#11 My thoughts about Blogging

Blogging has definitely provided an opportunity for me to immerse myself into an online community that I had never known of before. Before this class, I had no clue had blogs and bloggers went about with expressing their ideas, but now I actually enjoy reading what people have to offer. It's definitely a great resource for getting your idea out in an efficient way. I wasn't entirely sure of what I was getting myself into when I was told I was going to a create a blog account. But, I had the mentality to carry this out as best as I could. I took it very seriously because I knew that it was a community that could teach me knew things. It was also something that allowed me to write in a way that I wasn't able to in my previous English classes, so that was quite new and enjoyable.

It allowed me to see what other people had to elaborate about topics that I have never considered taking an interest, and I would have never found out about them otherwise. Like the technology topic, I wouldn't have considered whether it was good or evil if it wasn't for the assignment that was assigned. I found it entertaining to see what several other people had to say about a topic we all had to write about it and having multiple people giving me feed back on a post was always helpful. 

There's no advice in particular that I could give that could contribute to help better this method. So, it's a pretty nice and efficient system that doesn't need much change. Overall I have enjoyed using blogging it an educational way, it was definitely better way to do classwork.

Entry #10: What poetry did for me.

Now, most people might think of poetry as beautiful, boring, or something that is just confusing. Well just like every thing else in this world, anything can be all of those at the same time. A piece of poetry can be delightful, engaging, or just so complex that you question if the author intended this labyrinth of writing to actually have any in-depth meaning to it. 

That's all fine to keep in mind. Because trying to find out what any writing means is the key part in learning about whatever has been written and how you may apply it to yourself. That's what poetry has been for me. It has served as an opportunity for me to analyze something that has so many layers of possible meanings and interpretations.

 Trying to hone that skill of analyzing has been my greatest goal. But, this kind of mindset shouldn't only be withheld to writings, you can easily implement it to any part of your life. Socializing, communicating, observing and better appreciating things because you are consciously aware of them more. For instance, I actually enjoy movies and TV shows far more than I ever had before I learned the importance of poetry. I was able to enjoy things like that more because I thought of the purpose and meaning behind everything I watched and imagined it in written words before it was illustrated or acted out in scenes. Pretty much rhetoric lessons like I am learning in my Eng101 class. Being aware of the author's intentions can help you understand and enjoy whatever they created better.

Ultimately, poetry has served as a key to unlocking a better part of my mind that I am now able to use to my advantage. It feels like a door being locked to unforeseen potentials. Through poetry I have experienced some of the most important life epiphanies I will ever have, and maybe you can too if you are willing to give it a try. If poetry isn't for you, that's okay. Just try finding the key that fits that lock. 

 

Entry #9: Food Perspective Video: Pink Slime

How would you react if you saw an image of a beef patty (uncooked) on a menu at fast-food restaurant? Would you still have an appetite if you saw that your hamburger looked like pink play dough before it was cooked and had ammonia added to it? One would make the mistake that this is the image of strawberry ice-cream being shown, but no.... It's the non-glorified product of the cartilage remnants and whatever they could carve out to make this gooey substance of "lean textured beef."

'Pink Slime' For Lunch: Schools Can Opt Out Of Ammonia-Treated Ground Beef Filler

'Pink Slime' Is Making A Comeback. Do You Have A Beef With That?

From "Pink Slime" article, "When schools use that product, it shaves about $0.03 off the cost of ground beef, according to a 2009 New York Times report. ". I am so surprised that that is the sole reason to feed students that goop, but perhaps those fractions of a cent really add up. I really don't know much about business and the cost, but I even read in the article that it would be paid for if they joined the National School Lunch Program. So, there is no reason why schools should continue to serve this.

Always keep in mind that a burger you might be sinking your teeth into came from some gelatinous thrown-together glop that you would confuse for strawberry ice-cream. Something that isn't even considered to be meat.

Entry #8: Do we really give a flying care about birthdays?

Do we really acknowledge birthdays and appreciate them for what they really are? Or do we simply follow tradition and routine and continue with what we observe only? Are birthdays even important to most of us?

Absolutely we think it's important; to indulge ourselves, be happy to attend someone else's birthday, or be spoiled with delightful events. That's all absolutely fair game. But, I don't think we look at it on a deeper level like we really should...

Birthdays are the single time of a year in which you might be praised for simply being conceived. How freaking easy and sweet is that? We are being commended on the sole fact that we exist.
Relatives, friends, significant others may just go out of their way to purchase something for you, write you a letter, or send a message to let you know they appreciate you being alive on this day. They may celebrate it in massive ceremonies, or maybe perhaps your cup of tea is to spend it with a best friend or a significant other. Either way, you have at least one person acknowledging the importance of your birth.

Perhaps if we consciously thought about it like that, more people would appreciate it on a greater level instead of buying gifts out of heartless obligation, because that does happen. I am pretty sure we all have bought something for someone out of pure guilt or because we felt like we "had to".

Well, one warm thought to keep in mind is that when someone wishes you a "happy birthday" it really translates into "I am thankful you came into existence on this day." It is well advised that when their birthday comes around that you should say it with the same amount of love.

Entry #7: Fresh and how fresh our food really is!

Do people really care about how the food we pay for is treated with the proper care it needs? Whether the animals are being fed meat instead of grass like nature intended it to be? Or how about government laws that should be protecting the consumers?

The sole purpose of this video is to really bring it to our attention that we should definitely care about what we are buying and eating instead of mindlessly going about and never asking where it came from. Food Inc brings us to consciously  inquire about what is going on in the food producing companies, for example, the war between organic farmers and unsustainable industries that are more supported by the government who cares about making a marginal profit instead of the care of the consumers.

I think it's really important that everyday people like me who shop at supermarkets to watch this video and break from our routine of buying products that aren't organic. I recently started the habit of purchasing organic milk in hopes to be an increment of help to support organic companies. Hopefully more people will progressively make small to large changes and improvements on what they buy.

Extra Credit: Why Food Inc makes me hungry

I have always heard blips and fragments of information that is shared through gossip or one lined headliners seen on newspapers, but I never really paid any attention to what was being said about the treatment or quality of the food that was purchased from the local store and prepared on my plate. I just simply ate it and never considered the preparation steps (the ones before it was ready to be sold in store). After watching Food Inc, I am simply angry and disgusted by how nonchalant our government is toward food inspections and the consistent harassment of harassing local farmers like Joel Salatin. 

The government tried to crack down hard on how he slaughtered his own chickens. They tried to shut his operation down because they saw it unsanitary to be conducting such a business out in the open air and not in a secluded metal warehouse/factory instead. So, to combat such a heinous accusation, he took the appropriate stance and had his chicken meat and a store-bought meat sent to a laboratory to be cultivated/tested. His came back under 200 and the store bought had over 2000 bacterial colonies "and that was after they bleached it to clean it."  

I am just outraged that his natural and efficient process is being frowned upon by an "engineered food" supporting government that results in frequent cases of Ecoli bacteria that actually kills people, and yet they are still able to get away with it.

It worries me though that I have only learned about this by chance of taking my English 101 class. I would have never learned about such a thing otherwise, or at least not for a long time. Such events need to be broadcasted more so that we can be aware of such horrors to combat against it.

How to eat food, if you didn't already know #6

There are very essential factors to eating food. For instance, how you chew it and how long you chew it. Most motherly advice is pretty right to some extant, "Chew your food slowly, Dearie." Listen to that wise woman. Your food must be chewed for at least 30 seconds to let the enzymes properly break down the food in your mouth so that the digestion process will carry through with ease. So, your meal should last 20-30 minutes, 5-10 for snacks. If you gulf your food down like starved soldiers like me, just try to be conscious of slowing down. Huge plus of doing so is that you actually enjoy the food! Huzzah! Also, the longer you take your time letting your tastebuds enjoy the bliss of tasting rich delicacies, the more full you will feel after finishing.

Eating like this can lead to indigestion and disgusting and non wanted heartburn. Heartburn is just dreadful and nobody wants it. So be proud when someone says you eat like a bird, just know that you are the one who won't have acid reflux at the end of the day.

One other incredibly important thing to keep in mind when enjoying your divine meal is to make sure the temperature of what you are drinking is appropriate for you what you are eating. For example, freezing cold beverage is a negative for when you are enjoying any kind of meal. While you are digesting your food, it is a process of acid breaking down material to convert to energy. If you drink freezing cold water, you are disrupting this process. It can be equated to pouring water onto a fire. 

This is mainly the reason you will belch, you're body is not happy and is sending you S.O.S. signals in burp form to tell you to stop. Room temperature is the preferred choice. I know it isn't particularly stimulating, but it is better for you stomach. It's fine to drink cold water 30 minutes before you begin eating and an hour after eating. When it comes to room temperature, go crazy. 

Wouldn't you be more happy than disturbed if your stomach look like that? It's pretty darn cute.

Just keep in mind these two helpful suggestions next time you are about to engage in a feast fit for royalty and as a result you will have a happy stomach that doesn't want to participate in a mutiny.