Entry # 6

Blogging, what a concept. I had never thought about, or even heard of blogging until this semester in English 102. I have learned quite a bit more than I expected from these social assignments. First off, I'm not very computer savvy so just the mechanics and the how to's were a learning experience in itself; I had never "linked" or "downloaded" anything until now! Through your teachings I have learned to write for an audience in a less formal and more personal way, and I very much enjoyed that. Writing in my own voice, writing just like I would talk was something I have never been comfortable with until now. I took this assignment seriously, I wanted to do well with it; wanted to learn as best I could. I wrote and rewrote my entries a few times just so that I could try to find as many ways to say what I wanted to say in the correct format. Practice makes perfect, and as I am nowhere near perfect, I'd like to believe I have grown as a writer through this assignment. In the end, I wish I would have taken the responding to other blogs part of the assignment more seriously because it would given me a chance to explain my opinions better and communicate my feelings towards someone elses writing. With that, I would have to say I very much enjoyed this part of English 102, it kept me busy yet never bored. I think it was valuable as an assignment, as this seems to be how the majority communicates now, knowing how to communicate properly in this forum makes good sense! Thank you, Professor Chris, for sharing this concept of communication with me, I had no idea what I was missing!

Raised bed gardening in Arizona

I am a little overwhelmed at all that it seems I'm going to need to know, to give this raised bed gardening thing a good go! I have been looking at the pro's and cons's of several types of raised bed construction.I have also been studying the method of watering I want to use, as well as how often I should expect to be watering .I know it will vary according to the types of crops I want to grow, and by the season .I am trying to group the veggies and herbs up according to their water and soil condition needs. I found a great little Youtube clip from Paradise Veggies that was super helpful.

Another little gem I came across in my search for Arizona specific info was a site called gardenweb.com. While reading other people's questions and answers I had several of my questions answered, and learned about a few things I had not even considered! What an adventure! I am excited, my kids and grandkids are super excited! I can picture My garden when I close my eyes, I am looking forward to creating it.Catch up with you later! I am off to build a fence.

Entry # 5

I can't help but notice lately how much of our lives are affected by media. I stand in a salon all day and I'm here to tell ya, media rules a majority of the the conversations that take place there.The older clients will come in talking about what they read in the paper, or saw on the news.The younger generations, pretty much everything from about 55 on down to five seems to be tapping into phones or ipads and the like for their moment by moment fix on everything from facebook, to Youtube, twitter, the list goes on. Information moves very fast, and that can be a great thing, and a bad thing. People, at least the majority I feel tend to believe what they read and what they see without question .I cant think of a better way to confuse, control, and scare the masses like a little media influence.Lately I am far more skeptical of anything I see, read, or hear from any media source. I seem to be looking for the hidden message, the motivation behind the delivery. I really don't take much of anything at face value anymore.Who new a few films in English 102 would be so informative .Films on media influence and the very real social consequences of the messages it sends to all of us .Films like " Killing us Softly 4" that discussed how woman and girls are portrayed in the media, and "Wise Guise" that covered men and boys social images in the media. Last but not least the Micheal Moore films "Bowling for Columbine" and " Capitalism; a love story. All I can say is I look at things differently now, and I'm good with that.

Letting it rot!

That's right! I am letting it rot! Grass clippings, egg shells, all the pulp I extract when I juice,grass clippings, and a variety of other things. I have decided I would like to learn the art of composting. I have always enjoyed planting and growing flowers and ornamental plants but I have decided to give raised bed gardening a shot and making my very own fertilizer from waste that ordinarily would have made its way to the landfill just feels like the right and smart thing to do. I learned that the city of Phoenix recycles their garbage cans into compost bins by cutting the bottom of the garbage cans off and drilling aeration holes in the sides and leaving the lid in tact. The cost you ask? Only five bucks! So, I got two.I started this journey with a book called " Let it Rot! The Gardeners Guide to Composting" by Stu Campbell. I have also found a few helpful websites like You grow girl! This a great little blog. I have also been taking notes from another website called   composting 101.com. So much information, and I am excited! I will keep you posted on my progress.Ciao for now.

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Entry # 4

I came across a movie today, a Michael Moore film titled Capitalism; a love story. I was appalled at the multitude of examples of corporate and government greed but the one dirty trick that peeved me the most was the fact that corporations can buy life insurance policies on their employees without there employees knowing about it and with no benefit whatsoever to the families of the deceased.What? how can that even be legal? I know I can't buy life insurance for someone else making me the beneficiary without their consent so why is it the rules are different for corporate america? Even more insulting are the names these policies are known as, " dead peasants" or "janitors insurance". Unbelievable! Would you believe there is almost no way of finding out if the company you work for has a policy on you? That's right, it is solely up to the company if they want to disclose that information. I never knew what I did not know until I ran across this film, I wonder what else I don't know. I think I will be looking into some more Michael Moore films, seems like a good place to start.

Childhood Obesity Rates in Arizona are Among the Highest in the Nation: How Did We Get Here?

 I am a mother of four as you no by now. I spend quite a lot of time worrying about my children and their health. With all of the research I have done lately regarding proper diet and nutrition I have become more aware of predatory marketing that is directly aimed at children. Yes. I said it. It is absolutely predatory! It is incredible what a marketing company will call "healthy" in the name of making a buck. I started looking around at the store, at my kids high school, everywhere. What I noticed was not only are we becoming heavier and heavier as adults, our children are becoming obese. I couldnt help but head straight to my laptop and start looking for information on the subject of childhood obesity.I found no shortage of info on the subject, but one article I found in the Arizona Republic really caught my eye. The article is titled " Arizona cannot afford to ignore chilhood obesity". Christopher J. Wells an Arizona native ,and public health specialist wrote this article. Wells states in this article that Arizona's childhood obesity rate is climbing at a rate faster than any other in the nation. He further states that if we as a collective do not do something to reverse this trend we will see an " explosion of diabetes and heart disease-and the financial toll associated with them" I am concerned. Children should not be in the same sentence as heart disease and diabetes, especially if it is brought on by poor eating habits. Mr. Wells also addressed the predatory marketing I had noticed myself. He stated " Last year, Yale University's Rudd Center for food Policy and Obesity found that such companies spent roughly 2 billion dollars on product marketing - and unfortunately for us, it worked." Wells goes on to say that yale's research shows that are children are exposed to at least 4,500 television adds a year! No wonder all those kids are screaming in the grocery store wanting this and that. Parent's wanting to oblige their children are buying these processed, unhealthy, full of sugar food items and our children are paying the ultimate price with their health. Something has to be done. I have chosen to start at home. Packing my kids school lunches, planning more healthful meals with their tastes in mind. I have started getting out and walking the nearby park with my kids and my dogs, the exercise is good for all of us. The added benefit is that it gives us a chance to talk and spend time together outside the house, with no distractions.I intend to research this subject further and share all I learn with anyone that will listen. I fear for my children, our children.Something must be done or we may see the first generation of children that do not outlive their parents.

Entry # 3 Arizona State University Mixes it Up With Shorter Semester Scheduling

Hello! Welcome back to my blog spot! While contemplating how busy my life has become, and trying to find time to get all my homework done, I was thinking I needed to find ways to make better use of my time. I have been wondering if I should take on line courses, or accelerated 8 week courses here at G.C.C. next semester. I did take an 8 week class last semester for Eng 101. On one hand it did go quickly, I would have to say it was over before I knew it. On the other hand it felt rushed, I wondered if I was retaining enough to prepare for Eng 102 this semester. I asked my son Zack who goes to Devry how he felt about his 8 week semester blocks and he said he liked the pace, the idea that he would be done with his bachelors degree in 2 years and 8 months rather than the traditional 4 years at a University. However Zack is a 19 year old young man with very little to worry about other than his education and trying to secure a part time job.He has the time to double up on his studies at schooll and at home. I on the other hand work 50 plus hours a week running my own buisness and taking care of all the responsibilities that come with being a single head of house. Clearly the time that we have for our educations is very different. I am glad that there are choices that fit and accomodate both of us. I was reading an article in the Arizona Republic that was in the paper on March 10th 2013. The article was titled "Arizona State to offer more short classes". The article stated that in January they will be adding more courses that can be completed in half the time. A.S.U Provost Betty Capaldi says " the goal is to be flexible for both students and faculty"and she added " that if a student wants to be very efficient they can finish a four year degree in three years". Sounds great if your life allows for that kind of intensity.Gary Grossman president of A.S.U.'s University senate says he has received hundreds of emails regarding this issue. He states that about a third are for it, another third against it, and the other third confused and questioning. I read on and found that the faculty has mixed feelings as well. Some are for it as that schedule would allow more time for researching commitments, others feel that faculty input on the matter was not taken into consideration and worry about some courses being accelerated. Clearly one size does not fit all for the student or the teacher. I personally don't feel that accelarated classes, or online classes would work well for me. I think I am more of a traditional 15 week face to face kind of girl.I think it is great that Universities offer these kinds of courses for those that have the ability to go at a faster more convenient rate for them. My only concern is that eventually all classes will end up this way. A.S.U. online is becoming more popular all the time, and it is fattening up the bottom line for the university. I can see where soon it would be easier and more profitable for an educational institution to conduct all classes in this way. I just hope this educational shift happens AFTER I am done with my educatinal experience. I think I might be just a little to " Old School" for all that! Ciao for now! Off and running!