Kayla Bloom
Founding member
Bio
Just a writer, teacher, sister, and woman taking things one day at a time in a fast-paced world. Don’t forget to live your dreams.
Stories (30/0)
Contemporary Morality in the MCU
I came to the Marvel Cinematic Universe kind of late. Tobey Maguire was firmly cemented as Spider-Man, and I didn’t much understand or care for X-Men. Iron Man, 2008, was alright, but lost in the background against the likes of Twilight and Juno. Keeping an international fanbase engaged in a franchise that now spans more than twenty films in more than a decade is no mean feat. But of course, I’m not sure anyone could understand the sheer magnitude of what this movie would create.
By Kayla Bloom8 months ago in Geeks
How to Grow Beautiful Tomatoes
Nothing is more satisfying than growing your own food. Though I have been known to be impatient, being involved in every step of producing helps one appreciate what we so often take for granted. This vital necessity for survival does not appear on grocery shelves and in pantries. How far has your food traveled to land on your table? Who did the planting, the maintaining, the harvesting? These may seem like insignificant questions, but what were to happen if they suddenly didn’t have an answer? I don’t mean to sound an alarm, by any means, but taking a step back to examine the way we live, shop, and eat may benefit individuals as well as the planet. One thing I have learned from my start to gardening a year ago was the idea of experimenting and getting to know your food. How many of us have a preconceived notion as to what a Brussel sprout, beet, or, as this article is about, tomato, should taste like? It is not commonly acknowledged that the methods of production and the vast distances food currently travels makes for at the very least not so pleasant product when compared to locally grown, organic alternatives. I never stopped to think I may one day be biting into a sun-warmed, sweetly ripe tomato straight from the vine without an ounce of squeamishness or repulsion. Could you say the same thing with the red, perfectly round tomato from the corner supermarket? As you learn more about fruits, vegetables, and herbs, you begin to uncover the vast varieties available with heirlooms in which whole new worlds can be discovered. With tomatoes alone, there are an estimated 10,000 varieties to choose from!
By Kayla Bloom8 months ago in Lifehack
Reasons I Teach
As I conversed with my grandfather in the seldom-used patio overlooking his backyard, a story I had dreamed only the night before returned to my thoughts. I quickly acquired pen and paper with which to transcribe my dream, and wrote furiously as I imagined dialogue to expand upon the vague visualizations and feelings. Page after page kept turning in my notebook, and as I neared the end of my visit, I read my story aloud to my eager grandfather. He smiled with admiration and remarked on the creativity I had exhibited. I reminded him of his own mother, my great-grandmother Dorothy. Like her, I have always been drawn towards education, unaware of my familial links to the teaching profession. We are both family-oriented, compassionate, and possessing what my grandfather described as a quiet intelligence. I like to think that I understand her in a way, despite the distance between our two generations.
By Kayla Bloom9 months ago in Education
Regenerative Agriculture
I have recently had the opportunity to watch the 2020 documentary “Kiss the Ground” with narrator Woody Harrelson, and let me tell you – if you haven’t seen it yet, PLEASE DO! We are dealing with many pressing circumstances as a global society, and none poses as existential a crisis as climate change. This is what the documentary tries to tackle. A difficult task, I’m aware, but one I have come away from the documentary knowing has solutions that are not as difficult to implement in themselves as we might initially believe. As ever, it has shown that the main obstacle is our willingness and commitment to change the way we do one thing – grow our food. It’s not some alien-like technology still in its infancy, or barely a twinkle in a future-innovator’s eye. No, when its boiled down, it is a few changes that could mean the world and it all has to do with our soil.
By Kayla Bloom9 months ago in Earth
Fried Rice
As I greeted my grandparents in the soft lights of their kitchen, I felt the familiar embrace of the old house. Though the kitchen changed with innovations since the lighthearted days of my youth, it still regulated a firm place in my memory. Every nook and cranny, every organized shelf of candy, every indelible detail even more intrinsically memorized than the houses we moved through. What’s the saying? If only walls could talk. What was missing as I scanned the counter tops and stove was the fried rice. Fried rice - though not an immediately obvious family recipe considering I am a white woman from the suburbs of Sacramento – has come to define the table of my grandparents. Even better as leftovers, this aromatic favorite never failed to see a birthday, holiday, wedding, or casual get-together. It barely registered as a possibility that it, in fact, would not be on the menu. After moving back home from Berkeley upon graduating, my grandfather had tried recipe after recipe from the cookbooks they owned, starting with his interest in Asian cuisine. It was new, even for him, as he had always had an interest in cooking. He was an architectural intern, and another draftsman in his office had given him tips on a drier version of fried rice, having been from Thailand. These tips are the foundations of the version my grandfather uses to this day. As he experimented, he realized that soy sauce becomes saltier over time, rather than sweet as it is brand new. This meant the age and moderation of the soy sauce used is critical to the desired overall taste. While I’ve attempted fried rice myself, although delicious, it never compares to the symphony of flavors my grandfather’s fittingly constructs. Building upon his foundation over the years, he has fashioned his recipe painstakingly into the monument it has become. Only appropriate for an architect, I guess. I give a slight sigh, glancing back up to my grandfather smiling down at me, contentedness beaming from his gaze. This turns inquisitive as he wonders “what’s the matter?” I shake my head, wanting to change the subject to my upcoming transition to college.
By Kayla Bloom2 years ago in Feast
The Planet Kumat
The troopers sat around a sizable bench table, an air of suspense lingering. Some helmets were removed, as they had yet to be called into action, but kept nearby for convenience. No upstanding member of the Dominion’s troops ranks would dare be caught unprepared for the implementation of their duty, lest they be deemed unfit. And yet, as she starred at the ground, K883T’s heart thumped and her pulse quickened with her breath. In her silence, she struggled in vain to reassure herself. It was becoming harder and harder through the years, with her coping mechanisms fading with the memories of home. Resting her elbows on her knees, she bowed her head in a sigh, her long brown braid flowing down her shoulder.
By Kayla Bloom2 years ago in Futurism
Illumination Entertainment
I have long been baffled by the films made by the studio Illumination Entertainment. There was nothing immediately obvious as to why I should dislike them. My own niece watched them numerous times and enjoyed them. By all accounts, they were fine. This, however, was before I learned more about the company started by Chris Meledandri. Meledandri received his start back in the early 90’s working at Disney. After that, he moved on to 20th Century Fox and was an executive in their animation department, playing a role in the acquisition of BlueSky Studios. He also produced one of my absolute favorite films, Ever After: A Cinderella Story. Though he found himself the president of Fox animation, he left the company in 2007 to form Illumination Entertainment. They were now a contender and ready to make some money. The studio was shortly thereafter positioned as an entertainment arm of NBCUniversal, retaining all creative control. In April 2016, NBCUniversal announced its acquisition of another competing studio, DreamWorks Animation, for $3.8 billion. It was announced that Meledandri would oversee both Illumination and DreamWorks following the completion of the merger. Such titles from Illumination include the following:
By Kayla Bloom2 years ago in Geeks
The Handmaid's Tale
As we await season 4, which is scheduled to premiere some time in 2021, I have found myself revisiting past seasons of the critically acclaimed series The Handmaid’s Tale. Although production began in 2016 before the election of Donald Trump, it nonetheless became quite clear this was more than an adaptation of a 1985 book by Margaret Atwood, but a relevant commentary on modern society. From the costume choice, the acting, the plotline which extends beyond the book, the series is an exquisite reminder of what we have to lose and issues that currently face us.
By Kayla Bloom2 years ago in The Swamp
Top Simulation Games
Top Simulation Games I have never been much of a typical gamer. Shooting games, racing, or any of the popular consoles never held much interest to me. When I was younger, we only had a Gamecube and played Mario Party 8 over and over, but that was really the extent of gaming until my siblings and I received a Wii for Christmas one year. Computer games was my go-to as a teen, and it was then I discovered an affinity for simulation games – the more realistic, the better.
By Kayla Bloom2 years ago in Gamers
Could Star Wars Come to The Sims 4?
I have been a fan of both the Sims and Star Wars for a long time now, so imagine my surprise when rumors started circulating recently of the possibility of a new Star Wars themed gamepack coming! Let's dive in. So, on April 6th, the Sim Guru team announced a six-month roadmap for new content.
By Kayla Bloom2 years ago in Gamers
The Planet Kumat
Chapter One: The Planet Kumat Surveying the ground through his monitors, Lawn hoovered the ship momentarily as he proceeded to descend vertically into the circular, pit-like dock. Large domed shields disappeared into the sandy foundations of the building as it opened. The setting sun was beginning to impede his sight, and the ship clunked maladroitly to a halt as he swiftly removed his restraints. He flipped off the engine and hastened through the cockpit exit. No matter how many times he has been to Kumat, his palms still perspired.
By Kayla Bloom2 years ago in Futurism
