Yesterday I read an article about how Chicken McNuggets are made. They also provided the lovely picture above and, needless to say, I was emphatically grossed out. Now, we always joke about what could possibly be contained in a Chicken McNugget (or any fast food item for that matter) and, laughing, continue to shovel it in. However, it’s really not a joke. It’s serious business when it comes to your health! So let’s break it down.

Here’s how the process goes, people. A WHOLE chicken (guts…bones…the entire works!) is mechanically smashed into tiny bits and pieces and smoothed out into a pretty pink goopy substance. This, by the way, is how a good portion of all your fave fast food items begin being processed before they get transformed into the illusion of food. They’ll let you eat this crap, but before they do, they so kindly remove the bacteria from the chicken by soaking it in ammonia. How sweet. Then to make it taste fairly good and look fairly appealing they add a buttload of artificial flavors and colors before it gets the chance to swim around in your belly. Bon apetit, huh?

It also blows my mind the way they donate part of every Happy Meal to the Ronald McDonald charity. Kill kids to help kids just doesn’t add up in my book, but that’s a whole other topic of discussion.

This stuff is not food, people! Do you feel remarkably tired most of the time? Do feel like you don’t have the energy to play with your kids, take care of your family, or effectively perform in your career? Do you get sick often? Fast food could be the culprit…or any unnecessary processed food…period! This includes a good chunk of what’s being sold in the middle aisles of the grocery store, as well. Your body just DOES NOT know what to do with this foreign crap. None of the ingredients in these products can be broken down in a way where your body uses them for energy, proper organ function, or fat burning. It basically ends up sitting in your system as fat and infecting your body with chemicals.

Need to be grossed out further? Check out the evolution of a burger and fries over 137 days. That should clinch it for ya’. Click here.

Now I know we’re not perfect all the time, but bottom line…stay away from this stuff! I really care about you and your health and want you feeling good and functioning at your best.

Hitler Ain’t Got Nuthin’ On Me, 15” x 10,” pencil on paper, 2010

My latest masterpiece. This is the beginning of a drawing series of my friend, James. You’ll notice the theme after some time. I’ll let you tune in to figure it out. :-P

Okay….so I had a conversation the other day with a friend through text (imagine that) about social media and the use of modern technology to meet and communicate with others. I’ll add that I’ve never met this person in the flesh, nor have I ever had a phone conversation with this person outside of texting. Our conversation compelled me to think more about how social media and modern communication alter the way we interact with others and, in turn, the way others perceive us.

Do you really KNOW the people you’re connecting with? Are they really who they appear to be? There are some strikingly creepy people out there setting up accounts and masquerading as people they’re not, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about people with wholesome intentions to meet others with like minds and connect with old and current acquaintances and friends.

I’m sure I’ve given you some kind of impression about who I am and what I’m like. To be honest, I’m now actually quite curious to know the vibe I present to the wireless and social media worlds. From my own perspective, after glancing through my past Facebook posts, Twitter updates, and text messages, I get the impression that I’m fairly outgoing, energetic, upbeat, friendly, witty, have lots of friends, carry an extremely positive attitude, and have a rockin’ sense of humor. I’m not saying I’m none of these things or wouldn’t want to be any of these things, but there are several differences between my social media “persona” and me, Tanya, the person.

Those who know me know I’m extremely shy (at least until you really get to know me). I like being around people, but I can be very awkward in groups. I usually play the role of the person who enjoys watching others rather than being a participant. I spend a lot of time alone and rarely with others. I do consider myself someone with a positive attitude, good values, a huge heart, and a decent sense of humor. However, not so much witty. It’s funny how words flow from my brain, out of my hands, and into a text or computer, but when it comes to verbalizing my thoughts it becomes a mess of mumbled and tortured language that’s supposed to be English.

I’ll admit, there are some qualities in myself from the above paragraph I’d like to work on and change or improve, but I can’t help but think social media and text allow me to put on a mask and traipse easily as the person I’m interested in being more like, hindering me from ever really conquering the parts that need improvement when it matters…face to face. There are fewer barriers and less judgement and embarrassment. Or I should say there APPEARS to be fewer barriers and less judgement and embarrassment. They continue to exist, but you become much less aware of them and their presence.

So my point is that social media and modern communication either offer us the opportunity to let down our barriers so we can feel more free to be who we are OR it captures us and steals our ability to interact with others in THE most traditional fashion, turning us into zombies. Maybe it’s both. In my case, I’m going with both. 

Wanna help me out of my rut? Let’s hang out.

Maybe I have a future in the tattoo business. Here’s a design for a friend of mine.

Ahhhhhahahahaha……

I just wrote a new blog on the deets and early release of Turbo Fire as well as info on how you can get 25% off your copy of Turbo Fire and enter to WIN a set of the Turbo Fire Advanced DVDs to add to your Turbo Fire Collection! Check it out and let me know if you have any questions!

http://fitonawhim.com/my-blog/2010/6/17/hot-of-the-pressturbo-fire-is-here.html

Matt Duke playing Sex and Reruns.

16 hours into my painting on a 24 x 30 canvas.

I haven’t painted for quite some time (a few years) and I thought I’d jump into a new painting project. Here’s the photo reference I’m using.

So I’m at work today and my boss says to me, “So, Tanya, want to be done when you’re done?”