WELL.

I'm moving. So this blog is officially on hold until I settle down... in August. I'll try an post a link to the new blog about my summer plans when I can. :)

The Breastfeeding Beyond Borders.

It may be a strange topic for me to write about, but just the same, breastfeeding and feminism go hand in hand. Let me start off by saying that breastfeeding has never "died," but the culture we are presented with here in the US has made the topic of breastfeeding nearly taboo, or at least oversexualized. There has been a constant battle between "the public" and breastfeeding moms, sometimes the battle is over "decent exposure," what is acceptable for a public place, and what is not. The war has spanned over Facebook, and even Denny's! The latest addition has been a video of Salma Hayek acting (no pun intended) as a wet nurse to a baby overseas. The question is, what is decent when it comes to something so biologically natural? Where is the line, what IS the line, and should there even BE a line?

Make your own Frappuccino!

Alright, I love coffee. I love Starbucks, and I ESPECIALLY love my LCS (Local Coffee Shop.) BUT, I have a completely packed schedule, and very little money (between bills and library fines...Late DVDs are KILLERS!) Anyway, I decided one day, that I would make my own blended coffee drink, without the powders or ice cream other recipes call for. While I was still in the planning stages, I originally added milk, sugar and coffee to ice- blend and voila! The result? A weak, watery, not sweet enough combination that melted and was never a good thick consistency. Then one day, I had inspiration. The idea, was to forgo ice cubes, and instead, blend frozen espresso! Through minimal trial and error, the following recipe was born.

Ingredients:

1 cup espresso, cooled
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup (optional)
1 cup milk
2 Ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix the espresso and sugar, and pour into an ice cube tray (or plastic bag, or container...Anything that will freeze the espresso in a layer or smaller amount, so that it will freeze all the way through.) Freeze overnight, or until completely frozen.

2. In a blender, put in the two ice cubes, syrup, the frozen espresso/sugar mixture, and 3/4ths cup of the milk; blend, and if you need more liquid, add the remaining 1/4th cup of milk. (I usually need more)

3. Top with whipped cream. (It wouldn't be a real recipe if I didn't add an obvious, unneeded step!)

There you go! Like I said, it's not exactly Starbucks, but it hits the spot, especially when you're low on cash. You could probably substitute the espresso for regular coffee if you wanted, but it wouldn't be as strong, and probably wouldn't taste as good. Another option would be to use flavored syrup instead of sugar- you could probably use other sweeteners as well. Enjoy!

Ugh. It's grating!

Created by Train Horn

With a team like this, bragging rights are built in.

Okay, I have to have a crazy boastful post over last night's UNC/Duke game.

YEAHHRGHAHHH!

Okay, back to normal composure. We beat Duke! At Cameron! 101-87! One of my dear *coughbrainwashedcough* friends who supports the Blue Devils (I'm capitalizing their name why?!) had only this to say. "TH=pansy" And honestly, I have no idea where she gets this. I mean, this is Tyler Hansbrough we're talking about... They don't call him "Psycho T" for nothing! He is aggressive towards the ball, and determined to get the shot in the midst of being fouled and double teamed by the opponent. Pansy? I think not.

I vanish like magic!

Where have I been, (You lone reader) may ask? I love lists, and REALLY love commentary. So a commentated list I shall commence! (I also love big words. I’m a homeschooler. Can you tell?)

1. Psychology Class. I’ve been learning about people’s brains, and why some people choose to be Duke fans, for example when they KNOW that Carolina is by far the superior team.

2. Constitutional Law Class. It’s so weird to see the culture shift between what the constitution says, and how we (many times incorrectly) interpret it today.

3. American Lit Class. Huckleberry Finn. Need I say more?

4. Algebra 1 Class E(V)x E(I)x E(l) is the same as EVIL. Nah, It’s not TOO terrible, I suppose.

5. Dramadramadrama! I’ve recently re-jumped into the dizzying world of theater. Okay, I’ve dipped my toes in. But I’m still a little “dramalogged” and don’t really care to fully immerse myself again... just yet.

6. The Leadership Institute Youth Leadership Training School. Two SUPER intense, packed days of Political Technology training, along with a nice workout for my brain… Did YOU know that the best place to put a bumper sticker is the on the front. left (drivers side) of the car?!

And that’s pretty much it. Looking back, I look pretty dang not-busy and oddly deprived... But I really DO have a full schedule. Promise!

I'm still kickin!

There has been SO much to do over the Holidays, and I've been especially swamped. But I'm back now! In fact, one of my resolutions was to go and blog more...write about things that are important to me. So off I go!

Merrrrry Christmas!

...and a happy New Year- but I'll get to that later :)

Mac vs. PC

TomTom ONE

Gone are the days of using maps! I have three Christmases this time of year- one with my dad's side of the family, one with my parents and brother, and one with my mom's side of the family- in Florida. One of the presents that my dad received (which is really kindasorta a family gift) at His side of the family's Christmas, which was yesterday, is the TomTom ONE- a GPS. It comes with easy to use software that lets you customize your TomTom, including adding more voices. They've got a few pre-installed, but with just a click, you can add voices that speak Mandarin, Norsk, Italian, and even Suomi. (whatever that is!) Right now I've got English (UK) on default, but I'm considering switching to Irish... :)

Christmas in reverse?

I hear SO much about "The Reason for the Season," that being Jesus's birth, and I'm reminded not to focus on the physical things, and look to the spiritual and unseen gifts Christmas brings. But honestly, I'm going to go out on a limb, and lay my head on the execution block for a minute.

Maybe the physical parts of Christmas not only bring the holiday to life, but actually participate in what makes the season truly special. If somebody tells me "Happy Holidays," I'm not planning to have a stroke and say, "It's MERRY CHRISTMAS!" No. I'll say, "Oh, you too!" *insert smile and polite nod here* You wanna know why? Because I'm a rebel. and there ARE more holidays than just Christmas around this time... Anybody remember Winter Solstice (No, not another way of saying Merry Christmas or Happy New Years- it ACTUALLY EXISTS) or Kwanzaa? (It's a CULTURAL holiday, people! NOT religious!) How about New Years?
My favorite part of "The Holiday Season" is being with my family- and opening presents. I can sound as selfish, self-centered and physically-focused as you want, but somebody is giving ME a present that they think I'll enjoy-(Most of the time I do!) They've thought about me, and expressed it through their wallets! I've also been given the opportunity to give them a little luxury... With the economy how it is, even the smallest things that can bring a smile to a face and a little extra light to the eyes is worth every penny. I also love the physical travel aspect. Having been bitten by the travel bug many moons ago, any excuse to explore the world, I'll take. There is something about sitting the the car for 12 hours to be with people who want to hug the breath out of you no matter how bad and "travelled" you smell, that makes me smile. There are those moments of pure bliss when you're all playing a card game and you're dealt the PERFECT hand, so you go out, leaving the other 8 family members seething and plotting your demise while you bask in the victory limelight. Wait- did I just find myself admiring not so much the physical, but the emotional and spiritual aspects we are gifted with this time of year? Maybe I'm really a circle enthusiast at heart, and my mind just seeks that well rounded balance. Well, whatever the meaning of my day dreaming, don't forget the reason for the season, and make holiday giving a way of living. (Somebody stop me before I turn into Dr. Seuss!)

Baby Hippo UPDATE

Her name is now Lola- (I love choosing the winner!) :)

Name the baby hippo!

Born November 13th in an English zoo, the latest addition to the family, a female pygmy hippo is now looking to the world to give her a name. Check out the options, the details, and vote on your favorite name: LoKo, Kadina, Zimmi, or Lola (my choice) here. Polls close Friday, December 12th.

"Doubt is the beginning, not the end of wisdom." - proverb

It's outrageous. Apparently, there will be no investigation of President Elect Obama's American citizenship. To join the armed forces, you must present a birth certificate- but to become the most powerful man in the world- in charge of that same military, you can simply say that you were born in the US?!?!? I can promise you that if a Republican were in that same position, there would be an investigation. Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that the time for change has come- not that it's anybody's fault, but the world itself has changed, and we need a new strategy for this era. Yet, if this is the kind of change we're going to have, give me a time machine!

I've given in!

I must admit, that this weekend I sat down and read Twilight- I finished it (the first book) last night and am in the middle of New Moon right now. *insert guilty look here* I've constantly heard mixed reviews, from people who said they really liked the books, people who said that everything was too perfect (I'm not really seeing that as much- I mean, yeah, they all have pretty fantastic lives, but also have a HUGE price to pay for the way that they exist) and then there are the ones dead (haha, no pun intended) set against it. Right now I'm kind of in the middle. As a Harry Potter fan, I've always had a sense of... (shall I say balance?) about these things- and I'm not as bothered by magic, witches, wizards, spells, vampires, etc. I see them as characters in a persons imagination, poured out onto paper for other people to read. I'm not denying that some of these things exist, and I have to be cautious. But as a writer, I know how simple it is to randomly create a character, not even based off a real experience and give them a life. Essentually, if I read something that I feel convicted about, I'll stop reading (with God's help- who do you think I am? Superwoman!? :P) but so far my alarm system has not gone off for the Twilight series, and I really hope it doesn't.

Sorry to be so crass-

But we're screwed. Apparently the news of the hour is that leaders in Congress have agreed on the auto bailout plan-that the bailout would include billions in short-term loans, which could prove disastrous in our hurting economy. I cannot even begin to say that I have the solution, but I don't think that bailing out the Automotive industry is the way to go. We'll see what happens, I suppose :/

I'm baaaaack!

So what have I been blogging lately? I have had three blogs in the last two months that have more than occupied my time. The first and most time consuming is my Puppy Blog, which is following my three puppies- (Now we're down one, but if you know of anybody who wants one of the other two, drop me an email!) Secondly, I went on a Student Action Team with Generation Joshua for the campaign of Ric Keller, and wrote about my journey through this blog. Third, (and most recently) I worked on the campaign for Saxby Chambliss (you would not believe how many times I heard people call him Zaxby!), which you can read about here. So rest assured (you lone reader) that my time neglecting YDE has been well occupied!

Sarah Palin

As much fun as this blog is (and will be)I've decided to start up an exclusive Students for Palin blog- and want to devote my time to that. Your Daily Espresso will be put on hold for awhile, but I promise to come back eventually!

Review: Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies is a book about a girl named Tally who lives in an extremely technologically advanced culture in a futuristic world. In Tally's world, when a person becomes sixteen, they are given an operation that essentially turns them "pretty". Tally is looking forward to her operation until she meets a girl named Shay, who tells her about a group of rebels- outcasts who escape to a colony called Smoke, and don't have the operation. Tally is intrigued, but stays back home and awaits her operation; Shay goes to Smoke, giving up hope that Tally will join her. Tally is actually in a waiting room before her operation when a "special" comes and takes Tally back to HQ for questioning. They give her two options: find Smoke and alert them with a sensor hidden in a necklace , or never become pretty.

E.L.F. Cosmetics

Elf (Eyes Lips Face) is a company I ran into just a few years ago- their goal is to sell good quality cosmetics without impacting your budget. Boy have they! The large majority of their products are $5 or less- most of them with a $1 pricetag. They sell a line of mineral makeup, as well as nail polish, lipstick, face powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, bubble bath, makeup brushes, tweezers, eyelash curlers(even false eyelashes!) and so much more. The best part? No animal testing, and they're PETA approved.