Entry #6. Black Friday.

I love Black Friday. I know, I know, going out to buy all these things I don’t need just after I said I was thankful for everything I have, but for me that’s not the case. When I go Black Friday shopping, I don’t get the giant big screen tvs for myself, or a new laptop, or stuff like that. I usually go to get gifts for my family and to spend time with love ones. “Wait what?? How are you spending time with loved ones running around to different stores??” Well, usually I’m with friends and family going to these places. Some of my fondest memories are when one year my dad and I went to Best Buy so he could get a laptop for school. We were there like 3 hours early and we just spent time together, which was nice as my dad worked a lot and went to school. Then in high school, I went with my sister and got in line hours early for Target so she could get an iPod. I ended up getting some things as well, but the time I spent with her was wonderful. This year, I get to go with my girlfriend who’s never gone before. Yeah, the crowds are insane, people tend to get bent out of shape over little things, but I truly enjoy Black Friday. I love being able to get bigger gifts for people, which I normally wouldn’t be able to afford, and seeing their faces light up when they open them. I also love being able to spend that time with family. Just waiting in line lets us have uninterrupted quality time.  Black Friday for me is a fun event that I get to spend with those I care about, getting gifts for those same people. After I finish shopping this year, I’m playing Christmas music all day, while my girlfriend and I wrap gifts, bake cookies, and drink cocoa. So yeah, I guess you could say I’m excited for the holidays.

Also, relevant meme is relevant. 

(Source: weknowmemes.com)

Entry #5. ASU short classes.

Currently, Arizona State University is planning to offer more short classes during the upcoming semester. This means instead of the traditional 15 week course, more classes will be condensed into faster-paced 7 and 1/2 week classes. During the average week more things will be done in a 7 1/2 week course than the 15 week. Personally, I think it's a great idea. ASU believes that it will help student's schedules, which I firmly agree. Having started an English course halfway through the semester, I was able to bring my traditional 15 week classes to high grades without having to worry about the additional course work of an essay heavy class. Plus, the time that I would be in my English class, I used to complete homework for other classes. Students with more options for shorter classes may be able to take more credits within the semester and receive their degree earlier. Also, I believe that some classes would extremely benefit from being able to take the next course within the same semester. For example, English. Some individuals may be able to take English 101 and English 102 within the same semester. This helps them stay with the same concept of writing that is needed. It is difficult when classes can be a year or more apart, as students may forget crucial information. Furthermore, I don't think all classes will ever switch to this format. While there is a huge shift to nontraditional college students, such as online, hybrid, or condensed classes, there will always be the traditional population. Additionally, there will always be classes that need the full 15 weeks to cover necessary concepts. Classes such as General Biology for science majors need all the time they can to cover what it needed for the next course.

However, ASU also argues that financially it will help students as well. Maybe it's different at ASU, but I paid the same for my shorter class as I would have for a traditional 15 week course. Maybe in the long term they make pay less as students pay be able to take more classes in the same semester, but upfront, there seems to be no difference.

Entry #4. Lemon Bars.

Man, I love desserts. Chocolate desserts, cookie desserts, ice cream desserts, bar desserts, yellow desserts, white dessert, I like all kinds of desserts. Well except cake. I'm not a huge cake fan. Especially chocolate cake. It's too... chocolate-y. But, I digress. My favorite dessert is lemon bars, and not to brag or anything, but I can make a pretty rad batch.

(Lemon bars made by me)

Look at this glorious creation. Tangy, sweet and throw some powdered sugar and you got yourself an amazing dessert. I'll share with you a fantastic lemon bar recipe I got from my aunt to make this delicious delicacy. 

The Best Lemon Bars You'll Ever Make

For the Crust:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
-In a medium bowl, mix the butter, flour and sugar together until its the consistency of cookie dough. -Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden.

For the filling:
6 eggs
2  1/4cups white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 lemons, juiced
Some lemon juice (optional- if you want your bars to be a bit more on the tangy side)

While the crust is baking:
-Zest 2 of the lemons in a mixing bowl.
-Add the sugar and flour and whisk together until evenly incorporated.
-Juice all 3 of the lemons and add juice to the bowl.
-Add the eggs and whisk everything together until smooth. Add optional lemon juice.
-Once the crust is golden brown, pour the filling mixture over the hot crust and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes.
-Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
-Sprinkle with powder sugar just before you cut and serve.

Violá! You just made yourself some rad lemon bars.

Entry #3. Slanted Reporting.

Slanted Reporting. The situation in which a reporter presents the facts in a bias way with a distinct underlying message.

"Christian catching hell" is a prime example of this type of reporting. Within the brief news story, the reporter interviews a conservative Christian woman, Cathi Herrod, who had been receiving hateful words towards her conservation positions. Herrod, a prominent member of the Center for Arizona Policy. The reporter glosses over the most hateful aspects of Herrod's conservative position. On the Center for Arizona Policy's webpage, hateful comments towards LGBT members are encouraged. One such page Homosexuality argues that the American Psychological Association (APA) was only persuaded to not encourage conversion therapy for homosexuals due to the, "Strength that pro-homosexual advocates," exerted on the APA. While the reporter may seem to be taking an unbiased view, what she is actually doing is completely different. What NBC12 is essentially telling viewers is that Christians who advocate for extremely harmful conversion therapy and the inequality of LGBT individuals are "oppressed" if people take offense to their words. For the audience, this can tell an LGBT teen or young adult that they're wrong. That what they feel is immoral and they should change. People like Herrod increase the suicide rates for LGBT youth and increase the self-harm rates as well. Herrod and the NBC affiliate should be ashamed of themselves. Herrod for encouraging the inequality of citizens based off of religious beliefs in a country founded on the concept of not having one supreme religion, and NBC12 for making a victim out of the oppressor. Personally, I feel sicken by this report. I remember being youth and feeling wrong about who I was. I remember liking girls and worrying about what people would say. Herrod is a bigot and NBC12 is encouraging her archaic behavior through this segment.

Entry #2. LDRs.

Distance sucks. First, if I could just teleport anywhere that would be great. Second, I wouldn't have to work about gas prices (although, they'd probably be some fee for teleportation per miles or something...). But as it stands, distance is something that impacts my day to day life. Why is this? Because currently, I am in a long distance relationship (LDR).

I'm lucky though. I knew going into this relationship it was going to be LDR. She was going off to college, I knew that. However, some people aren't that lucky. Circumstances such as school, work, and family can cause regular relationships to become LDRs. LDRs are hard, and, in my opinion, much harder than ones where the couples can see each other often.

My relationship currently (as of 2am this morning actually) has a 2 hour time difference. That makes planning Skype (a video chat service) dates, phone calls, and other relationship aspects really difficult. Additionally, sometimes remembering the 2 hours is a pain in the butt. For example, if I work from 6pm-10pm, it's 8pm-12am (previously 9pm-1am) her time. Plus, there were some days where I wouldn't be getting done with classes until 820 her time, then I would work at 9 her time (6 my time). Sounds confusing? Trust me, I know.

One of the most important things is communication. My girlfriend can't read my body language or my nonverbal communication to know if something is wrong (unless we're on Skype, but even then), so I have to tell her. Additionally, I have to make sure I let her know when I'm going out with friends and whatnot, so we can both prepare before we Skype, whether that's getting ready for bed, or getting homework done.

Right now, my girlfriend and I are 2,450 miles apart (maybe more she's currently on the subway). She goes to Pace University in downtown New York city, and I live in Glendale, Arizona. We're pretty much across the country from each other. But we make it work. Through texting, phone calls, Skype chats, FaceTime, care packages, and LDR couple apps (there's actually one called Avocado), we make this relationship work.

Me (left) and my girlfriend (right) with the doll I got her before she left

We're cool

Entry #1. Blogs.

Blogs are interesting. They can be used for beneficial purposes, like reviews of restaurants from someone who travels a lot or day to day interactions of multiracial family. Or blogs can be used to promote hate with lists of reasons why gay people shouldn't be allowed to get married or neo-Nazi propaganda. I think blogs are a powerful tool and, believe it or not, come with a great deal of responsibility. Blogs can help shape the thoughts and opinions of individuals on a great deal of things, and therefore, blogs owners need to be well aware of this when they start a blog. Even if the blog posts are less serious things like, "How to make a pet costume" or "5 books to read before graduating high school," they still can have a significant impact on someone.

PostSecret is one of my favorite blogs. Back in 2010, 2011, I found it through Tumblr and was enamored by the secrets that people had. I found it fascinating. Some of the the secrets weren't as serious such as "My favorite color is pink. I'm a guy," but others talked about suicide, sexual abuse, and drug abuse. While some of the post were downright heartbreaking, it provided comforted knowing that I wasn't alone. At the time, I was struggling a lot with myself, and it helped so much to know that there were other people who felt the same things I did, that were going through the same things, and were okay.

Shakesville was a new blog I encountered through one of the top blog list. I think it's awesome. It's pro-women, social justice content is something I love. It talks about many issues concerning to women, such as right to abortions, same-sex marriage, class warfare, and body image. One post talked about a British TV personality, Katie Hopkins, "experiment" on how everyone who is fat cannot be happy, and if they are they're lying to themselves. Hopkins gained 50 pounds, felt terrible, then worked it off proving that fat people are lazy. The author makes valid points that this is a form of oppression, "To deny even the possibility of people's authentic emotional expression by deeming it a lie, deeming it evidence of not having a grip on reality, before they even speak."

Perez Hilton is a gossipy, gimicky blog similar to the tabloid show TMZ.  Perez Hilton, who's real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr., reports on celebrity sightings, celebrity gossips, and essentially all things celebrity. I don't like it. His idolization of celebrities is hurtful to both the public and to the celebrities themselves. He feeds off the misfortune of others, such as Kesha, formally known as Ke$ha. Kesha, in the past year, underwent some serious mental health and emotional health issues. After leaked sexually explicit photos of the pop star and he then boyfriend surfaced, Perez sprung. He made a mockery out of the situation, ridiculing her when she went to rehab for an eating disorder, and then, once she came back and fired her manager, acted as if he supported her the entire time. Additionally, Perez is a caricature stereotype of a gay man. His blog theme is pink. He's obsessed with celebrities and fashion. He gives a very outdated and skewed look at what it means to be gay. Furthermore, Perez has been criticized numerous times for "outing" celebrities that were still "in the closet." (This means, for those unaware, that Perez stated that the celebrity was gay when they were, but did not feel comfortable at the time disclosing their sexual orientation.) I feel that Perez is toxic and is bad for the blogging world and the gay community.