Writing...Just because!

I often blog about social media - the business applications, the triumphs, the evils and the pure fun of it.  I came across this gem today on Social Times, "Has Facebook Become Beneficial or Harmful to Students," which had a really interesting graphic that they invited everyone to share on their websites.  So...have a look at this! Created by: Online PhD Thanks to Social Times for encouraging us to share this infographic.  How do you feel about this?  When used with some thoughtful consideration and respect, any form of communication is positive.  Social Media is just the newest tool in the box...and it removes so many barriers.  When the printing press was invented in the mid 1400s it allowed the first printing of the bible, which meant that even the 'common man' would be able to read and interpret it.  It sparked many religious revolutions but with more people (rich and poor) having access to books and learning to read, it built the bridge to cross over from th

As much as I was fighting back and as much as I loved my little Samsung flip phone (it was smart enough for me)… it finally died.  After a brief grieving process, my husband returned from a trip to LA with a new iPhone 4 for me .  After I stopped sulking that I’d been “forced” into the Apple tribe (I recently blogged about the Steep Learning Curve of switching from a Toshiba laptop to a MacBook Pro), I started exploring the wonders of this device that was foisted upon me. Finding Your Way I admit, I am getting a little smitten with it but not addicted just yet.  However, my first favorite thing about this new little genius that I carry around in my purse is some of the cool apps that do truly help you get through the day.  Enter the Google Maps application .  Holy cow!  It actually shows exactly where in the entire world I’m standing at that very moment.  I can zoom in for detail or zoom out for orientation (to establish the direction I need to head in order to get where I wan

Every year, during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, the streets of Phuket ring with the sound of loud drumming as mah song are possessed by Chinese Gods and Godesses. Rituals that cleanse and heal take place simultaneously. As I watched one of the Chinese Goddesses, Ama Hua San Neo Neo, enter the body of Aea, a 14-year-old girl who is the daughter of my friend Thanya, she started writhing and shaking, her eyes rolling back into her head.  Aea is a Shaman or medium, chosen for her purity by the Goddess to be a vessel for messages and guidance, especially during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival.  I joined the other devotees dressed in white from head to toe, and gave praise to each of the Chinese Gods and Goddesses, handing over my burning incense in homage.  Participating in the rituals brings good fortune, good health, brightness and inner peace.  During the celebrations we even burned gold leaf as an offering and in return will have ‘beng ang’ (good luck) and be r