Black Hawk Down

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzYGhOQyUGdu6_cGPFKPgekMOjeK2nTd0oRHGvOBTqJrX-nTv5kNIR9kS4BRtX-IjziHR19p1QrsZ8zlr1p3hNtNILtbegxWyx1V-Y2ssrMlDINn9tyYSLHptRSE6sEBQtDRfOo0QN0M/s1600/black-hawk-down.jpg

                I have multiple favorite movies, but if I had to pick the one that I enjoy the most and find to be the most influential would be Black Hawk Down.  The reasons I find this movie to be so great is because I love war movies, they always seem to intrigue me more than any other movie genres.  I am also usually not a fan of movies based on true stories, but when it comes to war movies I always find them to be more meaningful and influential.  As I reflect on this movie, it shows me how members of the military will do anything for their brothers.  It reinforces the idea of no man left behind in the military.  This movie also reminds of when I was younger, as the first time I watched it was with my family one evening in our living room.

Fruitvale Station

Oscar Grant being played by Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station

http://blog.sfgate.com/crime/files/2013/07/fruitvale07_PH_cover3.jpg

               Fruitvale Station is the true story about a young man, Oscar Grant, who was trying to turn his life around.  At the beginning of the movie it becomes apparent that he is very devoted to his family and friends.  He wants to provide for his daughter and girlfriend the best he can, but he also wants to leave his past behind of drug deals and being sent to jail.  As the movie progresses it becomes apparent that all Oscar wants to do is better himself and make everyone around him happy.  He does his best to provide for his daughter and his girlfriend, while also lending a hand to anyone who asks for it.  Oscar, his girlfriend, and their friends go out on New Year's Eve after an evening of celebrating his mother's birthday.  While out on the town, things take a dramatic turn that is eye-opening to us all.

               As I reflect on this movie, it makes me realize how no matter what you are doing with your life, no matter how careful you are trying to be, or how good of a person you are, it only takes one decision, that may not even be your own, that can create life altering consequences.

                Normally, I am not a fan of movies based on true stories, but I thought this movie had a very good meaning.  Not only because of how it makes you realize how quickly your life can change, but because it shows that it is always possibly to turn your life around.  Oscar had hit rock bottom after he was sent to jail, then once he was released he decided to do his best to provide for his family through doing the right thing.

How to Make Pancakes From Scratch

For many of us, one of the best breakfast options are pancakes. When it comes to making pancakes, we usually reach for the box of instant pancakes which only requires you to add water or milk because it is a fast way to do it. But there is a quick way to make pancakes from scratch that takes almost the same amount of time and tastes better than the pancakes from a box. Following these very simple steps will allow you to not only have better tasting pancakes, but it will also give you more nutritious pancakes that use fresh ingredients.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

(For 10-12 pancakes)

Time: 20-25 Minutes.

Dry Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 cup of flour
• A pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup of buttermilk or regular milk.
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter.

Other

• Pan or griddle. (If using a pan, you will need access to a stove top.)
• Cooking spray for pan or butter
• Spatula
• Mixing bowl
• Wisk
• Medium size spoon
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring glass for milk
• Microwavable bowl for melting the butter

Steps:

1. In a mixing bowl, add in the dry ingredients and mix them together. The dry ingredients include the baking powder, baking soda, sugar, flour and the salt.  When measuring the flour, make sure to pack as much flour in the measuring cup as you can to ensure that you have enough flour. When measuring the baking soda, sugar, and baking powder, make sure to scrape the top of the measuring spoons to make sure that you are not adding too much of an ingredient. The pinch of salt should be about the amount of salt that you could pinch in your fingertips.

Dry Ingredients measured out

2. After the dry ingredients are mixed together, add in the wet ingredients. The wet ingredients include the buttermilk, one egg, and the butter. When we made the pancakes, we used regular milk and they turned out just as well as they would with buttermilk. When cracking the egg, begin by hitting the egg gently against the side of the bowl to put a small crack into the egg. When you have the small crack, gently force the crack upwards to break the egg open. This will help to prevent pieces of the egg shell from getting in the bowl. When the yolk and egg white are in the bowl, use one of the egg halves to scoop the remaining liquid dripping from the other half to prevent a mess when throwing the egg away. When melting the butter, use a microwavable bowl and microwave it for 15 to 20 seconds, the butter should not be completely melted. When mixing the ingredients, make sure that the consistency of the batter is smooth and that it has no clumps. If desired, you can add in chocolate chips or pieces of fruit into the batter.

Wet Ingredients

3. After the ingredients are mixed together, use a pan on a stove or a griddle and turn the griddle or the stovetop on to medium heat. Coat the pan in either cooking spray or butter to prevent pancakes from sticking to the pan. If you are using butter, use around a half a tablespoon and allow for some time for the butter to melt completely onto the pan.

Pan Coated in Butter

4. When the pan or griddle is ready to use, add a medium size spoon full of the batter onto the pan. When adding more spoonful's on, make sure there is around a couple inches of space between them. To make a pancake in a circular shape, start by adding a small spoonful and place it in a small circle. Then add more batter on top of the circle slowly. This will help your pancakes to cook in a more circular shape.

Batter on Pan

5. After the pancake batter is on the pan or griddle, wait for the edges to set. To know if the edges are set, the sides of the pancake will not look runny. Once the edges are set, flip the pancake by using a spatula. Flip pancakes frequently to prevent them from burning. To save time with cleaning up, get your sink ready to wash dishes and wash your dishes while the pancakes are cooking. It also works better if you have another person helping with making the pancakes so one person can cook pancakes while the other washes dishes and cleans up.  

(Left) Edges Setting on Pancake (Right) Pancake After Being Flipped

6. When each side of the pancake is a light brown they are ready to be served. For best results serve pancakes warm. Toppings that can be used are maple syrup, butter, whip cream, fruit, or you can come up with your own!

Finished Pancakes

Following these steps will allow you and your family to enjoy better tasting pancakes compared to making them from a box. Not only do they taste better, but they are better for you and are easy to make!

Authors: Jackson Campbell, Jake Raasch, Jordan Sorenson

Digital Life

Bing.com/images

During my 5 days of recording my digital life, I realized how much time I truly spend playing Xbox and watching Netflix.  I knew that I spent my fair share of time playing Xbox and watching Netflix, but I was not aware that I would spend almost 25 hours on the two total during a 5 day span.  When it came down to the other areas of my life such as, texting, phone calls, Pandora, YouTube and social media I was not surprised to see that those numbers were fairly low.  I spend a fair amount of time listening to music, but I try not to text or use social media more than I have to.

Texting

Phone Calls

Social Media

Xbox

Alarms

Laptop

TV/Netflix

Pandora

Youtube

Monday

48 sent

0

1Hr12Min

3Hr30Min

Morning

2Hr

2Hr

1Hr45Min

15Min

Tuesday

32 sent

17Min

43Min

3Hr30Min

1Hr

2Hr

1Hr

5Min

Wednesday

44 sent

0

22Min

2Hr30Min

Morning

30Min

2Hr

0

0

Thursday

29 sent

0

49Min

2Hr

Morning

30Min

1Hr30Min

0

0

Friday

33 sent

5Min

29Min

3Hr

30Min

2Hr

15Min

0

186

22Min

3Hr30Min

14Hr30Min

3Times

4Hr30Min

9Hr30Min

3Hr

20Min

This is what my final numbers looked like for my Digital Diary.

My Playlist

"Piano Man" By Billy Joel--Source:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVKtL9VU8rQ

1. Still Waiting By Sum 41
2. Bohemian Rhapsody By Queen
3. She Thinks My Tractors Sexy By Kenny Chesney
4. Breaking The Habit By Linkin Park
5. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams By Green Day
6. The Joker By The Steve Miller Band
7. Piano Man By Billy Joel

"Piano Man" means to me that we should always own up to what we really are. In this case, the Piano Man plays a song to talk to everyone inside of the bar that no matter what is happening in your life that music can lift your spirits and bring you together with the people around you. The rest of the songs all come to me in a similar way, saying that if you are always yourself, then people will always accept you for who you are.  If you act as yourself and treat people the way you would want to be treated then people will have only the option to accept you for who you are.  They also speak to me that no matter how bad things can get or how bad they seem, as long as you keep pushing to make it through then you will come out on the other side a better person. The only song that sticks out from the others in My Playlist, I believe, is "She Thinks My Tractors Sexy," to me this song is really just about how it is a fun song to listen to, it is a very enjoyable, upbeat, and catchy song.  Whenever I hear this song all it makes me want to do is sing along to it, even though I am an awful singer, and enjoy myself as much as I can.  Looking over my songs I like to think that they all have a valuable meaning behind them, mostly saying that it is okay to be yourself and that nothing can hold you down, but yourself, therefor just don't let you hold yourself back.

Test Post 2

"Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup Highlights"--Source: Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNciFaIHxe0

Test Post 1

Desert--Source Microsoft Sample Pictures

This is a test.