Entry #6. An Inked Generation

What is your opinion on tattoos? Do you automatically make assumptions about a person because they have ink on their skin? For our parents' generation, having a tattoo meant you were likely to have engaged in other deviant activities. Today, over 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo.

There are two completely drastic opinions on this subject. For me, personally, I am one of those 45 million and actually have a half-sleeve. One of the major setbacks in getting inked is the fear of being condemned in the workplace- or even the fear of not being able to get a job at all. I was nervous about that prior to getting my tattoo, but with the amount of people that have them now, standards have changed and a lot of well paying jobs allow you to display them. All of the jobs I have had thus far and will have in my younger years allow you to show off your ink. Stores, restaurants, hospitals, and other business are ink friendly. However, when I get serious with a career, if they don't accept the tattoo on my arm then I will simply keep it covered.

• A study concluded that there is about $1.65 billion spent annually on tattoos.
• There are over 21,000 tattoo parlors in the U.S.
• The job industry with the highest percentage of tattooed staff is the military.
• The second highest % of tattooed staff is agriculture.
• The top 5 locations to get a tattoo are 1. Lower Back 2.Wrist 3. Foot 4. Ankle 5. Armband

It is so crazy to me to hear the different comments daily on the ink I show off proudly on my arm. No matter the age range- the opinions are either black or white on the spectrum, no in between. Often times I have negative looks or questions from elderly people who don't approve of them and then I'll have instances like I did the other day at the store. I was stopped while I was shopping at Wal-Mart by a woman who had to be well over 65 years old and had no visible ink on her body. She was in awe of the artwork and detail in my half-sleeve and even asked to take a picture of it. Afterwards, she showed me a small butterfly on her shoulder and told me her story behind it. It was a great moment to  share our pieces with one another and it was cool to see hear that perspective, coming from someone who lived in a time period where tattoos weren't as common.

I currently work in bar and let me tell you, my tattoo is definitely the number one conversation starter with my customers. I am always asked what is the meaning of it.. well here it is. I haven't had a whole lot of family stability in my life and have gone through a tremendous amount of heartache because of it. My mom and dad were never there for me and decided to focus on other priorities in their lives instead of being parents. My gracious grandma took on the responsibility to raise and take care of me from the time I was 4 years old. She has provided everything she could for me and has given me the ultimate best since the day I came into this world. I really wouldn't even be alive or the person I am without her. About two years ago, I was going through a funk. I fell into a depression and made a lot of poor choices that I knew just wasn't me. My grandma had told me this quote and I don't know if it was the timing, mixed with my emotions, but it literally hit me like a freight train and I immediately wrote it down. I had dwelled on the quote for some time before I decided I wanted to put it on my right arm with a beautiful hummingbird to represent my grandma (my right arm man) always telling me to be strong. The quote is "And that's the wonderful thing about mornings, you get to start over". To me, this means do not bring the troubles, pain, misfortune and worries from today into tomorrow. Every day is a new beginning, a new chance to be the absolute best version of yourself.

I have now had my tattoo for a year and I love it just as much today, if not more, than I did the day I got it. I love hearing other people's comments and opinions on it (good and bad) and I also enjoy hearing other people's tattoo stories/meanings. And yes, I am aware my skin will get saggy and the ink will fade. I am also aware I will have it for the rest of my life and I am perfectly content with that- even when my skin sags. ;) Would love to hear some tattoo stories if anyone would like to share!

Also- here's a crazy video to watch about how tattooing works (close-up)! Caution: it might be hard to watch haha

Entry #5. Is Wall-E Really the Robot?

Let's take a look at a video today... Which happens to come from a Disney movie you may already be very familiar with- Wall-E.

In this video we can see a bold attack on a "culture of consumption". It is obviously quite dramatic but this can be compared to our technologically advanced society today. In my opinion, this clip shows a world that is way too distracted and "self-involved". All of the people in this futuristic time are situated comfortably in a floating chair that literally takes them anywhere and allows for constant monitoring of a television/internet screen. Everything is brought to them- food, drinks, friends, stores, news, etc- which makes these individuals capable of surviving basically without even lifting a finger...

This is such a sad and lazy society depicted...just look at how overweight and blinded the community as a whole is. One man can be seen reaching his drink to Wall-E and ends up falling out of his chair; he literally can't even get up off of the floor onto his two feet by himself! Wall- E kindly helps the man return to his chair. Is that what our world is going to come too?!

Right now, we are living in such an instantaneous time period. We feel the need to constantly keep up with news and social media 24/7, often times getting too caught up in our devices. We love instant gratification-always purchasing the latest trends and getting what we want the moment we want it.

It's almost as if human beings often times get more satisfaction from their virtual lives rather than the real world their in. In the very beginning of the clip, the man says he is going to the "driving range" to hit a few virtual balls in space. There is no physical activity involved in that whatsoever and i'm sure the entire dystopia is filled with health issues. Are these people really living a life not even able to walk on their own?!

Along with the fact of being way too distracted, another major point I found from this part of the film was that there was no individuality amongst the people. They are all in the same red jumpsuit clothing, sitting in the same type of chair, eating and drinking the exact same foods (even lunch in a cup..eww!). Then at one point when a new trend occurred and blue jumpsuits were "in" everyone changed their outfits at the same time. How are you supposed to know what someone is like when originality is restricted.

Overall, I feel like this is a perfect example of a dystopian society and if we think about it, as a country, we are already showing similar flaws. Obesity is sky-rocketing in the United States because it is ultimately possible to live your entire life from your house, not even taking a step outside. Food can be ordered on your phone, bills can be paid, businesses can be ran and people can entertain themselves for quite some time with technology.

Without a doubt, technology has the capability to make life a convenient experience to humanity. However, an over-reliance on it can lead to a nation like this one from Wall-E where humans essentially turn into robots and the robots (like Wall-E) have more humanistic qualities than the humans themselves.

Entry #4. The Best Time of Year.

Cooler weather, beautiful colors, comforting foods, bonfires, pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING...just a few of the wonderful aspects about this upcoming fall season! While walking through Wal-mart last week I passed by the already-fully-stocked isles ready for Halloween. Black and orange draped the shelves filled with decorations, candies, costumes and other festive items. Candles with aromas such as campfire, toasted hazelnut, apple cider, maple, salted caramel and so many others. Cute jackets, scarves, blankets and warmer outfits are also out and ready to transition your wardrobes for the cooler weather.

The transformation to fall means crisp cool air and colors of orange, red and brown all around. The leaves are dropping from the trees and there are lots of fruits and vegetables in season. This is such great time of the year for holidays-starting with Halloween and going all the way until after Thanksgiving when winter is here in Arizona. Halloween just makes my heart happy and always has. There is so much joy and fun in picking out a costume, going trick-or-treating and spending time with friends and family. Pumpkin patches are filled and ready to be picked and carved into many different designs/faces or used as decor. Haunted houses, carnivals and corn mazes come into town and are set up all around the state. Classic Halloween movies will play all over the television- the Halloweentown series, Scream, Hocus Pocus, Halloween, Twitches, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and so much more. I highly recommend you keep a look out for ABC Family's Halloween marathon that will start playing the beginning of October.

This time of the year also means a lot more family interaction. Whether it be gathering for a home-cooked meal and celebrating the holiday season or going out to one of the many attractions/activities. I love opportunities that bring families together as a unit and the autumn season is definitely one of them. Fall is also the start of college and NFL football season, fantasy leagues and when holiday editions of cold brews come out in stores as well!

PUMPKIN. PUMPKIN. PUMPKIN. Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is just the beginning: Cookies, bagels, cereal, alcohol, chips, teas, pancakes, oatmeal, pop-tarts, cream cheese, marshmallows, hershey's chocolate, peanut butter, hummus, yogurt, cakes, peanuts, ice cream- just about absolutely everything you can think of has added their version of the classic pumpkin flavor. (Which is now on the shelves at the store, on the menu at Starbucks and other restaurant/food chains..you're welcome!)

October 16th this year is the first day the Arizona State Fair is open- just another part of the fall season to look forward to. At the fair there are tons of rides to ride, creepy/weird shows to watch, concerts that are performed, amazing fried food, and activities galore. It is a great place to have fun with your friends/family and get out for the night. Oktoberfest is a festival in which a million german residents gather and enjoy a carnival, runs/races, german food, beer and wine gardens live music. There will be a total of four of these in Arizona this year, however, the closest one (Tempe) will be on October 9-11th.

I hope you are all just as excited for the upcoming season as I am. Take the time this year to really enjoy the holidays and cooler weather with the people you love and care about in your life. This  is the ideal chance to adventure out and make lifetime memories. I encourage you to spend more time outside in nature and hey maybe even be wild & try something new in the delicious pumpkin flavor.;)

Some links for different attractions/activities to visit this fall in Arizona:
1. http://www.funtober.com/oktoberfest/arizona/# (Oktoberfest)
2. https://azstatefair.com (Arizona State Fair)
3. http://www.schnepffarms.com (Schnepf Farms) -Personal favorite! I go every year!
4. http://www.13thflooraz.com (The 13th Floor Haunted House)
5. http://www.fearfarm.com (Fear Farm Haunted House)
6. http://www.tolmachoff-farms.com/corn_maze_pumpkin_patch_glendale_arizona.html (Tolmachoff Farms)

Entry #3. We are App Addicts

This past week I came across two news articles that I would like to share with you in hope you can pertain it to your own daily life habits. The first article is from CNBC.com called "Glued to your phone? That's OK, so is everyone else" by Cadie Thompson. In this article she shares how smartphones have ultimately impacted our social life, work life and even our health. She shares some statistics according to a survey that questioned 1,000 people in the U.S and the U.K...

92% of respondents said that having a smartphone has altered how they connect with friends.

58% of people say smartphones have changed how they manage their health

49% say that smartphones have altered how they date.

55% say they check at least one app every hour. 

And the top 25% of "top app users" are particularly reliant on their device.

It is so crazy that the growing attachment to our smartphones really comes from an attachment to apps. We feel this need to constantly be connected to the world via the smartphone. Not only do we use our apps to link to sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with friends, family and people around the world. We also use apps to play games, check e-mails, pay bills, check bank accounts, browse the internet, listen to music, edit pictures, GPS navigation, messaging, ordering food, calculator/tools and so much more. There are sites like Google, Bing and Ask.com that allow you to type in just about any question you can think of and find responses to it. There are apps such as Pinterest where you can browse pictures, recipes, quotes, and ideas to just about anything. Dating apps are popular as well and allow you to see a person in a picture and get to know them more without even meeting them. There are health apps to track your eating habits, fitness/exercise, period trackers for females, and other medical related apps as well. You can shop through apps-Amazon, Ebay and tons of other different stores as well. We basically have access to anything in the palm of our hands with smartphones..Now my question to you is.. Are we too addicted?

The second article that I found online was actually on huffingtonpost.com and titled "How Giving Up My Phone Forced Me To Live My Life". The author, Sarah Bourassa, says "Text. Tweet. Sleep Repeat. Text. Tweet. Sleep. Repeat. " was embedded in her head and she didn't even realize that she was living her life through a little screen. A weekend out camping with her boyfriend where there was no cell service was a realization point in her life. She said that this "detoxing" from her phone helped her as a whole and developed a healthier relationship with her phone. Here are some of the changes she recognized without her phone...

"1. It completely changed my sleep routine.

 2. It made me live in the present.

 3. I had more quality interactions with other people. "

In my opinion, these are completely accurate realizations. For number one, how many of you fall asleep with your phone right next to you? Personally I have the worst habit of scrolling through my feeds on social media or texting my friends right before bed. Sometimes I will literally have one eye open and be completely exhausted but I don't want to end the conversation I'm in or I find myself too caught up reading or looking at something. Number two is an important point to me and I feel like I need to work on this the most. Sometimes having your phone on you all the time gets you too caught up in who is going to text you next and what is the most updated posts on media right now. Without the phone, you are able to live and involve yourself in the moment more and not worry so much about what is going to happen next. This also leads to point number 3- quality of interactions. Without having a phone on you 24/7 you are able to better engage in conversations with the people you are physically with. You can learn more about their feelings, emotions, expressions and feel their personality. Sometimes it's hard to translate your personality via mobile devices/ technology.

Overall, from these two articles I hope you can understand that a balance needs to take place in our lives. Smartphones have been an incredible development in technology and we are a blessed generation to have all of these awesome capabilities with the touch of our fingers to a small device screen. However, we cannot let these devices take over our lives and control us. We must be able to find the median and utilize the resource but not abuse it. Take some time to reevaluate your use of the smartphone you own. Do you spend too much time on it? Try to set certain times of the day where you put your phone away completely or leave it at home. Especially if you can try to avoid falling asleep on it as much as possible. Hopefully you will notice some improved life changes- such as the ones Miss Sarah Bourassa mentioned. I encourage you to strive to live more in the actual moment and physically interact with the people you are surrounded with. :)

Article #1: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/19/glued-to-your-phone-thats-ok-so-is-everyone-else.html

Article #2: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/-sarah-bourassa/how-giving-up-my-phone-forced-me-to-live-my-life_b_7841752.html 

Entry #2. Choosing A Healthy Lifestyle.

When given the option-most Americans would choose to drink soda over water, grab a quick hamburger and fries from the nearest drive-thru instead of a preparing a nutritious meal and may pass up on offers to attend the gym or go for a run in exchange for hours on the couch or scrolling through social media. Now-a-days there is so much technology and distractions that is is much easier to become less active and overweight. Typical American diets exceed the recommended intake levels-for calories from solid fats and added sugars, refined grain, sodium and saturated fat. Foods that are contributed to the most weight gain include french fries, potato chips, sugar, red meats, processed foods, sweets/desserts and fried food. It is sad but sometimes it costs less to buy these kinds of junk foods; government support (i.e. food stamps) allows you to purchase this non-nutritional garbage as well. Even fast food places like Jack-in-the-Box accept food stamps. This just means the junk food is so easy to get your hands on and is filled with sugars and fats that make our taste buds go crazy and can even be addicting. Once eating poorly becomes a habit, it is very hard to break. Your body starts to crave the sugars, salt, fattiness and it becomes used to the unhealthy diet. Most people that consistently eat junk, wouldn't choose to eat a green vegetable, garden salad or a great piece of salmon. They don't typically care about the protein and nutritional value in the foods they are eating. It also slowly starts to build up on you, the weight will continue to increase and medical issues will arise.

At first, it is not an easy task to change your diet and lifestyle around. In fact, it will take months and months of getting used to and developing good eating habits. It takes a hell of a lot of self discipline and persistence. It is so easy to see a commercial on the TV for a nice greasy pizza and then think "Ehh, I'll just order a pizza today for lunch and start my diet tomorrow". You have to have the will power in you to choose something healthier. Eating clean doesn't mean you have to sit there and write a hugggggeeee list of all of the different things you must deprive yourself from. That will literally drive you crazy and make your goal impossible to achieve. Instead, it is important to make small changes. Maybe one week you decide "Okay, I'm going to give up drinking soda and every time I crave that refreshing drink, I grab a water instead". Then for that week or two weeks you work on not drinking soda and instead increasing your water intake. After the time period, it should be much easier to choose to drink water over the sugary caffeine beverage. Next, you can choice to give up fried/processed food and refrain from that as well as your continuous strive to eliminate soda. After a few weeks of choosing better foods over fried/processed you might choose to incorporate exercises. You may choose to walk around your community every other night of the week or go to the gym 2-3 times( Not, every day... that could be an overwhelming goal). The point is you must be gradual with you lifestyle changes. You don''t want to take on a huge load of goals and then not end up achieving any of them. And sometimes this can backfire and put someone into a depression that leads to even more unhealthy eating. 

Slowly changing eating and fitness habits can improve your health and happiness in life. At first, it may seem like a chore or a punishment to eat some carrots or run on the treadmill. But after awhile of consistency and good diet choices, eating clean will turn into a regular behavior you don't even have to think twice about. For me personally, I used to be about 65 pounds heavier. It took me a good 3 years to completely transform from my poor eating choices to craving fruits and vegetables. And WANTING to go to the gym. I encourage everyone to set goals and be persistent with them. It will be a long and challenging journey but you will thank yourself in the end. Choose that water bottle before you grab a coke. Read the nutrition label on the back of the foods you are eating. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and strive to be the strongest, fittest and healthiest version of yourself you can be!

Entry #1. My Opinion on Blogs

To me personally, blogs are fascinating. I absolutely love exploring all of the different varieties of them- whether they are professional or personal. My all time favorites if I had to choose would have to be personal life and health/fitness blogs. For some odd reason I find it interesting to keep up on other people and their different adventures and challenges. It is always amazing to me to listen to somebody else's perspective on certain ideas and expanding my personal knowledge. Reading their stories and memories on life that are also tied into lessons can be learned and completely impact the reader's life. The best blogs have pictures and personality displayed all throughout them. For me, I have a passion for health and fitness so I am constantly browsing online journals, Pinterest, and Instagram, or motivational recipes, workouts, quotes and just better lifestyle habits.  I love love love this blog online titled "Eat, Lift and Be Happy", it has such great strategies and techniques to maintain a better physique and focus on your health. I also love to read about ways to be more successful in life- whether it is educationally, finally or physically. Another blog example I found while doing my research was a blog by the name of "Dumb Little Man- Tips for Life". On this site, there were so many different great tips, advice and examples presented to better your life in the aspects of happiness, health, success, etc. The last example of blogs I enjoy looking at and reading is the celebrity gossip and fashion. Out of some of the blogs I explored, one of them that popped out to me was "Perez Hilton" where they focused on just about all of the hot celebrities known in the media today and had great updated pictures and stories. I definitely have to take interest in the blog's topic in order for me to read it completely and even constantly keep up on it. Politics and history are the types of blogs that I honestly don't care to read more into. Most of the time it is a lot of dry information and pertains to topics I don't care to learn more about. "Hullabaloo" was a blog I found that fits in this category- it covers topics pertaining to the country, government, political leaders/ laws, immigration, freedom, etc. I know I probably SHOULD enjoy reading and keeping up on these such points mentioned, but it really isn't for my enjoyment...Well, reading blogs and loving to explore them is one thing and writing them is obviously something completely different. I have never actually written a blog like this before. Sure, I keep a daily update on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, however, I have never wrote to this extent. I am actually excited to blog and hope that even after my English course is over that I can still continue to utilize this awesome recording technique!