Sunday Reflection: My College Experience So Far

            I’ve been going to college at SNHU for the past three years, and am now a Junior. I have found that being an online student at SNHU or Southern New Hampshire University has allowed me to be part of an extremely supportive learning environment. Everyone there is supportive in helping the students learn and achieve their dreams from the Academic Advisors to the teachers to the Career Advisors. Even the social media for the university is supportive with everyone trying to help everyone and the clubs are a lot of fun. And, it does change you as well.

            Not only academically either, but also emotionally and mature wise as well. You grow as a person through the experience. When I started out at SNHU I was just looking to be a better writer and be validated as being a talented writer by the end of it all. But, as time went by I noticed I was changing as a person. Not that it was so much changing my view, but that it was helping me understand my views as well as mature them. Giving me a better understanding of my views and how as well as why I believed what I did. Along with teaching me to be respectful and debate civilly. As well as how to find common ground on issues.

            It’s also taught me how to research better along with introducing me to stories I never would have been introduced to otherwise. Along with showing me how to think on both a local, national, and global level. It has let me see the big picture on a smaller level as well as the big picture. Giving me a better perspective of things. This has also helped me in my writing as well. Making me build my stories from the ground u smaller at first before going bigger. And, maybe you have seen my growth over the course of this blog as well. As I have taken on different issues over the course of it. And, changed it up a bit over time. As well as it continues to change.

            It started out being a diary of sort and still is on some days. Some days I just want to reach out to my readers and let them know how I am doing and what I am thinking in general. Other days I have an issue in mind to tackle. And, college has taught me that when I have a platform to speak from I should use it to speak out on issues I believe in. I’m still working on being more consistent with posting as far as posting everyday like I want to. But, I think that comes more with experience as well as along with the more my stability gets better. And, it has improved over the years as well. Throwing back when I was talking about cleaning I have gotten better with it though not perfect. It still comes in spurts.

            I still do book reviews at times and promote authors I see as up and coming as well as talking about favorites in general. Though I am moving my short stories over to Odyssey for now along with trying to get some of them published in magazines as well as anthologies. And, it is not that I am trying to keep them from you, my readers, just that I am taking the next step in my writing career. I’m confident you will join me in that next step as well, which drives me to keep improving to get better and better.

            I’m also exploring internet radio along with podcasting as avenues to express myself. Along with a few other ideas I have for the future, but I have rambled log enough for one day. For now, feel free to leave questions and comments below. And, please do share this with your friends and family. As for me as always there is always more work and studying waiting for me, which I look forward to. I hope you are all having a wonderful day. *Tips his hat and walks out the door. *

Saturday Thoughts: Taking Aim At The Pharmaceutical Industry With Their Pricing

            I know I keep getting busy, but today I am on a tear about an important topic that hits close to home for me. Now you have probably heard in the news about the price hikes in Epi Pens and how executives of the company that makes them are getting pay hikes as a result it seems. That just ticks me off. And, it is not the first and unfortunately probably not the last case of it we will hear any time soon. Plus, it is just plain wrong. As well as against the practice of medicine that pharmaceutical companies are part of.

            Pharmaceuticals make medicine, which puts them into the same line of work as doctors in a sense. But, time after time they seem to forget that by repeatedly jacking up the prices of medicines to make profits. You shouldn’t enter the field of making medicine to make super profits, but instead to make a difference in the world. And, if we are going to make bonuses matter at all it should be based more on how many people are helped or saved by the products that are put out by the company.

            Companies seems blind to the fact that their products are used by mostly middle class and poor Americans who unlike the rest of the world don’t get to negotiate prices. This being because the rest of the world has universal health care and can negotiate drug prices that it will pay to any company. And, since companies want to be in every country they negotiate with the countries to give the country in question the best possible price. But, drug companies should be looking out for their customers’ wallets anyways since if they do customers will turn to them more often and trust in them. This gets them more money in long term than short term with one big purchase.  

            Not only is this a better business model, but it is also healthier for the world as well as better practice for someone in the health industry. Anyone in the health industry should be more concerned with the health of their customers more than how much money they are making. Don’t get me wrong I am not against a company making a reasonable profit. But, in the healthcare industry the health of the customer should be put first not huge outrageous bonuses for executives. There need to be realistic and logical decisions made when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry.

            Right now it is crazy what they are doing. Trying to make as much money as possible while watching people suffer needlessly. It is both morally wrong as well as ethically wrong. These executives seem to lack basic human compassion. And, sure when it comes to Epi Pens they have come out and said they will try to help ease the burden. But, it does not change the fact that it is an ongoing problem industry wide. And, something has to be done to deal with it.

            Since while yes this problem is being dealt with to a point, but there are still thousands of others that cannot afford their medications because of the price the industry has set for them. And, it has got to stop. The people are demanding that something be done to stop outrageous drug prices from being made. Medications should be affordable for everyone in this country. After all taxpayers are continuously footing the bill for drug research and then getting bitten in the butt for the cost of the resulting medication. This has to stop. Something must be done to put a stop to this now, not tomorrow, not next week, but now.

            For now, I will get down off my soapbox, but I am keeping this issue in my sight. It has to be dealt with sooner than later after all. For now, though feel free to leave questions and comments below. And, please share this column with your friends and family. As for me I have some studying and other work to do. *Tips his hat and walks out the door. *

Tuesday Coffee: A Few Thoughts To Begin The Week

            Sorry to have been silent for a few days. I was not happy with how the remote pot turned out and unless I absolutely have to or am out and about with something pressing to say I will not be using it. Right now I am posting from a friend’s computer that is on loan to be for a few hours a day for school work and writing. In this day and age that is basically all I need a computer for, so I am working on developing better habits slowly. It is going to take time still, but I am going to work on it. Now, if I could just get a better sleeping pattern I would be doing even better. Though as I have been away from the keyboard ideas have been swirling in my head. Just going to take some time to get them all down on paper.

            I’m working on an article about Chicago for Odyssey this week that will be published next week. Might try to do two articles this week and put out a piece of fiction as well next week. Not sure on that yet. Or, if I am even allowed to do that yet. Tune in tonight to hear me on That Damn Radio Show from 11 PM to 1 AM. And term is starting up this week and I am already done for the week and jumping on week 2 to try and stay ahead. I am determined to do better than last term this term.

            TIME Magazine also has an interesting article up about internet trolls this week. And, no I do not fear the trolls. They will never drive me from the internet. I do understand those that are driven from the internet by them though. But, for me I believe a line has to be drawn against hate and malice. And, I am drawing it. I support of freedom of speech but there is some behavior that is just bad behavior. I don’t dispute the right of anyone to disagree with me but there is such a thing as doing it civilly and with good manners and then there is just being an idiot about things. Here is meant to be a place of being civil and having manners about things as much as possible. Something even I am working on in my writing.

            Speaking of controversial things, I have been listening to a couple of audio book by President Obama. Now, don’t get me wrong I don’t agree with everything he does, but I am starting to understand his thinking a bit more. At least from what he has written down in books and narrated into the audio books. It also gives me a different perspective on the world as well, which is always a good thing to have. And, I am planning to read Hillary Clinton’ book as well as Jill Stein’s and any other candidate’s book on their views on the issues. I want to try and get inside the candidates’ heads and see what they are thinking truly so I can make a better informed decision.

            I’m constantly trying to learn more whether in school or not. I am a lifelong learner. I think being a lifelong learner is a good approach to take to life since we are always making new discoveries and advancements in everything. It doesn’t take much either. Just reading a bit here and there as well as doing a little surfing on the web once you know what you are looking for. And, knowing how to weed out reliable source from those that aren’t. We have to remember that we as the human race have not reached maturity yet. Want proof? Look at how we treat each other on the internet, in the world. We still have a ways to go, but I am confident we will get there.

            As you can see there are a number of things that have been running through my head. Some of them I might come back to later in the week. Though I have other things to talk about still. I’ve also decided that my next computer will have a touch screen. But, for now I can deal with it not having a touch screen. Feel free to leave questions and comments below. And, please share with your friends and family. As for me I am back to working on other project and school as always. *Tips his hat and walks out the door. *