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!

Feel like i'm drinkin sunshine!

Greetings! I have been so busy! Feels like I'm constantly running! I am sure you have an idea of what that might be like.Sure you do!, we are all busy. I somehow managed to work in the time and prep to go on a 10 day juice fast.I will tell ya, it takes some plan and prep time but it seems to be paying off in spades!The first three days were kind of rough. Caffeine withdrawal was the worst part. Had quite the headache. Food cravings were pretty strong for the first three days as well.You may be asking yourself why would she do such a thing? I would tell you I did it to see if I could, and I'm glad I did. after those first three days everyday I feel a little bit better. I have a lot more energy, and mental clarity. My skin is looking pretty great and people say they can see a difference in me.Oh ya, my clothes are feeling just a little looser as well. Tomorrow will be my day ten.Yes I will start food back into my diet, but these ten days have given me lots of time to think about the way I want to eat from now on. I have received a great deal of inspiration from a website, and I would like to share it with you. The site ohsheglows is a website devoted to a vegan lifestle,  Angela caught my attention with her title and kept it with her content . I have tried a few of Angela's recipes and they were quite tasty! Even my pickiest child enjoyed them.I hope you check it out, even if you are only a little curious.

Entry # 2 Something stinks at the post office

Hello again! I ran across something online today that I just have to share with you. On the United States post office website I was reading about  Post Master Donahoe's proposal to congress regarding a five day delivery, six day package delivery schedule. In his report he stated that "the postal service was losing 25 million dollars a day". Donahue urged congress to work quickly, stating the only way to save the postal service was to increase revenue and reduce operating expenses. I continued on and read another report that stated that 80 percent of Americans would vote for that reform .I immediately thought of a few of my friends and clients that are letter carriers, and wondered how they felt about all this. I decided to go to NALC.org to read about it all from the carriers perspective, and this is what I found .NALC President Rolando had a valid response to Donahoe's proposal. Apparently post master Donahoe's report to congress, the report that eighty percent of Americans polled said they would vote for, has some flaws.When later questioned Donahoe agreed he had not studied the impact that the lost mail flow and revenue would have on the bottom line. If he did not really study it, how could he know that was the only answer? He also confessed that the 25 million dollar a day loss was only an estimate ,and almost completely left out the part about prefunding. He did mention it in his report, but down played it when in reality prefunding is responsible for 80 percent of the daily profit loss. Prefunding is the funding of the postal worker pensions for 75 years ahead. No other public agency or private company in the United States has such a plan in place for their pensions. Perhaps the postal service could plan a little less for the future and attempt to stop themselves from sinking right now.Had I never looked at this story from another perspective I may have been led to believe all that Post Master Donahoe said. Like the 80 percent of the American's polled, I just might have bought it.

Juicy Juice

Juicing is a new passion of mine.Well not new in the sense that it is my first time juicing fruits and veggies,but the passion part is new. I have always believed in the healthy benefits of juicing but the clean up, prep, and expense made it easy to put on the back burner. I am rethinking that now. I recently purchased a Breville juicer and I am amazed at how quick and easily it juices and cleans up! Boom! Half the battle won right there.My girls and I have been watching the food adds for sales on produce, and it has been a wonderful opportunity to teach them how to price compare, as well as how to shop for produce.We have had a blast shopping around from store to store, and have enjoyed stopping at a few farmers markets.We as a family have committed to trying to make healthier choices, and juicing fits right into those plans.I would like to share a  blog spot with you that i have come across recently . Krisscarr.com. Kris was diagnosed with stage four liver and lung cancer.Kris was not willing to just lay down and die,not willing to give up so she started Dr. shopping.She felt that the answers she was receiving did not make sense.Kris was confused.Someone had given her a book on cancer and how a vegan diet could help,so overnight she became a vegetarian.I have found her story inspirational and educational. I encourage you to give her blog a peek if you are at all interested in a true story with compelling results.Kris is one of New York Times best sellers with her "Crazy Sexy Wellness Revolution".I will be investigating this topic further, and when i find more great stuff I will share it with you. Thank you for stopping by my blog spot.I hope you have a healthy and happy day.

Entry # 1Blogapalooza!

I had no idea! 'No idea what a blog even was, so I  had no idea what I was missing! I am still amazed at the amount of information and the variety of subjects I stumbled upon. On a corporate level, I would have to say I enjoyed the wholefoods.com blog the most. I am also a big fan of their stores. I really enjoyed the way the ebay.com blog focused not only on the ebay brand, but the the network community of ebay enthusiasts all over the world. Being that I am a licensed cosmetologist, a few other blogs definitely managed to catch my eye. Haircolorforwomen.com claims that after a question and answer session they can custom formulate a color and send it to your door for 9.95, cutting out the need to spend the money and time in a salon; that was very interesting to me. Hairpin.com a Cosmo  girly kind of site with ample advice on make up, and fashion as well as hair style and color ideas. The sites I spent the most time drooling over were sites that peaked the greatest of all my interests, Cooking! I truly enjoyed eatyourselfskinnycom. I like her style and her recipes. I managed to spin off to a few other spots connected to her blog that I found interesting and informative as well, a blog called thehalfitchick.com. It  really appeals to the very busy and practical mom in me. She focuses on healthy cooking and exercise  The smittenkitchen.com also had wonderful recipes and a warm presentation. I liked the Italian flare and her pictures from her small kitchen in New York. Linkedin.com would have to be the site I enjoyed the least. Not really a blog site I would have any interest in which is most likely the reason I bored so quickly and had no desire to explore the site because it is for corporate networking and career building which I have no use for.I think blogs are great! I can not wait to explore more.

Hello! My name's Stephanie

Hello! Welcome to my blog spot. Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Stephanie Valle, I am a self employed Hairdresser, and mother of  four children. Now that I think of it, they are not really children at all, more like teenagers and young adults. My oldest son is a student at N.A.U.  majoring in wild life biology. My second son, a first year student at  Devry,  is focusing on computer information systems. My daughters are still in high school, one is a sophomore, and one is a junior. My kids are my rock and my motivation, I love them so much. Right now my interests seem to be obsessing in the direction of being healthier. I'm not sure if it is my age or if I'm finally getting wiser. Either way, I'm good with it. Some of my passions or hobbies as you might call them are cooking, gardening ,stained glass, and quilting. At least they would be if I had the time.I truly enjoy attending classes here at G.C.C.. I am currently enrolled with a focus in psychology but I'm starting to rethink that plan. I can not say that I definitely have another direction in mind, but I can say I am looking forward.