The Battle of Sugar, Fat and Salt

Colby Sibley

My Battle with Sugar Fat and Salt

            To have the knowledge of knowing what to eat and how the food you ear affects your body is one step closer to a healthier life style. I really enjoyed this book because I always considered myself knowledgeable in my dietary tendencies but I never this deep into studying how companies act towards hunger, money and getting food on the shelves that keep us hooked. Its captivating knowing that chemists are working night and day just to perfect a product that is cheap to make but can hit the bliss point to keep me coming back for more. The cereal wars which added sugar to countless boxes every year just shows how capitalism can affect our health, but as consumers we can control these companies by what we buy so it’s a give and take. Also this book has showed me how advertising really does work for companies especially when directed at children. Everyone knows the frosted flakes tiger, the old spice crazy commercials and don’t forget about that weird Cheetos’s guy. But their best marketing plan is to fill their products with the sugar our minds crave, and the salt and fat that our bodies love to have. I have always been cautious when looking the nutritional labels but with reading this book I know that sugar salt and fat are some things I really need to cut back on. I also will take into account the snacks I love to have like Oreos or cheese-it’s because these processed foods are only good because the additives they have so in that case I may have to find a healthier alternative. In all I enjoyed this book and I will take into account what I have learned when preparing my meals and feeding my children when that part my life comes around.

That Which I am Thankful For

Colby Sibley

That Which I’m Thankful for

                These Holidays are a time for reflecting on the things we are blessed and thankful to have.

I am Thankful for my new home Oxnard.

I am Thankful for my best friend and my biggest fan my beautiful Mother.

I am Thankful for my close friends who might not be close now but we always stay true.

I am Thankful for my car which is as old as me but she’s definitely a trooper.

I am Thankful for my mentor and one of my inspirations Kevin Jacobson.

I am Thankful for my relationship with God and having the faith to tackle every new day.

I am Thankful this year and every up and down it has brought me.

I am Thankful for my teachers this semester who have pushed me to grow and open up to new ideas

I am Thankful for having the opportunity to compete in baseball

I am Thankful for all the new and exciting things to come

Enjoy Family

Enjoy Family

                Family is one of the most important things we have in our lives. We may not know this when we are younger because most of us haven’t felt loss at an early age. We haven’t encountered the impending meetings with death that we all have to face sooner or later. I considered myself very close with my family, I was always in a school with my cousins, always at my hippy uncles house and visiting my grandma and grandpa every weekend and I’m not saying I took for granted but I didn’t know what I had until it was gone. A family is as tight knit as you make it; you have to contribute to the overall feeling of togetherness and strength so you have the strong foundation when you need it the most. Well when I was 12 years young I went through one of the toughest and most character building times of my life. I lost my great grandma that summer, my father the year after and also my grandparents. This shook my family to the core and I feel we have never fully recovered. I never encountered death and with such a blow and I didn’t know how to handle it. I couldn’t comprehend the idea of losing a loved one let alone most of my family and what was left of my family slowly drifted apart. Holiday family dinners faded away, visiting each other as much as we did dwindled and it soon became just my mother and I. I also moved schools which also had me struggling for air but I had to become strong for my family and mother’s sake. My mother and I started a dog walking business because my father provided for my family, I took control of advertising and I worked seven days a week to make sure we had a roof over our heads. But I never truly understood what happened until I was eighteen, that life can sneak up on you and shake your foundation and you must always get up every time you fall down. Death is a part of life and we have to love the ones who we hold to dear to us as much as we can for as long as we can because you never know what life might bring next. My small family has recently had growth in the right direction and everyone has come to the fact that all we have is each other. Thanksgiving is coming up and I am thankful for everything I have and I look forward to enjoying my family and being thankful we are all together.

The Capitalistic Christmas Frenzy

The Capitalistic Christmas Frenzy

                The holiday season in the United States has become something entirely different of what it was and should be. In this capitalistic society we all participate in; large corporations have somehow persuaded the public that if your Christmas tree doesn’t have loads of present under it then this isn’t a good year. I agree with Amel Saleh’s view on how the holidays have become more consumeristic than enjoying it with your loved ones. I mean we all enjoy getting something for your loved ones but the way we go about it is making all of us way more materialistic. We all know how crazy it gets shopping during the holiday season, I mean people die every year Black Friday shopping and that’s not how it should be. Until I was about seven years old my parents would go all out for my birthday and Christmas. I am talking about loads and loads of gifts and I loved it but I noticed I was becoming more about getting what I wanted then enjoying my family and why they were getting me those gifts. I would hate when they got me clothes and if they didn’t get me a video game I wanted oh man I would throw a fit. But when I turned eight we hit financial trouble and soon after the holidays weren’t all about gifts but enjoying what we had, the people that were with us and of course what we could all get each other. Now that I am older I am thankful for a pair of new socks and a card saying we miss and love you. I don’t have too much family left and I wish I would have really enjoyed the Holidays with the family not just looking forward to the gifts. We shouldn’t listen to the corporate giants and we all should reevaluate what the holidays mean to us.  

The Good, The Bad and The School

The Good, The Bad and the School

                Every new semester of college brings new classes, new people to meet and even earlier times to wake up but thank goodness I have no early classes. This fall semester of 2014 has been great so far especially being able to play collegiate baseball again. I had to take some time off to work and help my family so I’m glad to be back and playing ball. I also have had pretty interesting classes like astronomy and political science which are both subjects I have been interested in for a long time. I have gotten some pretty close up pictures taken by yours truly of the moon and Saturn with its rings through a telescope, both were awe inspiring. I have always had passion for current events and politics in the United States so to learn the roots of liberalism and the foundation of the constitution, problems with factions in America and how our rights are being infringed upon with the intrusion to our privacy has been exciting. I moved from Las Vegas to Oxnard which means I’m at the beach all the time because growing up in the hot desert was just to dry. I have great roommates who are all the baseball team which always makes it a great time and feeling of being on my own with a job working at weddings has been a growing experience. But I am still learning the town and most nights I just stay at home and catch up on Netflix shows and write essays.  Oxnard College has been great and a lot better than my last junior college except for the parking permits because that’s just a pain.  I wouldn't change anything about this year and I am hoping for good grades and good times to ensue.

Reality TV

Reality TV

                Reality television has flourished over the past decade and is on almost every channel and network nowadays. I have to admit when I was younger I would enjoy an episode here and there of Keeping up with the Kardashians and I am not proud of that. We would sit around and watch hours of people more well off than ourselves just going on with their lives and we were addicted. We would watch reality shows like Big Brother and Real World because it offered such a realistic viewing experience like anything could happen. But I learned most of these shows were scripted, like WWE and I was heartbroken, and this was a major turn off because it wasn’t truly real. Everyone loves watching the TV show Cops because that’s true reality and you are hoping someone you know isn’t having that bad of a night. The amount of reality shows current is staggering. You have everything ranging from tattoos, cooking, and even moonshiners.  This recent boom of reality shows has brought out new emotions in viewers which is my opinion is not healthy. Viewers who watch prominent families or people living in the moment have this sense of longing for experiencing a life like that. I remember my Mom being glued to the television when any fresh news about the Kardashians broke and if it was a new episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians forget about even trying to touch the remote. People nowadays are caught up in these reality stars lives, wanting to be them and idolizing them. I mean really? The Kardashians jobs are basically being present or breathing, but people are still fascinated by the ground they walk on. I’ll watch dirty jobs or Ink Masters when it is on because it’s somewhat educational and some of the designs they have are pretty cool. I tried auditioning for Big Brother and it didn’t work but that would have been a great experience. Reality shows are definitely something notable for our generation and will be around for a long time. I’m not saying I dislike reality TV shows but I’m saying I strongly dislike celebrity reality shows and don’t mind educational or a cause based reality show. It’s good to break off from the traditional network monotonous programming like the crime scene shows, family orientated shows and the big bang theory, I don’t see why people like that show so much. These network programs that plot lines have been over used a thousand times get a little old so reality shows do have an advantage because like I said before anything could happen. But I tend to stay around the ESPN channel, comedy central and I think I have seen all the season of How I Met Your Mother 3 times. Reality shows aren’t bad but if you see yourself being glued and wanting for their lives then it can be healthy, you have to focus on your life and making a reality show that you enjoy.

The Choice and Opinion

Derek Jeter the Person We Hate to Love

                Every child has a very important decision to make, a decision so colossal in size that it will impact his life from birth to death. This decision can tear families apart, destroy friendships and ultimately control your feelings at certain parts of the year. A child must choose which baseball team he will support. Growing up in Las Vegas which has no Major League team, I didn’t have a default on this decision; I decided to go with the Boston Red Sox the team always out to make a statement rather than my Dad’s team the St. Louis Cardinals. I became a diehard Sox fan and with that comes the undeniable hatred for the New York Yankees, I even hate writing their name. It’s always a yelling match when two rival fans meet up, we can’t stand even the thought of the Yankees. Who has headed the rag clan of bums all these years, Derek Jeter the face of pure evil and the man who can’t do wrong. Yankees always hide behind their pennant wins their idol Derek Jeter and they had a point their team was force to be reckoned with and had plenty of wins, but they all were still good for nothing bums. Over the years their team has declined and Jeter was reaching the end of his career. When we announced his retirement season I really gave thought about what I really thought about Derek Jeter this so called villain. I realized that Derek Jeter was a class act, a player who made the game better and just realized that I've never experienced a season without him because I was born 1993 and his rookie season was 1995. I threw away my hatred for Derek and I truly respect how motivational of player he was, how he changed the game and how he was an overall standup guy through the years but he will always be a Yankee and therefore a bum. 

You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat

                Nutrition has to be one of the most important things us humans have control over for our own wellbeing. In our recent years we have had an expanding knowledge of how nutrition works and choices of good and bad of what we put in our bodies. When I was in grade school, fast food or food from companies specializing in food made for mass consumption with processed aspects was a part of my daily life. My family seen fast food as a treat, “Oh you had a good day in school? We should go to McDonalds to celebrate.” would be the normal occasion but we did not know the repercussions of what we were eating. As I grew up into middle school and beyond, my father would work late and I would stay up because I knew he was going to bring food home and I would be able to spend time with him. I would call my Dad around two in the morning and ask “Would you stop by Taco Bell or pick up Robertos?” and he would always act like he didn’t want to but he always showed up with something. It was the norm and after a while we started noticing what it was doing to us. My family would have no energy, we all were always busy but when we did have time we would stay home, we would watch copious amounts of television and continue our contributions to fast food chains. I always considered myself healthy because I was an athlete who participated in all kinds of sports like baseball, swim, football, soccer and basketball but I paid no attention to nutrition and I would soon find out this was one of the most important things to an athlete and to everyone.

                In early parts of my high school journey my family went through tough times with health related deaths and this began my fascination with nutrition and knowledge about staying healthy. I took a nutrition class in school, made the gym a regular part of my schedule and started tackling my family’s habits with fast food. We traded the drive thru at McDonalds for the vegetable section at Whole Foods and we took the extra time to prepare our meals with nutrition as the main goal and taste as the secondary. I was driven by eating what would make me a better athlete and what would keep my family healthy, happy and energetic. I even started giving my family diet plans and personal training lessons on the side which is what paved the way for me studying kinesiology in college. I once wrote a paper about how the lack of nutritional knowledge and how we feed our children who trust us can almost be a form of child abuse because children rely on us to feed them what they need to succeed and grow to their full potential and by that they are the victims. I considered myself hardcore into nutrition and tried all the diets like paleo, vegan and an all fish and vegetable diet. After a while my intense attitude about eating the right foods calmed down a little bit and I considered fast food in moderation is okay for everyone but we still must take what we eat seriously. I currently log all the food I eat and count the carbs, fat and protein in what I am eating and yes I am that person who goes into a fast food restaurant and asks for the nutritional menu. I always say you are what you eat and if you have plan or have a destination in life where you want to be you must adjust every aspect of your walk.

Israel trip the journey

The Journey to Israel

As humans we are naturally adventurous, we feel the need to explore and see new places. As a senior in high school, I felt as I was invincible with just about to finish a chapter of my life in school, having a future in front of me and having all my friends. As the end of the school year approached, thus came the senior trip to Israel followed. The whole class had been preparing all year except for me because I thought it would be too expensive or why would I even want to go. I grew up in a Christian school and at this time and I had a relationship with God but I was a teen and I definitely could have been closer to Him. So the trip was coming and ultimately I would to go because all my friends were going. But little did I know the hoops I would have to jump to get there and my enlightenment I would go through on my journey through the old land.

            As the trip was coming, about a week and a half, I had two things to do and they weren’t going to be easy. I had to find a way to get nine hundred dollars and find a way to get my passport in time. I looked into small loans, family members and even tried to fund raise but to no avail. I almost gave up but an old teacher over heard that I needed help and generously donated the money. I was so grateful for this act of kindness and was ready to find a way to get my passport. At this point I only had four days before the trip and the only way I could get in time was to fly to Los Angeles and pick it up at the Federal building. I had no money and no ticket so I hit another road block, but thankfully we had just met a woman who works with airlines and I received a free ticket. I missed school and flew out there and slept in the airport alone and picked it up and as had it in my hand I knew it was time for an adventure.

            All the students entered the International airport and right when I entered the doors we were flooded with friends, family and I just found out that my ex-girlfriend would be on the trip so I knew that would be something. Filled with excitement about the trip with my friends, the last thing on my mind was getting a refresher in my faith and building a stronger relationship with God especially with my ex around. After a fourteen hour flight, we made it to Tel Aviv, Israel and we are exhausted but right when went outside we were hit with this crisp almost perfect air that felt a lot like California beach air but cleaner and it was definitely a pick up. We got on a bus headed towards Jerusalem and our hotel. After a much needed jet lagged filled night of rest we headed into the old city and started walking among the very same streets that Jesus Christ. We had a sermon on the top of the Mount of Olives, walked on the temple mount and floated on the Dead Sea and having all my friends around joking and in another country it was a great time. This place was magical, it was something held outside of time and it felt like we walking in a history book. As a class were all enjoying this trip, but there was tension with my ex and I because I was palling around with a good friend who happened to be a girl. One night when we got to the Sea of Galilee, we had a huge fight about our past which almost made me regret on going on this trip in the first place. That very next day I was in a terrible mood and wasn’t talking to anybody. As a class we took a boat ride on the sea on a replica old boat from one hundred A.D. When we were on the boat my pastor reminded us of the story of how Jesus walked on water here and brought the fisherman under his wing, of how they dropped everything and believed in Him. As he told this story I was filled with something strange, like I had forgotten about everything going at home, what happened in the past and the drama on the trip. It had to be the combination of the golden sun on the waves almost waving as they passed, the smell of the sea rejuvenating every breath and the feel of the old wooden boat floating over the waves and the mist brushing upon the boat. I felt as if God was giving me a restful mind and reminding me that this trip wasn’t just fun but a lesson that anything is possible on how I got here and that if I let Him calm me down and don’t worry or put things off then I can do anything. I learned that I shouldn’t just try to hand out with friend but really open up my heart to Him and not let things get me down because life is stressful if you make it stressful.

            As we were finishing up our trip at the Garden tomb, I was reminded of the year I had in school where I put friends before school and it made it a lot tougher. I put friends and baseball above everything else even God and that’s not how it should be. If I set my priorities and if I prepare for things then they won’t end up chaotic in the end. I got to see beautiful things that I only read about in history books and experience a new culture.  Three years later and I still want to go back see it over again but I still keep with me what I learned and God is in my heart always. Sometimes we all need an adventure to remind us of what we love and need to learn.

Colby's idea of Marriage and the Journey to find the One

Colby’s idea of Marriage and Finding the “One”

            I have always been skeptical on the idea of marriage; don’t get me wrong I’ve always wanted to find the woman of my dreams but the idea of marriage as a government recognized institution is something that doesn’t sit well. I grew up in a divorced household which may result in my biased mentality but I believe that marriage is almost irrelevant nowadays other than the tax breaks and shared insurance. As I read this chapter on marriage it only reassured my ideas on marriage about divorce and a huge commitment like that must be really considered for the long run. I can see why cohabitants rather than marriage is on the rise because people don’t like the commitment but want to live together and begin to know each other. The idea of having children has always been in my future and I do believe marriage as a stable ground to raise children. I wouldn’t want a broken house raise children in, but a wife of my children to be there and to work as a team. I believe marriage in America, of course it is still relative, is an option rather than a goal especially in this day of age. In one of the essays they provide evidence that us as humans have no biological evidence that we should be monogamous but that is only a social thing.                                                                                                   I disagree because as humans we are filled with emotions and depend on one another for stability. If we go throughout our lives going on to different people rather than beginning a live long journey with someone than you won’t be as emotionally open because as humans we are naturally selfish and jealous of what we had. I do believe in the idea of short term marriages if that is what you want and don’t want to fully commit. Takes a long time before you actually know someone and that can key into a short term marriage especially if you need the benefits that come with marriage.  I would take time to know that person and contemplate a long lasting relationship with that person and ultimately if I would want to start a family with that person before I decided to marry them and if I do take that leap of faith than I am fully committed because if something is broken you fix it. For children being in a broken household is a battleground of emotions and not fully comprehending what is happening. I do believe that marriage is having a crisis in America because people are getting married to young, commitment is a tough subject for people and people are getting married because their heart says to. My parents got divorced when I was 2 after knowing each other for 3 years and when I was 12 they decided to get back together because they had me and they realized that love, stability and trust are what makes a marriage work. Relying on that other person, working together through emotions and tough times and having a common goal is what makes marriage so great. I do believe in marriage and I know once I find a girl who will be my partner in crime and she relies on me as much as I know I will her I know it will happen. 

Colby Wayne Sibley; He who has no name

Colby Wayne Sibley Name Meaning

                Everyone’s name has certain meaning, it’s their self-identity, and how the world knows them and what they were given at birth. When I was born in Las Vegas to mother Brandie Bushell and father Eldon Sibley I’m unsure why they chose Colby as my first name. I understand why my middle name Wayne was chosen because both my Grandfather’s first names were Wayne, but Colby in my opinion is a rare name. I asked them about it and at first they were going to name me Eldon Sibley but my father declined and he once heard Colby and it was close to his middle name which was Craig. I can’t find any correlation with my heritage and my name because I am German, Irish and somewhat Native American.  So they agreed on Colby Wayne Sibley and this began the tale of yours truly.

                As I grew up I never minded my name at all, everyone I knew had traditional names like John, Jordan and Michael but Colby was different. I rarely met another Colby and usually when I did they were female. Colby is originally English but derived from Old Norse which means a dark farm. Wayne, which I enjoyed John Wayne movies, is Old English and means wagon driver. Sibley is a little older from Latin and Greek which was used for pagan prophets who would falsely claim the coming of Christ. I rarely got nicknames and usually they would shorter version like Colb or Sib throughout baseball. My family or more importantly my parents would use Colby Wayne but when they would use that name I definitely knew I was in trouble. I do feel like my name, being rare as it is, has somewhat of an advantage in certain areas over other names. For example during highschool and somewhat of college, my teachers rarely had problems associating my name with my face and I would get somewhat called on more than others.  Jumping onto Sibley because Wayne is rarely ever used, my father grew up in Las Vegas and as well as my older brother and they were very well known in the valley for their achievements in baseball, the world of baseball is a small one, so when people would see the last name Sibley they would associate and ultimately say oh your JC’s little brother. This helped me out moving up in baseball.

                I don’t think I would ever change my name. I feel it’s my identity; it’s me in my good days and in my bad ones. My parents gave me this name because when they put their eyes on me the first time I was Colby Wayne Sibley. I enjoy the rarity of it and I’m proud to own up to this name. I do believe that your name can have certain advantages in our society and I feel mine is easy to remember. I’m unsure what names I’ll choose for my children but I know I will decide on some I feel are memorable, rare and ones they will like to live with.