Thursday, September 26, 2013

Frosting or Caramel?

What did I learn today?

I tried to make a really great frosting for a birthday cake today, but I think I succeeded in making caramel instead.

First, I searched for a good white chocolate frosting recipe, but instead came across "Chocolate Fudge Frosting" (Rombauer, 1997: 1000).  This recipe requires me to start with "Dark Chocolate Fudge" (Rombauer, 1997: 851).  However, instead of 6 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, I added 6 ounces of white chocolate, finely chopped.  All went really well, until I noticed it wasn't thickening or losing it's sheen as described in the recipe.  I can't say for sure what I did wrong, but I can tell you a few things I learned today

1) Each step takes a lot longer than a reading of the recipe would lead a novice candy maker to believe.  I suppose if I knew more about making candy, I would have known how long the process would take.

2) Eat first.  With how long the process takes, it is best to eat first because it would be near impossible to interrupt the cooking process to take a bite.

3) The stuff that sticks to the bottom of the pan after turning out the fudgy goo is REALLY good :)

4) If I were to attempt this project again, I believe I would use my stand mixer.  As I said earlier, each step (including the mixing and stirring) takes way longer than anticipated.

5) If I didn't use my stand mixer, I would use a Lazy Susan to turn my marble slab with greater ease.

6) This is definitely NOT a white chocolate frosting, but it might turn out to be a caramel frosting.

7) To be fair, if I had used the chocolate the recipe called for, it may have turned out the way the writers intended.

8) Even the accidental caramel frosting tastes REALLY good! :)

9) I just really hope the birthday boy and girl (Ty and Penny share a birthday) enjoy it.

The search continues for a really good white chocolate frosting for our next cake.

That is how I understand things
Laura

Rombauer, Irma S., Rombauer Becker, Marion, and Becker, Ethan (1997) Joy of Cooking. New York, NY: Scribner. Pp 851, 1000.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Sexting, FWB, Adultery...

My Discussion Board topic for one of my classes this week is :Topic:  Is "sexting", "hooking-up", "friends with benefits", and "cyberadultery" becoming culturally acceptable?  If yes, what are the short-term dangers and what are the long-term effects.  If you disagree, why not?

Because this is such an important topic, I decided to post it here for all of you to know exactly how I feel:

For those with whom I associate, "sexting" is not acceptable.  It is seen as a crude form of communication. If people wish to speak sexually with each other, they should do so in person...or at the very least, over the phone so you can hear the other's voice. 

"Hooking-up" is a quick way to have anonymous sex, but also a quick way to spread disease, and invite a host of other undesirables into your life (such as scorn, persecution, and in some cases, incarceration).

"Friends with benefits" is a good way to ruin a friendship. One of you is getting the short end of the stick.  And what happens when you find someone you wish to have a "real" relationship with?  Does your friend get jealous?  Does your friend get dumped without someone if nir own to have benefits with?  Does your new paramour get jealous of your continuing relationship with your friend, even if you no longer share benefits together?

"Cyber adultery", as with any kind of adultery, is completely unacceptable.  If you have committed to someone, that person deserves your full commitment.  If you feel you must cheat for whatever reason you have used to justify the cheating, then you and your committed partner need to have a heart-to-heart discussion and really figure out the underlying issues, and how to work them out.  If, after a real discussion, you decide to open your relationship, that is not cheating.  If you decide to end your commitment, that is not cheating.  If you decide you want to remain committed in a closed relationship--DO NOT cheat!

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN choose with whom you fall in love.  Additionally, once you fall in love, you have full control over what you do with that love.  Adultery is simply not acceptable behavior.

The short-term dangers of the above behavior is hurt feelings, loss of trust (of yourself and from others), and the knowledge that you have sold yourself short and cheapened yourself.  The long-term effects can include a broken marriage (along with spousal support and/ or child support as appropriate), a series of short relationships (depending on how long you continue this destructive behavior), and a feeling of loneliness and depression.

All of that taken into account, it is important to remember that sending a loving (sometimes even sexy) text to your long-term, committed partner can be a good thing...but keep the explicit words and pictures private.  Nothing sent via text and email is completely private.

That is how I understand things,
Laura

Monday, September 9, 2013

Bisexuality Defined

I completed my first speech assignment: Informational without visual aid.

I spoke about how bisexuals are defined.  I have mixed feelings about my presentation.  I feel I performed well, but I did struggle some.  I lost my breath somewhere in the middle there, and was unable to regain it.  Otherwise, I received positive feedback from the audience.

THANK YOU! To the audience!

Now, we get to see how the instructor receives it.

That's the way I understand it
Laura

Friday, September 6, 2013

Bisexuality Defined

A preview for the 5 minute speech I will present on Monday.  The instructor requires a very specific outline, so I figured I would share that with all of you, just to prove I have been hard at work since my last posting.

SPEECH 2
INFORMATIVE SPEECH w/o VA Rough Draft Key Word  Outline

Directions: This form is to be filled out by you and given to your instructor prior to your speech.

Name: Laura Benedict  ______________________ Date_9/6/13______ Topic: Bisexuality___

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience that bisexuality is multi-dimensional __________________

Central Idea: Physical attraction and sexual activities are two related, but distinct facets of bisexuality.

ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN: (Circle the one you are using)

cause and effect          chronological               comparison & contrast spatial              topical

INTRODUCTION
            Attention getter: (What will you do to gain the audience’s attention?)

Bisexual.org declares, “The only mistake you can make is to be untrue to yourself and try to live a life that is someone else’s vision,” (Bisexual.org, 2013).

            Statement of significance:

Our group today is composed of bisexuals and those who support bisexuals.  But what does it mean to be bisexual?

            Preview:

There are two related, but distinct facets of a bisexual identity: attraction and activity.

            Transition: I find it most logical to discuss attraction before activity.

BODY:

Main point 1: Attraction

The Bisexual’s Guide to the Universe states that bisexuality is “The potential for physical, romantic, or emotional attraction to more than one gender,” (Kristal and Szymanski, 2006:13)

A.    Gary Gates, a Williams Distinguished Scholar, who studied at least 9 studies concerning the LGBT community, estimates that 25.6 million American adults admits to some same-sex attraction (Gates, 2011: 7).

1.      I can find a person attractive today, but not tomorrow.  I can find a body style attractive, but it can all go out the window when ne opens nir mouth.

                        2.  I can be attracted to a pair of legs, an outfit, or the ideals ne discusses.

            B.   Attraction alone does not make one bisexual.
1.  A person not wanting to identify as bisexual does not have to fear that just because ne finds members of other genders to be attractive from time to time, that ne will automatically be labeled as bisexual.

2.      That being said, a person who wishes to identify as bisexual should have no difficulty doing so on the basis of attraction alone.  A person does not have to act on nir attraction to self-identify as bisexual.

            Transition: Which brings me to my next point, sexual activity.

Main point 2: Sexual Activity

The Bisexual’s Guide to the Universe completes their definition of bisexual by adding that bisexuals admit, “…the potential, not the requirement, for involvement with more than one gender,” (Kristal and Szymanski, 2006: 13).

A.    Gates also found that nearly 19 million American adults admitted to engaging in some sort of sexual activity with a member of the same gender (Gates, 2011: 7).

1.    I include kissing as a sexual activity because it is often one of the first physical contacts one has with a potential romantic partner.  After you kiss someone, you can say to yourself, “Hey, I like that! I want to do that again!”  Or, you can say, “Hmm, I think this is a good place to stop.”

2.    A person who kisses a member of another gender and decides to never do that again, does not have to identify as bisexual.  However, if a person likes kissing members of more than one gender, that person can safely identify as bisexual without having to actually have sex with any of those people.


B.    Which brings me to the actual act of sex.

1.      A person may bring nimself to have sex with a member of the same gender, decide this activity is not to nir liking, and never engage in that activity again.  Said person may never identify as bisexual…and that’s okay.

2.      Another person may decide ne likes having sex with members of the same gender.  If said person had already decided ne likes sexual activity with members of another gender, that person may very well decide to identify as bisexual.


            Transition: As you can see, bisexuality is multi-dimensional in nature.


CONCLUSION:

            Restatement of significance:

Physical attraction and sexual activities are two separate, but related ideas when discussing bisexuality. 

            Review:

It is difficult to engage in sexual activity without some level of attraction, but it is not difficult to be attracted without ever engaging in sexual activity.  Essentially, it is the right of every person to decide whether ne is bisexual.
           
Closing device:

John Benedict, a local bisexual community leader, defines bisexuality as, “A bisexual identity speaks to the potential, not the requirement for involvement with more than one gender…Most bisexuals do not have to be involved with more than one person at a time in order to feel fulfilled.  We see the person, not the gender.”



References:

Benedict, J. (2013) “My Intro” in Bisexual News and Views. Retrieved September 6, 2013 from http://jebenedict.blogspot.com

Bisexual.org (2013) Questions & Answers. Retrieved September 4, 2013 from http://bisexual.org

Gates, G.J. (2001) How Many People Are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender? Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law (p. 7)


Kristal, N. and Szymanski, M. (2006). The Bisexual’s Guide to the Universe: Quips, Tips, and Lists for Those Who Go Both Ways. New York: Alyson Books (p. 13)