Nebraskans dropping land lines in favor of cell phones

To sum this article up very simply, it is about a family of four who, a few years back, dropped their landlines and all acquired cell phones.
This article really does not surprise me in the least. America is becoming more and more mobile, literally. It is getting tough for families to have a landline because our society moves at such a fast pace people are barely ever home.
I believe that a lot of it also has to do with massive improvements of technology. People can check there email, surf the web, and even watch television on their phones now. Who needs an old fashioned landline when they can have a cell phone with all these accessories and possess the same function of the cell phone at the same or less price? It seems like a no brainer to me.
There also may be some adverse affects to all these people changing to cell phones and dropping landlines. Landline companies have to turn to alternate terms for collecting business. Things like providing high-speed broadband internet connection are almost a must for all landline providers.
Another thing that people may have to be aware of is, with all the business the cell phone companies are getting, they can then raise the prices without fear of people leaving there company and switching to someone else because chances are they other cell phone companies are doing the same thing.
The Journal Star reports that there are more than 1.1 million cell phones in Nebraska alone. That is almost as much as the entire population of Nebraska and the numbers are only escalating. If things keep moving in the way they are now, I believe that 50 years from now, a large number of the population will not even remember the usage of landlines

Free Write

This weekend I was able to go to Greenlief Army Training Site for my Army ROTC class. We were able to incorporate a lot of things into our activities out there, which and to the enjoyment and the excitement that lasted the entire weekend.
We started the weekend off by using our M16 to zero in, which means your weapon will be accurate at 300m. After the zeroing exercise, we got to throw grenades and eventually move onto the firing range and shoot pop-up silhouettes. Shooting the M16 rifle was very exciting for me because I had never shot one before this training event, but I soon realized that the fun had only just began.
We soon loaded up and were bused out to our campsites. This was the most primitive camping that I have ever been a part of. We had no lights, no type of shelter; we just simply slept in our sleeping bags on the ground out in the weeds. It actually wasn’t that bad and I surprisingly enjoyed the entire primitive camping ordeal but that is not to say I didn’t obtain a mild case of bug bites but I was bound and determined to not let that get my morale down. We got only four hours of sleep that night because we had to guard our base from “enemy.”
The next day was the longest day of the weekend for sure. We were up at 4:45 and didn’t go to bed until midnight. Sounds terrible I know but the day was full of activity and the hours seemed to fly past. We executed missions all day. The mission types included: Ambush, Hostage, Movement to Contact, Negotiations, and Recon. Later that night we moved to Land Navigation.
We were given points on a global coordinate grid and had to find them throughout the entire training site and then had to do it again at night with the aid of night type of light. It was extremely hard and the fact that the course was some of the hard navigating the other students had seen, didn’t help my cause any.
Tomorrow was the last and shortest day. We learned how to conduct missions in urban terrain and how to clear rooms etc. We ended with a bang by having to crawl about 200-300 meters through an underground tunnel that was dark, cold, and not to forget the tunnel rats.
Overall some would read this and not understand why it was fun, but I guess its one of those things where you just had to be there.

Observation & Reflection- Pioneers Park

As I approach a trail at Pioneers Park, shortly after leaving the parking lot, I discover that I am no longer within the boundaries of a tall grass prairie surrounding the parking lot borders, but find myself under a tall canopy of Cottonwood trees. The rather scorching September sun of Nebraska isn’t beating down on me constantly as it was on the walk over, but still tries to take its shot by penetrating down through the opening between the lush tree swarmed landscapes.
The sounds of lively bugs make a constant buzz throughout the brush and the Wild Gooseberry bushes. It makes me think of the city. Only this time, instead of hearing honking and the sounds of engines roaring, you hear the persistent clatter of wildlife and wind making the leaves of the cottonwood wipe against each other making a commotion almost as if they are communicating to each other that a visitor is walking around. The difference between the city and the wilderness that is most evident to me in this standpoint. It was nice for once not to have to glance around and see honking horns, exhaust pouring out of exhaust pipes, people yelling or dozing off and leaving other drivers sit at the green light. It was so peaceful in fact I had forgotten that town was only in the distant horizon.
I continue to walk down the paved path. Vivid purple and exotically colored plants cover each side of the trail. I stop to attempt to put in writing what I am experiencing and soon notice a roli poli crawling across my foot, a Red butterfly temporarily lands on my shoulder, but soon commences in flight once more to chase his fellow butterflies just inches above the purple flowers where the honey bees are busy at work pollinating the flowers. It was almost as if you stopped, the environment would attempt to make you part of it. This was clearly the case as I stumbled upon an abandoned cabin.
The age of the ancient wooden structure is astonishing. It appears to be fenced in by a thick layer of flowers and a semi-transparent haze of honey bees can be seen hovering just above the tops of the bushes.
The smells the park was producing were most intriguing. Who ever thought the smell of pine trees, and the fresh breeze could ever be so soothing. The wind was blowing particularly hard that day and a smell came over me that couldn’t be mistaken. Water. As I follow the path, which has now turned to mulch and dirt, I finally navigate my way through the thick trees, and come to an opening.
I am immediately blinded by the sun, which didn’t seem to forget about me while I was in the trees, and I discover a small pond. With the perimeter of the pond covered by moss and green algae, there was still plenty of the pond that was visible. Untouched by the human hand, the water was extremely still, almost representing glass. The only breaks in the seemingly ripples water were the sticks and logs that were sporadically sticking up through the surface. Every now and then a small group of duck s would swoop down and lightly brush the water with the tips of the feather. They landed for a moment, but were soon in flight again once they noticed I was standing in the front of the opening. I began to walk again and herd Elk calling in the distance. I stop and look up the path, which has a subtle upgrade to it. Thinking I am done for the day, I recall the things that I’ve experienced. I then am suddenly awakened from my day dream by another scream from the distant Elk, and I realize I must push on.
I continue to walk atop the paved path, hearing the fallen leaves crunch beneath my feet as I walk. I see two deer skulls beside the path. They are placed in such a manner that they had to have been deliberately placed there. They were menacing and seemed to have given me a subliminal message saying don’t continue down the path, but that couldn’t be the case for I notice people off in the distant. Well, actually, just one older woman.
I walk up to her, being sure to make noise as no to startle her. My original intent was not to question her, but I was curious as to why she alone, was out here minding her own. She looked at me and said only one word. Medicine. She comes out every day and has her very own “thinking spot,” she put it. The nature provided the serenity and the feel of well being that if anything was troubling her she would come out here and just think. I found this very peculiar because that was how I felt the instance I got out of my car. I jotted down the conversation and soon after I looked up and the woman and disappeared off behind the old cabin. I thought nothing of it to myself and started to walk on.
As I continue to venture up the trail, I am soon greeted by a vast prairie filled with bison. A truly magnificent site, I try not to get side tracked and continue down the trial. The wind is still blowing and the tall grass resembles water as the wind creates waves in each individual blade of prairie grass. As I walk, I think about the diversity that I have all ready experienced. The things I’ve experienced thus far have included prairie, lush vegetation, a deciduous forest, and now even more vast grassland. Just as I’m imagining all these things, it appears I thought to soon. I now have come to a small wetland. I look around and realize that where I am now standing is the back side of the lake that I observed earlier.
Now, that I’m out in the open, smells overwhelm me. The fresh scent of the prairie breeze, plants, the smell of pine from the thick trees, and the somewhat unpleasant scent of bison manure temporarily numb my sense of smell. I am quickly brought back to reality and a fish jumps in the pond next to me. I continue you walk in what seems to be a giant circle around the pond, occasionally breaking the bond between foot and ground to venture across a boardwalk that helps you track over the water but not on it.
It isn’t as warm now and as I look to the sky, I notice that clouds are moving in and rather quickly. I began to jog back across the trail and to the parking lot.
When I reach my car, I climb into the driver’s seat and began to reflect on my adventure that I have just underwent. So many things to experience in so little time, although as I glance at my clock it reads 6:30, and indicates to me that was seemed to be a short evening afternoon hike turned out to be a two and a half hour expedition.
The things that the park did for me in just that relative short period of time were remarkable. The things that I experienced were unlike anything I could have pictured. I have been in the woods plenty times in my life, but when you actually stop and take notice of what's going on around you, the things you experience are unpredictable much like the weather I encountered.
From the city to the country you never quite realize everything there is to take in regardless of how difficult some try. Whether it is the difference between the buzzing of bugs to honking horns, to tall buildings blocking your view or a dense canopy of cottonwoods, the difference are astounding. For me, the outdoors definitely gives me a different feeling than being entrapped in the concrete jungle we call downtown. Although the things you experience are all of that you yourself make, from spending time in the park, I have found out more about myself and what it feels like to just have peace for a moment even if for just moment, the impact with stay with you as long as you let it.

Post 2 Newspaper Article

Nebraska Distributes $7 Million in Homeland Security
By The Associated Press

‘More than 7 million federal dollars will be distributed in Nebraska as part of the Homeland Security grant program.It’s much less than last year, when the state got more than 21 million dollars.Much of the money will be used to help build a statewide communications system so emergency personnel and law enforcement can talk to each other across the state.
The grant money is meant to help state and local agencies better prepare for a terrorist attack. The money falls into two categories — overall state funding and special accounts for certain urban areas.The state decides how the grant money is disbursed after federal Homeland Security officials determine how much money Nebraska receives.’- Lincoln Journal Star

This article struck me in many ways. I was first taken back by the fact the Nebraska was to be given so much money for Homeland Security. So I thought.
To anyone else the sound of 7 million dollars is a lot right? Not in today’s society. We as Americans have heard about so many large figures due to our nation’s wealth. In the billions at times, yet no matter how much we hear and think that are minds can grasp the concept of that much money we can’t. What could someone do with 7 million? They could turn their lives around and still have money left over to not have to work the rest of their lives. According to the Journal Star, who or where they get their opinions from is unknown; 7 million is a puny and almost worthless amount as it struck me compared to the 21 million the state received last year.
Think about people that have the misfortune of living in poverty. Whether it be in third world countries around the world or even right here in the United States. It frustrates me how greedy and spoiled such a great country like the United States has the possibility of being. We have become so blinded, as a population, to the reality of what’s going on around us. Whether it’s 7 or 21 million, it came off to me, like it wasn’t good enough. It really troubles me how we are so unsatisfied with 7 million dollars to our state where some people, in our very own country, are happy just to be warm, have clothes on their backs, and have somewhere to stay at night. And what was the money spent for? It was spent on Homeland Security against terrorist attacks, which brings me to my next point.
The world has become so dependent on defending itself against terrorist’s and everything they stand for and I personally advocate all that money being spent on defending our country, although the real question should be what are we protecting ourselves from? Aren’t there plenty of “terrorists” in our own country?
Our country puts out so much money for the military, but some people argue there are other problems to be dealt with. This is true but you must have priorities. Some say the homeless number is too great, the unemployed population is escalating to fast. Fact of the matter is you have to deal with the biggest situation first. Some may ask, well, what is the biggest situation? It’s difficult to put your finger on anyone problem that must be taken care of. Some of the many problems could be crime, unemployment, scandals, homelessness, the War, our Economy. I guess my main point is before making a hasty opinion about the topics at hand, what would you do with the dispersion considering the facts?

Post 1 Discourse Surrounding The Essay

“In reading an essay, I want to feel that I’m communing with a real person, and a person who cares about what he or she is writing. The words sound sentimental and trite, but the qualities are rare. For me, the ideal essay is not an assignment, to be dispatched efficiently and intelligently, but an exploration, a questioning, introspection. I want to see a piece of the essayist. I want to see a mind at work, imagining, spinning, struggling to grasp, and I won’t either. When you care about something, you continually grapple with it, because it is alive in you. It thrashes and moves, like all living things. When I’m reading a good essay, I feel that I’m going on a journey. The essayist is searching for something and taking me along. That something could be a particular idea, an unraveling of identity, a meaning in the wallow of observation and facts. The facts are important but never enough. An essay, for me, must go past the facts of the essayists own history, the personal memoir, are insufficient alone. Then facts of personal history provide anchor, but the essayist then swings in a wide arc on his anchor line, testing and pulling hard.”
-Alan Lightman

The quote that Alan Lightman made on his perspective of an essay is very interesting and original. When I first read the quote I thought for a second that I personally may have subconsciously written this because how Lightman feels about essays is extremely compatible to the way I view them as well.

When I am given an essay to write, I always write them more fluently and with more emotion when the topic to be written on is something I personally care for. Also, when writing about something I enjoy my mind tends to wander and my ideas on the subject begin to become more elaborate in nature. My views start to become more universal and almost persuasive and what I’m expressing seems to be relative to other people’s ideas. My writing starts to relate to my audience.

One thing about essay s being written in a non-concrete form is you really get to experience the essay and the writer. Like Lightman said, an essay becomes more enjoyable when you feel like the essay your reading is sentimental and imaginative. Essays in my view are to be unconventional, and give the reader a new experience every time someone reads your work, because no one wants to sit down to read an essay and become bored with the format or the concrete writing style, you want to keep the audience entertain and that’s the concept I believe Alan Lightman is attempting to portray.

My opinion and response to the quote is completely compliant to the views that Lightman is trying to express. Concrete and unimaginative essays are a bore to read. No essay is unreadable; it is just simply more pleasant to read an essay that has a more innovative composition.