Blog

Blogging. Where to start? I personally don’t like it and I don’t like the fact that everyone can read it and comment. I never really felt comfortable having people read anything that had to with writing so putting it in public didn’t help. This was not the first time I had to use a blog for a class.I had to do my homework on a blog last semester as well but for that class the assignments weren’t meant to be shared with the other classmates. Although I won’t continue to blog for the sole reason that I don’t think anyone cares to actually sit and read about what I feel and say by their own choosing; I am going to keep the blog just in case I end up taking another class that requires making a blog for assignments.

TED Videos

Jamie Oliver:

I liked Jamie Oliver’s video. He made jokes along the way but stuck to the seriousness of the topic at the same time. His video involved pictures and videos and stories of real people who’s lives were being affected by bad eating habits. I like how he mentions he saves lives even though he may not be a doctor. His video was good and he seems like he is really into the cause and he’s never going to stop trying to get people to eat healthier.

Ann Cooper:

Ann Cooper’s video was filled with a lot of statistics. Personally I don’t like them because in order for me to really understand a statistic I have to think about it and in the time it takes to think I miss part of the video. She made very good points however and her video made sense. If people took the time to actually cook and make food for schools kids could eat healthier.

Mark Bittman:

Mark Bittman’s video seemed endless to me. He did make good points and showed pictures along the way but I was very uninterested as I watched. He focused more on things used to be compared to now and how he thinks they should be in the future. He was right on how things may say they are organic but how you really know for sure if they are using technicalities to call something organic.

Important Peeps!

One and probably the most important person in my life is my mom. Anyone who knows me and has seen me around my mom would confirm this. We are nothing alike personality wise. I just love to give her attention. I randomly go up to her and hug her for long periods of times and jokingly tell her to carry me how she used to when I was a kid. She on the other hand always fusses when I do this and tells me to stop “bugging” and help her clean something. She may not be as affectionate as I would like her to be but I know she loves. She does a lot more for me than she knows apart from taking care me of me when I’m sick and she’s always going to hold a special place in my heart.

Another important is my dad. I can see the similarities I have with my dad. For example we both have a short fuse with big tempers. We are also both very proud and when we believe we are right we don’t back down in the heat of the argument. I think he shaped the way I am more than my mom did. He’s the first person I call when something goes wrong because to me there’s nothing my dad can’t help me fix. He’s important because as protective as he is of me, he drives me to prove him wrong and right at the same time.

Last but certainly not least is my cousin Jose. People who know him either love him or hate him. He’s just a very outgoing guy with a very strong personality and some people like that and some might just find that annoying. I personally get along with him about 78% of the time. We butt heads a lot because were a lot alike when it comes to arguing because we both think we’re right and we both refuse to see the other’s side. But despite our differences we still manage to stay close. We’ve been through a lot and I know I can count on him and if I call him up or text him I know he’ll listen and vice versa.

Bounce off the walls...literally!

Jumping is a good way to exercise and it’s fun. Jumping on solid ground isn’t as fun as jumping in a bouncy house or a trampoline. Sky High Sports is exactly that, a bunch of trampolines! It is located in Camarillo, CA and it can be a great to place to do many things wether its to just hang out with friends, have a birthday party, or to get a fun workout.

Sky High is more than just a place with a lot of trampolines. For example, if you feel like trying to do a flip but aren’t so confident that you’re going to stick the landing you can test it out in their foam pit. The foam pit is exactly just that, a pit with foam in the shape of cubes to break your fall. People use it to try out different flips and get used to them before they actually try it. It can also be used to just go crazy and jump in since you know soft cushiony foam is waiting for you when fall. Another option is dodgeball. Don’t feel like just jumping around or flipping? Then you can play dodgeball on trampolines. It takes a little a while to get used to jumping but it’s a lot of fun and a really good way to shed a few pounds. A few other things Sky High has to offer is a kids zone which is essentially a section filled with bouncy houses. A feature parents might enjoy is the lounge they have that has cameras so parents can keep an eye on their kids while they jump.

The only drawback that I noticed was location. It might not be the easiest place to find especially if you’re trying to go at night when its darker. Since it isn’t located anywhere visible some people might get lost getting there if they don’t have good directions. However, don’t let this discourage you from going. There are many things Sky High has to offer but in order to truly find out you just have to go and check it out yourself which I would recommend.

Fast Food

This book was meant to make you realize the truth about fast food. To make you look twice at what you’re about to take a bite out of and actually think “how did this get here?” or maybe even “what exactly is in this?” This book didn’t make me think that at all. In a sense I’ve always known that fast food is bad and it’s not entirely what we think it is. I am not easily grossed out. You can talk about any topic or subject while I’m eating and I won’t ever stop eating because the mental image was too much and ruined my meal. So knowing that there are miscellaneous parts of an animal in my chicken nuggets or hamburger won’t make me reconsider eating it.

After reading a chapter, I still consider going out to a fast food restaurant to get a quick bite to eat. The reason I don’t is not because I think of what’s in it or because I know it’s bad for me, it’s because I don’t feel like wasting money. I admire Schlosser for taking the time to try to make people realize something but at the end of the day not everyone will be affected. If simply pointing out the wrongs in this world worked then we wouldn’t have any more problems.

This Semester So Far...

Truth: I played the trumpet in fourth grade.

The semester so far is BORING. I’m at that point where you just start to think “screw it, I just won’t do this one essay or assignment.” Slowly one assignment turns into three or four and next thing I know I’m not even going to class anymore. In the past semester this was the reason why I failed English R101 the first time. This semester I’m trying to change that.

It’s not that it’s getting hard, it’s just that laziness is setting in. However it’s not all bad. I like the fact my classes are in the afternoon. It’s a change compared to high school having to go everyday early in the morning. Another thing I like about this semester is that I only come to school twice a week so it doesn’t feel like I’m always in class. I do happen to like a specific class that gives no homework. You just show up for lecture and show up for the tests. It’s simple and I never have to stress about if anything was due.

What I don’t like about this semester is the school part. School means homework and essays and tests. I’ve never been fond of school work that takes time since I lose interest very easily if it’s not entertaining. What I also don’t like is that this semester I started working so it means less free time. The little free time I do have, I have to spend doing homework (or at least should be doing homework).

My motivation is not wanting to fail classes. If I fail I’ll just have to retake it later and the fail doesn’t help my GPA. Since I haven’t figured out what I want to do I figured I’d get general education out of the way in the meantime. Hopefully this semester will be different from my others and I’ll pass all the classes I’m taking.

If I was lying, wouldn't my pants be on fire?

1. I don't have a middle name.

2. I don't have any pets.

3. I used to live in Texas when I was younger.

4. I love sushi.

5. I played the trumpet in fourth grade.

6. My favorite animal is a cat.

The Only Exception

One of many favorite songs I have.

"The Only Exception" by Paramore

When I was younger
I saw my daddy cry
And curse at the wind
He broke his own heart
And I watched as he tried to reassemble it

And my mama swore
That she would never let herself forget
And that was the day that I promised
I'd never sing of love
If it does not exist

But, darling, you are the only exception
But you are the only exception
But you are the only exception
But you are the only exception

Well, maybe I know somewhere
Deep in my soul
That love never lasts
And we've got to find other ways
To make it alone
Or keep a straight face

And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable distance
And up until now, I had sworn to myself
That I'm content with loneliness
Because none of it was ever worth the risk

Well, you are the only exception
Well, you are the only exception
Well, you are the only exception
Well, you are the only exception

I've got a tight grip on reality
But I can't let go of what's in front of me here
I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up
Leave me of some kind of proof it's not a dream, oh

You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
And I'm on my way to believing
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing

I'm not in love with Mary Jane.

Should it be legal or not? Wether you do it or not, it might have an effect on what side. Most people who have tried it, do it once in awhile, or do it every chance they get probably stand on the side of it being legalized. Older adults, people who tried it and didn’t like it, or people who just stay away from drugs are probably against it being legalized. I can understand both sides of the argument, but in the end I don’t think it should be legalized.

Marijuana is still a drug, even though people love to argue that it’s not because it’s a plant, or that it’s not addictive, or that it’s not as bad as other drugs. Sure, it makes you feel good and all that good stuff, but as soon as the high is over, guess what, life is still waiting for you! Personally, I don’t see the big deal of drugs. I’ve never tried them and I don’t plan to. It kills brain cells and I need all the ones I can get. Why bother wasting your time?

However not everyone thinks like this, and people doing marijuana or getting a hold of it is inevitable. People find ways to get what they want. Wether you do it to escape problems or just simply because you love the feeling it gives you, marijuana is not going to go away. Legalizing it would only make it easier for people to get their hands on it and make it cheaper. Cheaper because it wouldn’t be as hard to get. In the end, I don’t think it should be legalized. I don’t want to be walking down the street surrounded by pot heads some day in the future.

Family.

Family

The people you talk to not by choice but because by chance they were forced them upon you. That’s what I would use to describe family. Everyone might have a different definition but it’s true when they say you don’t pick your family. Looking at my family, none of us mesh. Were all oddballs in my opinion.

There’s my parents, Gustavo and Vilma. Although I couldn’t imagine my parents ever being with anyone else but each other, they don’t seem to fit right sometimes. My mom is short, light skinned, nice (to guests, not me), very soft spoken, and is very polite (sometimes a bit of a pushover). My dad on the other hand is average height, tanned skin, loud, comes on strong, and has a short fuse with a big temper. To me they’re opposites and sometimes I have no idea how they even met or how they decided to be together. I’m glad they’re still together but sometimes I wonder.

As for my brothers, there’s Elvis and Byron. In a way they’re a lot alike but vary in many ways personality and physically. Elvis is short while Byron is about my dad’s height. Elvis has a great sense of humor and you’re always laughing when you’re with him. Elvis is laid back and doesn’t mind spotting you if your low on cash, he just loves to have a good time. Byron is more on the serious side and has my dad’s short fuse. Byron is on the stingy side with money so don’t count on him to help you out if your missing a couple bucks for your meal.

It’s a mystery as to how we ended up together as a family. Looking at them I don’t see how I fit in. Truth is, it doesn’t matter how I fit in or how any of us do as a matter of fact. We’re stuck with each other and I wouldn’t trade any of them up. They all mean something different to me and even though it doesn’t seem like family is important at times, it is. At the end of the day family is who is there for you when you need them. When your sad, they talk smack about the people who hurt you to make you feel better. When your hungry, they make you something to eat or buy you something to eat. When your having financial troubles, they all put forth in effort to help you out. You might not get to chose them, but if you get really lucky you end up with a family who does all those things and more.

You Spent It All?!

At some point in time everyone has to get a job, their first job. It’s different for everyone. You’re either nervous, scared, or excited. You either hate it or you love it. For me it was both because I loved that I was going to get money but hated that it was a JOB. What made it all better was knowing how good it was going to feel getting that first check. So as the week went on that first friday came a long and sure enough I got my check personally delivered to me.

I already had planned out in my head exactly what I was going to buy with it. First I was going to buy Xbox Live because I had promised my cousin I would. Then I thought of the stores I was going to visit since I planned on buying myself some clothes, I mean I worked all week I think I deserved it. By the end of the day I should have had enough money to fill up the gas tank because I was running on E and I had to drive to work and school the next week. Seems pretty thought out right? That’s not how it actually went down.

Friday was the day I got my check so I headed to the bank straight out of work. I was excited and I walked in smiling. I think the personal banker could tell because she greeted me with as much excitement and asked how she could help me. I asked to deposit my check into my account. Depositing it meant I would have to wait one business day before the money became available to me. This meant I had to wait until Saturday to spend my well earned money. What was one day? I would just go home and relax and Saturday would be the day.

I had already asked my friend Fabiola to go along for the shopping spree so the next morning we headed off to The Oaks Mall. We got there in the afternoon since we both take our time getting ready just to get pretty much anywhere. I should have gone to buy Xbox Live first to get it out of the way but we decided to hit one of our favorite stores first, Zumiez. Once there I bought a shirt and since I didn’t find anything else I liked, so I figured I’d just look at other stores. The next store was Beach Works, the store that hit the wallet hard. As I looked around and perused the various shirts I happened to find two more that I liked. That was it, I thought to myself I was done and I could spend the rest of the day just walking around hanging out at the mall. I was wrong.

Before I decided to pay I waited for Fabiola to finish her shopping so we could go to the register at the same time. While she was looking she found a sweater she thought I might like. At first glance I wasn’t interested especially since I decided I wasn’t going to spend any more money since I still had other things to pay for like gas and Xbox Live. She insisted I at least try it on to see if I’d like it after I actually saw it on me. So there I go, and to my surprise I loved it! This made the upcoming decision hard. Should I buy it and have no money left over or not buy it and wonder what if? I turned to Fabiola since she’s the one who brought the sweater to my attention. She looked at me like hurry up and decide. I looked at her and then back at the reflection of my spiffy self with the sweater on. It’s was a done deal, I was getting it. As I payed it hurt a little to give the cashier my debit card. I walked out of that store feeling good but that feeling was soon going to disappear.

I realized I still had to buy Xbox Live so I went to nearest Gamestop to get that out of the way. As I left the store I decided to check the balance on my account to make sure I would have enough for gas. $11.53 was what was left. I was supposed to fill my empty gas tank with $11.53 because I had work and school the next week. Driving back home I tried not thinking about how much money I had left but on the fact that I got clothes. I also avoided thinking about the fact that my parents were going to freak when they found out I had spent pretty much my whole check.

The next morning my brother Elvis came over and wanted everyone to go to breakfast especially me since he was glad that no one else had to pay for me anymore. I didn’t want him to know exactly how much money I had left so I tried playing it off like I didn’t feel like going out because I was tired. Since that didn’t work I finally confessed that I had no money left to go anywhere since the rest of the money I had left had to go towards gas money. He made fun of me but understood, and he said he had anticipated me spending my whole first check because it was like getting a little taste of freedom. He offered to pay for breakfast one last time because he knew I couldn’t afford it.

Later that day I was trying to decide what time I would go to the bank to withdraw the 11 dollars I had to go and “fill up” my tank. The more I thought about it the more I felt bad because I knew I was going to have to ask for money for gas. So much for getting a job to be independent and not relying on my parents anymore. Going to my mom for help seemed more reasonable than my dad because my dad can have a temper when hearing things he doesn’t like. I asked my mom if I could borrow her car for the week instead of asking for money and she figured out very quickly that I had spent all the money I had earned. Hesitant at first, she told me I could borrow it if I really needed it. Little did I know that she would go and tell my dad about our conversation.

That afternoon my dad walked in in a really bad mood. He handed me a gas card and told me to go fill up my tank. Confused I looked at him wondering how he knew. He didn’t explain how he found out. He simply explained that this was the last time he was going to fill up my tank and that next pay check gas is the first thing I should take care of. I felt glad about my gas situation, but I felt guilty for not having more self control at the mall.

The lesson of the story was having a job and getting paid doesn’t make you independent and responsible. What makes you those things is knowing how to manage the money you earn. I got caught up in the excitement of having money and being able to buy whatever I want simply because it was my money to spend. The reason for me getting a job was so that I could stop taking from my parents. That’s the exact opposite of what actually happened, in the end I still needed my parents help. Driving back from filling up my tank with my dad’s gas card I thought to myself, “next time it’s going to be different.” This time it will be different because I realized I need to learn to manage money now so later in the future when I won’t have my parents to fall back on, I can stand on my own.

Lorraine Martin

My interview partner was Lorraine Martin. She was born in Quezon City, Philippines. Her birthday is February 23, 1986. She ended up moving to Oxnard because her dad was in the Navy. She is the oldest of four having an older brother and a younger brother and sister. As a child she was sheltered but now that she is older she likes to enjoy her freedom, especially with traveling. Lorraine is going to college to find a way to lead her life in a certain direction. Apart from going to school she works full-time at the base in Port Hueneme.

Family is very important in her life and they come first but she knows everyone once in awhile you have to be your own number one and take care of you before you can take care of others. In 5 years Lorraine sees herself settling in San Diego as a neonatal nurse. She believes her culture has a lot to do with why she chose a nurse. She mentioned how in the Filipino community, women were usually persuaded to pursue a career in the medical field.

Her Blog:http://lmartin223.blogspot.com/

Texting

Texting can consume a big part of your time these days.Thinking back I was obsessed with texting. I was always staring at my phone especially when I got my sidekick 3. It had a keyboard so it just screamed “texting!” at me. I texted at school, with friends, at the movies, at home, at the dinner table. If I could I probably would have texted in the shower. I remember my brother would always be making fun of me for constantly being on the phone. Sometimes he’d get mad because he thought it was rude that all I did was text while I was with him.

I was a heavy texter in high school. Senior year is when I learned to tone it down. Now its been a year since I graduated and it just doesn’t seem as important anymore. If I’m with a friend I cut back, if I’m at the dinner table my phone is usually in my pocket. Before there was a need to hurry up and answer back as fast as possible but now I can take hours, sometimes I just stop completely. Point is texting can take up a lot if you let it. But at some point I think everyone gets fed up. You don’t always have to be staring at your phone. Sometimes you need to stop texting and look up and enjoy where you are or actually see the person your texting for a change.

Reality TV

I wouldn’t know where to begin with reality tv. For me it’s a love hate thing. I used to love it and now I hate it. Looking back I don’t know how I could have sat around and watched shows like that. These days I avoid tuning in to MTV because that’s pretty much the channel that broadcasts all those shows.

Reality tv wasn’t big for me until I started high school. The shows I remember watching the most were Rob & Big, The Real World, Made, True Life, and even The Hills at some point. I had alarms set on my phone to remind me when the show was going to air just in case I would forget later. Sometimes I would be on the phone with a friend while watching the show so we could talk about it right then and there.

Rob & Big was probably my favorite because it made me laugh. It was about a skater and his body guard/best friend who went out and had crazy adventures just because they could. I liked watching Made and True Life because it was different people each time. While watching Made I always made fun of them because at some point everyone wanted to quit whatever it is they had chosen to be made into. I made fun because what was the point of crying and complaining when it was something you chose and it was going to be broadcasted for others to see. Then there’s The Hills. I never saw the first season because my friend didn’t make me watch until later on. I’ll admit I was hooked and I watched the new episode every week. Until one week the show made me mad. The main girl, Lauren was being a hypocrite and I guess that’s when I realized it, who cares? How in the world does this girl’s life affect mine? I’m never going to meet her and if I do it’s not going to change or impact my life.

Since then I stopped watching them altogether. From time to time I’ll watch an episode or two of random reality tv shows only because my friends need to catch up on what they missed. Every time someone asks me if I watch this or if I watch that and every time I say no. It’s like they forget or they think it’s weird that I don’t watch shows like that because they continue to ask when the answer isn’t going to change.

In some way I do think reality tv shows impact society, certain people in society at least. They get people hooked and they can’t stop watching someone else’s life. It becomes a part of their life to make time to sit and recap the life of some random person on tv. More and more of these shows come out and more and more people try to get on tv for 15 minutes of fame. When in reality they get remembered for the dumb things they do. Who wants to be remembered for solely bad reasons? That is of course until the next show comes along and then it starts all over again. Who knows when these shows are going to stop but it doesn’t seem like anytime soon. There’s always going to be the people who get hooked and then the people who just don’t care, I’m glad I don’t get hooked anymore.

Fast Food

Fast food is everywhere! You can’t really go to any town or city these days without finding a McDonald’s or a Burger King while driving around. By the time I was born, my parents had moved up to a middle class lifestyle so going out for some fast food was never a big deal like it was when it was just my brothers. So if I asked for it, I pretty much got it.

As a kid I ate out a lot because I was always picky about what I ate. My parents learned this and since fast food was always something I would eat for sure I would eat it more often. McDonald’s always seemed to do the trick, especially for breakfast. I would usually eat fast food during the weekends because that’s when my parents had time to take me. When I was around 6-7 years old, my brother got a job working at Wienerschnitzel and I fell in love. He would always bring back food after work, my favorite was always chili cheese fries.

Things didn’t change much as I got older, going into high school I still ate fast food as often as I could. It just tasted better so if I could get away with it, then I did. During the summers I would take care of my niece and my dad would leave us money to go out every other day to keep it interesting. I preferred going to Wienerschnitzel since it was very close to my house and at the time I couldn’t drive. At one point I literally went everyday that one of the workers there decided to give me some advice, her exact words were, “now I know you love these chili cheese fries but you have to stop eating them because you’re gonna get fat!”. I felt a little embarrassed and I didn’t want to go back after that but I loved chili cheese fries too much to stop. So I kept going and she was wrong, since that day that she told me I would get fat it still hasn’t happened.

As of now, I still go out every once in awhile but not as much as I used to. I try to find things at home before I decide going out because going out costs money and it’s unhealthy. Thinking back I ate out a lot and it surprises everyone how I can eat anything I want and my weight pretty much stays the same. I think that’s one of the reasons I ate out so much, I mean if I can eat anything and get away with it then why not? Now if the food actually started affecting my weight it would have been a different story. As much as I love fast food, it’s not worth gaining extra weight. Fast food isn’t the best choice for nutrition but every once in awhile seems alright to me so that’s what I try to do now.

Blog Entry #1

My name is Leslie and I am 18 years old. I was born on December 2nd at the old Saint John's hospital. My family consists of my parents, my two brothers, and me. Since I am the youngest, everyone likes to say I was spoiled and in many ways I was. My dad did not hesitate to buy me presents if I asked, so I used to the power to my advantage. This made my brothers a little jealous seeing as at the time that they were kids my parents could not really afford to spoil them. We used to live in Ventura but we moved to Oxnard when I was about 4. Since moving to Oxnard, I have never lived anywhere else. When I was younger I could not imagine living anywhere else, I loved Oxnard and I never planned on leaving.

As for my present, I graduated high school in 2009 and enrolled at Oxnard College right after. I have been going to school ever since. My dad made the mistake of forcing my brothers to get jobs to pay for their own things at a very young age. They got a taste of independence and never continued school after high school to pursue money. For this reason he never wanted me to get a job out of fear that I would not continue school like my brothers. Ironically he got me my first job which I just started last week. So currently I go to work during the day and in the afternoon I go to school trying to get my general education out of the way.

Talking about the future is hard for me since I have not really decided what I want to do. In Jr. high I thought I wanted to be a police officer. Most of high school I wanted to be an animal cop. Around senior year

and my first year at Oxnard college, I decided I wanted to be a private

investigator. Now, that is not the case. I am undecided as of now but I am sure in time it will come to me. For the time being I am going to

school to try to get general education out of the way while I try to figure out what I want to in the future.