[DELETE] digital drama

      Let's face it being a kid is rough...especially if your not a "popular" kid, and home is supposed to a safe-haven from the drama of school. (oh and there is A TON of drama.) But things are changing, kid's access to social media sites (Facebook, Twitter)  is growing by the day..and with that becomes a whole new outlet for bullying and drama. There's something empowering to people when they are sitting behind a computer, they seem to think that they are invincible, which leads them to saying things they never would in person.

This my friends is cyber-bullying...

        "Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying." 

So what can WE do?!

like everything the best thing to do is educate yourself on this subject, and learn how to educate your children.  Take an online course or view a Webinar from www.bullyingcourse.com

1. Never give out personal information or passwords, P.I.N. numbers etc..-Personal information includes your name, the names of friends or family, your address, phone number, school name (or team name if you play sports). Personal info also includes pictures of yourself and your e-mail address. Ask permission before sharing any information with a Web site, a "chat buddy" and even when registering a product purchased for your computer (like a game). Passwords are secrets Never tell anyone your password except your parents or guardian.
2. Don't believe everything you see or read -Just because someone online tells you that they are 15 doesn't mean they are telling the truth. Even adults can't tell when a male pretends to be a female or a 50 year old pretends to be a 15 year old.
3. Use Netiquette -Be polite to others online just as you would off-line. If someone treats you rudely or meanly - do not respond. Online bullies are just like off-line. ones - they WANT you to answer (don't give them the satisfaction).
4. Don't send a message to someone else when you are angry -Wait until you have calmed down and had time to think. Do your best to make sure that your messages are calmly and factually written. You will usually regret sending a "Flame" (angry) to someone else later on. Once you've sent a message, it is VERY hard to undo the damage that such "flames" can do.
5. Don't open a mesage from someone you don't know - If in doubt about it, ask your parents, guardian or another adult.
6. If it doesn't look or feel right, it probably isn't -Trust your instincts and teach your kids to trust theirs. While surfing the Internet, if you find something that you don't like, makes you feel uncomfortable or scares you, turn off the computer and tell an adult.
7. You don't have to be "Always On" turn off, disconnect, unplug, try actual reality instead of virtual reality! -Give yourself a break Don't stay online or connected too long. Spend time with your family and friends off line.

 Check out this cute [delete] cyber drama shirt available at CharlotteRusse.com

For more information about this movement please go to: 

http://www.seventeen.com/entertainment/features/delete-digital-drama

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html


Together we can [delete] digital drama 
XX-D 

BE THE CHANGE

You know there's something wrong in this world when malicious people can succeed and be called "wonderful".. (yeah i don't think so.)
When people go hungry...
When we are more eager to help other countries before our own..
When people stop caring about others around them.
When people clearly choose to hurt others.
When a death becomes a joking matter...
When we think we have the right to tell someone they can't marry someone?
When we feel that we have the right to judge others?
what gives you the right to tell me your better than me?
 -did your read it in your precious book?
because I've read that book too and I'm pretty sure that's NOT what it says....

let me share with you what i've learned...
the world isn't what i thought it was growing up but i DO KNOW
No one person is better than anyone else
Some of us just make better choices....

Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left. ~Hubert Humphrey
 ♥

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ~Mark Twain 

Let's make a change....
Love Is Louder than Negativity

XX-D 

just a thought...

Dear Beautifully misunderstood...

It's okay to be different; no really it is.
Yes that has led here.  A path you've never expected, one that's full of twists and obstacles that you never saw coming.  However the strength at which you  will need to handle these obstacles is tremendous. And YES-You have been tested, stretched and broken. You have received abuse and have been pushed to your limits but you will prevail, and as a result you will be stronger. Don't be afraid-Your changing and growing and as a result you have lost people who you thought you would always have. It's hard, but its apart of your story. Ohh-i know your trying to figure out who's going to be  a recurring character and who’s just a guest star for one episode. 


Oh- Beautiful misunderstood girl its okay to read that "one day you will change the world" text a billion times. (guilt-free) It's okay to be the girl that laughs for no reason. Yeah-It's your thing hold doors and smile just because. It's absolutely fine to speak your mind- "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."  It's okay to love with all your heart, as it is to give yourself entirely to other in need.

Yes your a bit of an old fashion girl. One who believes in true love, and romance. But your tough and refuse to settle for less. You dress up for no reason because thats when your the most comfortable. Your write yourself post-it notes, chew on your nails, and change your mind constantly. Music gets you through the day- and your much better at expressing yourself using music.

Mostly you need to know your story is still being written...

Stay beautiful- and one day you will no longer be misunderstood.
XX- D

Say No to the Straw

Okay bare with me on this one---
next time you go to a resturant and they offer you a straw....say "NO"

 yes i'm talking about a tiny little straw...

I love using a straw as much as the next person but- let me share some interesting facts with you

• Did you know that each day we use 500 million straws- enough disposable straws to fill over 46,400 large school buses per year?
• 500 million straws per day is an average of 1.6 straws per person (in the US) per day. 
• Each time we choose not to use a throw-away straw we are helping reduce the amount of waste going into landfills and littering our oceans, lakes, rivers, and countryside.

let me put it this way...
that ONE straw that you use for 10-15 mins will last up to 500 years in a landfill. SHOCKED? yeah i was too-but it's never too late to make a change.
So next time your offered a straw say "NO" 


Can't imagine NOT using a straw--try these super fun RE-USEABLE glass straws (:

OR THESE  

Reusable BPA Free Acrylic Straws 

(available on ebay, amazon, bed bath && beyond for under $10)

For more information on this cause check out: bestrawfree.org

Together we CAN make a difference!

XX-D

R.I.P Chivalry

Call me a hopeless romantic but when i watch  movies like 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' or  'Roman Holiday' (Yes I'm a sucker for Audrey Hepburn movies)  and i can't help but wonder what happen to the romance?
When did it become acceptable to smack a girl on her butt?
OR when did lame pick-up lines come into play?

MORE importantly when did buying flowers just because go out of style?

 When did it become "old-school" to open doors for girls? 

 Or lame to pullout chairs? 

Oh Boys, i promise you a little respect and conversation goes along way with girls! Not every girl is okay with being treated like a "random hook up". In fact some of us still have class and wanted to be treated as equals. Oh and a little secret boys, intelligence is sexy...

XX-D 

The Evil's of the ZOO.

Did you know that Zoos Breed and Kill Animals for "Enrichment"?

"At a bear park in Bern, Switzerland, two European brown bear cubs may be killed if no other zoo will take them in. They're being evicted in 18 months because, at the age of two, their mom will reject them. That's normally when they'd wander off to find their own territory, but being captive-bred, new territory just means another enclosure or cage where people will buy tickets to gawk at them. But if none of those are available, they'll be put down." 

let's put this into prospective for you:  Humans playing with life and death isn't being "responsible." We're not talking about animals who are suffering and need to be euthanized, these are healthy animals who are being brought into the unnatural world of zoos as a form of "enrichment" for other captive animals, and then discarded when no longer needed. Can you imagine if humans did this? Imagine high school Home Economics, if teens were given real babies instead of eggs or sacks of flour to take care of, and then the babies were just dumped or "put down" when the lesson was over. It's absurd.

and this is just one example....

At the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, you can see three for the price of one in their elephant exhibit. Bamboo, Chai and Watoto suffer from chronic foot and joint injuries, and display neurotic behavior like swaying, bobbing their heads, and pacing.All three elephants were born in the wild, but now they're confined to prison cells. I'm not saying that to be dramatic — now that we've hit the cold weather months, the elephants will spend 16 to 17 hours a day locked up in their indoor stalls, which are the equivalent of less space than the prisoners of Alcatraz had.

This raises the question of what's the point of zoos? With ongoing behavioral problems among zoo animals and breeding programs that just lead to death, the arguments for education and conservation have followed logic out the window.

I have never been a fan of Zoo's. The animals always look unhappy and hot but this just adds to my frustration. It absolutely drives me crazy that people treat animal this way, and think its okay. Its OUR JOB to use OUR voices to protect them. People need to not be ignorant to these subjects and education themselves before making their own decisions. I can only hope you take this issue seriously and think twice before heading to the zoo.

XX-D 

How can you Help? GO TO: http://www.helpelephants.com/whatyoucando.html

MORE INFORMATION: 

http://news.change.org/stories/zoos-breed-and-kill-animals-for-enrichment

http://news.change.org/stories/zoo-celebrates-birth-of-endangered-piglets-then-kills-them

http://news.change.org/stories/spaceless-in-seattle-making-the-case-for-woodland-park-zoos-elephants

http://news.change.org/stories/in-defense-of-animals-ranks-10-worst-zoos-for-elephants

Freedom is never free...

With 4th of July upon us... 
&& i just want to say big thank you to our military for all they do for us! You all do us such a tremendous service everyday...and there aren't enough words to express my gratitude. THANK YOU! 

  
4th of July happens to be my favorite holiday because I'm such a History nerd (:

Some of my favorite 4th of July Facts:
-John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American independence, and would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th events in protest. 
-Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826--the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
-The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official event occurred on August 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it.
 -Massachusetts became the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday.
-The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.
-In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 
-The Declaration of Independence 4 of July, 1776.


Stay safe and have fun!!!
XO- D