

I began my lessons using a pen and paper to take exams and turn in assignments. I can recall Sister Mary Frances still saying that penmanship was a key element in our future successes in school and life.

Time moved forward, I was able to use the new electric typewriter, the IBM Selectric. It was a marvelous invention for me. I took a typing class in high school so that I could learn how to use the modern invention. It was nice to know that I would be able to fit so much text on a single sheet of paper with out having to handwrite the pages. Then there was the correction tape –no more having to redo an entire sheet of typing now I could backspace and delete. This was fantastic.

Years ago there was such uproar that the machines, aka computers, would be the ruin of the modern world. Fast forward to the modern world and those same naysayers now use their high speed computers everyday to communicate shop and track household expenses. What would these people do without computers?

I think about our son serving in Iraq. He now can send us photos, e-mails and if he has any time left after working, sleeping and eating we can speak with him utilizing Skype. I can not imagine what the mothers’, fathers’ wives and children went through during WWI and WWII. Weeks and months went by before you heard one word from a loved-one. The stress must have been incredible.

I know that I can count money without a calculator, drive down the road with out a gps system and find my way to where I am going. Take college classes at a university versus online / distance learning and I could use a typewriter versus my computer.

What would I do without my computer?

Let’s hope I never have to find out!

Left in Limbo…

Job hunting in the digital age has an adverse affect not only on the employer who is posting the position but also the person via for the job. Current statistics state that for every job there are 6 qualified individuals who could be hired for the position.

Employers are inundated with resumes and have to sift through, interview and find the person who is the “correct fit” for the job. Many employers, including the Federal Government, issue disclaimers that says “Please also note that due to the high volume of applications we are not able to respond to all candidates. Due to the large amount of applications we receive we will only contact those who are successful in their applications.”

Although this statement is great for the employer it leaves the job seeker in limbo wondering if the resume was received, reviewed and recommend for the next step in the employment process.

Even more distressing in this job seeking digital age is the post-interview process. Many employers will mass interview to fill a single position and other will interview and never inform that another person had been selected for the position.

What’s a job hunter to do?

Here is a great article from NPR “Jobless? Get Noticed In The New Economy” People are now creating social media resumes and web resumes getting them noticed by employers and others. This is one way to track who sees your resume so that you can follow up.

Success for Women: Living with Purpose and Passion noted in the “Make an Impression” article one common job seeker misconception, that the person with the best experience is the one who gets hired, WRONG. It is about chemistry and how well you get along with the interviewer.

Finally I wondered what does a job seeker do when left in limbo by a company. Interviewer? Human Resource Manager?

I believe the job seeker should employ tried and true sale techniques. A site where a person can do some research on sales comes from Lee Ann Obringer “How Sales Techniques Work”

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Focus on your prospect or client's needs
• Use language that focuses on your prospect or client
• Help your prospect see the bottom line
• Find out your prospect's priorities
• Know your prospect
• Sell the benefits - not the product - That would be you!
• Know your products, as well as the market - be a RESOURCE
• Focus on your client's success
• Use explanations rather than excuses

Also remember be to persistent not a pest.

Finding Federal Jobs in the Digital Age….

Relocating to Maryland and searching for employment you would naturally think why not find a job with the Federal Government. For most of Marylanders, Washington DC is only a Metro Ride, so why not work for our country and help people similar to ourselves.

Welcome to the digital age of finding a Federal job

The issue is that candidates lining up in droves for these positions. Sites such as USA Jobs and Ave Central are excellent sites to find open positions for Federal jobs across the country. Yet compiling a resume and turning on the internet just isn’t enough to land one of the prized positions. The Federal Government has there own language and classifications for positions.

Steve Opperman said it best “Applying for Federal Employment is like trying to survive the perfect storm.”

Forget the resume writing class you were taught in college now a person has to learn the federal-talk to ensure that the resume you submit stand outs. Federal job seekers need to know the ins and outs of Federal resume writing so that they don't get shut out before they get to the door. Hence the need for researching how to write an federal electronic resume and perhaps purchasing novels such as The Federal Resume Guidebook: Strategies for Writing a Winning Federal Electronic Resume, KSAs, and Essays by Kathryn Troutman.

Time and patience are crucial for applying online for a Federal Job

Once you have done your research and found a position on USA Jobs or Ave Central now comes the fun part…applying for the position and Realizing that most Federal agencies to do accept your uploaded resume.

You HAVE to create an electronic resume on each job seeking website. At first when you begin the process of creating a digital resume you may want to toss your laptop across the room! Now you absolutely wonder why you thought that applying for a job online was going to be easy….breathe deeply and realize that it’s just the process. This is the tedious part of the process and soon will be over.

TaDah you have finished your online resume but I caution you. Many of the positions require you to answer supplemental questions can either be multiple choice or the dreaded essay. BE PREPARED to write up to 3000 – 4000 word answers on questions that vary from why you should be the person selected for the position or Please describe your experience in composing documents or correspondence involving moderately complex or technical information.

Good Luck!

Digital Thank you notes… Do or Don’t?

In this era of right now have we given up hand writing thank you notes? Recently I read an article written by Jen Burke Anderson called “Are thank-you notes passé in the e-mail age?” She spoke with an etiquette consultant who claims that thanking someone with a phone call or e-mail is passable, but a sent note is the best way to show your appreciation.
In the Scary Job Interview Thank You Note Story written on the Work Coach Café explains that yes you should still send a handwritten note to the interviewer but remember how you sign the letter and your message will be judged just as carefully as your personal interview. His suggestions are simple: keep it short, keep it sweet and watch for typos.

One key to whether or not you should send the interviewer an e-mail thank you note is to reflect on how you communicated with the person prior to the interview. For instance, if the person specifically requested that all communications be via email then it is perfectly acceptable to send an e-mail thank you note. On the other hand if the person called you on the phone and sent you a letter in the mail I would practice your penmanship you’ll have to send a handwritten note of thanks.

Virginia Tech Career Services reiterates my opinion “E-mail is appropriate when that has been your means of contact with the person you want to thank, or if your contact has expressed a preference for e-mail.” They also display some samples that can help inspire your letter writing.

If you need some more inspiration for how to write thank you notes check out this article I found called “7 Tips For Writing Thank You Letters With Class” written by Shawn Fawcett. The tips are basic but worth reviewing before you begin writing. Then head over to The Morning News “How to Write a Thank-You Note” for some in-depth instructions on what to do and why. Leslie Harpold notes that writing good thank you notes improves the frequency and quality of the gifts you receive. Now this is a great reason to break out the stationary.

Using Digital Media to research for a job interview

In these economic era the New York times is reporting that Job seekers now outnumber openings six to one, the worst ratio since the government began tracking open positions in 2000. Given this data it is increasingly important for a job seeker to be prepared when finally obtaining a personal interview.

Researching the people / person / company with whom you are meeting is one way to have an extra edge on the competition. Although the internet offers plenty of information for a researcher to find out about companies it can be harder to find out information on the person with whom you are interviewing. This is where social media can help.

LinkedIn is a website geared towards professional networking. This site usually has a complete listing of a person’s job history and many times includes an image of the person.

Twitter does a site where you can find out what a person’s interests are so that you can feel comfortable and know what topics to cover in your conversations.

Facebook is one of my personal favorites for finding images of a person. To often when you either e-mail or speak on the phone you develop a mental image that may not reflect the real image. To make sure that I am not surprised I try to find an image of a person this helps me prepare for whom I am having the conversation and concentrate on the substance of the meeting not the person.

Zoominfo is another personal favorite for researching people and companies. I can always find past articles, images, and just about anything that is currently posted on the web. This site helps me to compile a profile of the person or company so that I know what to expect in the meeting.

I recently read an article called Laid Off And Looking on the Wall Street Journal blog site, in it the author Alina Dizik states that “it’s critical to have significant knowledge about a company so you can make a good impression.” She expresses that a person does need to do research about a company but not so much that you showboat.

To put the rationale for why you should research a company before you go to the interview in sports terminology remember coaches tell the fans that preparation is the number one reason their team wins games.

Letter writing etiquette…people need to learn to use it for e-mails

Has this ever happened to you?

You send an email asking a question that can help you in completing a confidential matter. You are nice, you ask for the information but do not reveal to much information you are acing discreetly. The receiver that you sent the question sends you a note asking for more information. You reply in a discreet manner and restate the questions and still the receiver won’t get the hint that you can not tell the complete story. The receiver of the question then withholds the critical piece of information because the just have to know everything.

I understand that we live in a “me, me, me world” but holding information hostage…what is this about? When did it become okay to be rude because you are using e-mail to communicate?

When I learned to write letter it was okay to be discrete, address people in a professional or formal manner, and ask for information from the receiver in a nice way. When I began writing e-mails I carried these same letter writing skills into my electronic communications.

According to E-mail Etiquette posted by emailaddresses.com the first contact with other people will often be through email and many may never actually meet them face to face, you might well end up having a productive ongoing email relationship with them for years. This reason alone dictates that we need to be especially cautious in our digital communications.

If you need a good reason to use proper e-mail etiquette in New Zealand a woman who was fired for Poor E-mail Etiquette. Her “confrontational” e-mails which broke good etiquette practices by using uppercase characters, bold fonts, and red lettering was considered to be a form of harassment. Although they eventually overturned her termination this e-mail diva she should realize that she needs to adhere to proper e-mail etiquette and that most often it is not the message but the delivery of the message that is inappropriate.

To help those who may need some information about proper e-mail etiquette check out about.com for their Top 26 Most Important Rules of Email Etiquette or ebooks online for a wonderful book by Samantha Miller called E-Mail Etiquette: Do's, Don'ts and Disaster Tales from People Magazine's Internet Manners Expert

Finding a Job in the Digital Age

Relocating to a new city can be challenging the move, the utilities, the change in life style and so much more. Then when you think you have recovered and are ready to find a job you realize…the hard part has just begun.

In the past when you moved to a new city and needed to locate a job you found a local paper and searched the want ads. Those days are gone. Many would have you believe that searching for a job in this new era of digital communication is easier, they would be wrong.

In fact John Donovan, CRW, CERW tells us that Digital Age has actually made it more difficult and confusing to conduct a job search. Instead of just competing against people in your local market now you have the world being able to view and apply for available positions.

With all of this technology what can a person do to stand out in a crowd of 1000’s?

Use technology to find a way to get noticed. I believe that even though you have a strong resume you need an ally to help you get noticed. Start with contacting people who have prominent jobs in your field via e-mail using the write it well guide. Ask these industry leaders for advice on your resume. They know what managers are looking for in employees and can offer valuable insight.

Also, I say when you have to send a copy of your resume to HR for open positions make sure you also copy to the decision maker. Nine times out of ten HR is there to collect data and put you through a generic screening process. They then forward the resumes they feel meet the job criteria to the decision maker. Example: For a job that is requiring a bachelor’s degree HR will disqualify a resume that shows no degree yet the person could have 20 years of experience and 1 credit short of a bachelor’s degree which will be completed in less than 30 days.

Use social media, its bigger than you think, to make contacts who can introduce you to the right person. Online networking is still networking. Locating a person with first hand knowledge about the position is the best way to number one find out more about the position and employer and number two learn if you are qualified.

Finally make sure to follow up, follow up, follow up whether it be electronically, a personal note or a phone call.

Some why’s the 35+ generation uses social media

Recently I read an article that the majority of users on MySpace and FaceBook were over 35 years of age. Although surprising to many, I found the information to be accurate probably because I am one of the over 35 users. There are many reasons our generation, aka the Baby Boomers and GenX, are utilizing social networking sites.

The first reason that comes to mind is reconnecting with past friends and associates. Not long ago my husband added his name to his high school class web site. Less than 24 hours later he was reconnecting with friends he had not heard from in over 30 years. He was able to share stories from high school, learn about their present lives and found a few friends lived within 15 miles of our home.

Another “why” the 35+ generation is using social media is for business. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter can aid a business in spreading the word about products and services. Some companies are creating videos and posting them on YouTube and other similar sites. These social networking sites cost very little and can have a huge impact on sales.

The final reason I’m discussing in this blog is an eight letter word where people can have one or more. This can be the cause of great pride, the cause of moment’s grief, and the cause of endless joy. Yes I am talking about

C H I L D R E N

Many of my friends have started their own pages on Facebook and MySpace so that they can stay current / in touch with their children. Now days our children all own iPhones and have social media network applications on their phones. They can Twitter on a moments notice sending out a message to all that they just found the perfect place to buy pizza. They can post photos on Facebook that we can see them acting silly and know who their friends are and where they like to hang-out.

Even more important to me is how your children, who may live across the country of for a time reside in Iraq, can stay in contact with their parents to let them know how they are doing and that they are safe.

Digital Communication at MVA…I think not

Each time someone relocates from one state to another the transition requires the evitable transfer of the person’s driver’s license. I was no exception.

Wanting to be proactive I went to the MVA’s website to research all the information that I would have to have for the DL transfer. I found the information with the forms of identification that I would need, I found the vision screening form and emailed the pdf to my ophthalmologist / eye surgeon and it was completed now I was fully prepared.

What was I thinking…

When I got to the MVA I waited in line just so that I could be assigned a number. Once I got to the counter I was told that my birth certificate, social security card, drivers license, state identification card and bills showing I had a local address was not good enough. When I stated that online this was what was required he then told me that my birth certificate had my maiden name and therefore I now needed to produce my marriage license so that I could prove I was who I said I was and I should go home and get it and come back.

I had just driven 25 minutes, stood in line 25 minutes to be told sorry not good enough. I was so upset that I required retail therapy.

My next attempt at the transfer started off okay; I now had all the proper paperwork and was sure that things would go much more smoothly

What was I thinking…

After a short 10 minutes in line I now had a number. I could officially take a seat in the large waiting area and wait for my number to be called and displayed on the large screen. 30 minutes later I was able to speak with a MVA representative. I presented all my information to the clerk and made the mistake of asking a question. I said “can you tell me a little about the process of the transfer I only know what I read online.” The response still has me shaking my head “please do not talk you are confusing me!”

After several minutes he finally began the process of looking at my identification materials. Then he looked at me and asked why I brought a bad copy of my birth certificate to him and stared at me. I replied that it was a certificated copy the original was destroyed in a flood and he then spent the next five minutes telling me how the state of Ohio does not know how to produce a proper birth certificate.

Just when I though it couldn’t get any worse he looks at my marriage license and then stands up and starts spouting that he can not see how I went from my maiden name to my married name and I said it is listed on the marriage license. 5 minutes later he found the correct line and this brought about a tirade of how Florida should learn how to properly display information on important documents.


Finally we go through the paper work, the person takes my picture and then he answers for me when it comes to registering to vote – I said I wanted to register and he shrugged. Last on the list of torture for the day was the vision test. I explained that I had a paper from the doctor and he tossed it in a basket. When I looked in the viewer I mentioned that he had not looked at the paper. He then proceeded to tell me to read and I explained my vision problem at which time he finally opened the paper. Oh no, the doctor had made a mistake on the form and used white out to correct it. This was a very bad mistake according to this man and he told me to get a new form. I asked him if the doctor could use the electronic form he had and make the corrections, the man said NO you have to have him fill out this form (a rack brochure) he handed me. I noted that the doctor was in Florida and we were in Maryland how was I going to do that and he then said that doctor can fax the form. I asked if the doctor could email the form and was told NO and that the doctor should have known better and should have properly completed the form the first time.

I had just driven 25 minutes, stood in line 10 minutes, waited in the holding area for 30 minutes and spent a very long and frustrating 55 minutes with this man. Forget shopping, I now decided that I should head home and mix myself a very large Cosmo.

The next day my husband, his company knows how to use the latest technology to make life simpler, scanned the documents, emailed them to the doctor and I spoke with the doctors office manager and they agreed to fax the information to the MVA.

August 28th I am now at the MVA for the 3rd time in less than one week. I know today will be better because I had just spent 10 minutes on the phone with a representative at the office while they attempted to find the fax my doctor sent.

Long story short I finally got my license and hope that no other person ever has to endure the frustration I felt at the process which at first looked to be technologically advanced and turned out to be a manual system.

Had the process used digital communication many of the necessary paperwork could immediately be transferred to the correct person. This would maximize productivity, perhaps make the clerks more pleasant and streamline operations that would assist the CUSTOMER in the transfer process.

Sex Offenders – The system needs overhauled

There is a vast need to overhaul how sex offenders are labeled and watched by the criminal justice system. If ever there was an example as to why this should happen immediately it was today. Making national news was a horrifying story about a young woman who was abducted at age 11 and held against her will in a secret compound hidden away in the backyard of a registered sex offender. Fox News headline read

“Police: California Girl Kidnapped 18 Years Ago Kept as Sex Slave in Couple's Backyard”


This registered sex offender was not only able to fool a parole officer who visited his home on a regular basis but he was also able to tour a college campus where he hoped to teach with two female children which we later learned that he fathered with the abducted girl. The horrifying thought that this man now had two more small girls in which to abuse should raise a call to action from parents across the globe. We should ask ourselves "What is a better way to deal with offenders such as this one? "

I offer that there should be categories in the sex offender’s registry. Those who assault children should be labeled as “SO1” offenders and have to consent to random searches of their homes and computers to ensure they are following the letter of the law.

The article on AmericanScholar.org, the online version of the quarterly magazine of public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932, Second Chances, Social Forgiveness, and the Internet We need the means, both technological and legal, to replace measures once woven into the fabric of communities by Amitai Etzioni and Radhika Bhat states

“The sad fact is that most convicted criminals in the pre-digital age did not use the second chance that their obscurity gave them, nor did they use their third or fourth chances. Convincing data show that most criminal offenders—especially those involved in violent crimes—are not rehabilitated; they commit new crimes. “

This paper restates the opinion of many professional that believe that sex offenders can not be rehabilitated therefore bear constant watching from the criminal justice system. Now with the advances in technology "the era of digital communitions" it is even more crucial that we apply stricter regulations to monitor these offenders’ so that we can one day never have to hear of a tale about a young woman held as a sex captive for 18 years.