Blog Entry #2 = College? But, WHY????

Ok, I promised you that I was going to make my Blogs personal, right? Yet, I still want to keep it interesting, engaging and honest for a diverse audience. So,why did I choose this blog to be about College? Because, I wanted to share with all of you, the experiences and opportunities that having a College Degree can offer.

May, 2016

My husband, Ma’moun, finished his enrollment process for his Master’s degree. And, began his first class towards his Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Government policies. WOW! My husband, who has his Bachelor’s in English Literature from Jordan AND English is his SECOND language is going for his Master’s?  

"Really, Melinda???"  

"Really, you don't have your college degree?"

REALITY HIT!!!

Flash forward…..August 2016

I did my “due diligence,” went over all the possible degrees that I could do that would be quick & give me a degree. Okay, unfair advantage. I have taken college classes since the 90's off and on over the years. So, an Associate’s degree was the quickest and easiest way to get a degree under my belt!

Now, I had to decide WHAT area of study? 

So, I looked at what do I enjoy? Well, that list was lengthy! 

Radiology

Computer Tech 

Money, Management, Power, Wealth, Authority, to be RICH! 

Okay, back to reality, but….

How could I make a decision when I had so many interests & so many generic courses that I had taken? 

I questioned myself some more. WHY do I need a college degree? I have so much job experience in training and leadership, why do I need a degree?

That's when it came to me! My experience was in the business world. 

Management, Leadership and Training

Let’s look at some facts:

1 = According to statistics, and Entrepreneur.com/article/271206, in 2014 the Economic Policy Institute stated that those with a college degree earned 98% more per hour than those with no degree.

What The …? That stopped me cold in my tracks! That’s money that I’m leaving on the table, just because I’m not a college grad? Oh, NO WAY!

But wait….there’s more!!!!

2 = With a college degree, you are immediately more marketable. 

Say What??? You mean, I have more than 20 years customer service experience and Anthony “Associate Degree” Recent Graduate is going to get more interviews and more opportunities because he finished school??? Oh, "H - E - Double Toothpicks", No! I am NOT going to let that happen.

The Present…October 2016

Per my husband encouraging me, my family supporting me and my own commitment, I decided to go back to school and complete my Associate’s degree. I narrowed the choices down based on my work experience. 

It’s true I have over 20 years customer service, call center and management experience behind me. So, I chose an Associates of Applied Science in Organizational Management with a concentration in Organizational Leadership.

As of May 2017, with a little more encouragement, a lot more support and an even bigger commitment, I plan to be a proud Alumni of Glendale Community College with my experience and college degree in hand!

Do you NEED a College Degree????  NAHHHHH

Do you WANT to make more Money?????  YEAHHHHHH

A College Degree will help you to attain ALL of your goals!

Including the intangible benefits, like….having access to some great resources, gaining knowledge, and the benefit of learning a life lesson about self-discipline!

By the way, my husband, the "Master's Degree" student, just received his membership to the United Nations - USA, Scottsdale, Arizona chapter. Why am I telling you this? Because this is kudos to his college, Grand Canyon University, his program  in Public Administration and his pushy wife who won't stop promoting her husband to be the best!

So, College? Yeah! Do it! Make a change TODAY for your FUTURE!!! 

It may have taken me from 1990 to 2017 to get an Associate's degree,

at least I can say...

"Yo, Ma'moun!  

I DID IT!"

Blog Entry #1 - Blogging, What? How? Why? What????

So, I thought to myself...'What is blogging? How is it done? Why do people blog? What is a blog for?' Instead of researching these questions and keeping them to myself, I decided to share it with my blogging audience.

I took the opportunity to review a few different blogs just to get an idea of "who" is the blogging audience and what do they yearn for. 

Hence, I consulted the Top 50 Blogger Blogs list and here's what I came up with…

#1 on the Blogger’s Blog list is:  http://postsecret.com/

What is Post Secret?  Well, the blog's readers send in their secrets via a postcard and once a week on Sunday’s, the blogger reveals those secrets.

Interesting concept! Imaginative? Yes.  

New Concept? Kind of.  

Ingenuitive? Not really.  

But, still holds number one? Why??? 

After reviewing some of the posts, I realized that this a place where anyone can send in their thoughts and won’t be judged for it. 

Now that, IS AWESOME! And, if it truly is a “secret,” ONLY the Blogger could possibly know the author of the secret! AMAZING! 

That concept surely deserves a #1 spot in my book! And, the best part? There is no demographic on who these blog posts would appeal to. There are blogs of all different types on there. So, anything goes! EXCELLENT!!!

#5 on the list: americablog.com

What is America Blog? 

They simply say: NEWS – A GREAT NATION DESERVES THE TRUTH.

I simply say: ACCORDING TO WHO? 

But, instead of being the pessimist, I decided to give it a chance and read on.  So, I peruse the page and scroll down and guess what? Almost all of the stories were Pro-Hillary and Anti-Trump. That means, the part of the population that loves Hillary, will love these posts and the other part of the population that loves Trump, will hate these posts!

Can ANYONE tell me how this is “THE TRUTH” for our “GREAT NATION?” 

As I stated from the beginning, the truth according to “WHO???”

This website is #5 because of what reason? Who chose that slot? If it were up to me, I would call this blog: Bias America Blog! Call it what it is! So those who agree with YOUR “truth” will be happy to read YOUR blogs! Don’t just lie to people! 

Don’t mean to get on a rant here, but as you can see, this particular blog struck an emotional nerve within me. And then it comes to me, that’s why they made the Top Ten list. 

Purely because they are controversial and can cause a multitude of emotions to erupt within their readers! GENIUS, LOVE IT!!!

#50 on the list: riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

It's called: Baghdad Burning. 

They don’t have the actual web address on the blogger’s top 50 list, so after I did a quick “Google” search, I came up with the above web address.

The opening line of this blog reads:

... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...

Interesting words for a controversial blog name. Controversial, because of Iraq.  For example, what are your immediate thoughts or feelings when you think about Baghdad? Controversy? Unrest? Political Land Mine? War? Muslims? Saddam Hussein? Just a multitude of thoughts are associated with Baghdad, Iraq.

Call me "interested!" I peruse the page and immediately notice the last time this blogger wrote anything was in April of 2013. And, it still manages to make a Top 50 Blogger’s list? 

WHY??? I had to know!

Then, in a moment, it all becomes clear. This was a moment to moment blog from a young Iraqi woman, back in 2003 when war was rampant in Iraq. Why was the last blog in April of 2013? 

{Information is taken directly from Baghdad Burning Blog}

Tuesday, April 09, 2013
 Ten Years On...April 9, 2013 marks ten years since the fall of Baghdad. Ten years since the invasion. Since the lives of millions of Iraqis changed forever. It’s difficult to believe. It feels like only yesterday I was sharing day to day activities with the world. I feel obliged today to put my thoughts down on the blog once again, probably for the last time.

She wrote one more blog post, one decade, 10 years after she started her post. This last entry made her ordeal come full circle. I actually, as the reader, was so engaged in her last post that I found myself reading and reading. Line after line. I was engaged. I was intrigued. I was interested in her story. This to me, was worthy of a Number One Blog spot. Why? Because this blogger, author, didn’t care who her audience was. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone with “ah-ha” moments or let’s start a fight by being controversial. She was just herself, telling a story, and writing a conclusion to her life in Baghdad! Her personal essay. 

And, to me, THAT is what blogging is all about!

Even though blogging takes on different forms and attracts all different types of readers. For me, I choose to make my blog be: Pianti Rising! 

The Life, Times and Experiences of ME - Pianti!

Introduction Entry - A New Beginning!

Melinda Piantedosi Family Collage

Thought I would share a quick video about myself and my family.

Here's a little more formal introduction of me:

My name is Melinda Piantedosi. I just recently finished the English 101 hybrid class. I enjoyed it and look forward to this English 102 class.

Quick background, I'm originally from Michigan, lived in Arizona over 20 years. So, technically, almost a native Arizonian. Many hot summers later, my husband and I have promised to not suffer through another summer again, yet here we are!

I'm taking English 102 to complete my General Education requirements to complete my A.A.S. in Organizational Management. If all goes well, I should be graduating in May 2017. My hope is to utilize this degree to move into a Corporate Trainer position.

I did have the opportunity to create this Blog in my English 101 class. My hope for this class is that this Blog will allow me to focus more on formal writing. Even though a blog is meant to be from a casual/professional perspective, I would like to lean more towards the professional aspect.

Thank you for reading my blog & hope to keep things interesting in future blogs!

Entry #11 - "I remember when..."

The date is Tuesday, October 13, 2026; you’re at Starbucks sipping on a chai tea latte with 11 Splenda and more creamer than tea. You look around for a place to sit. At first, you notice some tables and chairs in the middle and a long bench with cushions and smaller tables off to the side. Over there by the door are the perfect super cozy chairs, however there's only four of them and they are all taken. You sigh, and walk over to the long bench and grab a table. Your laptop bag, Chai Tea Latte and your purse stake claim to that table! You have now said to all those inside that Starbucks, this is MY throne. I will sit here for several hours, doing “hard time,” while jailed inside this Starbuck’s restaurant.

Pulling out your tablet, you get connected to the Wi-Fi and pull up chrome to do a Google search. Ding! “You have a memory on Facebook with Melinda Piantedosi.” Out of curiosity, you pull up Facebook to see the memory. As you reflect on that memory from so long ago, it brings with it a mix of many feelings. Exactly 10 years ago today, you posted to Facebook a blog from your blogger account. You remember that day so well…

(Flashback to 10/13/2016)…What a day! You woke up with your nose running like it was in the Olympics.Your husband just left the day before to go and visit his family for a month. Your elderly father just turned 91 a couple of months prior and you realize he’s slowing down with each passing day. The feelings inside of you well up and create an anxiety about completing several assignments for school by 11:59pm. One of the “biggies” on your To-Do list is writing Blog #11 that will bring all of your blogs together and reflect upon them. ‘What to do? What to do?’ you think.  A reflective essay, “what did I learn from blogging?” you ask yourself, barely audible so others around you won’t hear. Well, it was an interesting and educational experience that you may never have tried if you weren’t required to. At first, you are thinking, ‘I’ve got to get a good grade!’ You had maintained an “A” the entire semester and because of a couple of missed assignments, you’ve fallen to a “B.” “This is it! Make it count, Melinda!” you say loud enough for those around you to hear. You look around and only a couple of the Starbuck's zombies, like yourself, look at you with dismay. Then it happens, you start to type…

Blogging for dummies! 

I can proudly say, I have passed the “Blogging for dummies” task. Having never been a blogger before, this was a unique and challenging assignment. I used to think that blogging was only for those who needed blogging as a way of venting their feelings. However, what I found was so much more! With strong stable research and an interesting topic, blogging is any type of communication tool you choose it to be. From pictures and videos to web links and reference materials, blogging covers them all. So, my audience, my peers, my acquaintances, and my strangers, I welcome you to the interesting and ever-changing world of blogging.  Blogging also encompasses reading and critiquing blogs of those within our class, I learned that blogging can be very personal. Not only as a means to an end, but a real opportunity to share and learn all at the same time. I’ve had the opportunity to share a lot, as well as learn a lot. I believe I have changed my viewpoint on blogging forever. No longer will I stereotype or pretend to know what blogging is or means to any other person, except me! I leave you with my final thoughts, these you are reading now. My final “required – graded” blog. I may never open this application again, or visit this page ever again, but I promise you that when I read a blog or write for any other purpose, I will keep this style of blogging at the forefront. My conclusion from these blogging assignments? Everyone has a voice, YOU choose how you want to be heard!

You are instantly brought back to the present just from those powerful words! Your eyes leave that page, that memory, for only a brief moment and look around you. You don’t see a coffee shop filled with Starbuck's zombies who are just trying to finish their work. What you see are individuals all “blogging” to achieve their goals. No matter the content or the reason, you realize, we all blog in different ways EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Click! You post that memory and simply write "Happy 10 –year Anniversary, Blogging! I have missed you for a decade, but I will NEVER miss you again!" (Piantedosi)

Blog Entry #12 – “A New Start!”…

Works Cited

Piantedosi, Melinda. Personal interview. 13 October 2026.

Entry #10 - Busted! Beauty Myths you never knew were FALSE!

Hello! And Welcome. 

Today on "Myth - Dusters" we are going to BUST those Beauty myths that you never knew were just myths!

Now...Back to the Show. And, thank you to our sponsor MovieFone!

Myth #1 - If you cut your hair regularly, it will grow faster! FALSE

That is not true! Hair grows from the scalp, therefore cutting the ends will not make it grow faster.. The truth is: If you cut your hair it will continue to grow longer instead of breaking off, due to split ends. The moment hair grows out from your scalp it dies! So, cutting off those dead ends stops the split ends from splitting up the entire hair shaft, hence "appearance" of longer, thicker hair!  DEBUNKED!

Myth #2 - Using Preparation H under the eyes will erase dark circle! FALSE 

Again, untrue! The only thing Preparation H can do for your dark circles is to make you smell like you belong in a medical facility. Phenylephrine is the active ingredient in Preparation H. It is most commonly recognized for use in antihistamines and nasal decongestants. Chemically what it can do is constrict the blood vessels temporarily around the eyes to reduce the darker color, somewhat. The issue is that chemical should be nowhere near the sensitive tissue around the eyes. DEBUNKED!

Myth #3 - You don't need Sunscreen on a Cloudy Day! FALSE

This is absolutely NOT TRUE! In fact, because of the reflection of the sun off of the clouds, we should definitely be wearing sun screen and apply it often. Consider adding the application of sunscreen to your daily regimen. You and your skin won't be sorry. DEBUNKED!

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All in all, we've heard about the great ideas that get passed around when it comes to beauty. The easiest thing to remember and that which will always be a constant is what you eat and what you apply to your hair, nails or skin should be natural products. Those that are for intended purposes! 

Entry # 9 - PINK SLIME! It's WHAT's for Dinner!

Commercial, Circa: 1993 - Beef, It's What's for Dinner!

Maybe back then it was! But now, our commercials should be: Pink Slime - It's What's for Dinner!

Pink Slime? OH! You didn't hear? Every McDonald's hamburger you and your family consume should be called McDonald's SPECIAL "Pink Slime" burger with secret sauce. Well, up until 2011 at least!

Basically, what's being said here is that McDonald's sells so much beef that they have cut corners by using the worst parts of the meat. They then grind it together, add harmful chemicals to it to kill the bacteria & because of the blood that doesn't get filtered out, it turns into this "Pink Slime" that we were purchasing and ingesting. Didn't know that!

McDonald's being a huge conglomeration, is always at the helm of any injustice. So, because their Pink Slime phase was ousted, they had to start back at ground zero and use 100% beef, not a by-product to cut corners. The sad news is NOT that McDonald's lost millions because of this switch over, it was because millions of Americans were eating this daily! Can you even imagine how our long-term health has been compromised because of this?!?

So, my response is:

Yes! Where's the Beef? What happened to all the "good" beef that we were slaughtering? Well, I guess because we are asking that question, we might as well ask another.

Why does Wendy's restaurant have square burgers???

This one is easy! Because they don't cut ANY corners! 

Bottom Line? As consumers, it is our right to be informed. So, we need to take the time to be informed. Ask questions. And, be aware of what you are putting in your mouth!

Entry #8 – “You are WHAT you EAT”…Momma' always said!

Why is it that our mothers always had some amazing sayings when we were growing up? And, no matter how you tried to avoid it, Mom would ALWAYS win at the game: I TOLD YOU SO! Well, besides the old standbys of: What goes around comes around or Everything comes out in the wash or A bad attitude is like a flat tire; you can’t go anywhere until you change it! And an oldy but goody, The grass is always greener on the other side! But, when Mom told us: You are what you eat! Did we really listen? NO! Of course not! We just thought she was a very wise woman who had sayings that meant something to her, but nothing to us!

When we sit back and look at her very wise words: You Are What You Eat, we can’t help but look at what those words mean. For example, look at these charts below which show the foods that will give us healthy hair and skin.

What we put in, we get out! Not just in the way our bodies look, but how it looks. How shiny is our hair? In fact, we can use the most expensive creams and products on our hair and skin, but nothing will make it look as healthy as what we eat.

Think about this little-known fact:

If that is, in fact, true, then why does our skin get old??? We shed our old skin all the time, daily! In fact, an interesting statistic is that we shed between 30k to 40k skin cells every hour! That adds up to over a million skin cells in our lifetime. If that's not the "natural" fountain of youth, I don't know what is. The problem isn't getting our skin to shed the old, rough, wrinkled skin cells, it's about eating right to promote our skin to growth healthy. This whole process is accomplished through eating healthy foods. 

Same goes for our hair. We shed hair daily. Just like our skin, we are shedding old, damaged, unhealthy hair. What if we ate differently to promote healthier and shinier hair? The shedding process would still happen, but the underlying hair that it leaves behind will be healthy looking hair.

So, my suggestion? Start eating healthy today! You'll feel better and look better, naturally!

Entry #7 - Fresh or Not So Fresh?!? Which do you prefer? Which do you eat?

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch the film, "Fresh."
I have to say it was truly an eye opening and mind opening experience. Being an American, we believe that we are a very "aware" and proactive society in regards to the foods that we eat. But, are we really?

I realize that some of us in America are very health conscious. Then there are those who eat anything and don't think about it. But, has any one of us stopped to think about the fact that whether we eat healthily or not, it doesn't change "where" our food comes from! Before watching this film, I hadn't even heard of industrialized farming. What I learned was that what we believe are "natural foods" and how they are obtained are NOT natural at all! Why? you ask. Simple! Because as a society, WE want MORE! WE want BETTER! WE want WHAT we want! AND...WE want it NOW!!!

I can't help but remember that FAMOUS commercial....You know it!

She hit the nail on the head!  WE WANT MORE...WE WANT MORE!!!
Yes, we do! So, even our food has to evolve to accommodate an ever growing society. But, why not go back to the basics? Why not go back to farming like before? Getting rid of antibiotics and more natural methods of slaughtering? Again, SIMPLE! Because as a society, there aren't enough cattle to be bred naturally. And, not enough time to allow the cattle to develop. Also, if we don't fatten them up with grain, then the longer it will take to get a cow heavy enough to be worth slaughtering. Basically, as a society, we demand more beef than our farmers can produce.

I understand, it's overwhelming concept. But, have you read the labels on your meat that you have bought recently? NOW, producers of our products are getting away with stating that their beef is grass fed. It sounds good, but guess what? They were grass fed up until they were about 6 months old and weaned from their mothers. What happens after that? Grain fed cattle! But, you're paying more because of somebody, somewhere decided that cattle that eat grass is healthier for us! It is! However, not when it's only been fed grass for the first 6 months of its life! So, now we need to look for the products that say: 100% Grass Fed and Grass Finished Beef.

According to "Fresh", the movie, we can all make a difference in the industrialization process. Just take $10 from your weekly grocery budget, and purchase farm fresh foods. Visit a farmer's market. If we as a society begin to promote change, which will ultimately change demand, we will have a healthier society!