"Hey. Hi. How are you? Good. Okay. Bye."
What happened to the good ol' days where we used to have nothing better to do than chat with the people we ran into on a daily basis? It always seems that we are being burdened when someone makes the friendly gesture of asking how we are. When did life get so busy that we couldn't stop for a moment to share that friendly moment?
I remember that while I was growing up, I would send letters to my friends and wait almost a week before getting a response. That's how we used to communicate. Now, we have house phones, and cell phones. We have computers within our houses, and computers within our cell phones. We are constantly connected with those around us, for better or for worse. With this mass connection, we have actually created a mass disconnection. We have lost our patience, and have become dependent on receiving a response here and now. We don't have to wait. We are in the time of the here and now.
How has this changed us? How has being able to more easily communicate made our communication so much less valuable?
With the ease of communication, it no longer has significance that we can respond to a person; the effort is minimal at best. Writing a letter took time. Writing a letter took patience. Writing a letter took conversational skills. Writing a letter showed that we really cared. A text is nothing. A text is not personal. A text is not time consuming. We are no longer charged per message, and our messages lack importance. The connections that we once worked to form with people are conveniently continued through an occasional "Hey." Isn't this wrong?
I miss having really conversations with people. I miss real connections and knowing that people cared enough to put forth an effort. How about you? Have you noticed that as we have advanced in technology we have had a steady decline in communicational skills? What can we do about this?
Monday, November 3, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Entry #1: Games, Beer and Food: How Could We Go Wrong With That?
Hey guys! I've been checking out some blogs today and thinking about their purpose.
Blogs can be used to keep friends and family in touch. Blogs can be used to share funny stories, or educate people about something they may have never thought about. Blogs can be used to reach any audience and share whatever information the blogger desires. This truly makes blogging interesting and unique. It's a page designed completely as a blogger would like, with the option to limit the viewers to whomever they like. It's a way to share who they are and how they want to be perceived now and in the future. Through my search today, I've found some fun and interesting blogs.
If you know me, you know how much I like playing games to pass the time. And if you don't know me, I'm sure that you'd agree that it's nice to kick back, relax, and play a game or two to help you unwind. If you do agree, take a moment to check out The Gameological Society. The Gameological Society is a blog specifically designed to provide lists of games that John Teti wants to share with the public. He's even gotten in broken down so that you can find cheap and free games, definitely my favorites!
Another blog I enjoyed was Beer Labels in Motion. The biggest reason that I enjoyed this blog was... wait for it.... that it was about beer (duh!). More seriously, I thought the animations of the beer labels were very unique and creative. If you are a fellow beer drinker, you'll enjoy that they get straight to the point and provide great flavor descriptions of the beers they have chosen to promote.
And last, but definitely not least, we have our blog about food! Looking for something to cook tonight? Check out 101 Cookbooks. Filled with tons of photos, and organized so well that you can find a recipe by ingredients, this blog is one helpful cooking tool. Be careful! Just one click, and you'll be hooked!
While reading through the blogs I definitely learn more about myself. I learn what my interests are, and where I lack interest. I've also noticed that I am a sucker for design.
One blog that did not make my list of favorites was Inky Fool. The simplistic design with black lettering and white background left me bored, and made it hard for me to give the content a chance. Though the blog contained photographs, they were nothing as exciting and 101 Cookbook's Coconut Quinoa Bowl!
What do you think is more important in a blog? Do you lean more toward the fancy looking blogs, or is it the content that counts? I know we say that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but can we make an exception in this case?
Blogs can be used to keep friends and family in touch. Blogs can be used to share funny stories, or educate people about something they may have never thought about. Blogs can be used to reach any audience and share whatever information the blogger desires. This truly makes blogging interesting and unique. It's a page designed completely as a blogger would like, with the option to limit the viewers to whomever they like. It's a way to share who they are and how they want to be perceived now and in the future. Through my search today, I've found some fun and interesting blogs.
If you know me, you know how much I like playing games to pass the time. And if you don't know me, I'm sure that you'd agree that it's nice to kick back, relax, and play a game or two to help you unwind. If you do agree, take a moment to check out The Gameological Society. The Gameological Society is a blog specifically designed to provide lists of games that John Teti wants to share with the public. He's even gotten in broken down so that you can find cheap and free games, definitely my favorites!
Another blog I enjoyed was Beer Labels in Motion. The biggest reason that I enjoyed this blog was... wait for it.... that it was about beer (duh!). More seriously, I thought the animations of the beer labels were very unique and creative. If you are a fellow beer drinker, you'll enjoy that they get straight to the point and provide great flavor descriptions of the beers they have chosen to promote.
And last, but definitely not least, we have our blog about food! Looking for something to cook tonight? Check out 101 Cookbooks. Filled with tons of photos, and organized so well that you can find a recipe by ingredients, this blog is one helpful cooking tool. Be careful! Just one click, and you'll be hooked!
While reading through the blogs I definitely learn more about myself. I learn what my interests are, and where I lack interest. I've also noticed that I am a sucker for design.
One blog that did not make my list of favorites was Inky Fool. The simplistic design with black lettering and white background left me bored, and made it hard for me to give the content a chance. Though the blog contained photographs, they were nothing as exciting and 101 Cookbook's Coconut Quinoa Bowl!
What do you think is more important in a blog? Do you lean more toward the fancy looking blogs, or is it the content that counts? I know we say that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but can we make an exception in this case?
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Introduction: Round Two
Hello!
My name is Shayla Dybdahl. I am 23 years old, and I attend Glendale Community College. I work as a math tutor with the college, as well as with a tutoring agency, and independently.
Math is my truest passion (other than helping people succeed in their courses) so I've decided that can only mean one thing, I need to become a math professor. For this reason, I am currently in the process of obtaining my Associate in Science, with an ultimate educational goal of earning a Masters in Mathematics. I intend to work at a community college level, so that I can focus my time to helping my students, rather than researching and writing papers.
When I am not in school or tutoring, I spend my time with my family and my animals. We have 4 generations and 15 animals under one roof! Well, it's not the entire generation, but it is my great grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, and I. And before you get to thinking that we are animal hoarders, you should know that we work with local rescues and take in the animals that have the hardest time finding homes.
Lastly, I enjoy cooking and going out to eat. I'm pretty picky when it comes to calling something "good food" and I may be a little hard on my cooking for that reason, too. I hope to getting around to sharing some of these cooking and eating adventures with you too!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for a some of my crazy cool, exciting, and interesting views on life!
My name is Shayla Dybdahl. I am 23 years old, and I attend Glendale Community College. I work as a math tutor with the college, as well as with a tutoring agency, and independently.
Math is my truest passion (other than helping people succeed in their courses) so I've decided that can only mean one thing, I need to become a math professor. For this reason, I am currently in the process of obtaining my Associate in Science, with an ultimate educational goal of earning a Masters in Mathematics. I intend to work at a community college level, so that I can focus my time to helping my students, rather than researching and writing papers.
When I am not in school or tutoring, I spend my time with my family and my animals. We have 4 generations and 15 animals under one roof! Well, it's not the entire generation, but it is my great grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, and I. And before you get to thinking that we are animal hoarders, you should know that we work with local rescues and take in the animals that have the hardest time finding homes.
Lastly, I enjoy cooking and going out to eat. I'm pretty picky when it comes to calling something "good food" and I may be a little hard on my cooking for that reason, too. I hope to getting around to sharing some of these cooking and eating adventures with you too!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for a some of my crazy cool, exciting, and interesting views on life!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Entry #10: Where is the Love?
During the Superbowl of 2014, a beautiful video aired by the advertisers of Coca-Cola. It consists of people from many different ethnicities singing America the Beautiful in their native tongue. It itself is beautiful. You can watch the video here:
SO why was this controversial? Some people thought it was offensive that the people in the video were not all singing in English. These people who were offended forgot that the United States is a melting pot of different cultures, and that it is not required to be an English speaker to be an American or to be proud to be an American.
The comments that the offended people made were racist and rude. They turned something very beautiful into something that has a ruined meaning for all. The video is about love and unity, not hate and prejudice.
I hope that we will be able to look back at this someday and appreciate the video for it's true meaning and for the great work it took to show the togetherness of all types of people from all over the world.
Doesn't this beautiful song make you want to cry because of its magnificence? I loved this video because it showed how much diversity there is in America and how people of all types have joined together. There are people young and old singing this song and everyone is united.
SO why was this controversial? Some people thought it was offensive that the people in the video were not all singing in English. These people who were offended forgot that the United States is a melting pot of different cultures, and that it is not required to be an English speaker to be an American or to be proud to be an American.
The comments that the offended people made were racist and rude. They turned something very beautiful into something that has a ruined meaning for all. The video is about love and unity, not hate and prejudice.
I hope that we will be able to look back at this someday and appreciate the video for it's true meaning and for the great work it took to show the togetherness of all types of people from all over the world.
Entry #9: "Beef" That's Not Exactly Beef
I was introduced to yet another lovely video about the delicious food that we eat. Please, fell free to watch the video below to get caught up to speed.
Doesn't this process of food separation sound sooo delicious? No? You're right! This is disgusting! I feel violated learning what I have been eating for so long. Don't you? They use this product in 70% of beef sold in supermarkets across the country. If I had known this was in my food, I would have definitely not signed up for this. Who decided that it was okay to rinse meat with ammonia and feed it to humans anyway? It is outrageous that we are not informed about what is in our food, but what is even more outrageous than that is that they serve this in schools! I can almost say that I should have known better than to trust any of the food that is mass produced, but how can you expect a child to know any better about their food choices? How is this okay? I most certainly believe that it is not!
This "pink slime" has been used in dog food for ages, because dogs have stronger stomachs to fight against diseases, but why are we feeding any kind of diseases to our animals? It's no wonder why people and animals have unknown diseases coming out of "nowhere."
Learning more and more about the food we eat makes me more and more terrified to eat anything! Thank goodness there are organic farms that we can trust to get safe products from! The procedures and hoops they have to go through ensure the highest quality and standards are met. Eat healthy. Eat Organic.
Entry #8: Looking on the Bright Side
"Oh, I just work at Burger King, but I want to be a teacher, so it's just a temporary job," I responded defensively to someone new that I met. I was astonished by his reply, "Don't you dare try to justify yourself because you think that I would judge you." We immediately connected and I learned a lot from him this night. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been in the situation where the fear of being judged was present. Now, I'm here to tell you that what others think is irrelevant. Always keep in mind the following:
-Accept yourself for who you are. Not a single person is perfect, but we each have our unique qualities that make us who we are, and these qualities should be embraced.
-Be proud of yourself. If you aren't yet proud of yourself, think of your accomplishments in life and continue pushing yourself to accomplish more.
-Don't compare your success to another person's success. You are the only one who has lived your life and been through your obstacles. Success is a figure of your imagination, so you alone can determine your success or failure.
-Do what makes you happy. If what makes you happy is working at a fast food restaurant, then don't let anyone tell you that you should do something differently.
-Forget the people who judge you. Those who judge are unworthy of your presence.
-Always be positive. Even in the worst of situations, a bit of positivity will begin to rectify the issue.
-Surround yourself with people who support you and your goals. Being around people who support you will help you strive further than you've ever imagined.
-Always work toward being the best you that you can be. Be honest to yourself and others and help others whenever you can.
-Money is not the key to happiness. You alone are your own key to happiness, and your happiness is found by pursuing what you love.
Some of this information may be new to you and some of it may be a reminder to help you re-visit the way you think about your life. I know that these words of encouragement have really helped me prosper and keep track of what is important to me, so I can only ask that you pass the knowledge on to someone who could use the words of wisdom to benefit their life.
-Accept yourself for who you are. Not a single person is perfect, but we each have our unique qualities that make us who we are, and these qualities should be embraced.
-Be proud of yourself. If you aren't yet proud of yourself, think of your accomplishments in life and continue pushing yourself to accomplish more.
-Don't compare your success to another person's success. You are the only one who has lived your life and been through your obstacles. Success is a figure of your imagination, so you alone can determine your success or failure.
-Do what makes you happy. If what makes you happy is working at a fast food restaurant, then don't let anyone tell you that you should do something differently.
-Forget the people who judge you. Those who judge are unworthy of your presence.
-Always be positive. Even in the worst of situations, a bit of positivity will begin to rectify the issue.
-Surround yourself with people who support you and your goals. Being around people who support you will help you strive further than you've ever imagined.
-Always work toward being the best you that you can be. Be honest to yourself and others and help others whenever you can.
-Money is not the key to happiness. You alone are your own key to happiness, and your happiness is found by pursuing what you love.
Some of this information may be new to you and some of it may be a reminder to help you re-visit the way you think about your life. I know that these words of encouragement have really helped me prosper and keep track of what is important to me, so I can only ask that you pass the knowledge on to someone who could use the words of wisdom to benefit their life.
Entry 7: What the Bleep Did I Just Watch?
Have you ever watched a documentary that changed your life and opened your eyes to things you've never thought of before? Food, Inc. was this movie for me. This movie opened my eyes and made me really think about where we get the food we eat. Have you thought about it? If not, I highly recommend that you watch the video.
In the video, you learn that the animals that make the majority of the meat that we eat are abused and left in overcrowded areas for most of their lives. They are hung by hooks and slaughtered in unsanitary conditions. This is disgusting!
The FDA is led by many government officials who really don't care about our health, but instead care about us supporting their organizations in which they are closely entwined. The businesses don't care about selling a quality or sanitary product to us. Their only concern is that they sell as much product to the consumer at the highest price for the lowest production cost. When people get sick or die from the unsanitary product, the businesses only care about keeping themselves in business and try to brush the illness and deaths "under the rug." Is this how we want businesses run? Isn't it wrong for government officials to work so closely with the big-businesses?
Beside keeping the animals in overcrowded and unsanitary environments, feeding all of the animals corn is another way that the majority of meat industries save money while producing the meat. Corn is a vegetable that has been genetically engineered and is mass-produced and used in many different forms. Did you know that corn is used in almost everything you eat?
Ascorbic Acid, Baking Powder, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Cellulose, Citric Acid, Corn, Corn Meal, Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Decyl Glucoside, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Flavoring, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Iodized Salt, Magnesium Stearate, Malt, Malt Flavoring, Maltodextrin, Maltose, Mannitol , Modified Food Starch, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Polydextrose, Powdered Sugar, Saccharin, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Starch Glycolate, Sorbitan, Sorbitol, Starch, Sucralose, Sweet’N Low, Tocopherol, Vanilla Extract, Vinegar, Distilled White, Vitamins, Xanthan Gum, Xylitol, Zein Follow the link to this website for more information.
Some of these ingredients that include corn are very familiar, but over half of them are almost unrecognizable and difficult to pronounce. Doesn't that seem scary? The reason that corn is so widely used is that it has been crossed with a bacteria fighting organism that allows it to be mass produced at the cheapest price possible because it withstands both bacteria and the pesticides used on it.
Pesticides used on corn soak into the vegetable itself, so even if you wash your produce multiple times, you will still be ingesting the pesticides that have made it into the core of the plant. This is one of the reasons why it is very important to eat organic foods.
Going organic helps ensure that people are eating safe products that have not had hard chemicals used on them. If you buy organic meat, you are sure to have meat that has been treated properly without the ammonia baths that the conventional meat companies use. It allows ensures that the animals from which the meat is derived have been allowed a natural organic diet and have been allowed outside environment for the majority of their lives. Going organic is a very important change that anyone with the means to, should do.
Watching this video really changed how I viewed food, and I believe that it is a necessary video for everyone to see. Although the video was disgusting, it was rightfully so. But the reality is that the video depicted real stories, real events, and showed real "farmhouses" from where we get our food products. If it weren't disgusting, I wouldn't be encouraging myself and others to seek the necessary change in the products we eat. I urge you to watch the video, if you haven't already, and make the change to eating organically!
In the video, you learn that the animals that make the majority of the meat that we eat are abused and left in overcrowded areas for most of their lives. They are hung by hooks and slaughtered in unsanitary conditions. This is disgusting!
The FDA is led by many government officials who really don't care about our health, but instead care about us supporting their organizations in which they are closely entwined. The businesses don't care about selling a quality or sanitary product to us. Their only concern is that they sell as much product to the consumer at the highest price for the lowest production cost. When people get sick or die from the unsanitary product, the businesses only care about keeping themselves in business and try to brush the illness and deaths "under the rug." Is this how we want businesses run? Isn't it wrong for government officials to work so closely with the big-businesses?
Beside keeping the animals in overcrowded and unsanitary environments, feeding all of the animals corn is another way that the majority of meat industries save money while producing the meat. Corn is a vegetable that has been genetically engineered and is mass-produced and used in many different forms. Did you know that corn is used in almost everything you eat?
Ascorbic Acid, Baking Powder, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Cellulose, Citric Acid, Corn, Corn Meal, Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Decyl Glucoside, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Flavoring, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Iodized Salt, Magnesium Stearate, Malt, Malt Flavoring, Maltodextrin, Maltose, Mannitol , Modified Food Starch, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Polydextrose, Powdered Sugar, Saccharin, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Starch Glycolate, Sorbitan, Sorbitol, Starch, Sucralose, Sweet’N Low, Tocopherol, Vanilla Extract, Vinegar, Distilled White, Vitamins, Xanthan Gum, Xylitol, Zein Follow the link to this website for more information.
Some of these ingredients that include corn are very familiar, but over half of them are almost unrecognizable and difficult to pronounce. Doesn't that seem scary? The reason that corn is so widely used is that it has been crossed with a bacteria fighting organism that allows it to be mass produced at the cheapest price possible because it withstands both bacteria and the pesticides used on it.
Pesticides used on corn soak into the vegetable itself, so even if you wash your produce multiple times, you will still be ingesting the pesticides that have made it into the core of the plant. This is one of the reasons why it is very important to eat organic foods.
Going organic helps ensure that people are eating safe products that have not had hard chemicals used on them. If you buy organic meat, you are sure to have meat that has been treated properly without the ammonia baths that the conventional meat companies use. It allows ensures that the animals from which the meat is derived have been allowed a natural organic diet and have been allowed outside environment for the majority of their lives. Going organic is a very important change that anyone with the means to, should do.
Watching this video really changed how I viewed food, and I believe that it is a necessary video for everyone to see. Although the video was disgusting, it was rightfully so. But the reality is that the video depicted real stories, real events, and showed real "farmhouses" from where we get our food products. If it weren't disgusting, I wouldn't be encouraging myself and others to seek the necessary change in the products we eat. I urge you to watch the video, if you haven't already, and make the change to eating organically!
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