Today's Rant: Net Neutrality

I thought I lived in America, the home of the brave and the land of the free. What has happened to our country where big business is allowed to run the whole show? Big businesses such as AT&T and Comcast are deciding who is going to be allowed access to the internet and to what extent! It is the lobbying of these large companies in Washington that is threatening to remove one of the remaining freedoms of the American people. Large companies and legislatures; always in bed together to line their own pockets at the expense of the "little guys" in America!

Look what the oil companies did to innovation. They rule the world when it comes to the way we fuel our cars. The big oil companies have held us hostage since the invention of the automobile because they set themselves up as the only business in town. Big oil companies stiffled creativity and left us with a vehicle that pollutes our world, is inefficient and changed little since it's inception. The only things that have changed are the package it's placed in and the bells and whistles that have been added. Big oil companies set the stage for large scale disasters like the Gulf Oil spill. Big oil companies makes us so dependent on oil that we are willing to send our young men to die in the pursuit of it. And who gets richer? The politicians and the oil mogels.

Now we are about to let the same thing happen with our internet? The telephone companies took our money with an empty promise to replace outdated cable with fiber optics. Who let them? The politicians we sent to Washington. They now want to kidnap and rape us, with the government's blessing, by choosing who will have access to faster service. It will be he who can pay the price that will be given the privilege to travel in the fast lane. This violates all the ideals upon which our Democracy was established. What will happened to equality? What will happen to the freedom of speech? What will happen to our right to be protected from unlawful search and seizure of our internet? It is the right of each and every citizen to have equal access to the internet just as is the right of each and every citizen to have access to electricity, water, sewer, etc. The internet must be considered a "public" utility. We require such access to ensure that we have an equal voice in determining our own destiny. When we allow these monopolies to determine the how, when, why and where of the internet we are no longer a free people.

It is time to bear arms. Roll up your sleeves, let the keys on your computer fly, use the internet to let yourselves be heard! Write your congressmen. Use every social network you have access to. Spread the word. Equal access for all! It is OUR internet!

My First Podcast

An attempt to link my podcast is becoming frustrating. Please click the title to link to the podcast.

Welcome to my first attempt at blogging! This is brought to you courtesy of my Informatics assignment!

A year ago I decided to return to school after many years as a healthcare professional. Call it a mid-life crisis of a different kind. What an adventure it has been thus far! I am enrolled in an Informatics program with a healthcare cognate. In an attempt to complete my degree before I'm pushing up daisies, I decided to enroll in a summer Informatics class entitled "Internet Concepts". WOW! The internet is rich with opportunities to explore and express yourself. Our first assignment was to break into small groups and develop a Wiki page. Great fun! We chose to create a list of adventures we would like to embark on at sometime in the near future. If you arrived at my page from the link on our Wiki site you have already had a chance to view our first endeavor!

Now I am off and creating my very own blog. In keeping with our original theme, I want to share my personal adventures. Now that the children are grown and the career has been established, it's time for fun! My husband and I take as many opportunities as possible to slip away and explore.

Our most recent travels took us to the north rim of the Grand Canyon! Magnificent! It is a must see!! It takes your breath away..........literally.........as the breezes sometimes feel like they are nudging you over the rim. The hiking was fabulous! While we stayed in the Duck Creek area of southern Utah and made the Grand Canyon a day trip, next year it will be a destination point. If you choose to add this stop to your list of adventure goals, be sure to reserve your cabin on the north rim at least a year in advance. They fill up fast!

So our next adventure is to Chicago. Time to beat the heat of the desert and spend some time with the grandkids. We are always looking forward to our next adventure! Always following the wind. Always enjoying the beauty of this incredible earth!