School Hinders the Future of Education!!

For about a year I have been studying the uses and applications of Second Life for education. It's a idea that has shaken up the education world in a positive way. So why the F*** does my school block it?

When I first arrived I was able to view the forums and blogs of "Real-Life Education" group. I would study on my off period and get ideas on how ongoing classes were adapting to it. Now I get a blocked page stating that Second Life is NOT "appropriate use" of the internet. Not only is the main/teen site is blocked but also are the blogs of educators who use the program.

How are we to help our students with so much opposition? 3D interfaces are not just for games anymore! It's is the future of the internet. Get with the times people!

*after post*
OH GAWD! Now they blocked blogger sites! There goes another of the kid's research refrences.

Darn Teenies!

Sometimes, I just get tired of them. All they care about are boyfriends and girlfriends, looking "cool," and being the it person. I recall those days. Boy, was I stupid.

What hurts me is that some don't realize the benefit of collage. The area I work in is rather poor. Most of their families live off of drug money, and other crime induced incomes. To them high school has no purpose because their life has not shown them the benefit of it.

This is the reality teachers face today. How do we get these kids motivated to learn and better themselves? One educator told me he tells the students his life story in order to help them. For me my life was well, well-to-do so how will they learn from a story that is far from their reality? This made me realize that teaching is a lot harder than it seems.

Dreaming of Dance

Today William and I went to a BBQ for Donald. He is leaving on Tuesday for a year in Hawaii. His current job is relocating him. He seems to be doing well. I worry about him. Sometimes his decisions are not well thought out as they should be. His judgment has back fired on him many times before. I wish him well on his new adventure.

Lately, I have found myself craving to dance again. It's been years. I miss the feeling of being on stage, weaving a story with my body for all to see while sweet music plays. It was intoxcating! If only I could do that once again. I put in all my heart in my performances even in my pratices. On the dance floor I wrote a story. A story of love, tears, devotion, and of life. When I danced I was free.

Arrgh, there be pirates about!

Hee hee, today is "Talk like a Pirate Day!" So grab yar wench and live it up pirate style!

Also I just got home from seeing my niece. She is so adorable! Amber put our pictures up on her Flickr. So be sure to check out Edith and all her cutness!

Bad news is followed by well needed good news.

Happy birthday baby Edith! My niece was born this afternoon, and she's a cutie. 7 pounds 5 ounces and a full head of hair. I'll post the pictures when I get home. She's adorable!

Also more good news. I just found out my friend Felica is engaged to be married! She asked me to be her maid of honor. Of course I said yes! It's had been a great day filled with happy news!

Good news!

I'm off to New Breanfels, RIGHT NOW! Amaber is in labor and we all can't wait to see the baby! Tally-ho!

*cough*

I'm a bit depressed. This past week two people I knew passed away.

One was a dear internet friend. Even though we had never met physically she was a person I will not forget. She was a SL mentor like myself and one of the best around.

The other is my friend's uncle. Although I barely knew him, I feel the effects of the loss from others.

Also, I have been very ill lately. Thanks to allergies and the constant rain we have had. I lost my voice on Thursday, and it still hasn't healed. It's a very depressing thing for talkative person like myself.

But anyhoo, I'll be alright. I have dealt with worse in my life and came out rather unscathed.

It's common knolwage that I am a Madonna fan. Heck, I own all her CDs! Well, its been a quiet evening so I spent it poking around youtube. And lookie what I found!



The day when "Ray of Light" was released I was about to leave for my trip to Washington DC. It was like 4am and I rushed to Wal-Mart to get it before my plane left that morning. The woman had just finished stocking the shelf too. I must have played it 5 or six times on the trip there and back!

Remembrance.

Today marks the 5th anniverary of the attacks on America. It has been a somber day full of reflecting.

In honor of this the school held a lunch-in for the teachers and staff sponsored by the ARMY band. Thanks to my many years as a starving college student, I never turn down a free meal!

Foodie Rant #621: I had never seen such a "yellow" plate of food. Everything was deep fried and covered in nacho cheese sauce. The only vegetable to be found was in the small spoonful of salsa they offered. On the side they served a cup of pink kool-aid. It's was a odd lunch-in indeed. Then again I can be a bit picky about my food, thanks to my background. But hey it was free. :P

Set your phasers to PARTY!!

Today marks the 40th anniversy of Star Trek! So trekkies unite and let's party!

For most El Pasoans this is a great day! Why? Well Gene Rodneberry was born here, and we don't let people forget it!^_-

He cheated death so many times...

This time it finally caught up to him. This morning the news broke that Mr. Steve Irwin also known as the crocodile hunter was killed. He was filming a documentary in Port Douglas when a Sting Ray stabbed him in the chest.

It amazing how many of us thought this man was invincible.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20349888-2,00.html

Nothing like a fast machine between your legs.

William has been researching on getting a scooter for weeks now. It seems like fun! Just we found out that many of the Motorcycle stores around here close at 6. Will gets home at 5:30...See the problem? We are trying to see if you can make it today. Even just to put our foot in the door of one of them.

For me scooters seem fun, but I want a real motorcycle! Something sleek, sporty and fast. They have always appealed to be. I guess it's the rebel in me. We are looking to take the classes to get our motorcycle class on our driver's license some time next month. I'm looking forward to it!

A rose by any other name...

Okay, this is interesting. Someone once told me to be careful on what to put online since anyone can use a search engine to find you. In a way it's kinda true, but they also find people with the same name.

Example:
What do most people know about me on the web; I'm married, I like photography, and I live in the southwest. Well so does this Christina Kennedy. Wild, huh?! What a small world we live in.

Time Warner tortures young married couple.

Ahhh..... Its been almost a week without the web. Will and I have been going crazy!! On Tuesday our service went down due to a "frequency" error. Thanks to the floods we weren't able to get a man out here until Saturday. Then he said that he wasn't qualified to fix the problem. So we would have to wait until Monday for the right guy to come in.

Well, for some miraculous reason we got connection all of a sudden. So here I am, catching up on all that I missed. I never knew how much the both of us the web on a daily basis. Let's cross our fingers that it won't go down again.

Yay! I always wanted a swimming pool!

Yay! I always wanted a swimming pool!
Originally uploaded by Cosmic Kitty.

Welcome to what is being called Storm 2006. El Paso has been hit my a flash flood like no one has seen, EVER! It's been raining for days and now our poor city can't take much more.

I seem to bit luckler than most. There has been reports of whole houses flooded with feet of water. The water line came to about one inch from my backdoor.

It looks like the storm is letting up. Let's pray I won't have to pump water out of my kitchen.

Destination Unknown

Here I am on the eve of a last minute trip. I'm both excited and nervous. I love being spontaneous! But for many years now I have been suppressing it. Scared of what I might see or what might happen, good or bad.

I have been a protected flower, on constant watch from an little cold breeze. But I vow to live like that now longer. Sure I might get trampled, but I know I am stong enough to overcome. So I say look out world, here comes the beauty that is me!

WHAT HAVE I DONE!!

OMG, I did it. I have joined the crazy evilness called:

... MY SPACE...

... and you know what? Its good!

No, I'm not leaving blogger. I love it too much. It's just so ppl can find me. I love hearing from all my old frineds.

Keeping myself busy.

"Cheese!"
Originally uploaded by Cosmic Kitty.

Callie left this morning. It's a quiet day. I'm bored and Second Life is offline for an update.

The solution: Me, the bathroom mirror and my beloved camera.

Rainy day FUN!

Callie, Will, and I went to Advernture Zone this afternoon just to have a bit of fun. Luckily we were early and able to get the unlimited ride pass. Go-karts, bumper boats, and mini-golf from 12-3pm. FUN!! After a few rounds of the karts we headed to the bumper boats...Thanks to these annoying little pre-teens we were not able to get on before the rain set in.

So we did the golf thing, then the rain started poring. We didn't care we were out to finish the course!! Everyone was running for cover as the three of us played though. It was nice having the whole course for ourselves. And yes we did complete it all soaking wet. It was funny to see the looks of the people when we went inside. They were like WTF?! WooT yay for rain!

"How's my Driving?"

"How's my Driving?"
Originally uploaded by Cosmic Kitty.

Our A/C in the house was not very good a keeping the place cool. So we bit the bullet and got a Master Cool. For thse who live in EL Paso, know you cannot survive without a cooling system.

They came to install the unit this moring. I tried to take pictures but I got some ugly looks. So I just ducked back in the house. :P

Beauty Divine

It's a rare and beautiful thing when an performance moves me to tears. It even rarer when it gets set in my heart and plays in my mind every now and again. One such performance was Shizuka Arakawa's long program in this year's winter games.

When I first saw it I was still working nights at Comfort Suites. NBC would replay the evening show late at night. I would wait to watch it and avoid all contact of results that would spoil it for me. So there I was all alone, folding laundry. As each skater went up, I found their performances, good but not the best.

Then she came to the ice and a hush came over the crowd. Vanessa Mae's Fantasy On Puccini's Turandot, played as Arakawa floated along. Each move filled with her emotions touching all who watched. I was entranced, each spin, each jump drew me into the story she wove on her blades. As she came near to the close a tear ran down my face as I felt my heart strings tug at the sheer beauty of her masterpiece. It was perfection, and the world thanked her for it!

If you haven't seen it in a while, please visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/5072356/detail.html

Shizuka Arakawa is now and will forever be my favorite Figure Skater!

A Desert Wonder

There is nothing more welcomed then a summer shower here in the harsh desert. I perched on the window seat and watched with anticipation as the first few drops fell from the heavens. Each one falling faster and faster rising to the climax of nature's symphony. A warm breeze floated about creating a dance of air and water. I took a deep breath letting the crisp scent of the air fill my nostrils.

A smile came to my face, knowing that rain showers like this are life's little wonders. Each one should be cherished, because you never know when it may come back again.

Lookie what I found!

IM000432
Originally uploaded by Cosmic Kitty.

I was goiong though my old archives and found a bunch of pictures. Some very few people have had the chance to see. So, I thought why not share them with the world. My first installment is my brother's wedding. This took place in Lousiana on June 17, 2002. Its amazing how much my skills and camera have improved. Either way, its fun to revisit old memories.

Cheddar Goldfish

Ever wonder why we do things? Well, I have been question my own motives a lot lately. Like why did I leave Comfort Suites? Was it really me who was suffering or everyone else? And do I REALLY want to become a teacher? Everyone knows I dislike teenagers AKA "high schoolies."
Am I running my life or is everyone else running it for me. *sigh*

My mind is a mess right now. All jumbled and mixed up like the pouch of goldfish I'm eating. In the commercial Finn left his bag for his dream. Why can't I? I'm sure his cheddar family is hurting(a side from being eaten), but it didn't stop him. Ah, but then again we all can't be cute little tasty cheddar fish-shaped crackers, can we?

I <3 Torley!

Torley_024-2
Originally uploaded by ShoshanaEpsilon.

Meet Torley Linden! One of the newest Linden Lab employees and the sweetest person you will ever meet. In Second Life she is know the grid over, for her love of watermelons and outgoing personality.

In real life she is know as Torley Wong. A very creative technomixer who after spending most of his life making highly rated music, lost his hearing. He cannot mix any longer but his amazing music is still played everywhere, including in Second Life. Want to know more, visit: www.Torley.com

There you can see what this punk princess is doing in Second Life, and download his great music.

Lizard-riffic!

The Lizard Man's Autograph
Originally uploaded by Cosmic Kitty.

Just another day and another famous face in the halls of the Comfort Suites. This time it was very unique Lizard Man!

He caught me off guard when he approached the desk for towels. My eyes popped at the sight of him and I knew I HAD to get his autograph!

For most people I imagine the thing that would stick with them most when they meet him face to face would be his green skin or brow implants. For me it was his nails!

Yes, his nails. He had the most beautiful nails I had ever seen on a man. They were clean and neatly filed. Like he had fresh a manicure. You would expect a man who has "FREAK" tattooed on his chest to have dirty, bitten, or even oddly painted nails. But no his were amazing. I guess this gives new meaning to appearances are not everything.

Not to mention he is really intelligent. He's one of many people I have the utmost respect and admiration for. He is not afraid to take his art to an extreme level!

Oh, for those who don't know who the Lizard Man is (uhh you need to watch more T.V.) here is a link to his website. He also has a blog were he posted his little run in with the El Paso P.D.

What did I do wrong? So much has changed in my world and I can't seem to change fast enough. Getting up everyday has become harder and harder. Hell, yesterday I slept for more than 16 hours. Why, I really don't know?

I can't seem to talk about it to anyone, anymore. I can't talk to my husband because he doesn't want to hear it anymore. I can't talk to my parents because they think my misery is stemming from him. Callie, well she has changes of her own to deal with...

...GAH...

there I go again always thinking about everyone else but me. It's getting exhausting to live this way. And it seems like no one cares or appreciates what I do. I've become this slave. A slave to work, my bosses, my family and my friends. Most of them don't even know it! For once I want to be a selfish little brat, who's only concern is ME. Why, is it so hard for me to do that?

Yay, I got noticed!

A Mickey Bathroom
Originally uploaded by Cosmic Kitty.

I just found out that my two of my pictures got featured in a online travel guide. How cool is that! ^-^

You can download it here :
http://www.schmap.com/app/guides.jsp?2004s01

Sometimes I hate being a Hispanic woman....

Ok, I love my parents but I'm not too fond of my culture. I get tired of having to answer the question of why I don't speak spanish. Everytime some "machismo" guy comes in that is the first thing that comes out of thier mouth. Like it's shameful or something.

Then they make it a point to ask...what's you last name..your name is Christina so you should know spanish, that kinda shit. It really ticks me off!

I'm American! I speak english..end of story!!!

Grandma we miss you.

Grandma we miss you.
Originally uploaded by Cosmic Kitty.

On March 10, 2006 my Grandma passed away. I miss her dearly but I know she is safe in heaven now watch over all of us.

God bless you Grandma and I hope to see you again in heaven.

The Secret Life of Hotels: Show me the Money!!!

Ok, you found a hotel. It's time to make a deal! That's right the BIG secret of hotels is that on most nights the price is negotiable! Thats why booking direct is so important. The front desk has the power to change rates based on a scale given set by the general manager.

The Rack Rate: the rack rate is the highest rate we can offer a room. When a guest off the street comes in and asks for a rate, this is the rate we quote them. If the guest seems apprehensive, we then offer a discounted rate. As a guest its good pratice to ask for a discount before you commit or jump to another hotel. Like "Do you have a manager's special?" that sort of thing. Most of the time the clerk will instantly drop the rate. If they hold on the rate, this means that the hotel is near full and so are the surrounding areas. Nights like this we know people will pay the full rate, if not you someone else.

As a guest the worst thing you can do is go hotel hopping. This is a pratice that really gets me mad. Guest come in and out just comparing the rack rates. Of course you can bet they will never get a good deal on a room.

The Base Rate: this is the lowest a clerk can give without suffering a loss. This rate is given rarely. To be eligible for the base you either have to stay for a week's term or be long time regulars to the hotel. Only 5% of negations end in this rate.

Reservations: If you reserve early we give you an Average Rate. Most of the time we guess on this rate. This is a guess based on how many reservations we have and if we expect to sell out based on history. These rates are the most negotiable. And if you want the best deal, this is where you do it. ^-^

Final note: be nice to the clerk helping you. After all they are the ones controlling how much you pay. There has been many times where I didn't budge on a rate because of a mean guest.

Jumping ship, or How NOT to run a hotel....

No, I'm not quitting, but everyone else is. Yes, I just got word that Casey found a new job and is only able to work one day a week from now on. That's three people who have left while I was here with no replacement in sight. It started with Greg. A super sweet guy who kinda had a mutual falling out. This was just before the holiday season. I figured I would see a new face in the coming weeks, but no. They figured it was cheaper to make us work harder. Now the shit is really hitting the fan.

So note: if you are or planning to become a hotel manger, treat your desk clerks like GODS. After all they are the ones that bring you the money.

It's the cold and flu season!

Yes, I caught a cold thanks to Andy. When we went to see the house on Monday he was all sniffly. I knew I would get it. I always get sick. :P At leats I had a few days off the relax from work.

Oh, and now we are going to me MORE shorthanded! Willie (not my William mind you) gave his 2 weeks. That leaves me and Donna to do the night shift...*sigh* this is going to SUCK!!!

The Secret Life of Hotels: Finding the right one.

As most of you know I have spent many years studying and working in the hotel business. Heck, some of you were right there studying with me! Well, after many months on the job, I noticed the lack of knowlage the public has about the hotel system. So as a service to the public, I have devised a on going column. Not only will you save money on your next trip, but you might make a desk clerk very happy.

So, you decided to stay in a hotel for your next trip. How do you know you are getting a good deal. Well the answer is you don't. Since service is not a something you can mass produce, it hard to tell what you are getting into. That's why research is key. Before you book any room look at what they offer, location, and any awards they may have won. This is why many people in our field still go through travel agents.

A professor once told me that a travel agent it like a good barber. You have to trust them with your outcome. If it good, you will come to them back again and again. This is true. But, why go to one in the first place? Well, agents unlike most jobs are given trips by companies in order to give them an experience to sell their product. So they can give you a real world experience of what a trip might be like. Sadly thanks to internet travel agents, most have had to charge a small booking fee to stay in business. But its pennies to compared the quality of your trip and hotel experience!

So what of the internet? Well, if convince is your game than by all means go for it. But here's some things to be aware of: all hotel descriptions are posted by a hotel employee not by an agent who's actually stayed there. I know, I've done one for Hotels.com. We are given a email with a small box and asked to describe the hotel. Of course we candy coat everything with nice words like "sparkling indoor pool and spa." And guest reviews are sometimes posted by employees of the company. So be weary. Oh there are more pros and cons to the internet that I will get to on the next chapter.

Finally, you could call the hotel directly. This is one of the best ways to find out about the hotel. The desk clerk can keep you up to date with any changes on services and amenities, not to mention location and all that good stuff. But call during slow times, about 1PM to 3PM, if you have a lot of questions. You won't get much out of us during the busy hours.

Contract Pending

Woot! I like those words! Yes ladies and gentlemen we almost have the house. After some negotaions the lady got off her high horse and settled on our offer. Finally, I don't have to suffer the thought of "spending time" with my husband in my childhood home. Yes, it feels akward...

Crossing fingers for a new home!

William and I have spent the weekend looking at houses. We have been wanting to move on our own for a while now. We saw one that we fell in love with! And last night we made a bid on it! I do hope the buyers accept it. It's the perfect home for us.

A happy new year?

*sigh* What a pathic new year's eve this is! Guess were I am. Yup, at work! I celebrated by folding sheets all by myself. Whoo hoo, this year is starting out, great...:P 3 nights in a row of all night, non-stop folding...yippie!

Sometimes I think the job is making me a grinch. It sucks not being able to celebrate holidays. Well, what did save my night were the guys in 321! They gave me a beer to celebrate. They even offered me more when they came back. They are so sweet!