Cereal Box Project revisionary/review

NEW Dessert Cereal

Dessert Cereal Process

 

Im not sure if those hyperlinks will work, but they are the presentation and the taste test presentations.

I was excited to start this project, and rather relieved when Sandy and I finished presenting it to the class. She and I worked together as often as we could with each other, productively completing more together, but also working alone on this or that portion of the project due to schedule conflicts. Sandy and I both communicated together very well, and completed the project with relative ease.

I am satisfied with the learning experience I got out of completing this project, and I hope everyone feels the same.

Some things that I could’ve improved on while presenting were speaking more clearly, and slowly to annunciate better. I was more than content with my overall presentation, and Sandy did fantastic preparing and delivering the presentation.

Questions meant to be unasked.

How many ‘grey’ areas or unknowns exist between men and women?

~what is to please a women, to predict women, to find the perfect man, to love with minimal amounts of money or a materialistic lifestyle, to be the perfect man, etc?

What is an ideal life?

~what is to fulfill self actualization?

Is there more to life than what we see and believe?

~what is religion, or lack there of, more physical dimensions than what we see, time and its meaning>

Are there more forms of physical life forms than humans?

~Mars was a let down…

What is after death?

~what are personal beliefs?

What is entertainment?

~What is my generation finds sexual innuendos, social/physical suffering, and physical failures. lol.

What has the internet done for humans?

~what hasn’t it done for humans.

 

Please, enlighten me and the rest of the lovely bloggers; post any questions/answers you would like to prove/stump someone with.

The greater good;addressing the awkward

Its come to my attention that locally, at Iowa State University, the term ‘diversity’ is strikingly different than what I am normally accustomed.

Im well aware that within the world, there is a sweeping majority of white caucasian, followed by nationalities consisting of ‘colored’ groups of people from African, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and many other descents. At Iowa State, it troubles me that many of my own friends who happen to be caucasian often baffle, bicker, and pick out international students like its their job.

I wish everyone had the chance to be stereotyped just like how white people generalize and stereotype to see how awkward it really is. Judgement is a job taken too seriously by people (this is slightly bias seeing as how I’m indicating this indication).  But, knowing is half the battle (G.I. Joe) and it is awareness and conscientiousness that will aid in eliminating this predicament.

Respect all or receive none at all.

‘Nourish’ reaction/thoughts

On December 7th in Enlish 150 with Liz Clift, the class viewed a short informational film pertaining to food and public interest.

 

‘Nourish’ introduced itself by discussing connections between the world and people and how we are all connected simply by food. From private gardeners to organic farmers to the common city folk, we all rely on nourishment, coincidentally.

The video also gives awareness of endangered species, and conscience minds about where your food comes from, and global conditions, such as fair trade and global warming awareness. Also, an interesting term I learned from this; organics: an ‘heirloom’, within a crop is saving the seed of a particularly good piece of produce and replanting it. Or basically natural selection by humans.

Nourish also was supportive of ‘sustainable agriculture’, commerce more environmentally friendly food consumers, meaning to pull away from processed food and making the public self-sustaining when it comes to food. The public all over the world relies (naturally) on someone else to fulfill a duty (farming) to harvest nourishment and provide it to consumers; the video implied that consumers try to self sustain themselves, become healthier individuals, support an organic food company, and start denying or ‘vote’ as the video said, against large manufacture-ers of foods rich in high fructose corn syrup.

To see this video made me enlightened to know that many people of this world know what needs to be done, and how much effort is put forth into advertising pro-organics, however, no one seems to notice that it is simply not needed to start at a specific time, so much as waiting for more people to catch on. Also, it is indeed improbable that the United States becomes completely self sustaining in how geographically, North America cannot be simply sustain itself. Many items of nourishment simply cannot be grown in America such as tropical fruit crops nor legitimate amounts of certain goods. Luckily, America does own certain territories such as Puerto Rico which supplies most bananas, and many duties are outsourced to other countries.

Conclusively, within time, I believe that to a certain extent, that the United States will become self sufficient. To a certain extent. I know that I dont own a private fishery where natural wild fish may be harvested and sold, but thank God for fisheries along most every one of the coasts that can provide a fresh salmon or tilapia. I would also like to indicate bananas, mangoes, kiwis, grapes, and many other produce dont come from within U.S. boarders, but many times Mexico, and countries within South America. Until the United States owns more territories, we cannot be ‘self sustaining’ so much as a small, seasonal backyard or porch garden.

Recapulating, the Nourish clip supports the environmental activists by joining an organization for better foods, consuming better foods, and creating a lifestyle and generation more consciencely aware of foodies.

Commodity crops- for animal feed and food additives….livestock cannot survive soley on corn alone, so they are fed antibiotics and hormone enhancers so they can survive on a small, less selective diet.

*This video consists greatly of environmentalists, and viable information; well worth watching.

 

Into the Wild

Last week (between November 30th-December 2nd, English 150, class of Liz Clift’s class viewed a life documentary re-make of the story known as ‘Into the Wild’, a true story of a man named Chris McCandless who endeavors across the United States until he reaches Alaska where he spends the rest of his life (112 days in the wild), looking for an ‘escape’ away from civilization and society, seeking for what he believed was the true nature of man.

I was immediately attracted to this movie (documentary) because it involved adventuring in the outdoors. Chris had one intention; to reach Alaska. I admire Chris for how much effort he put forth into traveling to Alaska, however, Im not certain I liked the fact he broke laws in the process. The contradiction with me though asks ‘what is an adventure?’  However way one defines ‘adventure’ involves uncertainty, bravery, and perhaps even mischief which could be interpreted as breaking some rules.

Surely Chris knew what an adventure was. Chris, to me, was admirably persistent in no matter how he transported to his final destination; via kayak, truck bed, or even hitch hiking with a couple in an RV trailer. In addition, he worked a couple of jobs (fast food and farming) in order to have somewhere to stay and eat, and eventually, find the next mean of transportation to get to another point closer to his goal.

The plot of the movie was overall very well presented to viewers; informative and interesting in how it was all true and somewhat even perhaps relative to some viewers in how Chris’s parents quarreled, Chris and his sister seemed to stick together through hardships, and Chris’s desire to break away from parents during young adult.

Conclusively, I would recommend ‘Into the Wild’ to anyone who likes adventures/drama, or a bit of nudity; 5/5 as a number score.

Thanksgiving essentials?

An annual event celebrated by over 800 people (all my friends on Facebook, friends not on my Facebook, family, and extended family). In other words, many many people.

This past Thanksgiving, I was watching the news with my mom and several of her friends and I learned a few things; an average meal on the turkey eating festival consists of 3,000 calories roughly. I was done with my meal by the time I heard that fact, thankfully.

It has come to my question; what dishes are essential for a Thanksgiving dinner? I know turkey is a customary main dish on November 25, but how many other things come with it at your home?

For certain, I’ve enjoyed mostly  consumed mashed potatoes, (usually made from scratch) with the default serving of white meat, (over dark meat, which is more saturated with fat) gloriously served with gravy. For some people, choosing the mashed potatoes for a side on account of how much gravy they use. On occasion, my family will sit around the table and serve and pass around the dishes until everyone is served and then finally eating. However, never have I failed to spot the most ‘creative’ person at the table because they make the mashed potatoes into a lovely crater, to fill the gravy with as water would within a lake.

Another popular side has always been stuffing, and for some people, this is practically their main dish, disgustingly. I’ve never been attracted to it, and never really appreciated stuffing, and since I can remember celebrating Thanksgiving did I develop a taste for the seasoned bread mix (forgive my bias).

Your table might also include minor things such as cranberry sauce, (which for me, this past Thanksgiving’s cranberry/orange hybrid mix was delectable) yams or sweet potatoes, rolls, and green bean casserole. My family though is not the only family that celebrates this eat-gathering, so I wonder some days after Thanksgiving, what are the ‘norms’ in terms of food for others?

What must your family have on the table for November 25th?

The Story of Music, Stories from Home

So here the Christian-Peterson Art museum, artists display art. Go figure.

Tonight (October 14th), Im here to experience a musical showcase right in main show room. On the walls are uniformly lined pieces, mainly black and white abstract portraits of women, all portrayed with poses that seem uncomfortable.

The main room where everything took place is lit with small, cylindrical white lights; pointed with precision to the pieces on the wall; or pointed in a general direction to specifically illuminate certain places along to the wall to make the room ‘glow’, contrasting from the light color varnished wood flooring.

On the pseudo stage of 10’x6′ black carpet are arranged instruments, all (except the electric and acoustic guitar) are foreign to North America, most of them wood. Among the instruments are three microphones and two tower speakers upon tripods to aid the sound carry the 20 feet it needs to be carried throughout.

This older man (Gary Holthaus) went through his whole life story with the accompanied by intrsuments non native to North America, all played interchangeably (sometimes two at one time) by to what my standards are, an older woman (Lauren Pelon).

Throughout the showcase, Gary told his life story down. From the most memorable, to the most hurtful. He used to be an outdoorsman, but I believe his age got the best of him after he had a stroke and a heart attack. He’s now (and always has been, it seemed) a farmer.

All of his stories were reflections of his thought processes and outcomes of his life experiences; all inter-correlated to the luscious land of North America. He grew up in Pennsylvania, growing everything that could possibly grow from the ground from potatoes, to corn. Beets, tomatoes, and squash too.

Gary used many of the plants and animals as a way to describe how life is directed by the environment; the roots, creatures, waters and skies alike. Humans exist because of agriculture, and we also exist (according to Lauren) because of the pulse or beat (connotation with music).

Gary also discussed his family. He is German. Very German. So German, that his whole family (grand children too) are all of 100% German heritage. He discussed this topic to become aware of not only himself in America, but the millions of other immigrants that came to America to start a new more lively and abundant life with opportunities everywhere you look. He continued to tell the limitless blessings America can bestow on the willing-full people who would work; and included the related hardships or financial costs of ‘becoming big’ here. Gary indicated that America is all about ‘becoming big’  and when it comes down to it, its rather true. The fact that hard workers (work force of Americans) and farmers alike cannot make a living unless they (we) become dedicated.

More so, Gary told about his involvement with government because he needed it to purchase land and even more land. In 1984, he had bought a farm, and he grew a full crop of potatoes. That growing season, with the funds provided by the government, Gary’s luck ran out; the storage holding unit where all of the potatoes where ruined because of three days of permafrost of the land, leaving his crop worthless.

Gary and the music accompaniment where rather insightful and were made to be reflected on at a personal level. I learnt many things about the agriculture services of America, or at least, so much as one very very enlightening story of one man whose hardships never seemed to have gotten the best of him.

Food blogs gives me the ‘lols’

http://www.cornichon.org/
http://www.cornichon.org/
http://www.cornichon.org/

This particular website is sort of a food critique site; and it also yells to me, “LOOK HOW AWESOME WE ARE BEING SNOBBY ‘FOODIES’ AND LOOK HOW GOOD THIS FOOD IS”.

If you look at this ‘blog’ site with a mind that you ARE less fortunate than others, this is a great example. Especially if you watched one of those episodes or documentaries the class viewed in class about the low wage working force of America, and then made a documentary about these food enthusiasts in the country side of France.

It shows how good food can be, in the best places on earth (where most of us will be blessed or have been blessed to visit).

DOVE-beauty response

I found that the ‘Beauty Pressure’ film is(I assume) made by Dove is a very positive initiative. I suppose the female beauty industry will be as big as it is and always booming as long as there are females on Earth; it makes great logic that they(a well known beauty company) are so concerned with the images young woman see every day, and that Dove could possibly change the young womans’ lives for the better health of young woman.

The ‘Dove Film – Girls self-esteem’ was rather disturbing in the sense that one of the young girls interviewed claimed to doing sit ups as she got home from school. To me, children should be concerned with what they learned in school, and finding their hobbies instead of trying to be as slim as a model seen elsewhere. This was rather a concerning clip indeed.

The last video, ‘Dove Evolution’ was also just as disturbing as the first. It showed how much ‘magic’ a large name company can do, and what kind of message they sort of say; in a sense, perfection IS impossible and the only way to make it possible is with computers and ridiculous amounts of make-up. A rather striking video to me.

‘Willy Wonka, the real Wonka'(Full Revised Version)

‘Willy Wonka, the real Wonka’

Food plays a role in every humans’ life. From the where you sit on the Earth to the tip of an iceberg in God knows where South or North Pole, every body needs sustenance.

We all have favorite providers like Kraft, Nestle, General Mills, etc. The list could go on for days. But possibly, my favorite of all food providers is Wonka Foods Corporation. He is the ONLY man on this earth that enforces fun with his product. I have yet to see another food provider with employees that are so happy, that they live inside their workplace. They’re SO excited to work, they’re orange. The employees that work for Mr. Wonka are surprisingly all from the same specific tribal colony; no one knows where, but allegedly, this ‘genocide of employees are the only people Mr. Wonka wishes to work in his factory. He claims they’re reliable, hard working, and always happy to sing a song, dance for you AND make candy doing it.

Mr. Wonka is an introverted person though; he is often troubled emotionally by past events and is known to lash out on occasion. Every now and again, he’ll say something and mean something else, as if in his own world….surrounded by candy.  That’s how I would want to die though: asphyxiation by candy…or in a river of chocolate…..that’d be the best….

The only way to relieve himself of his deepest tribulations is to allow him to release himself, by himself; meaning bouncing off the walls and out the ceiling via elevator.

I’ve never even heard of a flying elevator until I heard about Mr. Wonka. There are a plethora of flying objects in the world and the best thing Willy could come up with was a flying elevator….shit, THAT is one troubled man.

He’s also said to be good with children……like, REALLY good. Prospectively, if you left him in charge of say a small group of kids, about 12 years of age, from different cultures and ethnic back rounds, there is no doubt in my mind that all of those kids may not be the best of friends, but those kids would the happiest turds on the planet. They don’t even have to sign waivers; with Wonka, EVERYTHING will be O.K.