Entry #11 Blogging itself

Yes, I did enjoy blogging for this class. Although, I will probably never keep on a blogging site such as this, I'm glad to have been provided the opportunity. I believe and have been told that I am an OK blogger. I probably wouldn't win an award or gain thousands of followers but I think at least one person in the world would read one of my postings. 

One of the most difficult things about blogging is finding a topic. So from this class I have learned that the smallest and silliest ideas can in-fact be written into a blog. I value this form of writing. Some people really enjoy pondering other peoples ideas and continuing on another's ideas to make it into something tangible. Really there is nothing I can believe that would have made blogging any better(not a bad thing). I think there was the right amount of blogs there were self-generated and enough that had a topic already. 

I bid you adieu

Entry #10 mmmmmmm...bacon

My boyfriend and I usually make bacon in the oven! This is a very safe way to cook it. Not only do you avoid burning yourself from the grease constantly popping you also avoid some mess. 

This morning we decided to make a BLT and damn was it good! A little tomato, lettuce and mayo on some wheat toast with over course three pieces of bacon!

Bacon may not be the healthiest thing in the world but it is certainty the tastiest. Life would really be minimal without bacon!  

In all honestly, I believe bacon can go with any meal even dessert below is a teaser of dessert recipes involving bacon and below that is a link to a website, which will lead you to some recipes!

salty-and-sweet-bacon-desserts

Entry #9 Pink Slime

This is one of the most revolting things I have ever read/ watched! The process of taking unwanted meat from an animal, washing it in chemicals, and then selling it to people is horrifying. And even more horrifying is that we actually eat it and don't even know!

I don't want to become a vegan because of this but it is pushing me in that direction. It's disgusting to see where our food comes from and that no one is doing a darn thing about it. This really makes me wonder if the head of the corporations, who control this meat, actually eat what they are selling.

The whole point of this process is to "use the whole cow" even if that cow is infected or sick. To relieve us of eating possibly ill meat is to bath it in chemicals, that most people would use on their kitchen floor. Finally after the meat has been cleaned, tumbled and ground we can eat it, or so we think. 

Ingesting these chemicals from our meat is as dangerous as drinking a bottle of ammonia. I don't believe anyone would willingly feed this to their children if they had a choice.   

Entry #8 Can't wait for GoT

Game of Thrones is back! I am so excited! This next season has so much in store for everyone! Where will Bran end up?! How will Sansa cope with the loss of her brother and mother? What will Joffrey's wedding be like? And where will Dani be? The previews have also introduced us to some new characters and teased us about certain details that we have yet to understand.

Not only does this show give justice to the books but it also adds great detail and awesome scenery. Some who have read the books did not imagine certain situations as the filmmakers did. For example, I know many  people who thought the White Walkers would be more ghost like and move across the air like a cloud. However the White Walkers are nothing of that sort and are more like frozen Zombies who can not be killed unless they are burned or stabbed with Dragon-glass.

This is one of the trailers, though they all excite me I seem to find this one more exciting! I know what I'll be doing on my Sunday night. 

Entry #7 Food Inc.

Having seen this film once before I've been reminded of the horrors that surround the food we as a nation eat. It is absolutely disgusting the things we do to our bodies and the things we do to other animal bodies. It is also sickening to me on how much the government could not care about our safety, animals safety or the economic safety. 

It amazes me on what we really can put into our bodies without even knowing the consequences. Before i watched this movie I really had no clue that the government wasn't really telling us anything. Why would I question my nation, when I was raised to be so patriotic and gullible. It's horrific that I never knew what i was eating or how the animals I had eaten were being treated. I guess part of me knew some but, I chose to suppress it.  If we continue to feed this way, we will continue to suffer. We will suffer from lack of an earth we have, lack of actual animal we have that is not "engineered" and we will suffer from guilt that we have created for ourselves. 

The simple American Chicken. The body mass has grown extraordinarily since 1950, to where the chicken can barely walk without getting tired and falling down. The things we are doing to animal is repulsive and upsetting. One memory that will always stick with me from this film is the scene in which a cow is being forced to walk on broken legs to his slaughter, and no one gives a damn. Things like this stick with a person like myself who can't watch Old Yeller, Marley and Me, Shiloh or any other movie that involves some dog, cat or animal dying

Unfortunately this is the way the world is now, and I do understand why. Why in the world would a liter of soda cost less than 12 ounces of soda and 12 ounces of water? It's pretty wrong that this is true. Supply and demand requires bottled water to cost more because more people would pay more for water than soda. so keeping water prices high and soda prices low, more people will buy soda because they wont want to spend more on water, but also the suppliers know that there are people who will choose to spend more for water because they have the money for it. 

 

It is very saddening to know that the government could not care less about the health of the nation. The nation is sick which calls for more doctors visits but money is tight, insurance doesn't want to give, and the government can't see the problem. They blame lack of funding for hospitals on lack of health of the nation, yet they are bathing in money and selling us unhealthy foods, while our bank accounts slowly dry up. 

Entry #6 Why you shouldn't smoke.

I'm not saying that I want you to quit smoking right now. All I want to do is shortly explain one of the effects smoking can have on your body. Now I'm sure that most people know SMOKING IS BAD. Not just for you, but also the atmosphere and others around you. Lung cancer is a common effect of smoking. You are susceptible to almost any type of cancer while smoking. So with that being said... Small Cell Lung Cancer is a big possibility for smokers.

What exactly is Small Cell Lung Cancer and why it's so bad?  Small Cell Lung Cancer is an aggressive (fast-growing) cancer that forms in tissues of the lung and can spread to other parts of the body. The cancer cells look small and oval-shaped under a microscope. Also this cancer is very harmful because it can spread to different parts of the body before it is even discovered. 

Recently my great-aunt went into the hospital. She receive radiation and chemo for Small Cell Lung Cancer. She has tumors in her lungs and in her brain. The sad thing about this cancer is that it occurs from heavy smoking. If my aunt had chosen to quit smoking even months ago, she may have had a chance of not getting this cancer. So take this as a lesson.

Entry #5 Wall-E

The film, Wall-E, demonstrates technology advancing to the point of being a necessity to the human race. The life of a human in Wall-E, is the same every day and no one ever chooses to be different until Wall-E meets Josh and Mary. 

    Josh and Mary were like everyone else, they were always "online" and never unplugged to the world around them. They didn't even know they had a swimming pool on the ship, yet they passed it all the time. Wall-E is almost like their savior for helping them unplug and see the world for what is it is.

This film really made me think about how technology may affect the human race in the future. I am hopeful the world is smart enough not to let this sort of thing happen but I guess we will just have to wait and see. 

Entry #4 The Family Tree.

I'm pretty sure that at one point in your life, you have wondered about your ancestors. I've always found genealogy, which is the study of family history, very interesting. Discovering your family tree can be so exciting! I was super excited when I started researching my family tree, and I grew even more excited when I started to actually find out more about my family. With some help with elders in my family they helped me find my link to the past. I used ancestry.com and found a lot out about my family. Below is a short video that I thought was really neat!

Trying to find information on ancestry.com can be challenging but totally and extremely worth it when you actually do find something! I couldnt get off this site for a few days, because all I wanted to do research family history and after a while I found a death certificate of my deceased great-grandfather. Here it is below.

This may not be very exciting to others but, I was so proud of myself when the leaf popped up and lead me to the document above. The leaf means a hint to other documents that are similar to information i already have. Again below is a video that I enjoyed and I hope other will too!

There are also many other sites that may help you discover where your roots are; however i find ancestry.com to be the best.

Entry #3 Technology

    If you were to look at a magazine, right now, you'd probably wonder how many pictures have been edited in Photoshop. If you don't know what Photoshop is, it's an software application that allows you to take any picture and change it in almost anyway, you can also create brand new pictures in this program. I have used this program multiple times and I absolutly love it. It may be difficult to use at first but it just takes practice. Below is the before and after images of the character remade in the video i found.

    Using the program Photoshop can be very fun, if you know how to use the tools. I found one video that really made me interested in the amount of skill this person had to complete this project. This person used images of real-live people to construct a real-live image of Jessica Rabbit (character from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?")

So take a video like this and think about how it connects to society. Well it's absolutely amazing what a person can do with the right tools, they can imagine anything they want to and create it. Dedication and passion are really shown in people that have an image in their mind to better the world and make unique things within it for people like me to enjoy. 

This would be very exciting to learn how to do. I can just imagine all the crazy characters that can be brought to life though someone imagination.

Entry #2 My Fav. DIY

So during Christmas present shopping time, I like to stay as far away from the stores and people as possible, so how the heck would i get any Christmas shopping done? Well I have recently found a love for DIY (Do It Yourself). For Christmas 2013 I made Wood Picture Transfer! There are so many inexpensive ways to do this project but I found a tutorial that does it the way I like it! The Picture above is a practice one I did of my boyfriend, Jacob and I and the ones below are most of the ones I gave out for Christmas. Also this picture below was taken before some varnishing and border moldings.

I'll give a couple quick steps to accomplishing a Wood Picture Transfer, but if you'd like more detailed directions I would visit either the tutorial I included or another of you choice.

1. Pick your picture
Everyone has at least one picture they want to be crafty with!
2. Pick your wood
I picked a smooth birch, the woman in the tutorial did the same.
3. Get your materials.
You're going to need Mod Podge, Gel Medium and a paintbrush
4. Evenly place a layer of Gel medium and set your picture face down.
Let this dry over night
5. Take a soaked cloth and wet up your picture!
Make sure you have no dry spots where you'll be rubbing
6.Begin to gently rub your paper until  several layers come off.
7. After your picture no longer has white spots, you may apply the Mod Podge.
A few layers and you're picture should look shiny! You may also choose to varnish the edges, or add wood moldings.

 Wood Picture Transfer Tutorial

When giving a gift, you don't necessarily have to spend a lot of money, you can just be creative and fun!

Giving someone a gift is about making them feel good and feel like they are special to you! This is one of the greatest ways to make someone feel special to you!

Here is a video tutorial on Wood Picture Transfer! I also like this one!

Entry #1. What I see.

Continuing on my path in this world I find food...amazing. So if you're talking about food in particular on a blog, let me know and I'll be glad to read (as long as I get a recipe). The very first blog that interested me was The Pioneer Woman. Not only does she cook, she has fantastic recipes to share, and gardening tips! I look at her as inspirational. Mother of four and a rancher's wife she still has time to keep up on a blog and COOK! Man, am I jealous! Blogs like this(The Pioneer Woman), make me want to learn to cook, garden and try new things often, because some bloggers just make it seem so cool. This is definitely a place I will visit frequently! Speaking of recipes here's one I'm going to try

 Citrus Butter Cookies!!

Now unfortunately,there are some interesting blogs and some not so interesting. One of the few blogs I found a little..dull and somewhat rude. is My Son Is A Literary Genius. First of all it is on a plain white background, I don't know if that is to symbolize something or not, but I am not fond of it. Second of all the author's content is sarcastic and I didn't enjoy reading it because it was on the rude side of the spectrum, specifically when the author was having a conversation with the sons teacher about the "poem". I can understand that he was trying to make a joke out of the stupid thing his kid did, but he came off like a jerk and it is almost too dumb for me to sit here and argue about. All in all I wouldn't parent my kid the way he does because I grew up with much stricter rules and behaviors I had to follow. So this shows me different ways of how a parent handles their kid and this is NOT how I would handle it.
.

I have to say this blog grabbed my attention, immediately, is one of the most stunning to examine. Surprisingly, it didn't have to do with food. Along side food, I also enjoy photography ( I think I found my new favorite photos) and this blog showcases beautiful photography that mixes real live people and miniature doll houses sets. This unique photographing artist goes by the name of Richard Tuchman. Richard T was inspired by the American painter Edward Hopper, who captured the emotions of people dealing with isolation and loneliness. Though there is not much description in this blog the pictures really make up for it. I find these photographs indescribably beautiful and fulfilling in a way. These pictures portray how every person on this earth feels in times of longing for something better to come along. They each have a story that takes over the imagination and makes me wonder,"what is she thinking right in this moment?" To me not only is she breath-taking, she is mysterious. I ponder my own thoughts in ways similar to her, as she looks through the window to the world below. Not many can make someone seem so depressing and isolated, and leave another's thoughts in beauty and wonder.

Richard Tuchman's Work

Edward Hopper's Painting "Morning Sun"

No matter what type of blog it is, there will always be things within that I could reflect on and visualize, there are rarely blogs that I "dislike", because everyone has there own thoughts and styles of writing. Some may be better written than others, but none the less, every blogger is trying to say something and it's my interest that helps me figure it out when I read one. 

The Miracle in My Life

Hello my name is Katie Sulista! I attend GCC (Glendale Community College)in the hopes of graduating with an associates and then with a bachelors in a career field I have yet to discover. I have had some interests here and there from the times I was in a diaper and throughout my life since, but I have never had a greater one then the one I have for my love of animals. Now that doesn't mean I want a career in working with animals but I will do whatever I can to keep them out of harm’s way. As anyone can expect from a person with a love for animals I have some animals. Currently I have an only-child, Wendy, who is a spirited, little black and white bundle of joy. She will do anything to go on car rides and always has a tennis ball.


Wendy

Wendy was almost like a miracle for me and came to me when I was at my lowest. I had recently lost another furry family member. She hadn't even made it to four months before she had passed on. Grin was her name and she earned her name because you could literally always see a grin on her face, sleeping or not it was there.

Grin

Grin

About a month after Grin was gone, I received a phone call from my mother. She was in the middle of a rain storm running all over Peoria and 51st avenue with a dog who had jumped in her car from the middle of the street. My mother had taken this dog and her own dog (who was already with her) around the surrounding neighborhoods trying to find this “lost girl’s” owner. When she had finally given up she called me to come rescue them from the rain.

Wendy wet from the storm

We took the “lost girl” back home and began to put up signs and post online in lost pet forums. Since the “lost girl” and I were growing more and more attached to each other, over the next few weeks, I decided to give her a name. Wendy seemed perfect for a lost girl in the rain. Wendy is always at my side and can tell when I am sad, mad or happy and will comfort me whenever she can. This is a big part of why animals, specifically dogs mean happiness for me. They are my babies, friends, allies and comfort wrapped into one that make my life meaningful and fun. Wendy will always be the miracle that saved me from sadness, loneliness, and loss of meaning.

Wendy at Christmas '13

Wendy in her first Arizona snow

Wendy's foster family did find us but they were trying to find her a new home anyway, and since she was happy where she is now, they decided that I could keep her. I am thankful that we found each other and I hope there are more people like me, that have a love for animals and are always trying to help them to safe a place.