1st Semester

As the semester comes to a close I'm wrapping up my work. I've finished all my work except for my IS 101 class. After some troubleshooting, all PowerPoint projects are 100% complete including the PowerPoint departmental test. I face the MOS PowerPoint test tomorrow, well technically today, and hope to pass it. Upon the completion of that I'll also earn the MOS Associate. Good luck to my classmates taking MOS PowerPoint. I wish you all the best in your lives as well as your academic pursuits. One last note, thank you Professor Wu for all the help you've given us.

2020

This year did not start off great for me. There was family issues, I missed out on my senior year events, and the whole quarantine/pandemic situation that's still going on.  But that's not the point of this post. I feel like this year is starting to to look up. This past Wednesday was my 100th day at CSN. There was a video conference with some of the faculty congratulating and encouraging all of us. I'm finished with my ENG class and am in the final stages in my other ones. Sometime soon my parents are going to own their first house. Honestly, they deserve it considering they've been dealing with my brothers and I for so long LOL. You might be wondering what's up with the picture by now. My dad has always wanted a Pit Bull. He found out one of his old friends from school was selling a dog. The dad is an English Bulldog and the mom is a Pit. Since it was just born we're waiting to pick it up in a couple of months. We're also thinking about naming him something else besides Tanker. Hope you guys finish off this year strong and happy.

Procrastination

 

The irony of me writing this is I procrastinated making this post. Procrastination has been one of my main issues. According to an article written by TIME, there are 4 causes of procrastination: expectancy, value, time, and impulsivity. Alexander Rozental, a phycologist, said, “People procrastinate because of a lack of value [associated with the task]; because they expect that they’re not going to achieve the value they’re trying to achieve; because the value is too far from you in terms of time; or because you’re very impulsive as a person.”

Here are some tips...

1. Most people have a point in the day where they're the most productive. Try to working on your task around that time.
2. If you have a large project and start to feel overwhelmed, break it down into small pieces.
3. Go to a place where there are less distractions
4. Focus on one thing instead of multi-tasking
5. If you've been working hard all day, it's ok to take a break

Trouble Shooting

I had an experience Tuesday where I tried helping my dad troubleshoot his laptop. It reminded me of a lesson taught in my IS 101 class. A while back we learned about things to consider when buying a device, such as how comfortable you are with fixing your device. Now even further back, my dad's laptop's screen turned blank out of nowhere. In order to use the laptop, we connected it to the TV with an HDMI cord. 

Okay, now for this week. My dad needed to download something for work but after downloading it, everything turned black and only the cursor was visible. After some research with a little trial and error, we came up with forcing the computer to shutdown 3 times in a row. This forces computers to try to find and analyze any problems. I was able to get the command prompt up and found the code to start the computer in safe mode, which only allows basic functions. From there we were going to uninstall the program and hopefully fixing the screen. At the time, I didn't consider if the HDMI port is a basic component. Now we're in safe mode, but have no way of seeing anything. The lesson I learned is to think of the outcome, we're not always able to undo our actions. Sometimes a carefully thought out plan is required.

Flan

 

I'm not much of a cook ,but when ever I do cook I find it somewhat relaxing. One dish I enjoy making is flan. It's described as a custard online. I learned this recipe from one of my aunts.

Ingredients

- Baking pan
- White sugar (optional)
- 3 Eggs
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
- 1 can of evaporated milk (12 oz.)

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350°F
2.) Pour sugar in small saucepan and heat on stove (to make caramel, optional)
3.) As soon as sugar becomes liquid, pour it in baking pan evenly (optional)
4.) Beat 3 eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk in large bowl until smooth

5.) Pour evenly into baking pan

6.) Bake for about 1 hour in oven

7.) Let cool for about 30 minutes

Comedy

"We don't laugh because we're happy, we are happy because we laugh."

- William James

Since "laughter is the best medicine", I decided I wanted to share some with everyone. Gabriel Iglesias, A.K.A. Fluffy, is one of my favorite comedians. His sound effects and voices are always on point. Here's another video I like, "Drive thru voice". Hope you guys laughed a little and have a wonderful rest of your day.

Pan Dulce

Pan dulce is definitely one of my favorite foods. In fact, my Instagram name is inspired it. Those cold nights spent eating bread and drinking hot chocolate with my family are the best. Even just waiting and figuring out which ones I wanted was, and still is, an adventure. Each one has its own texture, smell, and taste

Pan dulce translates to sweet bread in English. Even though it is considered to be a Mexican cuisine, pan dulce originated from the Spaniards and the French bringing the tradition of wheat-flour pastries. Some of the most commonly known bread are conchas (shells), marranitos (pigglets), and orejas (ears). Some pan dulce are even associated with holidays and traditions. Pan de muerto (bread of the dead) is associated with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Rosca de Reys is associated with Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day).

Week 9

 “Procrastination is my sin. It brings me naught but sorrow. I know that I should stop it. In fact, I will--tomorrow”

― Gloria Pitzer

This was a rough week for me personally. I've been kind of sluggish lately. Luckily I was able to catch a break this weekend. My family, some friends, and I took my little brother to an indoor playground. Later we watched the rest of the world series game between the LA Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. So far the Dodgers are in the lead with today's win. I'm planning on getting back into the swing of things next week. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and don't forget to take a day off once in a while.

The Brain

 

I was watching a show that introduced brain trauma into the story line. The character suffers an injury and pretty much forgets who he is. This led me to start thinking about the brain. The brain is an extremely complex and fragile organ. There are billions and billions of nerve cells and nerve fibers with trillions of connections. The slightest injury can change a person's thinking. Injuries can  even change the emotions and memory of a person. I remember learning about a man named Phineas Gage in high school. A metal rod had gone through his head. After recovery, there were reports of his personality changing completely like becoming impulsive and using extensive amounts of profanity. Later observations say he reverted to his normal behaviors.

Made

This week I want to write about one of my favorite song artists, Eddie Zuko. His real name is Heriberto Xavier Culebro. Like me, Eddie was born in SoCal. My friend had recently introduced me to his songs. 

My favorite song from him is "Made." The lyrics shown below are a part of that song and remind of when I was younger. It talks about how when he would visit his grandma she would make food. Since his grandmother is religious, she taught him to pray before eating. Saturday mornings was when he woke up early to watch cartoons. Since it gets hot during the summer he cooled down using the hose.

"Chillin at my Nanas eatin a lil sopita,

'Andale come come caliento mas tortillas,

Ay ay ch ch mijo no te olvides,

Siempre dale gracias a diosito pa este dia', yeah yeah

Saturday morning used to watch caricaturas,

Get wet outside with la manguera,

You know it's too hot."

Eddie Zuko - "MADE" Music Video

Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis

 

Nature can be both frightening and astonishing. This can even be said about fungi. I remember a video I saw about Cordyeceps on social media. It can turn ants into "zombies." According to National Geographic (nationalgeographic.com), the fungus infects an ant and slowly gains control of its body. After a while, the ant's insides are slowly eaten. Once the host is dead a column of fungus is sprouted out  of the body. Scientists believe that Ophiocordyceps doesn't want to infect every ant. Instead, the reason is for population control.

CGI

While watching one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies I started thinking about computer-generated imagery (CGI). Its amazing how people can change what looks real on a screen. They're basically creating their own world. Entertainment isn't the only use of CGI. For example, architects will sometimes use this to model how buildings would look. Both the architect and the client get a better sense of  how the building is going to turn out. I'm interested on how this technology will progress in the future.

Magic

 

Magic is the only way to describe a taco when it touches your taste buds. There are many types of tacos. They use different meats, methods of cooking, seasonings, even tortillas. A lot of effort goes into the prepping of this delicious. There are two types of tortillas, flour and corn. The most popular meat is carne asada, which translates to grilled meat. This is usually the go-to taco for those who are unsure of what to get. Another type is al pastor. Pork is marinated in spices and placed on a trompo (what is being depicted above). The taquero (person who makes tacos) slices the pork with pieces of pineapple to give it a sweetness. Last but not least, barbacoa. Barbacoa is typically made from lamb. The name refers to the style of cooking. A hole is dug in the ground so that the meat can be slow cooked. The meat is also wrapped in plantain leaves.

                        

Salsa

 

Salsa is one of my favorite music genres. I grew up listening to it and it reminds me of my family. It has been everywhere for me, at parties, when food is getting cooked, even waking me up to clean on weekends. I just think salsa is amazing. Some of my favorite artists include Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz, and Willie Colon.

Salsa has strong roots from Afro-Cuban music. This type of music was brought from Cuba all the way to New York City. It really grew in the city. Nuyoricans, or Puerto Rican decedents born in NY, took a huge liking to the music. That was the moment the salsa we have now was born.

Reptar

    This is Reptar, my bearded dragon. I've had him for about three years now. He is exactly 18 inches long as of today. Repatar has spikes all over his body. His favorite meal is a bag of crickets from our local pet store. When Reptar falls asleep, he prefers to flatten out on the rock or lay upwards against the glass.

    According to animalplanet.com, the scientific name for the most common pet dragon species is Pogona Vitticeps. Bearded dragons get their nickname from their neck. When ever agitated, dragons will flair out the skin around the neck turning the area black. They originate from the deserts of central Australia. Dragons are omnivores meaning they eat animals, such as insects and small lizard, and vegetables, such as leafy greens.

The Start of a New Journey

Hello readers,

    I am starting this blog as a project for my IS 101 class. This is my first semester in college making me a first generation student in my family. I have gotten through the first week and it has been amazing. I have to admit, the first day I panicked but now I am back on track. I am glad to say it seems that the teachers I have met truly do care about their students. I cant wait to see what's in store for me on this journey.