Entry #11 You Can Do This!

Did you know that 10/10 students in Prof. Chris’s first year English classes will have to write a blog? That’s right, like death and taxes, it cannot be avoided. Err, uh, what I meant to say is like sunshine in Arizona and rainbows after a midday storm… Anyways, contrary to what you may be feeling right now, the blog project is actually a very fun and educational assignment. Plus, it beats the heck out of writing essays. However, if you have never even read a blog before, let alone written one, you are doomed and will more than likely receive an F... I am of course kidding. As long as you take it seriously, you will do just fine. In fact, if you have just a moment, I would be willing to share a few pointers and offer some tips that I learned while working on the blogging assignment. Are you ready? 

Firstly, remember with the blog project and with anything you write, you are the author. It is your choice to decide how and what you write about, so do not hinder your writing by trying to do what everyone else is doing. I for one started in that direction. At the beginning of class you will more than likely analyze a bunch of blogs. The purpose being to give you some ideas of what a blog is and how it can be used. Some of them will talk about recipes or books and most of them seem to kind of specialize in one area. This is great if you are a professional chef or a life coach, however, for ye average student, it's kind of hard to produce a lot of interesting content in the same field. At the beginning of my blogging experience I had tried to keep a theme, but when I decided to let go and just write whatever I felt like and how I felt about it, it was liberating! And, that's how you will connect with your true writing voice. 

Secondly, always be thinking of blogging. If you are one of those people who kind of just goes with the flow and looks at things only at the surface level, you will find this project very difficult. I implore you to at least while you are working on this blog project, start analyzing even the smallest things you do throughout the day. It can be something as simple as an episode of Spongebob or a conversation you had with your friend. Analyze these things, make connections and then blog about it. After I started consciously doing this, I never had a time where I was not able come up with a blog entry. 

This guy has the right idea! 

Thirdly, this one kind of goes with the second. Dig deep, create relevance and push yourself at least to the point just before your head explodes--okay, maybe not that hard. The issue is that if you are not digging deep, you are probably not making the topic relevant or interesting to anyone. Nobody wants to read that you thought an episode of Spongebob was funny, leave those comments to Facebook. However, if you discus how compared to many of the other shows on T.V, Spongebob's inspiring and almost insanely optimistic outlook on life and lighthearted humor is what has lead the show to be so popular, well then now you may be onto something worth reading (maybe). My point is that you have to push beyond the surface to create significance for your readers. 

Fourthly, make it purty! No one wants to come to your blog and see just a whole block of words. Separate your points, add pictures that illustrate or add to what you are saying and of course the occasional link and YouTube video doesn't hurt. Blogger makes it so easy to add these things and they really back up your points. Think of your ethos! 

Okay, I know I only asked for a moment, so fifthly and then I will wrap it up. For the love of dog keep on top of your work! If only I had followed this advice I may not have shaved so many years off of my life with countless energy drinks and loss of sleep. Prof. Chris will warn you that even though blog posts are not due but every few weeks, you should still keep on top of them. Please listen to this man, he know what he is talking about! No matter what you say, it becomes so much harder to write when you are under stress . And, when you are writing a blog post under the haze of RedBull, the work that is produced makes your audience cry.. in pain--not in a touching way! 

In the end, as it is with all of your schooling, you are supposed to be learning something from this. I know that it has taught me a lot. Thanks to working on this project I have been able to find my writing voice. I have also learned how to better express and develop my thoughts in writing. While I know I am still a little rough around the edges, I feel confident that I can express my thoughts and opinions.  If I want to write a witty post about Spongebob or cats, I can do that! If I want to write an article arguing for change, I can do that! AND, if I want to write to the American people why I should be the next President of the U.S.A, I CAN DO THAT! AND SO CAN YOU! 

All right young Padawan, now go forth and be a great blogger!

Thank you all, especially you Prof.Chris! Have a wonderful summer! 

Entry #10 Moms Are the Best

So...what did you do for Mother's Day? Hopefully, you didn't forget about your dearest mum and at least gave her a phone call, after all she did bring you into this world (and can take you out of it). Being that I am a total mama's boy (yes I admit it), I love mother's day. It’s a time that makes us have to stop and celebrate our moms. Because, well, without our moms encouragement, nurturing, and unconditional love where would we be today? Honestly, we should be celebrating her every day, but I digress.

And so, in honor of moms and my mom, I have made a short list of 5 reasons why my mom is awesome. Please feel free to brag about your mom and give your thoughts in the comments below!

And without further ado,

Here are 5 reasons why my mom rocks!

1. She’s kindhearted:  My mom has the biggest heart of anyone I know. Whether it’s taking in abandoned animals or understanding and forgiving the wrongs of myself and others, she does so with a gentle kindness not often seen in others.

2. Always there to vent to: When I am upset, who do I call? Well, mom of course! Who else would listen patiently to my annoying prattle? After venting my frustrations she steps right in like a pro with awesome advice and/or consolation that always leaves me feeling better than ever!

3. Always smiling: Even when times are hard, my mom is always right there smiling and tossing out encouraging words. I know that during the hardest times of my life I would have folded under the pressure were it not for her gentle reassuring smile.

4. The definition of selfless: Always taking on the burnt dish, giving her own share of sweets when mines dropped on the floor, and most of all giving up her own wants so that I can have mine. I know not of a soul who is even half as gallant.

5. Unconditional love: No matter what I did and no matter what was going on and no matter how many siblings popped up I always knew that I was loved. There was never a moment in any second of the day that I was not made aware of how much I was loved and adored by her. I could not be the me I am today without this gentle warmth and I certainly hope that I've been able to give her even a millimeter of what she has given to me.

It would be an understatement to say that I love my mom. She is awesome and I am so thankful for everyday that I have with her. Love you mom!

So, now it’s your turn to tell why your mom is awesome. Feel free to share some of your favorite mom stories! 

Entry #9 The Media Modeled Mind

The human mind is like a puppet on a string that is easily pulled to the tune of the media. The strings are invisible and tugged by sleight of hand. Howbeit, the trick-to be fair- could hold no merit were it not for the driving need to fit in with society. The deadly infirmity we all share: a weakness for peer pressure and giving ungodly amounts of strength to what we see in media.

They play upon this plague of our hearts with key phrases such as “if you want to be loved,” “if you want to be liked,” “the majority believe this way,” “70% of so and so say this,” “This is best,” This is what everyone is doing,” “this is the smart way,” and so forth and our minds latch onto these parasitic words and accept them as truth out of the desperate need for acceptance. Whether it's the news trying to make you lean toward one way of thinking, the advertisement industry hoping to gain a loyal consumer, or a movie or TV show setting up the latest trend/way to be... we are subjected to untold amounts of image altering mind changing propaganda daily.

I've come to realize the severity of this recently after watching several videos and articles detailing the effects of sexualizing women in the media and the box known as masculinity that men are forced into by society and the media. I don't feel that I often pay attention to commercials, and my own sisters have never really been into magazines; so, I haven't really seen many of these appalling advertisements. But, these videos showed advertisements where girls as young as seven were dressed in full makeup, scantily clad clothing and posed in sexual positions, just to make a sale. These ads are then seen by other young girls... who compare themselves to the adds and try to imitate such things. And it's not just young girls, it's even adult women who are being downtrodden by unrealistic made up images of models. These women then end up starving themselves and losing self worth to keep up with what they think men want.

On the other side men are boxed into masculinity or -as one of the video's I watched put it so aptly-

“the mask you live in.” This was something I was able to relate to. Sometimes, it does feel like if you aren't careful in what you do or say you will be shoved out from the group. I was honestly stunned by how much the media enforces this type of thinking, nearly making it impossible for individuals to separate themselves from it. From having a clear dominance over women, to being able to throw a punch, to staunching emotion, and even having a clear perchance for violence and rough language are all the qualities of being a true man as portrayed by much of the media. In beer commercials, and in a lot of personal hygiene product commercials, claim that you can be a “real man” with lots of “women” on your arm if you buy their product. Basically claiming that real men have a ton of women. Even in movies and shows geared toward children contain a lot of the same propaganda and damaging words, some of which are “man up,” “you're a girl if you don't do this dare,” “men don't cry,” “men aren't weak,” “real men don't let things go,” and so forth. Thanks to these messages and standards, the process of growing up for young boys and being one's self has been made all the more difficult.
After learning the full extent of these issues, I've come to realize that we have unconsciously allowed the media to dictate much of how we feel about our ourselves and our surroundings. I have not been able to help but look at the news, contents of advertisements, movies and other media the same. Though, as a result I've found myself unable to support several companies. However, on a brighter note, I have also found upon this scrutiny many companies that have displayed positive messages in their ads. They are encouraging and uplifting, and do not photoshop every image and use only perfect models that set unrealistic standards. This has made me think that perhaps if more people focused their business on, or gave positive responses towards these types of media that the idea of sex sells, men being violent and assertive and the over all bias of media may turn around to something better than it is now.

How about the rest of you out there? What have you notice or felt about media as a whole? Feel free to share as I'd love to hear from you.

Entry #8 I Have Come to End the War

It’s the debate that has waged on for centuries. It has (figuratively) started wars, ended marriages, strained friendships and been the topic of many internet memes.   The debate that I speak of is…Cats vs dogs! Yes, this debate has been going on for quite some time, even though cats have in fact taken the victory long ago. That’s right, for cats, it's no contest: Their childlike playfulness and free spirit are the envy of anyone who has had the joy of owning one. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to spend their days knocking stuff off of tables, chasing strings and taking 18+ hour naps—I know I would! Even a lot of die-hard dog lovers have realized the error of their ways and seen the light of the feline side. Whether it’s the low maintenance lifestyle or just easygoing nature that comes with the cat package, America is finally waking up and realizing that cats rule and dogs drool! Hopefully, you have already realized this, but if not, stick around a bit and I will show you the light!

Firstly, dogs stink, literally! Even the most resolute of canine followers must admit to this one. The unmistakable Eau de Fido, that scent of 10 day old bacon fat with earthy undertones, it’s a little displeasing to say the least. Hopelessly, in vain, dog owners will try to disguise this terrible scent, but sadly no amount of expensive shampoos or perfumes will keep it away for long. You'll find it in your car and on your clothes. Everyone knows you have a dog—thanks to the smell, their noses confirm it. Cats, on the other hand, with their constant self-grooming and apt ability to regulate their body temperature, keeps these majestic beings smelling fresh and clean.

Second, (most) dogs are just plain rude. When you have guests over, a dog usually goes into “welcome” mode, barking, jumping and pawing at the guest. "Pay attention to me!" the dog begs, as his nails dig into your guest and his fur thoroughly coats their clothing. The dog will do everything possible for approval, from running around the room to bouncing like a basketball and singing everyone a little tune in high C. The cat, however, is usually nowhere to be seen. You see, they prefer to observe new arrivals from afar. Maybe, if the cat is feeling social it will come out and politely acknowledge the guests with a cautious stare and a twitch of the tail, but nothing more. No vociferous greetings, no football style tackles or humping of legs. Nope, a cat at a dinner party will stay tastefully out of the way, while a dog shamelessly lusts for attention and paces around for dinners scraps.

Furthermore, while we are still on the topic of manners, dogs will never hesitate to “vocalize” their opinions or announce any news worthy event. For example, it’s 3 am and the neighbors are leaving for work, “Bark, bark, bark, yip, yap!” which I am sure in dog speak translates to, “Have a good day at work ted!” While, this is incredibly courteous of the doge to wish the neighbors well, he does not take into consideration his poor owners who only want a restful night’s sleep. And while all that commotion was taking place from the inconsiderate dog, the good-mannered cat was 14 hours into what would have been an 18 hour nap—thanks a lot dog…

And dogs have no respect for your stuff or theirs—they just love to destroy things. Whether it’s your expensive tennis shoes, your new couch, your garden or even their own toys, they will tear it to shreds. In contrast, when was the last time a cat chewed up your expensive loafers or a cat ate your homework? Nope, cats are too upright to engage in such destruction (provided they have a scratching post). Also, cats lovingly take care of the toys that you give them and will often hide them to keep them safe.

Need more convincing? How about the number of internet videos and memes that center around cats and their hilarious antics. This is proof that cats are far more entertaining and have a comedic style that is on par with humans sense of humor. Sure dogs have quite a few too, but nowhere near the numbers of cats. Plus, cats and their entertaining antics usually come about from the natural curiosity, whereas dogs just clown around because they are attention hogs. 

Lastly, cats are better for the environment.  A study found that a dog's environmental footprint is twice that of an average SUV. Whereas, a cat's environmental footprint is equal to that of a minivan. 

That is just a few of the reasons why cats are better than dogs. And I will let the following videos dispel some of the "myths" about cats that have been spread by those who have been brainwashed by dogs. 

1st: for those who say cats are not affectionate.

Second: for those who say cats do not care about their owners.  

Last: For those who have been told cats can't be trained. 

So there you go, cats are better than dogs. I know it might be hard to accept at first, but after you do, you may come to realize that you have infact been a cat person all along.

Are you still not convinced or did I forget to mention a key cat advantage? Let me know in the comments! 

In Loving Memory of...

Foofurs 

October 23rd, 2003 to May 1st, 2016

Entry #7 #<-----How Did This Become a "Thing?"

#itiseverywhere

It seems like suddenly one day the world woke up and decided to reinvent the # tag (otherwise known as an octothorp). At first, I was perplexed by this trend, but soon joined in on the hashtaggery. I had just accepted it as one of those bizarre internet trends such as "memes" or the various text characters that at times appear in YouTube comments fighting for life and death causes. To be honest, I never thought it would stick around, or become as popular as it has. So, this oddity has left me wondering, just how did this whole # tag situation get started?

Well, recently I learned #taging came about when -supposedly against the will of “Twitter bosses”- Chris Messina hash tagged the first ever “#barcamp.” He was -so it is said- inspired by the number sign used to label groups and topics in IRC networks and went on to propose “a similar system to be used on Twitter to tag topics of interest on the microblogging network.” While at first it didn't catch on too well, after the Iranian election protests in 2009 it became common practice in twitter posts. Due to this, Twitter on July 2nd of 2009 began to hyperlink all hashtags in tweets to Twitter search results for the hashtagged word lending to the growth of popularity.

In 2012, McDonald's launched their campaign #McDstories to garner positive feed back from their customers. However, probably much to McD's dismay, they instead received numerous complaints about their service and wisely decided to step away from the hashtagging trend. Though, after this event it seemed as if hashtagging became even more notorious as people then began using it as a form of complaint, protest, sarcasm, and to just over all express what they might be feeling that day.

Fascinating, right? So, now I am left wondering how the octothorp feels about this whole situation. After all, it must have been hard being suddenly thrust into the spotlight like that and now being forced to express and connect causes that he perhaps doesn't agree with. What's more, he has always been more of a numbers guy and was only expected to show up on occasion. Hmm..What about the rest of you out there? How do you feel about #taging?

Entry #6 I Need My Beauty Sleep

What is the worst noise you can think of? For me, it would probably be my alarm clock…if I even hear a noise that sounds similar to it I cringe and then hunt for its source to stop it as quickly as possible. Consequently, the snooze button has become my best friend. But I know I am not the only one. A recent survey found that over a third of American adults hit the snooze button at least three times each morning, yep that’s me (more like ten times though).

However, after watching this animated short called Alarm, I was forced to reflect on this behavior. The short is centered on a guy who is doing his best to catch a few extra minutes of sleep before having to get up for work. It would appear that he knew of this propensity of his and had attempted to ensure that he woke up by setting multiple alarm clocks and hiding them throughout his apartment. And even when he does finally get up out of bed, he finds even simple tasks to be difficult and remains groggy.

I won’t sum up the whole film (because I want you to watch it, c'mon it's only 9 minutes), but I guess what I took away from it was that the main character was really just delaying the inevitable. He had to get up for work, and he was just expending more energy trying to fight it. The extra couple of minutes he got of sleep could have been better spent waking up for the day.

But, what this guy does, albeit a bit exaggerated, is the exact same thing that I and a lot of people do in the morning. And as it turns out, we are only making things worse for ourselves when we try to get that extra minute or two of sleep. According to this article by Health.com, when we hit the snooze button and try for a few more minutes of sleep, we are only succeeding in making ourselves groggy. I don’t know, it seems like it makes sense when they explain it.

Ultimately, they suggest just setting your alarm clock for when you actually need to get up and to try to get more sleep (yeah right).

Entry #EC Capitalism or...

Capitalism and Socialism are often pitted against each other as people become down trodden and struggle to pay off their many debts while at the same time desperately working to keep themselves and their families fed; their eyes begin to search for a culprit and a solution. This is what has brought us to the current dilemma facing our world today.

After watching the documentary film Capitalism: A Love Story by Michael More, I was compelled to research the matter of capitalism further. I also looked into its counterpart, socialism. From what I was able to glean from this research capitalism can be summed up as an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. It also includes private property, capital accumulation, wage labor, voluntary exchange, a price system, and competitive markets. The decision making and investment is determined by the owners of the factors of production financial and capital markets, and prices and the distribution of goods are mainly determined by competition in the market. Basically it, at least in my opinion, gives opportunity to the individual to climb to the top and make something of themselves as well as affect how the markets are determined.

Now socialism is a range of economic and social systems characterized by social ownership and democratic control of the means of production, as well as the political ideologies, theories, and movements that aim at their establishment. While there were many varieties of socialism the most common element that is shared by all its forms is social ownership. Basically, at least in my understanding as I read of it, everything is owned and controlled by the government and spread out evenly amongst the people as they see fit. The word "socialism"finds its root in the Latin sociare, which means to combine or share.

While in his film Michael Moore does point the finger at capitalism being at fault for causing the poverty stricken individual, he mainly throws the blame at the banking industry which caused an economic meltdown and all political parties for caving in with the bailout. While none of these cases help matters the greatest provider toward our failing economy is, in the opinion of many, outrageous tax hikes in order waste our tax dollars on asinine subjects such as teaching lions to ride a treadmill. An endeavor that had about a million dollars of tax payer money thrown into its budget. However, there are several factions who buy into the blame capitalism thought and have been protesting for a more socialistic change to how our economy is run.

How about you? Do you feel that our failing economy is the fault of capitalism? Should we perhaps move on to socialism or a mix of the two? Or perhaps do you feel that it’s nothing more than the result of a greedy government and the greed of others in a higher place of power? I’d love to hear your opinions so feel free to leave a comment on the matter.

Entry #5 Sparky Just Tore 15 week Courses in Half!

They say patience is a virtue, but when it comes to schooling, my patience runs short. I say the sooner it’s over and I can start doing what I really want to the better…That’s why I was so excited to see this article by the Arizona Republic reporting that ASU had started offering 8 week courses.

That’s right, a student could now (in theory) complete their bachelor degree in 3 years instead of four. The article even claims that taking classes in this way could save a student money. The school says “Arizona residents who attend on campus do not pay additional tuition for any credit hours above seven during a 15-week period.” So any credits over seven are free! This means you could get a whole bunch of classes completed for cheap and quickly. Even better these courses allow both students and teachers more flexibility with their schedules.

Of course, there is a cost, students lose a week of winter break, though they will now get a few days off in the fall.

I really can’t think of any downfall here other than 8 week courses are really tough. I have taken several 8 week courses in my college career so far, and they are a little challenging. But, the advantages are many and I have to say I am very excited to know that ASU has adopted these 8 week courses. Though it is not surprising seeing as the school  named most innovative university  of 2015 by U.S. News & World Report. Go Sun Devils! 

Entry #4 Writer's er.....uh...

At the time I was not sure what was happening…I stared into my computer screen with the intention to write an assignment, but…nothing. No words came to mind even though I knew what I wanted to say. And it seemed that when I did manage to type but a simple sentence every key stroke came with great effort, and every word was the wrong word. No worries, I thought, I will just come back to this later. Time passed, but this “ailment” just seemed to hang around. Everywhere I went all I could think of was this terrible immovable “block” within the creative maze of my mind keeping me from writing. “Come on brain! Work!” I would plead to my creatively incapacitated thought box. It seemed so unfair, and the condition only grew worse as the deadline for my assignment approached.

After some time, perhaps much more time than it should have taken, I realized what was happening; I had a writer’s block.  I had no idea how this terrible cement block had found its way into my life, or just what its motives were anyway. All I knew was that I wanted it gone.

I fired up my old friend Google and began looking into ways to pass this pain in the brain as quickly as possible.

To defeat the enemy, you must know the enemy. As a result, I first had to learn what caused this terrible “block” to come about in the first place. And what I found was that, while there are many causes, the leading cause is stress.

When our brains are faced with stress, they tend to go into fight or flight mode, this leads to the brain shifting from the cerebral cortex (the creative portion of the brain) to the limbic system (the more reactive and instinctive portion of the brain). Of course, we usually don’t even notice this is happening, but soon find ourselves empty of any creative ideas due to the lack of input from the cerebral cortex. Unfortunately, this does not just stop at writing. When the brain switches over to the limbic system it can also make it almost impossible to learn and retain information.

So then, how do we make it stop doing that? Well here is what I found that helped to alleviate my writer’s block.

• Take a walk.
• Eliminate distractions
• Exercise
• Move somewhere else to write—even go outside if you can.
• Listen to music
• Spend time with a loved one
• Brainstorm ideas /Freewrite
• Read inspiring quotes
• Read a book
• Practice deep breathing and meditation

And then I also watched this video-----------^
I know they are kind of annoying, but it's really some very sound advice that they offered.


Well, after doing all of that, and as that video suggested, writing about writer's block, it seems that I have welcomed my cerebral cortex back into play, at least for now that is....

Entry #3 The Leaning Tower of Media

As I’m sure most of you do, at least once or twice in a day, check some source of news be it a written article or the local or cable news station for the issues of the day. No one wants to be kept in the dark, and everyone wants to have that sense of "knowing" and "understanding" of what is happening around them. I know that I’m often checking in and keeping apprised of the latest topics plaguing the world "today."

However, there is something to consider as we tune in and watch or read the news as spouted from the mouths and/or hands of the media. The term is Bias and there are several ways in which the media will enact this type of mind control on the unsuspecting populace. This tactical warfare on information control is handled by “omission of facts,"“selection of sources," “selection of stories that lean heavily to one side," “story placement," “labeling," and “spin.”

For instance, the news stations have been currently toting the idea of raising minimum wage, lighting a fire under the low end worker to consider nothing other than the injustice of low pay. Howbeit, they shed light to nothing more than the struggling family hoping to make ends meet and gave little heed to the consequences. In fact, it wasn’t until 3 months later after Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price enacted his policy of giving all of his workers the same wages that reporters began seriously speaking –albeit slightly- of the negative effects in this endeavor. Though, this did not stop CBS from promoting minimum wage increases at Mc Donald’s and once again displayed only the positive side of minimum wage hikes, but nothing negative. Giving air time only to those that would spew a positive outlook to ensnare the unsuspecting ear.

They failed to report that the government agency calculated that raising the wage to just $10.10-an-hour would decrease company’s profit per employee by 71 percent, and cost the economy 500,000 low-wage jobs. And mind you this is a government agency saying this and so could you even imagine the impact it would have on our economy as whole if it were raised five dollars more? I can understand in places of high living costs such as New York or California, etc. to raise the wages a bit to meet demand, but is it really necessary to raise them nationwide?

In short, you should keep an open mind about the things you hear and research fully before adopting them into belief. Now how about your thoughts? Do you feel the media is biased? Or perhaps you have some thoughts on the matter of the minimum wage increase? Don’t be shy, feel free to share.

Entry #2 I Think...I Don't Really Need Any of It

Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark...

Quick! There is a meteor heading for Earth that is big enough to take out a whole city, and it looks like it’s going to land right on your house…You don’t have much time; gather what you can. You can only take what will fit in your car; what/who do you take with you?

Most would probably say pets, photos, and loved ones of course and that would be my thoughts too. After all, these things/people are priceless. So then, why do we work our lives away accumulating posessions that we would be willing to chuck away in an instant?  We fill our houses with little knickknacks and doodads and pack our garages to the ceiling with junk until we eventually need a bigger home just to accommodate it all.

One of my co-workers has recently decided to live in a sort of “tiny house.” Basically, he has converted a commercial van into a solar powered RV that he plans to live out of—kind of strange, right? I had made a comment on how I would find it hard to live the minimalist lifestyle that would go along with such living arrangements. But it was what he said next that really made me think. He said that on the contrary, what he was doing was the “maximist” lifestyle. He doesn’t have to worry about a house payment or electric bills, nor does he have a house full of possesions that he doesn’t need to bog him down. He has more money in his pocket to experience the world and make memories with friends and family. And, if he wanted to, he could travel the country or move to a new state. He then challenged me to think about all of the things around my house that I have either not touched within the last year, or that I could otherwise do without. While I don’t think I will be moving into a van anytime soon, he had a great point.

Garima Verma writes in her article titled, “Bushfires a Lesson in Life's Priorities,” “We will be happy when we recognize that - beyond basic needs - money and its purchases do not bring true joy.” In fact, most of these material goods that we strive for serve to only distract us from what’s important and keep us from truly experiencing life. We work long hours and take extra shifts to buy more stuff that we can still barely afford. We then come home exhausted and can only manage to lounge in front of our big screen T.Vs while we rest for our next shift. Why do we have to wait for it all to go up in smoke to realize what’s truly important?

Entry #1 Some Thoughts On Blogging

When I was but a wee lad, I along with my younger brother and sister decided to make a newspaper that told of the events that took place around our house—it’s strange what boredom and childhood imagination can conjure up. We called our paper “The Daily News” and would force all of our other family members to buy it for a dollar. Stories ranged from the mundane to the made up and everything in-between. I remember one article was titled, “Mr. Bowflex Gets New Diggs,” it was a story about our pet hamster and how through his hard work and perseverance he was able to purchase a new home…Another was titled, “Mom’s Amazing Spaghetti, How Does She Do It?” We then interviewed my mom for the article. It was so much fun trying to come up with stories and engage our “audience.” We would write about whatever our imaginations could conjure up. I can’t quite recall when or why we stopped making it, probably got bored of it I guess. But I had never had as much fun writing as I did then, that is, until I started blogging.

In all honesty, while I enjoy reading blogs, I never thought I would enjoy writing one. It just seems like something that would take up a lot of time that could be spent on more enjoyable activities. But after starting my first blog, For the Widely Curious and Dabbling, I was reminded of just how free, relaxing and fun writing could be. In a blog you can write about whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. It allows you to organize your thoughts, and to share what you know or think about a topic. And, if you so desire, it can be used as a tool to help develop your writing abilities.

Yes, blogging is all that and more. That’s why it has quickly become one of my favorite hobbies. So, if you have been thinking about starting a blog, I strongly encourage you to do so. While it might feel a little more difficult at first, like most worthwhile hobbies, eventually it will just come naturally. You will soon find yourself wanting to blog more and more.

But until then, maybe you need a little inspiration to get your creative thoughts flowing—I know I did. So how about we look at a few blogs (besides mine), that can maybe give an idea of what blogging is all about.

A lot of bloggers will simply blog about their favorite hobby. They will often tell stories about their hobby and give advice and tips to fellow hobbyists. One such blog that I have been enjoying lately is called 3D-PrintingBlog.com. Yeah, the name says it all, it’s a blog about 3D printing. I have recently gotten into 3D printing and have found this blog to be invaluable in my learning about this exciting, new technology. What’s great about this blog is that it is well organized and full of the author’s  hands-on experience presented in an understandable fashion. I also love that it’s searchable by keywords and categories.

3D PRINTING BLOG

WE ARE LEARNING 3D PRINTING THROUGH OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE…

And who doesn’t enjoy hearing other people’s opinions? Alright, so maybe you think everybody’s stinks but yours; however, I know I have been very grateful for the opinions that are given on TheMovieBlog.com. Their well thought out and supported opinions have helped me to avoid a number of cinematic disasters. They always delve deep into the movie and give pretty good analysis without getting too draggy.






Then there is the lame side of blogging. Sadly, the example I am about to give of one such blog is connected to my favorite webcomic. Poorlydrawnlines.com/blog is an example of a blog being used solely for advertising. Every post on their blog is about their books being on sale or listed for half price. Not only that, but there are just not very many posts. I just don’t find very much use in this blog and it’s more for selling things than anything else.

On that note, I would just like to say that no matter how you decide to work your blog, the choice is yours. Look around, see what inspires you, and just have fun with it.

Entry #0 A Little Introduction Sounds Nice

Huzzah!

So it would seem if you are reading this, you have found your way to my blog. Welcome internet traveler! Why not take a seat and make yourself comfortable. Want something to drink? Yes, okay, I will get that in a moment, but first allow me to introduce myself. My name is Justin, and you are just in time to hear my life story, ahem...(cues 'Rocky Balboa' theme song) 

Ha! Just kidding, that would be too much typing. How about I just tell you about me presently. In short, I am a dude who is taking classes at a community college and I hope to eventually get an engineering degree. And just what do I want to do after that you ask?! Well, make the world a better place of course.  Silly, I know, but I have to try. I have a few Ideas I am working on, but one of the fields I really want to work in is prosthetics. I also work full-time and do other stuff, but the aforementioned goal is my current focus.  

Thusly, If you plan to be joining me for a while, you will more than likely be hearing me ramble on about cool technologies, engineering stuff and probably some community issues, but we shall see. Honestly, I plan to blog about whatever comes to mind as I go. So, expect the unexpected--these are my crudely quoted thoughts. And please feel free to comment and give your thoughts on whatever it is I am posting about as well. Thank you for visiting today!