Precis:
1. Americans are usually known for having the ability to live the “American dream”, but this dream falls short. Why? You ask? Well this has to do with the American health care system. When compared to other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba, the American health care system doesn’t do much good for its people. If you don’t have healthcare while living as an American citizen, you are pretty much what they call "screwed" the next time you or a family member become ill. American Individuals who do not have health care are constantly denied help because their bodies have become diseased; which makes some believe that they are of no use to live any longer. By focusing on American health insurance and its pharmaceutical industry, Michael Moore conveys to his viewers the negative effects of the for-profit non-universal health care system the United States follows and compares it to the positive effects of the non-profit universal health care system many other countries follow.
Evidence:
2. Argument: Moore argues that the United States should make a transition from for- profit non-universal healthcare to non-profit universal healthcare.
a1. The United States is listed number 37 for health care. Countries such as France Canada and England are listed before us.
a2. An elderly man is forced to clean a supermarket because this is the only way he will receive health care.
b1. This piece of evidence definitely supports Moore’s argument. It proves that America is not considered to be the best when it comes to healthcare. If the United States were to follow a non-profit universal health care system, I am sure we would move towards the top. Because we have health care based on HMOs which make profit, we fall behind countries that don’t have HMOs. Equality is the main purpose for universal healthcare, it doesn’t matter what role one may play in society. No matter what condition one may be in, they are worthy of being treated and given health care to.
b2. It was surprising to see how much one will do to get health care. Moore uses the example of a man going on to his 80s working in a supermarket; mopping floors and cleaning the toilets. The only reason he is commited to this job is because he receives the benefit of healthcare from his employer. Moore chooses to show this to his viewers so they can compare the treatment of individuals living in the US to those living in countries that have universal healthcare. By doing so they will realize that there are many Americans who are forced to make sacrifices in order to receive health care; even if they may be about to turn 80 years old.
d. In Sicko Moore claimed that America is listed number 37 , behind Canada, France and England when it comes to the worlds ranking of health care systems. This statement is true; when referring to sources such as:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/opinion/12sun1.html
http://freedomedium.com/2009/08/who-says-our-healthcare-system-is-37th/
http://www.soulcast.com/post/show/110209/Medical-Care-in-America-versus-France,-Canada,-and-England
All these sites prove Moore’s statement correct. In the year of 2000, the WHO (World Health Organization) ranked The United States as number 37 for their health care system. France England and Canada were numbered before us.
Response:
3. I was pretty shocked when families living in the United States shared their stories about not having health insurance and being denied healthcare. Nobody should have the right to place a price on someone in need. When it comes to healthcare everyone should be a valid candidate. If you are living, you should receive healthcare, no matter what condition they may be in. When Moore travelled to countries such as Canada and France, people thought that he was a joke. They had the right reason to laugh at him; I am sure I would have laughed if I were to be a citizen of one of those countries. I think it was really shocking to see how many problems one can face living without access to healthcare.
I feel that it's wrong for the citizens of America to be treated like this. Healthcare should never be a topic worth debating about. Healthcare should be provided to everyone; without any questions or concerns. We definitely as a country need a whole lot of catching up to do. Many people assume that America has many benefits, but this is only to some extent. Watching Sicko made me want to move to France. Everyone in France was treated with first class health care. We as Americans should be offended by having a price put on us. This is totally absurd, we have modernized technology, yet we haven’t made enough effort to make healthcare available to all.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Hwk 24
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Precis:
Paul Farmer is known by many different titles; a professor at Harvard, a doctor, a disease specialist and an anthropologist. Farmer grew up in the United States, trying to overcome the struggles with poverty. Luckily Farmer became fond of diagnosing and curing diseased individuals with the help of the education he received at Harvard Medical School. By the use of modern medicine, Farmer treats those who are in need of a miracle. He makes house calls in Boston and Haiti to insure meaningful life to those in desperate need of health care.
From Harvard to Haiti, Doctor Farmer makes the reader aware of his love for taking care of the ill. He dedicates his practice to the philosophy which states "the only real nation is humanity". Farmer makes it his job to make his patients aware that hope is the golden key to life. Following the house calls Farmer makes is a clear example to the the Hatian proverb "Beyond mountains there are mountains." Once a problem is solved, surly another will follow and it too will need to be solved. The role of Doctor Paul Farmer is explicitly explained as Kidder travels with him to witness and almost feel for his passion of treating the ill.
Quotes:
“I imagine that many people would like to construct a life like Farmer's, to wake up knowing what they ought to do and feeling that they were doing it. But I can't think that many would willingly take on the difficulties, giving up their comforts and time with family.” (pg. 213)
Farmer happily devotes his life to cure strangers. I think the average doctors out there devote their life to care for others only during their shift where they play the role of a doctor. After their shift is over, their role as a doctor evaporates into thin air and they are suddenly relaxed at home surrounded by family. Farmer is apart from the average doctor; instead of having a shift that lasts a few hours, he devotes his whole life to be the doctor that is needed by many. I agree that we can't find many individuals that relate to Farmer as strictly when it comes to helping others.
“Paul is a model of what should be done. He's not a model for how it has to be done. Let's celebrate him. Let's make sure people are inspired by him. But we can't say anybody should or could be just like him.” (Pg. 244)
Farmer is a rare example of the doctor every society is in need of. He is a unique individual and it is almost impossible for one to become just like him.
"That's when I feel most alive"...."when I'm helping people". (Pg. 295)
It’s very rare to come across someone who is so serious about spending his/her time to make someone else’s life better...to make them worthy of living. Now a days we only care about our self…it’s just me me me. We always ask to be showered with care, but very rarely do we do the same for another in return. Our brains have become used to the idea of making everything in our life have some sort of positive outcome for our self. He eats, sleeps and breathes for one thing only, to give hope to the ill.
Thoughts:
The last third part of the book was okay; it was a bit longer than it needed to be. The stories helped the reader become aware of the common problem of illness many individuals suffer with. Illness is one way that connects us all; we have all experienced it or will experience it at some point in our life. Reading about Doctor Farmers travels to third world countries, I become aware that the number of those in need is nowhere near scalable to the number of those who are willing to offer their help. Many of us don’t have the same mindset as Farmer, we aren’t willing to take the extra step he does to change the lives of those who are ill. Because we are blessed with a healthy life in the present, we don’t show much concern for those in need. Reading the stories of those who struggle to live their life day by day made me realize that when our bodies are healthy we take our physicality for granted. We take it for granted because we rarely have close encounters with serious illnesses or death. Farmer is someone who sets himself apart from the average being; he makes every ounce of effort in to make someone else’s life worth living.
At one point towards the end of the book, many individuals claim that they would not be able to do what Farmer did. Farmer responds by telling them that that they don’t need to follow him by taking every step he took. They can go about finding different ways to make a positive impact for others. Instead of being given a set of rules to follow, Farmer makes himself in charge of creating his own set of guidelines. Unlike many doctors, he doesn’t show much concern with the income he makes with his profession. Alternately he finds interest in making a significant difference in the lives of others. If there were more doctors out there who had a similar mindset as Farmers, there would be a significant decrease of rejections sent out to those in desperate need.
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Precis:
Paul Farmer is known by many different titles; a professor at Harvard, a doctor, a disease specialist and an anthropologist. Farmer grew up in the United States, trying to overcome the struggles with poverty. Luckily Farmer became fond of diagnosing and curing diseased individuals with the help of the education he received at Harvard Medical School. By the use of modern medicine, Farmer treats those who are in need of a miracle. He makes house calls in Boston and Haiti to insure meaningful life to those in desperate need of health care.
From Harvard to Haiti, Doctor Farmer makes the reader aware of his love for taking care of the ill. He dedicates his practice to the philosophy which states "the only real nation is humanity". Farmer makes it his job to make his patients aware that hope is the golden key to life. Following the house calls Farmer makes is a clear example to the the Hatian proverb "Beyond mountains there are mountains." Once a problem is solved, surly another will follow and it too will need to be solved. The role of Doctor Paul Farmer is explicitly explained as Kidder travels with him to witness and almost feel for his passion of treating the ill.
Quotes:
“I imagine that many people would like to construct a life like Farmer's, to wake up knowing what they ought to do and feeling that they were doing it. But I can't think that many would willingly take on the difficulties, giving up their comforts and time with family.” (pg. 213)
Farmer happily devotes his life to cure strangers. I think the average doctors out there devote their life to care for others only during their shift where they play the role of a doctor. After their shift is over, their role as a doctor evaporates into thin air and they are suddenly relaxed at home surrounded by family. Farmer is apart from the average doctor; instead of having a shift that lasts a few hours, he devotes his whole life to be the doctor that is needed by many. I agree that we can't find many individuals that relate to Farmer as strictly when it comes to helping others.
“Paul is a model of what should be done. He's not a model for how it has to be done. Let's celebrate him. Let's make sure people are inspired by him. But we can't say anybody should or could be just like him.” (Pg. 244)
Farmer is a rare example of the doctor every society is in need of. He is a unique individual and it is almost impossible for one to become just like him.
"That's when I feel most alive"...."when I'm helping people". (Pg. 295)
It’s very rare to come across someone who is so serious about spending his/her time to make someone else’s life better...to make them worthy of living. Now a days we only care about our self…it’s just me me me. We always ask to be showered with care, but very rarely do we do the same for another in return. Our brains have become used to the idea of making everything in our life have some sort of positive outcome for our self. He eats, sleeps and breathes for one thing only, to give hope to the ill.
Thoughts:
The last third part of the book was okay; it was a bit longer than it needed to be. The stories helped the reader become aware of the common problem of illness many individuals suffer with. Illness is one way that connects us all; we have all experienced it or will experience it at some point in our life. Reading about Doctor Farmers travels to third world countries, I become aware that the number of those in need is nowhere near scalable to the number of those who are willing to offer their help. Many of us don’t have the same mindset as Farmer, we aren’t willing to take the extra step he does to change the lives of those who are ill. Because we are blessed with a healthy life in the present, we don’t show much concern for those in need. Reading the stories of those who struggle to live their life day by day made me realize that when our bodies are healthy we take our physicality for granted. We take it for granted because we rarely have close encounters with serious illnesses or death. Farmer is someone who sets himself apart from the average being; he makes every ounce of effort in to make someone else’s life worth living.
At one point towards the end of the book, many individuals claim that they would not be able to do what Farmer did. Farmer responds by telling them that that they don’t need to follow him by taking every step he took. They can go about finding different ways to make a positive impact for others. Instead of being given a set of rules to follow, Farmer makes himself in charge of creating his own set of guidelines. Unlike many doctors, he doesn’t show much concern with the income he makes with his profession. Alternately he finds interest in making a significant difference in the lives of others. If there were more doctors out there who had a similar mindset as Farmers, there would be a significant decrease of rejections sent out to those in desperate need.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Hwk 23
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Chapter Thirteen
Precis:
An epidemiological map is based on the causes of sickness, death and the statistics for the numbers and ages. It can be color coded into two categories; one is to show death caused by illnesses having to do with age. The other shows death occurring at early ages caused by hunger , violence and illness. Farmer comes up with the “great epi divide”; this is what divides the two color coded sections. The majority of Haiti would fall under the color which shows poor health. Tuberculosis is on the rise in Haiti; this is a major factor in the epidemiological map since it is usually optioned for the needy. It takes advantage of the malnourished, AIDS and highly contagious. TB can be cured by the simple use on inexpensive drugs. But they have to be administered for some months. Poverty seems to be the cause of ill health in Haiti.
Quotes:
“The map of the United States, by contrast, would depict a healthy nation speckled with disease.” (pg. 125)
What exactly is healthy? If there are still diseased individuals in the United States should we still be considered healthy? I guess when compared to Haiti yes, but in general I wouldn’t say we are a very healthy country. Neither do we have great hope of turning that around in the near future.
“Many of the groups of people living on the wrong side of the great epi divide have brown or black skin.” (pg. 125)
What kind of roles does race play in the topic of illness and dying? Does it have to do with how illness and death is carried out in different societies? Or does it have to do with the average income of these different races? I think money plays a big role for the health of an individual, if you can afford health insurance or have some form of health care, than you are less likely to worry about any illness. But if you are not so lucky then you are more prone to it. I think it’s terribly wrong to put a price on an individual.
“He remembered the feeling of dread that washed over him when he realized what his patient had. And dread was justified; the young man dies. Farmer blamed himself, but the fact was that treating MDR was tricky under the best of circumstances…” (pg. 127)
Farmer seems to take his patients life as if it is his job to keep them alive. This definitely shows that he takes his job very seriously, which to me is both good and bad. Farmer really wants to be responsible for his patients and give them the best treatment possible, but tends to have a hard time dealing with failure. Maybe he needs to realize that in some cases “failure is the key to success”…
Thoughts:
After reading the second third of the book, I realized how big of an impact illness can have in one country. Tuberculosis seems to be on the top of the list when it comes to sickness and death in many third world countries. Even though Farmer tries to make every attempt in curing the most possible, it is definitely not scalable. At first I thought this book would focus on Haiti and their dealings with illness and death. Instead it gives the reader a clear view of major illnesses spreading across a number of countries by focusing in on one country at a time. Reading further and further into the book I am able to mold Farmers character. Instead of denying pleas from the sick, he offers his own help for their good. He definitely puts others before himself; he makes every effort to help cure. Farmer doesn’t seem to take out much time for himself. His life is devoted to helping strangers. Is Farmer never concerned about his health? He travels around third world countries trying to cure the sick; wouldn’t he be more prone to sickness when compared to the average person? I think we need more people that have a mindset like Farmer around the world; he risks his health to save others. This to me shows complete devotion.
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Chapter Thirteen
Precis:
An epidemiological map is based on the causes of sickness, death and the statistics for the numbers and ages. It can be color coded into two categories; one is to show death caused by illnesses having to do with age. The other shows death occurring at early ages caused by hunger , violence and illness. Farmer comes up with the “great epi divide”; this is what divides the two color coded sections. The majority of Haiti would fall under the color which shows poor health. Tuberculosis is on the rise in Haiti; this is a major factor in the epidemiological map since it is usually optioned for the needy. It takes advantage of the malnourished, AIDS and highly contagious. TB can be cured by the simple use on inexpensive drugs. But they have to be administered for some months. Poverty seems to be the cause of ill health in Haiti.
Quotes:
“The map of the United States, by contrast, would depict a healthy nation speckled with disease.” (pg. 125)
What exactly is healthy? If there are still diseased individuals in the United States should we still be considered healthy? I guess when compared to Haiti yes, but in general I wouldn’t say we are a very healthy country. Neither do we have great hope of turning that around in the near future.
“Many of the groups of people living on the wrong side of the great epi divide have brown or black skin.” (pg. 125)
What kind of roles does race play in the topic of illness and dying? Does it have to do with how illness and death is carried out in different societies? Or does it have to do with the average income of these different races? I think money plays a big role for the health of an individual, if you can afford health insurance or have some form of health care, than you are less likely to worry about any illness. But if you are not so lucky then you are more prone to it. I think it’s terribly wrong to put a price on an individual.
“He remembered the feeling of dread that washed over him when he realized what his patient had. And dread was justified; the young man dies. Farmer blamed himself, but the fact was that treating MDR was tricky under the best of circumstances…” (pg. 127)
Farmer seems to take his patients life as if it is his job to keep them alive. This definitely shows that he takes his job very seriously, which to me is both good and bad. Farmer really wants to be responsible for his patients and give them the best treatment possible, but tends to have a hard time dealing with failure. Maybe he needs to realize that in some cases “failure is the key to success”…
Thoughts:
After reading the second third of the book, I realized how big of an impact illness can have in one country. Tuberculosis seems to be on the top of the list when it comes to sickness and death in many third world countries. Even though Farmer tries to make every attempt in curing the most possible, it is definitely not scalable. At first I thought this book would focus on Haiti and their dealings with illness and death. Instead it gives the reader a clear view of major illnesses spreading across a number of countries by focusing in on one country at a time. Reading further and further into the book I am able to mold Farmers character. Instead of denying pleas from the sick, he offers his own help for their good. He definitely puts others before himself; he makes every effort to help cure. Farmer doesn’t seem to take out much time for himself. His life is devoted to helping strangers. Is Farmer never concerned about his health? He travels around third world countries trying to cure the sick; wouldn’t he be more prone to sickness when compared to the average person? I think we need more people that have a mindset like Farmer around the world; he risks his health to save others. This to me shows complete devotion.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Hwk 22
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House in 2003
Chapter Four
Precis: Dr. Farmer is in the country of Haiti; he conducts a research study proving that those who receive free health care are indeed to fully recover. Farmer and Kidder travel to a village of Morne Michel in search of a patient who has been missing his visits. Later on they figure out that he wasn’t able to see Dr. Farmer because he hadn’t received stipend cash, and the instructions he got in his last visit were confusing. After coming across a cock fighting pit, Kidder and Farmer set out again.
Quotes:
"Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt." (pg. 34)
There needs to be a balance of everything to keep one stable. Without one or the other, it makes no sense of making an effort to cure an illness.
"Beyond mountains there are mountains." (pg. 36)
One problem links to another...I think this is said to make the reader aware about how great the affect of illness is. There are a limitless amount of concerns having to do with illness and death, yet only a number that are willing to cure.
Farmer asked the patient, a young man, if he disliked his TB medicines. "Are you kidding?" he replied." I wouldn't be here without them." (pg. 41)
I think its funny the way our world works. Living organisms are usually categorized as "priceless", but we are willing to put a price on something that helps us stay alive.
"To understand Russia, to understand Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Boston, identity politics, Sri Lanka, and Life Savers, you have to be on top of this hill." (pg. 44)
To understand something you cannot look at it from one perspective; instead look at it with a kaleidoscopic view.
Thoughts:
So far this book has a strong way of creating a picture for its readers. Before reading this I wasn’t fully aware about the problems of Haiti. Even though we hear things in the news, reading this made me Haiti view Haiti through a totally different angle. Dr. Farmer seems like he has devoted his whole life to helping others. He doesn’t seem to mention any of his own necessities such as his family. All he has in mind is the health of others and how he can help in making it better. There are many individuals in Haiti that are in need of serious medical attention and Dr. Farmer is there to serve them all. While reading this chapter, I realized how much we value our life; we will go through anything to keep ourselves alive. For example when Dr. Farmer questioned his patient in the village of Morne Michel about his medications, he replied: “Are you kidding?...I wouldn't be here without them.” I think this connects back to what Beth stated: “I am afraid of dying.” Even though we try to mask ourselves as tough figures in society, we are all afraid of death. When we experience illness we become aware of our body and the state its in. We suddenly become worried because our body is not in its normal state as it should be. This is when we start to become afraid of the worst: death.
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House in 2003
Chapter Four
Precis: Dr. Farmer is in the country of Haiti; he conducts a research study proving that those who receive free health care are indeed to fully recover. Farmer and Kidder travel to a village of Morne Michel in search of a patient who has been missing his visits. Later on they figure out that he wasn’t able to see Dr. Farmer because he hadn’t received stipend cash, and the instructions he got in his last visit were confusing. After coming across a cock fighting pit, Kidder and Farmer set out again.
Quotes:
"Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt." (pg. 34)
There needs to be a balance of everything to keep one stable. Without one or the other, it makes no sense of making an effort to cure an illness.
"Beyond mountains there are mountains." (pg. 36)
One problem links to another...I think this is said to make the reader aware about how great the affect of illness is. There are a limitless amount of concerns having to do with illness and death, yet only a number that are willing to cure.
Farmer asked the patient, a young man, if he disliked his TB medicines. "Are you kidding?" he replied." I wouldn't be here without them." (pg. 41)
I think its funny the way our world works. Living organisms are usually categorized as "priceless", but we are willing to put a price on something that helps us stay alive.
"To understand Russia, to understand Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Boston, identity politics, Sri Lanka, and Life Savers, you have to be on top of this hill." (pg. 44)
To understand something you cannot look at it from one perspective; instead look at it with a kaleidoscopic view.
Thoughts:
So far this book has a strong way of creating a picture for its readers. Before reading this I wasn’t fully aware about the problems of Haiti. Even though we hear things in the news, reading this made me Haiti view Haiti through a totally different angle. Dr. Farmer seems like he has devoted his whole life to helping others. He doesn’t seem to mention any of his own necessities such as his family. All he has in mind is the health of others and how he can help in making it better. There are many individuals in Haiti that are in need of serious medical attention and Dr. Farmer is there to serve them all. While reading this chapter, I realized how much we value our life; we will go through anything to keep ourselves alive. For example when Dr. Farmer questioned his patient in the village of Morne Michel about his medications, he replied: “Are you kidding?...I wouldn't be here without them.” I think this connects back to what Beth stated: “I am afraid of dying.” Even though we try to mask ourselves as tough figures in society, we are all afraid of death. When we experience illness we become aware of our body and the state its in. We suddenly become worried because our body is not in its normal state as it should be. This is when we start to become afraid of the worst: death.
Hwk 21 B
Kevin,
I read this through the modality of beauty, and overall I have to say you did I nice job. You connect Beth's experience with your own experiences, which was a great idea. When you wrote about your aunt Catherine's death battling lung cancer, it made me realize that sometimes you do have to let go. At some point in our lives our bodies won't be capable of taking care of us any longer; if we try to fight they might hold on a bit longer, but they will have to give up at some point.
You used a bit of metaphorical language which I liked. I would like to see more of it. I really liked the way you did this assignment, it was not boring to read at all. At no point while reading this did I feel the need to click the little red square on the top right corner of my screen. You keep your reader interested with your thoughts. I like how you are talking directly to the reader. I don't feel like you did this assignment just to complete your homework, instead I feel like you actually wanted to aware the reader about your thoughts on illness and dying. I would recommend you to increase your font size. Also, try to question the reader, or end with a sentence that will make your reader be sure to come back to your page and check to see if you have posted another blog post.
-Amber
Bianca,
It was nice to read your blog post; you have many insightful things to say. You asked me to give you feedback by reading your blog post through the modality of proofreading. Overall your blog post was interesting to read, but I felt like you had many long sentences. Maybe if you can cut some sentences shorter, or just keep everything short and concise. You were using a lot of commas throughout your sentences which to me signals that your sentences are getting too long. There were times where I felt the need to catch my breath. Next time I would advise you to use semi colons, in place of some of the commas. Try to let the reader know everything you are trying to say but in a shorter form. Other than that I felt like you did a good job. I didn't notice any spelling mistakes, which is good. It was interesting to hear your thoughts about Beth's presentation.
-Amber
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Bianca C said...
Modality: (Depth and Insight)
Amber,
Your post most definitely demonstrates your eye for key points. The most beautiful and insightful part about your writing would have to be one of your concluding questions: "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" Such a thought-provoking question surely deserve recognition. I agree that it's strange how we complain about the hardships of life but, are defensive and ambivalent when it comes our time to part from life itself. The last sentence of your post was admittedly cliche and it would only benefit your writing if you were to have offered an alternative perspective, essentially a cliff hanger for a reader to trigger their interest in exploring the realms of death.
Kevin W. said...
I think that I'm supposed to be doing beauty. If I'm not, my bad. Well when it comes to beauty, I believe there is two types of beauty to look for. Beautifully written work, and beautiful insights. I think this had a little bit of both. "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" That line is beautiful. It shows depth of thought, insight, and truth all in one. But it's even better because of the way it's phrased. It flows well and raises a question not commonly asked. It shows beauty in both ways. There were also some good lines in this post that could have been made stonger and more beautiful. "I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death." This is a line that raises another almost unsolvable question, but it could have been said better. If it was phrased more like: We are all afraid of death, myself included, but why? Or something along those lines. I don't want to take anything away from your post, as I think it's better then my own, but always keep looking for a better way to phrase things.
Nabil (Brother)
Amber,
"The last 10 days before Erics death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage". Even though this is Beth's quote, I like that you chose to put it here. I really like this quote because it tells me how even though Eric was fighting kidney cancer, both Beth and Eric knew that death has to come one way or another. The best thing to do is spend as most time as you can with your loved ones because at some time in your life, death will approach. "I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered." I agree with this quote, many of us no longer have any emotion at all because it won't matter. No matter what way say or do what has to happen will happen. Your paragraphs are very well formatted and the quotes you chose to put up really explain the ideal message of the story. What you can improve on is maybe adding some more details about what Beths reaction was like after Erics death and how she handled it. But over all very well done.
-Nabil
Shahana (mom)
Amber,
This line out of all really struck me the most: "Death will approach all of us some day." I really liked it because this is something that we can all connect to. This is the universal truth; death is something all of us will experience no matter what. All living things must die, which makes all living things make a strong connection with one another. We will not live forever, we have a limited time to spend our life in this universe. For some it is longer than others, but the main point here is that it is LIMITED.
This makes me aware that life is a precious gift of God. When we are seriously sick we hope for good health. But when we are fine we don't realize how precious our life is, because we become distant from our bodies while worrying about other neccessities which take over our life.
-mom
I read this through the modality of beauty, and overall I have to say you did I nice job. You connect Beth's experience with your own experiences, which was a great idea. When you wrote about your aunt Catherine's death battling lung cancer, it made me realize that sometimes you do have to let go. At some point in our lives our bodies won't be capable of taking care of us any longer; if we try to fight they might hold on a bit longer, but they will have to give up at some point.
You used a bit of metaphorical language which I liked. I would like to see more of it. I really liked the way you did this assignment, it was not boring to read at all. At no point while reading this did I feel the need to click the little red square on the top right corner of my screen. You keep your reader interested with your thoughts. I like how you are talking directly to the reader. I don't feel like you did this assignment just to complete your homework, instead I feel like you actually wanted to aware the reader about your thoughts on illness and dying. I would recommend you to increase your font size. Also, try to question the reader, or end with a sentence that will make your reader be sure to come back to your page and check to see if you have posted another blog post.
-Amber
Bianca,
It was nice to read your blog post; you have many insightful things to say. You asked me to give you feedback by reading your blog post through the modality of proofreading. Overall your blog post was interesting to read, but I felt like you had many long sentences. Maybe if you can cut some sentences shorter, or just keep everything short and concise. You were using a lot of commas throughout your sentences which to me signals that your sentences are getting too long. There were times where I felt the need to catch my breath. Next time I would advise you to use semi colons, in place of some of the commas. Try to let the reader know everything you are trying to say but in a shorter form. Other than that I felt like you did a good job. I didn't notice any spelling mistakes, which is good. It was interesting to hear your thoughts about Beth's presentation.
-Amber
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Bianca C said...
Modality: (Depth and Insight)
Amber,
Your post most definitely demonstrates your eye for key points. The most beautiful and insightful part about your writing would have to be one of your concluding questions: "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" Such a thought-provoking question surely deserve recognition. I agree that it's strange how we complain about the hardships of life but, are defensive and ambivalent when it comes our time to part from life itself. The last sentence of your post was admittedly cliche and it would only benefit your writing if you were to have offered an alternative perspective, essentially a cliff hanger for a reader to trigger their interest in exploring the realms of death.
Kevin W. said...
I think that I'm supposed to be doing beauty. If I'm not, my bad. Well when it comes to beauty, I believe there is two types of beauty to look for. Beautifully written work, and beautiful insights. I think this had a little bit of both. "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" That line is beautiful. It shows depth of thought, insight, and truth all in one. But it's even better because of the way it's phrased. It flows well and raises a question not commonly asked. It shows beauty in both ways. There were also some good lines in this post that could have been made stonger and more beautiful. "I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death." This is a line that raises another almost unsolvable question, but it could have been said better. If it was phrased more like: We are all afraid of death, myself included, but why? Or something along those lines. I don't want to take anything away from your post, as I think it's better then my own, but always keep looking for a better way to phrase things.
Nabil (Brother)
Amber,
"The last 10 days before Erics death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage". Even though this is Beth's quote, I like that you chose to put it here. I really like this quote because it tells me how even though Eric was fighting kidney cancer, both Beth and Eric knew that death has to come one way or another. The best thing to do is spend as most time as you can with your loved ones because at some time in your life, death will approach. "I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered." I agree with this quote, many of us no longer have any emotion at all because it won't matter. No matter what way say or do what has to happen will happen. Your paragraphs are very well formatted and the quotes you chose to put up really explain the ideal message of the story. What you can improve on is maybe adding some more details about what Beths reaction was like after Erics death and how she handled it. But over all very well done.
-Nabil
Shahana (mom)
Amber,
This line out of all really struck me the most: "Death will approach all of us some day." I really liked it because this is something that we can all connect to. This is the universal truth; death is something all of us will experience no matter what. All living things must die, which makes all living things make a strong connection with one another. We will not live forever, we have a limited time to spend our life in this universe. For some it is longer than others, but the main point here is that it is LIMITED.
This makes me aware that life is a precious gift of God. When we are seriously sick we hope for good health. But when we are fine we don't realize how precious our life is, because we become distant from our bodies while worrying about other neccessities which take over our life.
-mom
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Hwk 21
-Eric was always afraid to go to the doctor or the dentist.
-It was a gift to see him sleeping properly on a bed as opposed to having pillows holding him up while he slept.
-If Eric wasn’t fighting he was stoic.
-The last 10 days before Eric’s death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage, because there was nothing else I needed to care about other than him.
-Society tends to keep death removed from the public, and tries to keep it tucked away in hospitals.
-Eric was presented as an artist instead of an individual who was sick
Beth told us that it was a gift to see her husband sleeping properly in his bed after his lungs were tapped. This made me realize that we take the most common aspects of our life for granted. When we witness or experience an abnormality that has to do with our bodies. we become aware of our bodily functions. We suddenly realize that we are alive; we become aware of our physicality when we are ill or approaching death. This is when we finally figure out what side effects we can have to an illness and how grateful we should be when there is not much wrong with our bodies. When our body is in a normal state, we never tend to question ourselves regarding our body disfunctioning. since there is nothing out of the ordinary. We become used to this fact after a while and slowly start to drift away from our physicality. But when we feel as if our body is experiencing something unusual, we finally start to realize our physicality. It is as if we are pushed back into reality.
Beth stated that if Eric wasn’t fighting after he was diagnosed with advanced metastatic kidney cancer, he was definitely stoic. I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered. I think this has to do with all of us being aware that we will all go through death sooner or later, one way or another. When the time of death approaches we have to accept it and keep living day after day waiting for our life to be taken away from us. The ones that are witnessing death approach an individual are the ones that seem to be the most affected by it. They are the ones that are saddened by the fact that they will witness death approach on an individual. We are the ones who take pity on the ill, and make them feel as if something is wrong with them; as if there is something out of the ordinary. The outsiders view the individual approach death, and feel bad for them for some reason I don’t really understand. Death will approach all of us some day, so why do we act to surprised and concerned when we see someone else experience it?
I think Beth’s presentation was a great way to have a new face to discuss with us about death and illness. I haven’t had anyone discuss a death about their loved one with me; in fact I haven’t really been exposed to many conversations that deal with death or illness. Towards the end of the discussion, Beth told us that she is still afraid of death. Many of us are fearful of death, yet it is a fact that we will face it once in our life. I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death. But I think this is very common amongst many of us. When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life? Why do we mourn and take pity of those who are approaching death? I guess this has to do with not knowing what happens after death. We choose to believe what we believe in about death since there is no factual evidence about the after life. There is no way we can experience the after life, and come back to tell the tale to others; what’s done is done.
-It was a gift to see him sleeping properly on a bed as opposed to having pillows holding him up while he slept.
-If Eric wasn’t fighting he was stoic.
-The last 10 days before Eric’s death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage, because there was nothing else I needed to care about other than him.
-Society tends to keep death removed from the public, and tries to keep it tucked away in hospitals.
-Eric was presented as an artist instead of an individual who was sick
Beth told us that it was a gift to see her husband sleeping properly in his bed after his lungs were tapped. This made me realize that we take the most common aspects of our life for granted. When we witness or experience an abnormality that has to do with our bodies. we become aware of our bodily functions. We suddenly realize that we are alive; we become aware of our physicality when we are ill or approaching death. This is when we finally figure out what side effects we can have to an illness and how grateful we should be when there is not much wrong with our bodies. When our body is in a normal state, we never tend to question ourselves regarding our body disfunctioning. since there is nothing out of the ordinary. We become used to this fact after a while and slowly start to drift away from our physicality. But when we feel as if our body is experiencing something unusual, we finally start to realize our physicality. It is as if we are pushed back into reality.
Beth stated that if Eric wasn’t fighting after he was diagnosed with advanced metastatic kidney cancer, he was definitely stoic. I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered. I think this has to do with all of us being aware that we will all go through death sooner or later, one way or another. When the time of death approaches we have to accept it and keep living day after day waiting for our life to be taken away from us. The ones that are witnessing death approach an individual are the ones that seem to be the most affected by it. They are the ones that are saddened by the fact that they will witness death approach on an individual. We are the ones who take pity on the ill, and make them feel as if something is wrong with them; as if there is something out of the ordinary. The outsiders view the individual approach death, and feel bad for them for some reason I don’t really understand. Death will approach all of us some day, so why do we act to surprised and concerned when we see someone else experience it?
I think Beth’s presentation was a great way to have a new face to discuss with us about death and illness. I haven’t had anyone discuss a death about their loved one with me; in fact I haven’t really been exposed to many conversations that deal with death or illness. Towards the end of the discussion, Beth told us that she is still afraid of death. Many of us are fearful of death, yet it is a fact that we will face it once in our life. I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death. But I think this is very common amongst many of us. When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life? Why do we mourn and take pity of those who are approaching death? I guess this has to do with not knowing what happens after death. We choose to believe what we believe in about death since there is no factual evidence about the after life. There is no way we can experience the after life, and come back to tell the tale to others; what’s done is done.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hwk 19
I discussed the topic of illness and dying with my mom. We talked about different aspects of this topic; we started off talking about different types of treatments out there. I asked my mom what type of doctor she would prefer seeing, one that prescribes scientific drugs or one that provides homeopathic cures. My mom said that she would prefer a doctor that refers to homeopathic cures when treating their patients because even though the results of these cures will take longer to occur, they have almost no harmful side effects compared to the scientific drugs prescribed by doctors. A patient that is curing their illness with homeopathy needs to be patient because the results usually take longer to occur. When using prescription drugs the patient usually experiences results in as little as a couple of minutes sometimes, but these drugs usually have side effects that can cause troubles later on. When choosing to be cured with the use of homeopathy, the individual needs to be aware that the results will be experienced in a longer period of time. I guess this is why many individuals have a harder time sticking with homeopathy because patience is the key, and we usually want to see results much faster especially when it considers our health.
While I was having this discussion with my mother I started to think about how my family deals with iillness. Usually when a family member or I get sick, my parents usually recommend bed rest. They try to keep away from the doctor unless the condition is serious and needs to be treated right away. My parents also try to keep away from prescription drugs. Usually when I get sick or have a headache, I am told to eat well and rest; if I have a fever then I am supposed to stay home from school. My parents rarely tell me to take prescription medicine. When I get a cold my mom makes me this herbal tea which helps me feel better within a few days. After taking some thought into this I realized that my parents go for the natural remedies to cure sickness. For example if I have a cough my mom would tell me to gargle with warm salt water, or eat a tablespoon of honey. When I have a fever or a cold I am told to dress warmer. My mom makes sure I am dressed according to the weather. When it's cold out I will expect my mom to shout: "Amber! Did you take your hat? your scarf? and your gloves?"..."Yes mom!" I would reply while getting into the crowded elevator. From what I can recall I have never been to the doctor for a fever. The only time I make an emergency visit to the doctor is when it is something out of the ordinary. I asked my mother why she tries to avoid giving me prescription or over the counter drugs to relieve my pain or ache. She said that it's because she wants my body to stay independent. If I were to take a pain reliever every time I were to get a headache, my body would become dependent on it. Soon enough I would not be able to go through a headache without swallowing an advil.
Our discussion shifted to when my mom was younger and how her parents carried on with illness in the family. I asked her about how her parents were on this idea when she was a young child. She said that their ideas were pretty much the same on this topic. If my mom or someone else in her family were sick, my grandparents would usually try to wait out a couple of days to see if his/her health was getting any better. If it was not changing for the better within a few days, they would take him/her to doctor. Then they would follow the doctor's order and take the drug that was prescribed to them. When my mom was a young child living in Pakistan, she didn’t have regular doctor appointments. She would only make a trip to the doctor if there were something serious that needed to be taken care of right then and there. One specific time would be when my mom had unbearable pain in her ear. After some time she couldn’t take it any longer, which caused my grandfather to rush her to the hospital in the early morning hours. They found out that an ant had crawled into her ear...ouch!
Later on our conversation transitioned into the topic of death in the society we currently live in and how it compares to the approach of death back in Pakistan. My mother isn’t much aware about how this society deals with death, but she is aware about the procedure such as the coffin prepared for the body and the funeral that is held. Here it is common for both males and females to attend the funeral and mourn together; inn Pakistan this is different. Males have a grieving period together at the Mosque and at the grave site while the females gather at home. In Islam the mourning period lasts for a total of forty days. It starts at the day of the death of the individual and carries on for forty days. In the grieving period men and women gather separately to recite the Quran, and offer prayers and blessings. Seeds(tamarind or date seeds) are collected or borrowed from the local Mosque to keep count for the number of times a certain a’yat or surah is recited from the Quran. Each surah or a’yat is usually recited separately, as many as 125,000 (or more) times amongst a group of men or women. They also arrange food to be given to the needy in the name of the individual that has recently passed away.
My mom and I are not fully aware of the customs that this society follows for a death. We are aware of the general idea, but we don’t know much in depth about the process that follows after a death We (my mother and i ) have never attended a funeral, and don't plan on doing so in our life. This is mostly because of our religious practices, but I feel that there is another reason as well. I think it has to do with not having interest in the idea of death; we always wish for a healthy, safe and long life. My mom is much aware about the customs in Pakistan since she was raised there as a child and this is what she witnessed when her father passed away.
Back in Pakistan, after a death occurs the body is washed, scented, then wrapped up with a white cloth. The body is then taken with the males to a graveyard. The only thing that the body takes to the graveyard is the white cloth that covers it; nothing else because there is no need of anything else. The common necessities of this world will be of no use after ones death. The wrapped up body is placed directly in the earth and buried with moist soil. The caretakers of the graveyard are told to keep the soil moist. I asked my mom why? She wasn’t really sure about this concept either, but she thought it had something to do with keeping the body cool. After the body is buried into the earth a tombstone will be placed, and only males are allowed to visit the grave site. Islam does not allow women to go to the grave site.
While I was having this discussion with my mother I started to think about how my family deals with iillness. Usually when a family member or I get sick, my parents usually recommend bed rest. They try to keep away from the doctor unless the condition is serious and needs to be treated right away. My parents also try to keep away from prescription drugs. Usually when I get sick or have a headache, I am told to eat well and rest; if I have a fever then I am supposed to stay home from school. My parents rarely tell me to take prescription medicine. When I get a cold my mom makes me this herbal tea which helps me feel better within a few days. After taking some thought into this I realized that my parents go for the natural remedies to cure sickness. For example if I have a cough my mom would tell me to gargle with warm salt water, or eat a tablespoon of honey. When I have a fever or a cold I am told to dress warmer. My mom makes sure I am dressed according to the weather. When it's cold out I will expect my mom to shout: "Amber! Did you take your hat? your scarf? and your gloves?"..."Yes mom!" I would reply while getting into the crowded elevator. From what I can recall I have never been to the doctor for a fever. The only time I make an emergency visit to the doctor is when it is something out of the ordinary. I asked my mother why she tries to avoid giving me prescription or over the counter drugs to relieve my pain or ache. She said that it's because she wants my body to stay independent. If I were to take a pain reliever every time I were to get a headache, my body would become dependent on it. Soon enough I would not be able to go through a headache without swallowing an advil.
Our discussion shifted to when my mom was younger and how her parents carried on with illness in the family. I asked her about how her parents were on this idea when she was a young child. She said that their ideas were pretty much the same on this topic. If my mom or someone else in her family were sick, my grandparents would usually try to wait out a couple of days to see if his/her health was getting any better. If it was not changing for the better within a few days, they would take him/her to doctor. Then they would follow the doctor's order and take the drug that was prescribed to them. When my mom was a young child living in Pakistan, she didn’t have regular doctor appointments. She would only make a trip to the doctor if there were something serious that needed to be taken care of right then and there. One specific time would be when my mom had unbearable pain in her ear. After some time she couldn’t take it any longer, which caused my grandfather to rush her to the hospital in the early morning hours. They found out that an ant had crawled into her ear...ouch!
Later on our conversation transitioned into the topic of death in the society we currently live in and how it compares to the approach of death back in Pakistan. My mother isn’t much aware about how this society deals with death, but she is aware about the procedure such as the coffin prepared for the body and the funeral that is held. Here it is common for both males and females to attend the funeral and mourn together; inn Pakistan this is different. Males have a grieving period together at the Mosque and at the grave site while the females gather at home. In Islam the mourning period lasts for a total of forty days. It starts at the day of the death of the individual and carries on for forty days. In the grieving period men and women gather separately to recite the Quran, and offer prayers and blessings. Seeds(tamarind or date seeds) are collected or borrowed from the local Mosque to keep count for the number of times a certain a’yat or surah is recited from the Quran. Each surah or a’yat is usually recited separately, as many as 125,000 (or more) times amongst a group of men or women. They also arrange food to be given to the needy in the name of the individual that has recently passed away.
My mom and I are not fully aware of the customs that this society follows for a death. We are aware of the general idea, but we don’t know much in depth about the process that follows after a death We (my mother and i ) have never attended a funeral, and don't plan on doing so in our life. This is mostly because of our religious practices, but I feel that there is another reason as well. I think it has to do with not having interest in the idea of death; we always wish for a healthy, safe and long life. My mom is much aware about the customs in Pakistan since she was raised there as a child and this is what she witnessed when her father passed away.
Back in Pakistan, after a death occurs the body is washed, scented, then wrapped up with a white cloth. The body is then taken with the males to a graveyard. The only thing that the body takes to the graveyard is the white cloth that covers it; nothing else because there is no need of anything else. The common necessities of this world will be of no use after ones death. The wrapped up body is placed directly in the earth and buried with moist soil. The caretakers of the graveyard are told to keep the soil moist. I asked my mom why? She wasn’t really sure about this concept either, but she thought it had something to do with keeping the body cool. After the body is buried into the earth a tombstone will be placed, and only males are allowed to visit the grave site. Islam does not allow women to go to the grave site.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Hwk 18
My family doesn't celebrate thanksgiving. Instead of devoting one day to feasting, consuming a meal with family, and being thankful for all of what we have, my family does all this everyday of the year. Alhumdulilah we are all thankful to Allah every day of the year for what he has given us and lucky for me, I take part of a family that consumes their meal together each and every night no matter what. Thanksgiving was no different in my house when compared to any other day of the year.
Coincidentally the Muslim holiday Eid Ul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) fell around a week before thanksgiving this year. During this holiday each Muslim family is responsible for the sacrifice of one or more animals depending on how many animals a family is able to afford. A family that can afford the sacrifice of one or more animals usually sacrifices their animals in the name of the husband and the wife (my parents). If the family can afford more animal sacrifices then they can choose to sacrifice animals for relatives that have passed on. My family gets an animal sacrificed by the name of my father, and then we set up the sacrifice of three additional animals by contacting the Edhi foundation. The three additional animals sacrificed will be fed to the poor and needy. These three animals are each sacrificed for an individual being; in my case it would be for my mother, my grandfather and my grandmother. I asked my mother why we had to sacrifice an animal for our grandparents if they have already passed on? She answered that because doing so inshAllah we will be recieve many great rewards in the future and so will your grandparents.
I spent my thanksgiving outside shopping with my mom, later on I was at home for the rest of the day spending time with my family. I felt like I was aware with my body and all the other bodies surrounding me. When I was at home I smelled the food my parents were cooking, I heard the TV while my dad was watching the news, I touched the fork while I was eating my meal, I tasted the meal that was prepared, I saw the meal sitting in front of me. But if I look at all of this through a different angle, all this would change. Even though I am able to use my five senses while I am living, I feel that I don't really pay close attention to them. I have become so used to using them that i have forgotten about them. I realize that I take my body for granted. If I were to suddenly become sick only then would I start to worry or ask myself "what is wrong with me?" I feel that even though we are living, we don't realize all that we have been blessed with, but the second we feel sick we start to question ourself; "are we alright?"..."is everything going to be okay?"
My family cooked a nice meal on thanksgiving, but it wasn't meant to be a thanksgiving meal. I am used to having a nice home cooked meal placed in front of me every night, but I guess this meal was extra special since it consisted meat from the animal that was sacrificed. We ate a meal consisting of marinated goat meat cooked over the stove, rice cooked with cumin, and a side of salad. The food did take some part in dominating the event. Because the food was special it caused the time spent with my family even more special and memorable in a way that next thanksgiving break I will be recalling this meal eaten with my family.
I usually go on the computer , have a conversation with my mom or spend time with my family after dinner. It's usually my dad who watches the news after dinner. Our dining table seats six people; we had 5 people (including me) seated around the table while we were eating our meal. My dining table is set up against the wall, so there are two seats that are taken away from the table (my sister takes the fifth seat which is in between my mother and my father). So there weren't really any empty seats. The whole table was filled with plates, glasses and food, so I wasn't able to see the pattern on the table cloth. There was no point during the meal where I felt that there was someone or something missing. I guess I have become used to eating a meal with my direct family only. I would really like to share many of my meals with my extended family, but they are all back in Pakistan. When I eat a home cooked meal I always feel as if I am eating a balanced meal. I never feel that I am eating something that lacks nutrition or will have poor effects on my body. Alhumdulilah I didn't have any family members that were sick, only seasonal coughing and sneezing but nothing that would affect our meal eaten together or our time spent together.
Coincidentally the Muslim holiday Eid Ul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) fell around a week before thanksgiving this year. During this holiday each Muslim family is responsible for the sacrifice of one or more animals depending on how many animals a family is able to afford. A family that can afford the sacrifice of one or more animals usually sacrifices their animals in the name of the husband and the wife (my parents). If the family can afford more animal sacrifices then they can choose to sacrifice animals for relatives that have passed on. My family gets an animal sacrificed by the name of my father, and then we set up the sacrifice of three additional animals by contacting the Edhi foundation. The three additional animals sacrificed will be fed to the poor and needy. These three animals are each sacrificed for an individual being; in my case it would be for my mother, my grandfather and my grandmother. I asked my mother why we had to sacrifice an animal for our grandparents if they have already passed on? She answered that because doing so inshAllah we will be recieve many great rewards in the future and so will your grandparents.
I spent my thanksgiving outside shopping with my mom, later on I was at home for the rest of the day spending time with my family. I felt like I was aware with my body and all the other bodies surrounding me. When I was at home I smelled the food my parents were cooking, I heard the TV while my dad was watching the news, I touched the fork while I was eating my meal, I tasted the meal that was prepared, I saw the meal sitting in front of me. But if I look at all of this through a different angle, all this would change. Even though I am able to use my five senses while I am living, I feel that I don't really pay close attention to them. I have become so used to using them that i have forgotten about them. I realize that I take my body for granted. If I were to suddenly become sick only then would I start to worry or ask myself "what is wrong with me?" I feel that even though we are living, we don't realize all that we have been blessed with, but the second we feel sick we start to question ourself; "are we alright?"..."is everything going to be okay?"
My family cooked a nice meal on thanksgiving, but it wasn't meant to be a thanksgiving meal. I am used to having a nice home cooked meal placed in front of me every night, but I guess this meal was extra special since it consisted meat from the animal that was sacrificed. We ate a meal consisting of marinated goat meat cooked over the stove, rice cooked with cumin, and a side of salad. The food did take some part in dominating the event. Because the food was special it caused the time spent with my family even more special and memorable in a way that next thanksgiving break I will be recalling this meal eaten with my family.
I usually go on the computer , have a conversation with my mom or spend time with my family after dinner. It's usually my dad who watches the news after dinner. Our dining table seats six people; we had 5 people (including me) seated around the table while we were eating our meal. My dining table is set up against the wall, so there are two seats that are taken away from the table (my sister takes the fifth seat which is in between my mother and my father). So there weren't really any empty seats. The whole table was filled with plates, glasses and food, so I wasn't able to see the pattern on the table cloth. There was no point during the meal where I felt that there was someone or something missing. I guess I have become used to eating a meal with my direct family only. I would really like to share many of my meals with my extended family, but they are all back in Pakistan. When I eat a home cooked meal I always feel as if I am eating a balanced meal. I never feel that I am eating something that lacks nutrition or will have poor effects on my body. Alhumdulilah I didn't have any family members that were sick, only seasonal coughing and sneezing but nothing that would affect our meal eaten together or our time spent together.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Hwk 17
I think this unit will help us think deeply about a very important concept which is shared throughout the world, yet not looked into deeply enough. We all connect to illness in dying one way or another. We have all been through a phase many times where our bodies suffer from sickness; some of us have also experienced close encounters with death or had relations with people who have passed on. Many times throughout my life my body has been through a state of sickness, and I have had one or two close encounters with death, but I feel as if it is only then that I am aware about the physicality of my body. When I am not in the state of sickness or I haven’t recently had a close encounter with death I go along with my life as if taking my physicality for granted. I feel that this applies to others as well. Many of us only have concern about our physical being when we are sick, when our body is not functioning properly, or when we have a close encounter with death.
On the topic of illness and dying I would like to point out that I have never attended a funeral and I don’t think I will be attending one in my whole life. This has to do with my religion and my culture. One question that keeps coming up in my mind is how do our social practices of illness and death compare to those of other societies? Do we all follow the general concept? Or has each society built their own set of norms which they strictly follow? In our culture we usually come across the scene of the doctor and the patient who is on their death bed. I would like to know is this the same with all societies? I personally feel that this idea of a doctor treating a patient is confusing. We are taking a risk with our health when we hand ourselves over to a doctor. This shows how we lack information on illness and death; this is why we turn to a higher educated individual. Shouldn’t we know how to care for ourselves by now? We always refer to others to help ourselves…why can’t we do something on our own for once? Or just accept the fact that we are going to die soon. The doctor won’t be able to do much except tell his/her patient about their problem and how long they have to live. In my opinion the whole doctor idea is a waste of time…the doctor isn’t handing out a magic pill that will keep us alive forever…but we act as if this is the case.
Each religion and culture has a certain set of rules they follow and believe in which are carried out through the time of illness and dying. Some believe in reincarnation, some believe in herbal remedies instead of prescription drugs, some don’t believe in anything at all. I feel like I keep jumping from one place to another, but this is because this is the first time I am actually taking time out to think about a topic which can relate to all of us but it isn’t given much concern at all. When many of us think about illness and death we have a certain scene that pops up into our mind, but I feel that we need to do better than come up with a scene. We need to figure out the why’s and the how’s…I am personally interested because I have never been close to a person that was very sick or had his/her days numbered; well I guess we all have our days numbered….but I mean specifically having their days numbered to a few months, weeks or even days in some cases.
On the topic of illness and dying I would like to point out that I have never attended a funeral and I don’t think I will be attending one in my whole life. This has to do with my religion and my culture. One question that keeps coming up in my mind is how do our social practices of illness and death compare to those of other societies? Do we all follow the general concept? Or has each society built their own set of norms which they strictly follow? In our culture we usually come across the scene of the doctor and the patient who is on their death bed. I would like to know is this the same with all societies? I personally feel that this idea of a doctor treating a patient is confusing. We are taking a risk with our health when we hand ourselves over to a doctor. This shows how we lack information on illness and death; this is why we turn to a higher educated individual. Shouldn’t we know how to care for ourselves by now? We always refer to others to help ourselves…why can’t we do something on our own for once? Or just accept the fact that we are going to die soon. The doctor won’t be able to do much except tell his/her patient about their problem and how long they have to live. In my opinion the whole doctor idea is a waste of time…the doctor isn’t handing out a magic pill that will keep us alive forever…but we act as if this is the case.
Each religion and culture has a certain set of rules they follow and believe in which are carried out through the time of illness and dying. Some believe in reincarnation, some believe in herbal remedies instead of prescription drugs, some don’t believe in anything at all. I feel like I keep jumping from one place to another, but this is because this is the first time I am actually taking time out to think about a topic which can relate to all of us but it isn’t given much concern at all. When many of us think about illness and death we have a certain scene that pops up into our mind, but I feel that we need to do better than come up with a scene. We need to figure out the why’s and the how’s…I am personally interested because I have never been close to a person that was very sick or had his/her days numbered; well I guess we all have our days numbered….but I mean specifically having their days numbered to a few months, weeks or even days in some cases.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Hwk 12
Thesis:
Many of the dominant social practices in our society - practices that define a "normal" life - on further investigation turn out to involve nightmares and industrial atrocities.
Major Claim:
The American food industry decides to conceal the acerbic truth about the food they produce from their consumers in order to keep them coming back for more.
Supporting Claim 1:
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are unhealthy for the animals and the environment.
Evidence 1.1: The waste from the animals increases potential impact to the air, water and land quality.
Evidence 1.2: The digestive systems of cows are not built to digest corn which they are forced to feed on.
Evidence 1.3: Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.
Supporting Claim 2:
Consumers are brainwashed into thinking they are consuming "organic" food, when in reality the producer has made a false claim.
Evidence 2.1: Food claiming to be organic has the same amount of nutrients as non-organic foods.
Evidence 2.2: After investigating the leading organic farms in our society, we find that they are not always completely truthful, or more beneficial.
Evidence 2.3: Whole Foods is not always honest to their customers about the products shelved in their markets.
Citations:
1.1: "Region 7 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)."http://www.epa.gov. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Jul 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010..
1.2: "Sustainable Table: serving up healthy food choices."http://www.sustainabletable.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
1.3: Ebner, Paul. "CAFOs and Public Health: The Issue of Antibiotic Resistance."http://www.extension.purdue.edu. Purdue University, n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010..
2.1: Daly, Jessica. "Study: Organic food not more nutritional." CNN Tech. CNN, 19 Aug 2008. Web. 31 Oct 2010..
2.2: Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma A Natural History of Four Meals. USA: Penguin Group, 2007. 158. Print.
2.3: Cain, Sarah. "The Health Wyze Report." healthwyze.org. N.p., 15 Feb 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010. http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html.
Hyper links:
1.1: http://www.epa.gov/region7/water/cafo/cafo_impact_environment.htm
1.2: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/feed/
1.3: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/cafo/ID-349.pdf
2.1: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-19/tech/organic.cooking.pv_1_organic-food-organic-trade-association-organic-products?_s=PM:TECH
2.2: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pg. 158
2.3: http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html
Many of the dominant social practices in our society - practices that define a "normal" life - on further investigation turn out to involve nightmares and industrial atrocities.
Major Claim:
The American food industry decides to conceal the acerbic truth about the food they produce from their consumers in order to keep them coming back for more.
Supporting Claim 1:
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are unhealthy for the animals and the environment.
Evidence 1.1: The waste from the animals increases potential impact to the air, water and land quality.
Evidence 1.2: The digestive systems of cows are not built to digest corn which they are forced to feed on.
Evidence 1.3: Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.
Supporting Claim 2:
Consumers are brainwashed into thinking they are consuming "organic" food, when in reality the producer has made a false claim.
Evidence 2.1: Food claiming to be organic has the same amount of nutrients as non-organic foods.
Evidence 2.2: After investigating the leading organic farms in our society, we find that they are not always completely truthful, or more beneficial.
Evidence 2.3: Whole Foods is not always honest to their customers about the products shelved in their markets.
Citations:
1.1: "Region 7 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)."http://www.epa.gov. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Jul 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
1.2: "Sustainable Table: serving up healthy food choices."http://www.sustainabletable.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
1.3: Ebner, Paul. "CAFOs and Public Health: The Issue of Antibiotic Resistance."http://www.extension.purdue.edu. Purdue University, n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
2.1: Daly, Jessica. "Study: Organic food not more nutritional." CNN Tech. CNN, 19 Aug 2008. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
2.2: Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma A Natural History of Four Meals. USA: Penguin Group, 2007. 158. Print.
2.3: Cain, Sarah. "The Health Wyze Report." healthwyze.org. N.p., 15 Feb 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010. http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html.
Hyper links:
1.1: http://www.epa.gov/region7/water/cafo/cafo_impact_environment.htm
1.2: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/feed/
1.3: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/cafo/ID-349.pdf
2.1: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-19/tech/organic.cooking.pv_1_organic-food-organic-trade-association-organic-products?_s=PM:TECH
2.2: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pg. 158
2.3: http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Hwk 11
Modality: Academic
Pollan discussed many different aspects regarding food, such as the meat many Americans consume; where it comes from, and the process an animal goes through in order to become a meat product shelved in a grocery store. He talked about this in his book: The Omnivore’s Dilemma and in a documentary he starred in titled Food Inc. He tries to show his readers and viewers that the American way of slaughtering animals does not consider the animals, but only the consumers. Pollan lacked information on other methods of slaughtering and how it compares to the method used by many Americans. For example many individuals claim that the Islamic method of slaughtering treats the animal with respect and saves the animal from severe pain, while the meat produced using the Western method does not. I wanted to dig deeper to try and figure out the differences regarding the treatment of animals being slaughtered the Haram way vs. the Halal way.
I decided to do my research online; doing so, I came across a website claiming: “Non-Halal meat is unhealthy and indisposed.” I decided to read this article which starts by discussing quotes from The Holy Quran. Reading further on, it talks about the role of human beings and other animals living in this world with us, and what is and is not to be consumed by a member of the Islamic religion. Later on they get to what I was looking for by discussing the topic of slaughtering animals two different ways, the Halal way and the Haram way. According to Kamoonpuri, slaughtering an animal the Halal way does not harm the creature in any way at all, whereas slaughtering the animal using the method practiced in many Western societies (Haram way) causes the poor creature to suffer from severe pain.
To prove this claim, they decided to conduct an experiment which involved slaughtering animals two different ways: by using a sharp knife to make a deep incision on the neck, while cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries of sides and the trachea and esophagus (Halal), or by stunning the animal using a CBP (Captive Bolt Pistol) which is considered Haram. Before slaughtering the animals, electrodes were surgically implanted at different points on the skull of the animal to record results. Electroencephalographs and electrocardiograms were used to record the condition of the heart and brain of the animal. At the end it was concluded that the Islamic method uses a much more compassionate way of slaughter; there was no evidence of pain suffered by the animal, and the animal went into a sudden state of deep sleep since there was a large amount of blood loss from the body. Slaughtering the creature using the Western method of captive bolt stunning caused severe pain to the animal. After discussing the results of the experiment conducted, the many things taken into account when slaughtering a creature using the Islamic method were discussed. The sharpening of the knife should not be done in front of the animal, animals should not be slaughtered in front of one another, animals should be given water before being slaughtered, and the animal should be laid on its sides, while being soothed and stroked gently.
It is forbidden in Islam to tamper with the lives of animals and inflict torture upon them. After reading through this article, I found that the Islamic way of slaughtering the animal indeed shows much care and concern for the animal. I compared this to what I saw and read about the American food industry and their treatment with animals while taking a part of this food unit. The research I did connects to the issue of animal cruelty discussed in Food Inc. and shown in Our Daily Bread. Michael Pollan also talked about it in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. There were parts in the film and the book where the poor treatment of animals was used to aware the reader/viewer about the “behind the scenes” of the American food industry. This was done by discussing/showing the environment they live in and how they are handled in the process of slaughtering. Many individuals claim that when slaughtering the animal using the method many Westerners use, animals are treated as if they have no feeling or emotion. This is why I decided to research an alternate way of slaughtering animals. I think Pollan should have discussed different ways of slaughter such as the Halal and Kosher way to present alternatives to the Western way of slaughtering an animal, which lacks on care of the animal, and makes the creature become a victim of severe pain.
To be honest living as a Muslim consuming only Halal meat my whole life, I wasn’t much aware about all this. I mean I knew about the method since I have witnessed it a couple of times when I was young, but I never really took time to do my own research on this topic. I decided to look more into this during the food unit since I became fully aware of the slaughtering methods practiced in the Western culture, which is indeed cruel to the animal. I researched the different methods the United States uses to slaughter an animal; the USDA approves all the following methods of slaughter: chemical (carbon dioxide), mechanical (gunshot), mechanical (captive bolt) and electrical (stunning or slaughtering the animal using electrical current). This matters to me because I find it disturbing that the Western way of slaughtering animals does not seem to show much concern for the treatment of their animals, and this is not what I am taught by the religion I follow.
Citations:
"NON-HALAL MEAT IS UNHEALTHY AND INDISPOSED A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION." http://www.islamic-laws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct 2010..
"Animal Slaughter." www.Wikipedia.com. N.p., 20 Oct 2010. Web. 30 Oct 2010..
Pollan discussed many different aspects regarding food, such as the meat many Americans consume; where it comes from, and the process an animal goes through in order to become a meat product shelved in a grocery store. He talked about this in his book: The Omnivore’s Dilemma and in a documentary he starred in titled Food Inc. He tries to show his readers and viewers that the American way of slaughtering animals does not consider the animals, but only the consumers. Pollan lacked information on other methods of slaughtering and how it compares to the method used by many Americans. For example many individuals claim that the Islamic method of slaughtering treats the animal with respect and saves the animal from severe pain, while the meat produced using the Western method does not. I wanted to dig deeper to try and figure out the differences regarding the treatment of animals being slaughtered the Haram way vs. the Halal way.
I decided to do my research online; doing so, I came across a website claiming: “Non-Halal meat is unhealthy and indisposed.” I decided to read this article which starts by discussing quotes from The Holy Quran. Reading further on, it talks about the role of human beings and other animals living in this world with us, and what is and is not to be consumed by a member of the Islamic religion. Later on they get to what I was looking for by discussing the topic of slaughtering animals two different ways, the Halal way and the Haram way. According to Kamoonpuri, slaughtering an animal the Halal way does not harm the creature in any way at all, whereas slaughtering the animal using the method practiced in many Western societies (Haram way) causes the poor creature to suffer from severe pain.
To prove this claim, they decided to conduct an experiment which involved slaughtering animals two different ways: by using a sharp knife to make a deep incision on the neck, while cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries of sides and the trachea and esophagus (Halal), or by stunning the animal using a CBP (Captive Bolt Pistol) which is considered Haram. Before slaughtering the animals, electrodes were surgically implanted at different points on the skull of the animal to record results. Electroencephalographs and electrocardiograms were used to record the condition of the heart and brain of the animal. At the end it was concluded that the Islamic method uses a much more compassionate way of slaughter; there was no evidence of pain suffered by the animal, and the animal went into a sudden state of deep sleep since there was a large amount of blood loss from the body. Slaughtering the creature using the Western method of captive bolt stunning caused severe pain to the animal. After discussing the results of the experiment conducted, the many things taken into account when slaughtering a creature using the Islamic method were discussed. The sharpening of the knife should not be done in front of the animal, animals should not be slaughtered in front of one another, animals should be given water before being slaughtered, and the animal should be laid on its sides, while being soothed and stroked gently.
It is forbidden in Islam to tamper with the lives of animals and inflict torture upon them. After reading through this article, I found that the Islamic way of slaughtering the animal indeed shows much care and concern for the animal. I compared this to what I saw and read about the American food industry and their treatment with animals while taking a part of this food unit. The research I did connects to the issue of animal cruelty discussed in Food Inc. and shown in Our Daily Bread. Michael Pollan also talked about it in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. There were parts in the film and the book where the poor treatment of animals was used to aware the reader/viewer about the “behind the scenes” of the American food industry. This was done by discussing/showing the environment they live in and how they are handled in the process of slaughtering. Many individuals claim that when slaughtering the animal using the method many Westerners use, animals are treated as if they have no feeling or emotion. This is why I decided to research an alternate way of slaughtering animals. I think Pollan should have discussed different ways of slaughter such as the Halal and Kosher way to present alternatives to the Western way of slaughtering an animal, which lacks on care of the animal, and makes the creature become a victim of severe pain.
To be honest living as a Muslim consuming only Halal meat my whole life, I wasn’t much aware about all this. I mean I knew about the method since I have witnessed it a couple of times when I was young, but I never really took time to do my own research on this topic. I decided to look more into this during the food unit since I became fully aware of the slaughtering methods practiced in the Western culture, which is indeed cruel to the animal. I researched the different methods the United States uses to slaughter an animal; the USDA approves all the following methods of slaughter: chemical (carbon dioxide), mechanical (gunshot), mechanical (captive bolt) and electrical (stunning or slaughtering the animal using electrical current). This matters to me because I find it disturbing that the Western way of slaughtering animals does not seem to show much concern for the treatment of their animals, and this is not what I am taught by the religion I follow.
Citations:
"NON-HALAL MEAT IS UNHEALTHY AND INDISPOSED A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION." http://www.islamic-laws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct 2010.
"Animal Slaughter." www.Wikipedia.com. N.p., 20 Oct 2010. Web. 30 Oct 2010.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Hwk 10
Precis:
Food Inc stars Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. This documentary attempts to aware viewers about American food consumption and how as consumers are digging a deeper hole by creating a number of conflicts; many having to do with our environment and economy. The government and subsidies are to blame for this food industry catastrophe; because of this reason, the United States is basically being ruled by industrial corporations. Over the past fifty years or so, the food eaten by many Americans has been touched with chemicals, pesticides or been through a process of genetic modification. Both, Pollan and Schlosser reveal the truth about the food we eat, and this truth is not pretty at all. This documentary goes behind the scenes of slaughter houses and farms showing viewers what really goes on behind closed space. The government and the companies are the ones in charge of the safety and the health of the food, workers, consumers and animals. Animal cruelty is also brought up in the film; footage shows animals forced to feed on antibiotics and corn. In order to make a stop to this, Americans need to consume food which benefits themselves and the environment. We need to lift the veil and aware others about what we consume while getting the government to change their ideas about food production.
Movie vs. Book:
There were many similarities and differences between The Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Inc. While reading the book, the reader has to create his/her own images in their mind; they make their own interpretations. It gives an in depth explanation of the author's daily experiences regarding different topics about food; he is able to inform the reader about experiments done in the past while quoting individuals and gathering more evidence and using statistics. I would personally prefer the book over the movie; although the movie offers footage of many topics, the book is able to give more factual truth, while the movie tends to be a bit more biased. The book offers personal thoughts about the author and how he spends his time in a certain environment; the writing is much more detailed since it makes the reader almost picture the setting, as if they were with Pollan on his investigation. The book is like Pollan’s personal diary while he is in a quest to figure out where the food Americans consume comes from. The movie however ties the findings and thoughts of Pollan and Schlosser. The book only offers words, while the movie offers both words and visuals. While reading the book, the reader has to spend time understanding the criteria being discussed, by creating visuals in their mind and making connections to themselves. The movie provides visuals which can make the viewer realize how real the situations discussed in the book are. Sometimes while reading, the text doesn't impact the reader as much as the text would. In the end, the movie and the book both discuss the locked up truth about companies in charge of the food consumed by Americans; comparing the past and the present regarding food, and the effects of food on the human being. The book and the movie both make the main point about how the food "industry does not want you to know the truth about what you are eating, because if you know then you will probably not eat it."
Thoughts:
At this point, I don’t have any questions left unanswered. There were a few times where the documentary discussed statistics about certain topics regarding the consumers and America’s food industry. There was a part in which the health of Americans was discussed in concern. One of these health concerns had to do with diabetes. One in three Americans born after the year 2000 will be a diabetic. This is a very scary fact; this proves how unhealthy we are as a country. There was a scene where the topic of diabetes was being discussed in a health class at a school; the students were asked how many of them had known someone who was a diabetic. Almost all of the students raised their hands. Even though before viewing this documentary I was aware about the problem with diabetics in America, viewing this part of the film shocked me. It made me realize that as a country we are in deep trouble, and if we don’t try to come up with a solution in time, there will be no way to turn back. The average American consumer eats their food without any knowledge what so ever about what is being consumed. I am sure that many viewers who take part of an unhealthy diet will realize their wrong doings towards themselves and the environment. Hopefully many Americans become aware of this bitter truth and make a change in their food ways.
Food Inc stars Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. This documentary attempts to aware viewers about American food consumption and how as consumers are digging a deeper hole by creating a number of conflicts; many having to do with our environment and economy. The government and subsidies are to blame for this food industry catastrophe; because of this reason, the United States is basically being ruled by industrial corporations. Over the past fifty years or so, the food eaten by many Americans has been touched with chemicals, pesticides or been through a process of genetic modification. Both, Pollan and Schlosser reveal the truth about the food we eat, and this truth is not pretty at all. This documentary goes behind the scenes of slaughter houses and farms showing viewers what really goes on behind closed space. The government and the companies are the ones in charge of the safety and the health of the food, workers, consumers and animals. Animal cruelty is also brought up in the film; footage shows animals forced to feed on antibiotics and corn. In order to make a stop to this, Americans need to consume food which benefits themselves and the environment. We need to lift the veil and aware others about what we consume while getting the government to change their ideas about food production.
Movie vs. Book:
There were many similarities and differences between The Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Inc. While reading the book, the reader has to create his/her own images in their mind; they make their own interpretations. It gives an in depth explanation of the author's daily experiences regarding different topics about food; he is able to inform the reader about experiments done in the past while quoting individuals and gathering more evidence and using statistics. I would personally prefer the book over the movie; although the movie offers footage of many topics, the book is able to give more factual truth, while the movie tends to be a bit more biased. The book offers personal thoughts about the author and how he spends his time in a certain environment; the writing is much more detailed since it makes the reader almost picture the setting, as if they were with Pollan on his investigation. The book is like Pollan’s personal diary while he is in a quest to figure out where the food Americans consume comes from. The movie however ties the findings and thoughts of Pollan and Schlosser. The book only offers words, while the movie offers both words and visuals. While reading the book, the reader has to spend time understanding the criteria being discussed, by creating visuals in their mind and making connections to themselves. The movie provides visuals which can make the viewer realize how real the situations discussed in the book are. Sometimes while reading, the text doesn't impact the reader as much as the text would. In the end, the movie and the book both discuss the locked up truth about companies in charge of the food consumed by Americans; comparing the past and the present regarding food, and the effects of food on the human being. The book and the movie both make the main point about how the food "industry does not want you to know the truth about what you are eating, because if you know then you will probably not eat it."
Thoughts:
At this point, I don’t have any questions left unanswered. There were a few times where the documentary discussed statistics about certain topics regarding the consumers and America’s food industry. There was a part in which the health of Americans was discussed in concern. One of these health concerns had to do with diabetes. One in three Americans born after the year 2000 will be a diabetic. This is a very scary fact; this proves how unhealthy we are as a country. There was a scene where the topic of diabetes was being discussed in a health class at a school; the students were asked how many of them had known someone who was a diabetic. Almost all of the students raised their hands. Even though before viewing this documentary I was aware about the problem with diabetics in America, viewing this part of the film shocked me. It made me realize that as a country we are in deep trouble, and if we don’t try to come up with a solution in time, there will be no way to turn back. The average American consumer eats their food without any knowledge what so ever about what is being consumed. I am sure that many viewers who take part of an unhealthy diet will realize their wrong doings towards themselves and the environment. Hopefully many Americans become aware of this bitter truth and make a change in their food ways.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Hwk 9
While viewing the film version of Freakonomics, there were many "tools" the film repeatedly incorporated in different examples. Some "tools" used throughout the film included: interviews, experiments, and gathering data. There were many topics that the movie used, such as the existence of cheating in sumo wrestling, the effects of parenting on education, and the impact of a child's name on his or her life.
When magnifying into the issue of cheating involved in the sport of sumo wrestling, Levitt and Dubner drew many questions when they found a pattern after looking into a number of sumo wrestling matches. Levitt gathered statistics which suggested that a wrestler which has seven loses and seven wins will win the match against a wrestler who has eight wins and six loses around 80% of the time. Towards the end, Levitt concludes that wrestlers who have eight wins will let the opponent with seven wins win the match because the wrestler who already owns the eight wins has a secured position for the next match. In order to figure this out for sure, Levitt turns to retired sumo wrestlers for support in gathering evidence. One retired sumo wrestler states that he himself and other sumo wrestlers he was close with were responsible for cheating in many of the matches they had fought. In addition, Levitt gathers evidence from other people who are just as interested in the topic as he is; together they are able to answer multiple questions regarding the topic of cheating in the sport of sumo wrestling.
Experimenting was another "tool" used from the "Freakanomics tool box". Levitt and Dubner investigated around the topic of a baby's name and its impact on his/her life. One experiment regarding this topic involved a situation where a resume containing the exact same information, but different names being sent out to a number of job offices around the United States. While keeping all the information the same, the only thing that differed between the two sets of resumes was the names. Half of the resumes were titled with a common name for a white person, and the other half read a common name for an African American individual. After a few weeks of waiting, the job offices that received the resumes with the common name for a white individual started to receive many calls. After waiting a couple more weeks, the job offices that received the resume with the common African American name started to call. When all the data was collected from the experiment, it was concluded that a resume with a typical name for a white individual will probably get a call back a couple weeks earlier than a resume titled with a common African American name.
Another example used in the film which included the "tools" of interviewing, conducting experiments, and gathering research, involved a scenario at school. In this particular school, there were many students that were doing poorly in their classes, which was determined by their grades. In order to try to solve this problem, the school started a payout program; each month a student receiving a grade of a "C" or higher in all of his/her classes would receive $50. In addition they would have an entry to a raffle which would reward one lucky winner $500.000. There were a few students that the documentary followed, at first their grades were suffering a lot, but after hearing about the payout program their school was taking a part of, it gave them a confidence boost. At the end, one of the few students was able to maintain a "C" for all of his classes; in return he received $50.00 for that month, and became the lucky winner of the raffle. In addition, Levitt interviewed the people behind this pay out program. He questioned them about how well they think the program will work in the future, and if it will make an improvement in the student’s education. After the experiments and interviews were conducted, a conclusion was drawn. The payout program caused some students to do better with their grades, while others didn't show much improvement at all. For example, one student was able to maintain C's, while another didn't give a damn about his school life; he could have cared less about his future.
Levitt and Dubner tend to rely on the interviews and statistics the most when collecting their evidence. This is innovative since it is able to help them draw accurate conclusions, which in return answer many of their questions. By gathering information from an individual’s experience, the source becomes more reliable. The interviews were able to give them a deeper meaning about the certain topic. After all the interviews were done, they were able to make comparisons. The statistics were factual; these were used to compare the facts to what the individuals had to say. After a process of comparing and contrasting, Levitt and Dubner were able to come to a consensus.
I agree; Freakanomics serves as an inspiration and good example to our attempt to explore the "hidden-in-plain-sight" weirdness of dominant social practices. This movie made me realize that we are allowed to question everything in this world; whether it is the simplest of questions. After viewing this movie I have more confidence in myself to figure out answers to questions that may be simple, but tough to draw conclusions for. For example the simple question regarding different names and if they determine how successful an individual will turn out to be. In one part of the film, there is a father who has two sons; he names one of them "Winner" and the other Loser". Just by looking at their names, the average person will assume that Winner will have a perfect life, while Loser won't. After a couple decades pass, Winner ends up in jail, serving for the many crimes he committed, while Loser gains a degree graduating from a top university. At the end, we are able to conclude that the name of an individual does not determine how successful one might turn out to be in their life. This connects to our investigation of food ways in many ways indeed. There are many questions that build up in our minds while we discuss in class, or read our text. Many of these questions are as simple as: "Is processed corn the cause for high numbers regarding the issue of obesity in America?" By conducting an experiment which will hopefully draw some conclusions to this question, we will be able to come closer to an answer. One way to come up with an answer is by comparing the diet of an average American, to the diet of an individual from a society that does not consume processed corn as much as Americans do. We can then compare the rates of obesity in America to the rates of obesity in a society where the consumption of processed corn is not very common.
When magnifying into the issue of cheating involved in the sport of sumo wrestling, Levitt and Dubner drew many questions when they found a pattern after looking into a number of sumo wrestling matches. Levitt gathered statistics which suggested that a wrestler which has seven loses and seven wins will win the match against a wrestler who has eight wins and six loses around 80% of the time. Towards the end, Levitt concludes that wrestlers who have eight wins will let the opponent with seven wins win the match because the wrestler who already owns the eight wins has a secured position for the next match. In order to figure this out for sure, Levitt turns to retired sumo wrestlers for support in gathering evidence. One retired sumo wrestler states that he himself and other sumo wrestlers he was close with were responsible for cheating in many of the matches they had fought. In addition, Levitt gathers evidence from other people who are just as interested in the topic as he is; together they are able to answer multiple questions regarding the topic of cheating in the sport of sumo wrestling.
Experimenting was another "tool" used from the "Freakanomics tool box". Levitt and Dubner investigated around the topic of a baby's name and its impact on his/her life. One experiment regarding this topic involved a situation where a resume containing the exact same information, but different names being sent out to a number of job offices around the United States. While keeping all the information the same, the only thing that differed between the two sets of resumes was the names. Half of the resumes were titled with a common name for a white person, and the other half read a common name for an African American individual. After a few weeks of waiting, the job offices that received the resumes with the common name for a white individual started to receive many calls. After waiting a couple more weeks, the job offices that received the resume with the common African American name started to call. When all the data was collected from the experiment, it was concluded that a resume with a typical name for a white individual will probably get a call back a couple weeks earlier than a resume titled with a common African American name.
Another example used in the film which included the "tools" of interviewing, conducting experiments, and gathering research, involved a scenario at school. In this particular school, there were many students that were doing poorly in their classes, which was determined by their grades. In order to try to solve this problem, the school started a payout program; each month a student receiving a grade of a "C" or higher in all of his/her classes would receive $50. In addition they would have an entry to a raffle which would reward one lucky winner $500.000. There were a few students that the documentary followed, at first their grades were suffering a lot, but after hearing about the payout program their school was taking a part of, it gave them a confidence boost. At the end, one of the few students was able to maintain a "C" for all of his classes; in return he received $50.00 for that month, and became the lucky winner of the raffle. In addition, Levitt interviewed the people behind this pay out program. He questioned them about how well they think the program will work in the future, and if it will make an improvement in the student’s education. After the experiments and interviews were conducted, a conclusion was drawn. The payout program caused some students to do better with their grades, while others didn't show much improvement at all. For example, one student was able to maintain C's, while another didn't give a damn about his school life; he could have cared less about his future.
Levitt and Dubner tend to rely on the interviews and statistics the most when collecting their evidence. This is innovative since it is able to help them draw accurate conclusions, which in return answer many of their questions. By gathering information from an individual’s experience, the source becomes more reliable. The interviews were able to give them a deeper meaning about the certain topic. After all the interviews were done, they were able to make comparisons. The statistics were factual; these were used to compare the facts to what the individuals had to say. After a process of comparing and contrasting, Levitt and Dubner were able to come to a consensus.
I agree; Freakanomics serves as an inspiration and good example to our attempt to explore the "hidden-in-plain-sight" weirdness of dominant social practices. This movie made me realize that we are allowed to question everything in this world; whether it is the simplest of questions. After viewing this movie I have more confidence in myself to figure out answers to questions that may be simple, but tough to draw conclusions for. For example the simple question regarding different names and if they determine how successful an individual will turn out to be. In one part of the film, there is a father who has two sons; he names one of them "Winner" and the other Loser". Just by looking at their names, the average person will assume that Winner will have a perfect life, while Loser won't. After a couple decades pass, Winner ends up in jail, serving for the many crimes he committed, while Loser gains a degree graduating from a top university. At the end, we are able to conclude that the name of an individual does not determine how successful one might turn out to be in their life. This connects to our investigation of food ways in many ways indeed. There are many questions that build up in our minds while we discuss in class, or read our text. Many of these questions are as simple as: "Is processed corn the cause for high numbers regarding the issue of obesity in America?" By conducting an experiment which will hopefully draw some conclusions to this question, we will be able to come closer to an answer. One way to come up with an answer is by comparing the diet of an average American, to the diet of an individual from a society that does not consume processed corn as much as Americans do. We can then compare the rates of obesity in America to the rates of obesity in a society where the consumption of processed corn is not very common.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Hwk 8
Overall I had a great experience growing my own food; I am not used to growing food on my own , but I was glad to take a part of this opportunity. Unfortunatley towrads the end of the "growing my own food" process, I made a mistake which caused my sprouts to die. I was unknown to the fact that putting my sprouts in the fridge would kill them. I was really excited to try some of the sprouts I had grown, but never got the chance. At first I was taking great care of my sprouts, but the day i brought them home I made a poor choice of rinsing them and putting them in the fridge so they can be used the next day. When I went to take a look at my sprouts the next morning, I was saddened by the fact that my sprouts had dried out. I never got the chance to take a picture of the sprouts I had cared for, but I asked my dad to buy some sprouts (shown above) so I can have a taste. Sprouts aren't a common ingredient in the foods I usually consume, but I have tasted them a few times. Since it's been a long time since I have eaten them, I gave them a taste recently; I enjoyed the crisp and clean taste. Even though my sprouts weren't able to live for long, I was content knowing that I had learned many new things throughout this process.
Playing the role of the caretaker for the sprouts I grew, I was able to think in depth about why the food I eat is sacred. Every living thing needs patience and care (sprouts in this case) just as we humans do. I feel that many of us take food for granted; we don't take the time to stop and think about what exactly is being consumed or how it came to be. As a caretaker for the sprouts I grew, I was fully aware of how the sprouts I was planning on consuming were cared for; as for other foods, I am usually taking a risk. The process of growing the sprouts seemed magical yet sacred. I was surprised how the tiny brown seeds were converted into sprouts within a short week with the simple use of water. In addition, I would definitley claim this proceess to be sacred since food is a living thing which needs nourishment just like us. Coming from a family that taught me to respect my food, while growing the sprouts I was able to become fully aware of this concept. This is the first time (from what I remember) I have attempted to grow my own food; now that I have experienced and witnessed the process, I will definitely consider growing my own food more often.
Hwk 7d
Chapter Seventeen – The Ethics of Eating Animals
Precis:
The number of vegetarians is growing rapidly, at the same time many people are becoming aware about animal rights. Every living organism needs to be treated with care; many people argue that animals should be treated the same way humans are. Pollan devotes this entire chapter to the dilemma of eating animals. The meat industry is well aware about the fact that if their customers are educated about the details on how animals turn into meat, the less customers they will have. As meat consumers we need to understand the process of animals turning into meat, hopefully making a change for meat processors to revise their techniques in order for the animals to live a happier life before becoming slaughtered.
Gems:
"The question is not Can they reason? Or Can they talk? But Can they suffer?" (308)
"Humans don't need to kill other creatures in order to survive; carnivorous animals do." (310)
"I have yet to find any serious writer on the subject who still subscribes to Descartes belief that animals cannot feel pain because they lack a soul." (315)
"We'd probably eat a lot less of it, too, but maybe when we did eat animals we'd eat them with the consciousness, ceremony, and respect they deserve." (333)
Thoughts:
What exactly is the right diet to follow when living as a human being? It seems as if there is no correct meal plan out there; no matter what diet we take a part of there will always be pros and cons that linger. After reading this chapter I realized that having a vegetarian diet connects to slaughtering animals; in order to protect certain vegetables, predators need to be killed. Does this means that vegetarians support the slaughter of animals, but don't consume animals because they think it's just too gross of an idea?
What if the consumption of animals by humans being came to a sudden halt; would there be enough land for these animals to live peacefully? Or would we have to think of an alternative to keep the population of certain animals limited? Would they be kept in the wild, or would we make a different use of them?
Chapter Eighteen – Hunting
Precis:
This is my first time hunting and I am accompanied by Angelo; he has been hunting for years now. We are hunting for boars in the “sparsely populated northern reaches of Sonoma County”; we came across a group of pigs and had a chance to aim our rifles at them, unfortunately I was not successful since I was simply not ready. There is something holding me back from taking a part of this hunting activity, but I puss myself to join the “adventure”. During this outing, I witnessed a pig being shot down, and prepared which was not appealing at all. Later on I was able to think about the process of hunting for the pig and killing it, which definitely made me aware about what I eat and where exactly it comes from.
Gems:
“It is a wonder that the cashier didn’t preemptively throw up his hands and offer us the contents of the cash register.” (337)
“It was as if I’d dialed up the gain on all my senses or quieted myself to such an extent that the world itself grew louder and brighter.” (341)
"So much of the human project is concerned with distinguishing ourselves from beasts that we seem strenuously to avoid things that remind us that we are beasts too - animals that urinate, defecate, copulate, bleed, die, stink, and decompose." (357)
Thoughts:
I don’t think Pollan should have taken part in killing any of the pigs. I feel as if he wrote this book to track down where all our food comes from, not take a part of slaughtering animals. At the end of the day he is held responsible for killing a pig. I guess there was a sense of excitement, but I think he should have controlled that. Pollan didn’t really think thoroughly what he will be doing with his gun; instead he seemed to be much more excited about using it, not worrying much about what he will be aiming at.
How has Pollan’s personal diet changed while conducting his research?
Chapter Nineteen – Gathering: The Fungi
Precis: Mushrooms; many of us consume this fruity body of a subterranean network of microscopic hyphae, yet we don’t know much about them. I go out on a search for mushrooms in the wild for this meal; chanterelles and morels in particular. In science today, there are many unsolved questions surrounding mushroom, whether they need to be consumed by humans or not. While I was out in an attempt to gather mushrooms, I suddenly realized how hard it is to collect them. Mushrooms definitely play a role in recycling organic matter. If the wrong types of mushrooms are eaten by humans, the effects can be deadly.
Gems:
“I was the horse who could count, the man who could find a chanterelle using someone else’s eyes.” (369)
“They had a delicate flavor, fruity with a hint of pepper, and a firm but silky texture. “(370)
“You’re looking for the big score, the mother lode. The conditions might be perfect in every way, but you never know what you’re going to find around the next bend-it could be a sea of mushrooms or nothing at all.” (384)
“You can forage in the garden, in the way Adam and Eve presumably did, but there isn’t much to it: no dilemmas, no hunting stories” (386)
Thoughts:
The way this reading was presented, as a reader I felt that gathering mushrooms is a very tough job; it’s definitely no easy walk in the park. As consumers we tend to see food in large quantities when we go out to purchase it; we tend to assume that it got there somehow, as if it just appeared out of nowhere. Let’s take mushrooms for example, even though they are hard to gather, buyers are not aware about this fact. When we go out to purchase mushrooms, we see them in large quantities. What we don’t know is that it probably took a long period of time to search for one single mushroom.
I didn’t know much about mushrooms until I read through this chapter. They don’t really have a reason to be eaten, but we still consume them. I feel like we don’t really care much about what we eat , or what benefits (if there are any) our body will get from eating the product. We simply eat to eat; nothing more, nothing less.
Chapter Twenty – The Perfect Meal
Precis: After all the growing, foraging, hunting and catching was done with, I prepared meals for Angelo, Sue, Anthony, Richard, Judith, Isaac, and myself throughout the whole week. The meal included: Egg Fettuccine, braised leg and grilled loin of Wild Sonoma Pig, Garden Salad grown locally, Fava Bean toasts, and much more. I wouldn't say this was the best meal ever when comparing it to the standards of myself and my guests, but it was the joy and thoughtfulness that made this an awe-inspiring meal. I would definitley take this meal over a meal from a fast food restraunt; this meal proved that genuine meals still exist.
Gems:
"No, little if anything about this meal was what anyone would call 'realistic'. And yet no meal I've ever prepared or eaten has been more real." (392)
"Another thing cooking is, or can be, is a way to honor the things we're eating, the animal and plants and fungi that have been sacrificed to gratify our needs and desires, as well as the place and the people that produced them." (404)
"We eat by the grace of nature, not industry, and what we're eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world." (411)
Thoughts:
This book definitley raises awareness in the reader's mind. While I was reading this book, I was able to apply many of the situations discussed to myself. For example when they discussed topics regarding fast food restaraunts. I rarely consume food from fast food joints; so rarely that I don't remember the last time I had a meal from a fast food restaraunt. I am proud of myself and my family for taking little or no part in fast food consumption. Part of this has to do with my religion, since it tells us to abstain from eating pork, and eating meat that is not properly slaughtered. I can only eat meat that went through the process of proper slaughtering. This is the main reason for why I don't eat from fast food places, simply because I can't consume their meat. A few other things I learned while reading this book was: the process of slaughtering different animals, the mystery behind the consumption of mushrooms, hunting, etc... This book definitley taught many lessons which I wouldn't have been educated about elsewhere.
Many Americans assume that they made a good gesture by purchasing their food from "Whole Foods" or because the product they purchased claims to be organic, or enviornmentally friendly. They are brainwashed into thinking that these food items are good for them and teh enviornment. What they don't know is that everything such as food products have hidden lies...of course the farmers market and stores such as Whole Foods will create a certain label which will draw the attention of many individuals, just so they can make a profit. We as buyers and consumers need to come out of this hypnotized state and try to dig deep into everything we consume...soon many of us will realize that we have been lied all this time...only a few of the sellers tell the truth...very few...such as Joel Salatin...
Precis:
The number of vegetarians is growing rapidly, at the same time many people are becoming aware about animal rights. Every living organism needs to be treated with care; many people argue that animals should be treated the same way humans are. Pollan devotes this entire chapter to the dilemma of eating animals. The meat industry is well aware about the fact that if their customers are educated about the details on how animals turn into meat, the less customers they will have. As meat consumers we need to understand the process of animals turning into meat, hopefully making a change for meat processors to revise their techniques in order for the animals to live a happier life before becoming slaughtered.
Gems:
"The question is not Can they reason? Or Can they talk? But Can they suffer?" (308)
"Humans don't need to kill other creatures in order to survive; carnivorous animals do." (310)
"I have yet to find any serious writer on the subject who still subscribes to Descartes belief that animals cannot feel pain because they lack a soul." (315)
"We'd probably eat a lot less of it, too, but maybe when we did eat animals we'd eat them with the consciousness, ceremony, and respect they deserve." (333)
Thoughts:
What exactly is the right diet to follow when living as a human being? It seems as if there is no correct meal plan out there; no matter what diet we take a part of there will always be pros and cons that linger. After reading this chapter I realized that having a vegetarian diet connects to slaughtering animals; in order to protect certain vegetables, predators need to be killed. Does this means that vegetarians support the slaughter of animals, but don't consume animals because they think it's just too gross of an idea?
What if the consumption of animals by humans being came to a sudden halt; would there be enough land for these animals to live peacefully? Or would we have to think of an alternative to keep the population of certain animals limited? Would they be kept in the wild, or would we make a different use of them?
Chapter Eighteen – Hunting
Precis:
This is my first time hunting and I am accompanied by Angelo; he has been hunting for years now. We are hunting for boars in the “sparsely populated northern reaches of Sonoma County”; we came across a group of pigs and had a chance to aim our rifles at them, unfortunately I was not successful since I was simply not ready. There is something holding me back from taking a part of this hunting activity, but I puss myself to join the “adventure”. During this outing, I witnessed a pig being shot down, and prepared which was not appealing at all. Later on I was able to think about the process of hunting for the pig and killing it, which definitely made me aware about what I eat and where exactly it comes from.
Gems:
“It is a wonder that the cashier didn’t preemptively throw up his hands and offer us the contents of the cash register.” (337)
“It was as if I’d dialed up the gain on all my senses or quieted myself to such an extent that the world itself grew louder and brighter.” (341)
"So much of the human project is concerned with distinguishing ourselves from beasts that we seem strenuously to avoid things that remind us that we are beasts too - animals that urinate, defecate, copulate, bleed, die, stink, and decompose." (357)
Thoughts:
I don’t think Pollan should have taken part in killing any of the pigs. I feel as if he wrote this book to track down where all our food comes from, not take a part of slaughtering animals. At the end of the day he is held responsible for killing a pig. I guess there was a sense of excitement, but I think he should have controlled that. Pollan didn’t really think thoroughly what he will be doing with his gun; instead he seemed to be much more excited about using it, not worrying much about what he will be aiming at.
How has Pollan’s personal diet changed while conducting his research?
Chapter Nineteen – Gathering: The Fungi
Precis: Mushrooms; many of us consume this fruity body of a subterranean network of microscopic hyphae, yet we don’t know much about them. I go out on a search for mushrooms in the wild for this meal; chanterelles and morels in particular. In science today, there are many unsolved questions surrounding mushroom, whether they need to be consumed by humans or not. While I was out in an attempt to gather mushrooms, I suddenly realized how hard it is to collect them. Mushrooms definitely play a role in recycling organic matter. If the wrong types of mushrooms are eaten by humans, the effects can be deadly.
Gems:
“I was the horse who could count, the man who could find a chanterelle using someone else’s eyes.” (369)
“They had a delicate flavor, fruity with a hint of pepper, and a firm but silky texture. “(370)
“You’re looking for the big score, the mother lode. The conditions might be perfect in every way, but you never know what you’re going to find around the next bend-it could be a sea of mushrooms or nothing at all.” (384)
“You can forage in the garden, in the way Adam and Eve presumably did, but there isn’t much to it: no dilemmas, no hunting stories” (386)
Thoughts:
The way this reading was presented, as a reader I felt that gathering mushrooms is a very tough job; it’s definitely no easy walk in the park. As consumers we tend to see food in large quantities when we go out to purchase it; we tend to assume that it got there somehow, as if it just appeared out of nowhere. Let’s take mushrooms for example, even though they are hard to gather, buyers are not aware about this fact. When we go out to purchase mushrooms, we see them in large quantities. What we don’t know is that it probably took a long period of time to search for one single mushroom.
I didn’t know much about mushrooms until I read through this chapter. They don’t really have a reason to be eaten, but we still consume them. I feel like we don’t really care much about what we eat , or what benefits (if there are any) our body will get from eating the product. We simply eat to eat; nothing more, nothing less.
Chapter Twenty – The Perfect Meal
Precis: After all the growing, foraging, hunting and catching was done with, I prepared meals for Angelo, Sue, Anthony, Richard, Judith, Isaac, and myself throughout the whole week. The meal included: Egg Fettuccine, braised leg and grilled loin of Wild Sonoma Pig, Garden Salad grown locally, Fava Bean toasts, and much more. I wouldn't say this was the best meal ever when comparing it to the standards of myself and my guests, but it was the joy and thoughtfulness that made this an awe-inspiring meal. I would definitley take this meal over a meal from a fast food restraunt; this meal proved that genuine meals still exist.
Gems:
"No, little if anything about this meal was what anyone would call 'realistic'. And yet no meal I've ever prepared or eaten has been more real." (392)
"Another thing cooking is, or can be, is a way to honor the things we're eating, the animal and plants and fungi that have been sacrificed to gratify our needs and desires, as well as the place and the people that produced them." (404)
"We eat by the grace of nature, not industry, and what we're eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world." (411)
Thoughts:
This book definitley raises awareness in the reader's mind. While I was reading this book, I was able to apply many of the situations discussed to myself. For example when they discussed topics regarding fast food restaraunts. I rarely consume food from fast food joints; so rarely that I don't remember the last time I had a meal from a fast food restaraunt. I am proud of myself and my family for taking little or no part in fast food consumption. Part of this has to do with my religion, since it tells us to abstain from eating pork, and eating meat that is not properly slaughtered. I can only eat meat that went through the process of proper slaughtering. This is the main reason for why I don't eat from fast food places, simply because I can't consume their meat. A few other things I learned while reading this book was: the process of slaughtering different animals, the mystery behind the consumption of mushrooms, hunting, etc... This book definitley taught many lessons which I wouldn't have been educated about elsewhere.
Many Americans assume that they made a good gesture by purchasing their food from "Whole Foods" or because the product they purchased claims to be organic, or enviornmentally friendly. They are brainwashed into thinking that these food items are good for them and teh enviornment. What they don't know is that everything such as food products have hidden lies...of course the farmers market and stores such as Whole Foods will create a certain label which will draw the attention of many individuals, just so they can make a profit. We as buyers and consumers need to come out of this hypnotized state and try to dig deep into everything we consume...soon many of us will realize that we have been lied all this time...only a few of the sellers tell the truth...very few...such as Joel Salatin...
Hwk 7c
Chapter Eleven – The Animals: Practicing Complexity
Precis:
Rotational grazing is when the animals are basically doing all the work, while the farmers make sure everything is running smoothley. For example, in Joel Salatin's farm each animal has a certain role to play which will benefit other animals. This method causes every living organism on the farm to make a connection to one another. Some jobs these animals take care of in order to maintain a lively farm life include fertilizing and feeding.
Gems:
"I'm just the orchestra conductor, making sure everybody's in the right place at the right time." (212)
"It's all connected. This farm is more like an organism than a machine, and like any organism it has its proper scale. A mouse is the size of a mouse for a good reason, and a mouse that was the size of an elephant wouldn't do very well." (213)
"Koestler felt English lacked a word to express the complex relationship of parts and wholes in a biological or social system." (215)
"So much of the intelligence and local knowledge in agriculture has been removed from the farm to the laboratory, and then returned to the farm in the form of a chemical or machine." (220)
"One of the greatest assets of a farm is the sheer ecstasy of life." (225)
Thoughts:
When comparing the jobs of an industrial farmer to a organic or rational grazing farmer, at the end of the day the organic/rational grazing farmer would have done much more than a industrial farmer. Because of this reason America is more common to having industrail farmers. I think we are just too lazy, and we don't have enough heart. Industrial farmers do their jobs just so they have a certain role to play in their society and have some type of income, they tend to depend to quantity. Rational farmers such as Joel Salatin have more care about the quality of their food; they want to make sure that every plant grown and animal raised on their farm is in no way harmful to the consumer and the enviornment. Industrail farmers tend to take the easier way out of their job, while an organic farmer like Salatin is open to alternatives as long as it benefits the enviornment and the consumer.
Why are organic and rotational grazing farms not common in the United States? I think this is simply because no one is pushing this idea through. It's more of an option, instead of being mandatory. If the governemnt tries to make this idea mandatory for all farms throughout America, we will have more production of healthy foods causing the rates to fall, in return giving friendlier prices to buyers.
Chapter Twelve – Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir
Precis:
In order to consume the animal, it must go through a messy process of slaughtering. Unlike most farmers, Joel Salatin ignores the criticism he receives from the USDA and slaughters his animals on the farm. The slaughtering process for animals such as chickens is tough. First the chickens are grabbed by their legs while they violentley move around, then placed inside cones in order to slice their necks.
Gems:
"I point out we don't have any walls at all, not to mention doors and windows, because the best disinfectant in the world is fresh air and sunshine." (229)
"After you gut a few thousand chickens," Galen said dryly after I'd torn another chicken, "you'll either get really good at it, or you'll stop gutting chickens." (234)
"We do not allow the government to dictate what religion you can observe, so why should we allow them to dictate what kind of food you can buy?" (236)
Thoughts:
Why does the government create so many strict rules for rotational grazing farmers? In the end of the day these farmers are trying to do what is best for the enviornment and their consumers. Why does the government seem to go against this idea?
In my opinion, the idea of animals being slaughtered in front of the soon to be consumer is great. Many slaughterhouses try to hide the slaughter process...what are they trying to hide from the consumers? Slaughtering animals in front of the customers gives the customer another reason to buy from the seller; they are not afraid to let the slaughtering process be viewed by the open public.
If more slaughterhouses were open to the idea of slaughtering their animals in front of their customers, would there be an increase in the number of people turning into vegans? I think ithere would be a slight increase. The slaughtering process opens the consumers eyes in a new way. It makes them realize much more than they had known before.
Chapter Thirteen – The Market: “Greetings from the Non-Barcode People”
Precis:
When purchasing food from the farm, the customer is well aware about the food they will soon consume; whereas when the customer purchases food from a market, they aren't well educated about the food. Food bought from farms such as the Polyface farm is likely to cost a bit more when compared to the prices in industrial markets; this is all to be blammed on the government. Farmers such as Salatin sell their products locally, since they keep their enviornment in mind at all times.
Gems:
"He believes the only meaningful guarantee of integrity is when buyers and sellers can look one another in the eye, something few of us ever take the trouble to do." (240)
"Don't you find it odd that people will put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor than they will into chosing the person who grows their food?" (240)
“I tell them the choice is simple: You can buy honestly priced food or you can buy irresponsibly priced food.” (243)
"The beauty of the internet is that it allows like-minded people to find their tribes, and then for the tribes to find their way to us." (248)
Thoughts:
I think that people are slowly becomming aware of this idea, and they want to change their food ways. But for some people this is tough, because even though they are willing to change their food ways, their pockets won't allow them to do so. They should blame the government for this; if prices for food that is grown in farms such as those owned by Salatin decrease, I predict that many people will be making drastic changes in their food ways.
Farmers that work in rotational grazing farms seem to have a good relationship with their communities. They build a trustworthy relationship with their customers. This is why the community which surrounds Polyface makes their food purchases from their farm because they trust their food, and the farm has nothing to hide from their customers.
Chapter Fourteen – The Meal: Grass Fed
Precis:
Much of the food we consume seems to have the same exterior, but what about the interior? We don't realize the difference between the food grown in farms such as the Polyface farm, and food grown in industrial farms. The Polyface farms feeds grass to their animals, which in return gives many healthy benefits. This food has higher quality because no chemicals are involved when growing it; the animals are not forced to consume corn. Grass fed food is much more nutritional since it has it's own unique taste and benefits such as scaring diseases away.
Gems:
I had made pretty much the same meal on several occasions at home, using the same basic foodstuffs, yet in certain invisible ways this wasn't the same food at all. Apart from the high color of the egg yolks, these eggs looked pretty much like any other eggs, the chicken like the chicken, but the fact that the animals in question had spent their lives outdoors on pastures rather than in a shed eating grain distinguished their flesh and eggs in important, measurable ways. (266)
"When chickens get to live like chickens, they'll taste like chickens, too." (270)
“Every meal we share at a table recapitulates this evolution form nature to culture, as we pass from satisfying our animal appetites in semisilence to the lofting of conversational balloons.” (272)
Thoughts:
While reading through this chapter, I kept questioning myself, what exactly is the "real" taste of a certain food? Have I been living off food that doesn't taste the way it should? Even though we assume that a certain type of food is supposed to have a certain taste, we should be well aware about different tastes for one type of food. I don't think there is a "real" taste for each type of food out there; the taste of the certain food will always vary depending on the way it was brought up and how it was cared for.
I liked the way this chapter was written, the way the food and the setting were described. I could almost picture some scences in my head. I suddenly wanted to take a part of the scene where they were consuming the food.
Chapter Fifteen – The Forager
Precis:
The hunter/gatherer technique is not as common as it was before, so I decided to get a feel for this technique. I wanted to learn how it feels to be in charge of creating and capturing my own food. I want to go out to teh wilderness and take part in a first hand experience on how it feels to grow my own food , and kill other creatures in order to make my own food from scratch. In order to become a legal hunterer, I will need to obtain a license by taking a course and completing a test.
Gems:
"She made it sound like it wouldn't take much for a kid to get himself killed snacking in the woods." (278)
“Like other important forms of play, it promises to teach us something about who we are beneath the crust of our civilized, practical, grown-up lives. Foraging for wild plants and animals is, after all, the way the human species has fed itself for 99 percent of its time on earth; this is precisely the food chain natural selection designed for us.” (280)
"When I moved away I would call for recipes and for memory of smell and taste, and now I'm trying to replicate what I left behind." (283)
Thoughts:
How would our lifestyles change if we all suddenly became hunter/gatherers?
After becoming aware of Pollan's desires for having a hunting gathering experience, I am becoming curious with this interest as well. I want to experience it for myself; I want be able to depend on my self if an event occurs where i am stuck in the wilderness and in need of such skills. A hunting/gathering skill is always nice to have under your belt, you never know when you will need it.
Chapter Sixteen – The Omnivore's Dilemma
Precis:
Humans and rats are very similar creatures, in the sense that they are both omnivores. But these creatures have many differences as well; one of the major differences being that humans make their food choices relying on advertisments and scientists unlike rats. Humans want to consume food not only to consume food, but to get a pleasure out of it; we want our food to be affordable, ethical, pleasing to the culture, etc... We make our decisions regarding food based on the way it tastes or how familiar we are with it.
Gems:
"Eating might be simpler as a thimble-brained monophage, but it's also a lot more precarious, which partly explains why there are so many more rats and humans in the world than koalas." (290)
"Cooking, one of the omnivore's cleverest tools, opened up whole new vistas of edibility. Indeed, in doing so it probably made us who we are. " (293)
"Being an omnivore occupying a cognitive niche in nature is both a boon and a challenge, a source of tremendous power as well as anxiety." (295)
Thoughts:
Would humans be able to depend on one type of food in order to survive? Or have we become so used to having a vast variety of foods that we are not capable of having such a thought?
I found it interesting that rats and humans have so many similarities. I thought it was a unique way to learn about rats and how they relate and differ with humans. I didn't know much about rats before this reading, even though some parts were a bit disgusting it was indeed a different way to learn about an omnivore other than the human being.
Precis:
Rotational grazing is when the animals are basically doing all the work, while the farmers make sure everything is running smoothley. For example, in Joel Salatin's farm each animal has a certain role to play which will benefit other animals. This method causes every living organism on the farm to make a connection to one another. Some jobs these animals take care of in order to maintain a lively farm life include fertilizing and feeding.
Gems:
"I'm just the orchestra conductor, making sure everybody's in the right place at the right time." (212)
"It's all connected. This farm is more like an organism than a machine, and like any organism it has its proper scale. A mouse is the size of a mouse for a good reason, and a mouse that was the size of an elephant wouldn't do very well." (213)
"Koestler felt English lacked a word to express the complex relationship of parts and wholes in a biological or social system." (215)
"So much of the intelligence and local knowledge in agriculture has been removed from the farm to the laboratory, and then returned to the farm in the form of a chemical or machine." (220)
"One of the greatest assets of a farm is the sheer ecstasy of life." (225)
Thoughts:
When comparing the jobs of an industrial farmer to a organic or rational grazing farmer, at the end of the day the organic/rational grazing farmer would have done much more than a industrial farmer. Because of this reason America is more common to having industrail farmers. I think we are just too lazy, and we don't have enough heart. Industrial farmers do their jobs just so they have a certain role to play in their society and have some type of income, they tend to depend to quantity. Rational farmers such as Joel Salatin have more care about the quality of their food; they want to make sure that every plant grown and animal raised on their farm is in no way harmful to the consumer and the enviornment. Industrail farmers tend to take the easier way out of their job, while an organic farmer like Salatin is open to alternatives as long as it benefits the enviornment and the consumer.
Why are organic and rotational grazing farms not common in the United States? I think this is simply because no one is pushing this idea through. It's more of an option, instead of being mandatory. If the governemnt tries to make this idea mandatory for all farms throughout America, we will have more production of healthy foods causing the rates to fall, in return giving friendlier prices to buyers.
Chapter Twelve – Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir
Precis:
In order to consume the animal, it must go through a messy process of slaughtering. Unlike most farmers, Joel Salatin ignores the criticism he receives from the USDA and slaughters his animals on the farm. The slaughtering process for animals such as chickens is tough. First the chickens are grabbed by their legs while they violentley move around, then placed inside cones in order to slice their necks.
Gems:
"I point out we don't have any walls at all, not to mention doors and windows, because the best disinfectant in the world is fresh air and sunshine." (229)
"After you gut a few thousand chickens," Galen said dryly after I'd torn another chicken, "you'll either get really good at it, or you'll stop gutting chickens." (234)
"We do not allow the government to dictate what religion you can observe, so why should we allow them to dictate what kind of food you can buy?" (236)
Thoughts:
Why does the government create so many strict rules for rotational grazing farmers? In the end of the day these farmers are trying to do what is best for the enviornment and their consumers. Why does the government seem to go against this idea?
In my opinion, the idea of animals being slaughtered in front of the soon to be consumer is great. Many slaughterhouses try to hide the slaughter process...what are they trying to hide from the consumers? Slaughtering animals in front of the customers gives the customer another reason to buy from the seller; they are not afraid to let the slaughtering process be viewed by the open public.
If more slaughterhouses were open to the idea of slaughtering their animals in front of their customers, would there be an increase in the number of people turning into vegans? I think ithere would be a slight increase. The slaughtering process opens the consumers eyes in a new way. It makes them realize much more than they had known before.
Chapter Thirteen – The Market: “Greetings from the Non-Barcode People”
Precis:
When purchasing food from the farm, the customer is well aware about the food they will soon consume; whereas when the customer purchases food from a market, they aren't well educated about the food. Food bought from farms such as the Polyface farm is likely to cost a bit more when compared to the prices in industrial markets; this is all to be blammed on the government. Farmers such as Salatin sell their products locally, since they keep their enviornment in mind at all times.
Gems:
"He believes the only meaningful guarantee of integrity is when buyers and sellers can look one another in the eye, something few of us ever take the trouble to do." (240)
"Don't you find it odd that people will put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor than they will into chosing the person who grows their food?" (240)
“I tell them the choice is simple: You can buy honestly priced food or you can buy irresponsibly priced food.” (243)
"The beauty of the internet is that it allows like-minded people to find their tribes, and then for the tribes to find their way to us." (248)
Thoughts:
I think that people are slowly becomming aware of this idea, and they want to change their food ways. But for some people this is tough, because even though they are willing to change their food ways, their pockets won't allow them to do so. They should blame the government for this; if prices for food that is grown in farms such as those owned by Salatin decrease, I predict that many people will be making drastic changes in their food ways.
Farmers that work in rotational grazing farms seem to have a good relationship with their communities. They build a trustworthy relationship with their customers. This is why the community which surrounds Polyface makes their food purchases from their farm because they trust their food, and the farm has nothing to hide from their customers.
Chapter Fourteen – The Meal: Grass Fed
Precis:
Much of the food we consume seems to have the same exterior, but what about the interior? We don't realize the difference between the food grown in farms such as the Polyface farm, and food grown in industrial farms. The Polyface farms feeds grass to their animals, which in return gives many healthy benefits. This food has higher quality because no chemicals are involved when growing it; the animals are not forced to consume corn. Grass fed food is much more nutritional since it has it's own unique taste and benefits such as scaring diseases away.
Gems:
I had made pretty much the same meal on several occasions at home, using the same basic foodstuffs, yet in certain invisible ways this wasn't the same food at all. Apart from the high color of the egg yolks, these eggs looked pretty much like any other eggs, the chicken like the chicken, but the fact that the animals in question had spent their lives outdoors on pastures rather than in a shed eating grain distinguished their flesh and eggs in important, measurable ways. (266)
"When chickens get to live like chickens, they'll taste like chickens, too." (270)
“Every meal we share at a table recapitulates this evolution form nature to culture, as we pass from satisfying our animal appetites in semisilence to the lofting of conversational balloons.” (272)
Thoughts:
While reading through this chapter, I kept questioning myself, what exactly is the "real" taste of a certain food? Have I been living off food that doesn't taste the way it should? Even though we assume that a certain type of food is supposed to have a certain taste, we should be well aware about different tastes for one type of food. I don't think there is a "real" taste for each type of food out there; the taste of the certain food will always vary depending on the way it was brought up and how it was cared for.
I liked the way this chapter was written, the way the food and the setting were described. I could almost picture some scences in my head. I suddenly wanted to take a part of the scene where they were consuming the food.
Chapter Fifteen – The Forager
Precis:
The hunter/gatherer technique is not as common as it was before, so I decided to get a feel for this technique. I wanted to learn how it feels to be in charge of creating and capturing my own food. I want to go out to teh wilderness and take part in a first hand experience on how it feels to grow my own food , and kill other creatures in order to make my own food from scratch. In order to become a legal hunterer, I will need to obtain a license by taking a course and completing a test.
Gems:
"She made it sound like it wouldn't take much for a kid to get himself killed snacking in the woods." (278)
“Like other important forms of play, it promises to teach us something about who we are beneath the crust of our civilized, practical, grown-up lives. Foraging for wild plants and animals is, after all, the way the human species has fed itself for 99 percent of its time on earth; this is precisely the food chain natural selection designed for us.” (280)
"When I moved away I would call for recipes and for memory of smell and taste, and now I'm trying to replicate what I left behind." (283)
Thoughts:
How would our lifestyles change if we all suddenly became hunter/gatherers?
After becoming aware of Pollan's desires for having a hunting gathering experience, I am becoming curious with this interest as well. I want to experience it for myself; I want be able to depend on my self if an event occurs where i am stuck in the wilderness and in need of such skills. A hunting/gathering skill is always nice to have under your belt, you never know when you will need it.
Chapter Sixteen – The Omnivore's Dilemma
Precis:
Humans and rats are very similar creatures, in the sense that they are both omnivores. But these creatures have many differences as well; one of the major differences being that humans make their food choices relying on advertisments and scientists unlike rats. Humans want to consume food not only to consume food, but to get a pleasure out of it; we want our food to be affordable, ethical, pleasing to the culture, etc... We make our decisions regarding food based on the way it tastes or how familiar we are with it.
Gems:
"Eating might be simpler as a thimble-brained monophage, but it's also a lot more precarious, which partly explains why there are so many more rats and humans in the world than koalas." (290)
"Cooking, one of the omnivore's cleverest tools, opened up whole new vistas of edibility. Indeed, in doing so it probably made us who we are. " (293)
"Being an omnivore occupying a cognitive niche in nature is both a boon and a challenge, a source of tremendous power as well as anxiety." (295)
Thoughts:
Would humans be able to depend on one type of food in order to survive? Or have we become so used to having a vast variety of foods that we are not capable of having such a thought?
I found it interesting that rats and humans have so many similarities. I thought it was a unique way to learn about rats and how they relate and differ with humans. I didn't know much about rats before this reading, even though some parts were a bit disgusting it was indeed a different way to learn about an omnivore other than the human being.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Hwk 7b
Chapter Six – The Consumer: A Republic of Fat
Precis:
The high figures regarding obesity in America are simply caused by corn being over produced; the overproduction of corn causes this grass to become very cheap. Due to this fact, corn has replaced the use of sugar. Corn syrup can be found in many food items out there, such as soft drinks. The cheapness of corn has caused fast food restaurants and soft drink companies to use it in many of their products, in addition making their portions much larger.
Gems:
"The excess biomass works like a vacuum in reverse: Sooner or later, clever marketers will figure out a way to induce the human omnivore to consume the surfeit of cheap calories." (101)
"Three of every five Americans are overweight; one of every five is obese." (102)
"Corn accounts for most of the surplus calories we're growing and most of the surplus calories we're eating." (103)
"Researchers have found that people (and animals) presented with large portions will eat up to 30 percent more than they would otherwise." (106)
Thoughts:
I think the reason behind obesity in America is the over production of corn, but the marketers are the ones that should take the full blame. They are the ones that choose to promote unhealthy items to catch the eyes of innocent consumers. They take advantage of buyers by using corn in all the products they will consume and create them in larger portions. They seem to mask themselves as if what they are doing is a very good gesture indeed, but behind that mask they are a face of evil causing the percentage of obesity levels to rise. But I guess they are forced to do this, if they don't then what will happen to all that corn being produced? These marketers don't have any other options; going against this idea will cost them their jobs.
"While the surgeon general is raising alarms over the epidemic of obesity, the president is signing farm bills designed to keep the river of cheap corn flowing, guaranteeing that the cheapest calories in the supermarket will continue to be the unhealthiest." (108) Is the president not aware about the outcomes of signing such bills? Is he held responsible for America's struggle with obesity?
Chapter Seven – The Meal: Fast Food
Precis:
While consuming a meal from a local McDonalds, the customer usually doesn't realize that the meal being eaten mainly consists of corn. Majority of the meals sold throughout fast food restaurants wouldn't exist if it weren't for corn. Because fast food is simply fast food, it gives the buyer yet another reason to consume it. What they don't realize at the moment is the number of risks regarding their health that can be caused by eating meals from McDonalds.
Gems:
"My eleven-year-old son, Isaac, was more than happy to join me at McDonald's; he doesn't get there often, so it's a treat. (For most American children today, it is no longer such a treat: One in three of them eat fast food every single day.)" (109)
"Of the thirty-eight ingredients it takes to make a Mcnugget, I counted thirteen that can be derived from corn..." (112-113)
"In the long run, however, the eater pays a high price for these cheap calories: obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease." (117)
"What is it about fast food? Not only is it served in a flash, but more often than not it's eaten that way too: We finished our meal in under ten minutes.(119)
Thoughts:
How does our dependence on corn compare to those of other countries?
Will fast food chains such as McDonald's be able to survive without the use of corn in their products, such as the famous Mcnugget? If this event were to take place in the near future what will replace McDonalds?
Chapter Eight: All Flesh is Grass
Precis:
Usually when we think of farms we picture beautiful green grass growing everywhere, cattle chewing on some of this grass, while some of it is used for hay; this is not the common case in America. Many farms in America do not depend on nature to keep their animals and plants alive; surprisingly, these include many farms thought to be growing "organic" foods. Many farmers in America don't take the concept of organic as seriously as some other farmers such as Joel Salatin do. Joel is one of the few farmers in America who owns a organic farm in which everything is grown naturally.
Gems:
"We think of grass as soft and hospitable stuff, but once it's been dried in the sun and shredded by machines - once it's become hay - grass is sharp enough to draw blood and dusty enough to thicken lungs." (123)
"Salatin is the choreographer and the grasses are his verdurous stage; the dance has made polyface one of the most productive and influential alternative farms in America". (126)
'Because a healthy soil digests the dead to nourish the living, Salatin calls it the earth's stomach." (127)
"Me and the folks who buy my food are like the Indians - we just want to opt out. That's all the Indians ever wanted -to keep their tepees, to give their kids herbs instead of patent medicines and leeches. They didn't care if there was a Washington, D.C., or a Custer or a USDA; just leave us alone. But the Western mind can't bear an opt - out option. We're going to have to refight the Battle of the Little Bighorn to preserve the right to opt out, or your grandchildren and mine will have no choice but to eat amalgamated, irradiated, genetically prostituted, barcoded, adulterated fecal spam from the centralized processing conglomerate". (132)
Thoughts:
If all American farmers were to follow Joel Salatin's organic way of owning a farm, won't the prices of organic foods drop making the prices friendlier for more individuals?
What if industrial farming came to a sudden stop? How would Americans react? Why do we seem to only worry about the present, yet not the future? Shouldn't we be coming up with new ideas that involve growing our food using natural methods?
Chapter Nine – Big Organic
Precis:
Many stores claiming they sell organic foods are using a web of lies in order to trap their customers, making them feel as if they are purchasing organic products; yet in reality it is the total opposite. After taking a closer look into organic farms and industrial farms, their aren't many significant differences noted in the way they grow their foods. Organic food stores such as Whole Foods create stories, which keep the truth hidden; in return appealing the innocent buyer to purchase more goods from their stores. At times, consuming conventional produce is better than consuming so called organic produce.
Gems:
"The organic movement, as it was once called, has come a remarkably long way in the last thirty years, to the point where it now looks considerably less like a movement than a big business." (138)
“Artificial manures lead to artificial nutrition, artificial food, artificial animals and finally to artificial men and women.” (148)
“And so, today, the organic food industry finds itself in a most unexpected, uncomfortable, and, yes, unsustainable position: floating on a sinking sea of petroleum.” (184)
Thoughts:
How do customers of stores such as Whole Foods react to all this? Will they revolt or accept this fact and move on with their lives keeping their mouths shut?
I think it is absurd the way stores claiming they sell organic foods trick innocent buyers by using a trap of sweet words. We shouldn't be tricked into consuming something unhealthy, while we consider it to be healthy. We are better off consuming food grown in industrial farms; at least when we purchase these foods we are well aware of how it was grown. We are brainwashed by organic food sellers into thinking we are committing a great act while purchasing their products; we are just too afraid face the deadly truth...
Chapter Ten – Grass: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pasture
Precis:
Many American farmers use corn to keep their farms running, but grass farmers, one of them being Joel Salatin, rely on grass. Grass is a very important necessity for farms owned by grass farmers. Joel Salatin refers to his pastures as the "salad bar"; the "salad bar" provides his cattle a source of energy and nutrients all living organisms need in order to survive. Grass farming does not use any toxic substances in the process of raising their animals and growing their fruits and vegetables. Joel Salatin and other grass farmers produce their food by naturally obtaining energy and nutrients which are packed away in the plants they grow and the animals they raise. Because industrial agriculture is cheap, grass farming is not very common in America.
Gems:
"The animals come and go, but the grasses, which directly or indirectly feed all the animals, abide, and the well - being of the farm depends more than anything else on the well - being of its grass." (187)
"We should call ourselves the sun farmers. The grass is just the way we capture the solar energy." (188)
“Grain is the closest thing in nature to an industrial commodity: storable, portable, fungible, ever the same today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow.” (201)
Thoughts:
Knowing all the benefits (some regarding global warming) of replacing corn with grass in farms, why are we still relying on corn? Are we too lazy to make this transformation?
If grass farming becomes common in America, will it make a huge impact on its people? Such as the issue regarding obesity...If majority of the farms in America become grass farms, will the high numbers in obesity change drastically for the better?
Precis:
The high figures regarding obesity in America are simply caused by corn being over produced; the overproduction of corn causes this grass to become very cheap. Due to this fact, corn has replaced the use of sugar. Corn syrup can be found in many food items out there, such as soft drinks. The cheapness of corn has caused fast food restaurants and soft drink companies to use it in many of their products, in addition making their portions much larger.
Gems:
"The excess biomass works like a vacuum in reverse: Sooner or later, clever marketers will figure out a way to induce the human omnivore to consume the surfeit of cheap calories." (101)
"Three of every five Americans are overweight; one of every five is obese." (102)
"Corn accounts for most of the surplus calories we're growing and most of the surplus calories we're eating." (103)
"Researchers have found that people (and animals) presented with large portions will eat up to 30 percent more than they would otherwise." (106)
Thoughts:
I think the reason behind obesity in America is the over production of corn, but the marketers are the ones that should take the full blame. They are the ones that choose to promote unhealthy items to catch the eyes of innocent consumers. They take advantage of buyers by using corn in all the products they will consume and create them in larger portions. They seem to mask themselves as if what they are doing is a very good gesture indeed, but behind that mask they are a face of evil causing the percentage of obesity levels to rise. But I guess they are forced to do this, if they don't then what will happen to all that corn being produced? These marketers don't have any other options; going against this idea will cost them their jobs.
"While the surgeon general is raising alarms over the epidemic of obesity, the president is signing farm bills designed to keep the river of cheap corn flowing, guaranteeing that the cheapest calories in the supermarket will continue to be the unhealthiest." (108) Is the president not aware about the outcomes of signing such bills? Is he held responsible for America's struggle with obesity?
Chapter Seven – The Meal: Fast Food
Precis:
While consuming a meal from a local McDonalds, the customer usually doesn't realize that the meal being eaten mainly consists of corn. Majority of the meals sold throughout fast food restaurants wouldn't exist if it weren't for corn. Because fast food is simply fast food, it gives the buyer yet another reason to consume it. What they don't realize at the moment is the number of risks regarding their health that can be caused by eating meals from McDonalds.
Gems:
"My eleven-year-old son, Isaac, was more than happy to join me at McDonald's; he doesn't get there often, so it's a treat. (For most American children today, it is no longer such a treat: One in three of them eat fast food every single day.)" (109)
"Of the thirty-eight ingredients it takes to make a Mcnugget, I counted thirteen that can be derived from corn..." (112-113)
"In the long run, however, the eater pays a high price for these cheap calories: obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease." (117)
"What is it about fast food? Not only is it served in a flash, but more often than not it's eaten that way too: We finished our meal in under ten minutes.(119)
Thoughts:
How does our dependence on corn compare to those of other countries?
Will fast food chains such as McDonald's be able to survive without the use of corn in their products, such as the famous Mcnugget? If this event were to take place in the near future what will replace McDonalds?
Chapter Eight: All Flesh is Grass
Precis:
Usually when we think of farms we picture beautiful green grass growing everywhere, cattle chewing on some of this grass, while some of it is used for hay; this is not the common case in America. Many farms in America do not depend on nature to keep their animals and plants alive; surprisingly, these include many farms thought to be growing "organic" foods. Many farmers in America don't take the concept of organic as seriously as some other farmers such as Joel Salatin do. Joel is one of the few farmers in America who owns a organic farm in which everything is grown naturally.
Gems:
"We think of grass as soft and hospitable stuff, but once it's been dried in the sun and shredded by machines - once it's become hay - grass is sharp enough to draw blood and dusty enough to thicken lungs." (123)
"Salatin is the choreographer and the grasses are his verdurous stage; the dance has made polyface one of the most productive and influential alternative farms in America". (126)
'Because a healthy soil digests the dead to nourish the living, Salatin calls it the earth's stomach." (127)
"Me and the folks who buy my food are like the Indians - we just want to opt out. That's all the Indians ever wanted -to keep their tepees, to give their kids herbs instead of patent medicines and leeches. They didn't care if there was a Washington, D.C., or a Custer or a USDA; just leave us alone. But the Western mind can't bear an opt - out option. We're going to have to refight the Battle of the Little Bighorn to preserve the right to opt out, or your grandchildren and mine will have no choice but to eat amalgamated, irradiated, genetically prostituted, barcoded, adulterated fecal spam from the centralized processing conglomerate". (132)
Thoughts:
If all American farmers were to follow Joel Salatin's organic way of owning a farm, won't the prices of organic foods drop making the prices friendlier for more individuals?
What if industrial farming came to a sudden stop? How would Americans react? Why do we seem to only worry about the present, yet not the future? Shouldn't we be coming up with new ideas that involve growing our food using natural methods?
Chapter Nine – Big Organic
Precis:
Many stores claiming they sell organic foods are using a web of lies in order to trap their customers, making them feel as if they are purchasing organic products; yet in reality it is the total opposite. After taking a closer look into organic farms and industrial farms, their aren't many significant differences noted in the way they grow their foods. Organic food stores such as Whole Foods create stories, which keep the truth hidden; in return appealing the innocent buyer to purchase more goods from their stores. At times, consuming conventional produce is better than consuming so called organic produce.
Gems:
"The organic movement, as it was once called, has come a remarkably long way in the last thirty years, to the point where it now looks considerably less like a movement than a big business." (138)
“Artificial manures lead to artificial nutrition, artificial food, artificial animals and finally to artificial men and women.” (148)
“And so, today, the organic food industry finds itself in a most unexpected, uncomfortable, and, yes, unsustainable position: floating on a sinking sea of petroleum.” (184)
Thoughts:
How do customers of stores such as Whole Foods react to all this? Will they revolt or accept this fact and move on with their lives keeping their mouths shut?
I think it is absurd the way stores claiming they sell organic foods trick innocent buyers by using a trap of sweet words. We shouldn't be tricked into consuming something unhealthy, while we consider it to be healthy. We are better off consuming food grown in industrial farms; at least when we purchase these foods we are well aware of how it was grown. We are brainwashed by organic food sellers into thinking we are committing a great act while purchasing their products; we are just too afraid face the deadly truth...
Chapter Ten – Grass: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pasture
Precis:
Many American farmers use corn to keep their farms running, but grass farmers, one of them being Joel Salatin, rely on grass. Grass is a very important necessity for farms owned by grass farmers. Joel Salatin refers to his pastures as the "salad bar"; the "salad bar" provides his cattle a source of energy and nutrients all living organisms need in order to survive. Grass farming does not use any toxic substances in the process of raising their animals and growing their fruits and vegetables. Joel Salatin and other grass farmers produce their food by naturally obtaining energy and nutrients which are packed away in the plants they grow and the animals they raise. Because industrial agriculture is cheap, grass farming is not very common in America.
Gems:
"The animals come and go, but the grasses, which directly or indirectly feed all the animals, abide, and the well - being of the farm depends more than anything else on the well - being of its grass." (187)
"We should call ourselves the sun farmers. The grass is just the way we capture the solar energy." (188)
“Grain is the closest thing in nature to an industrial commodity: storable, portable, fungible, ever the same today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow.” (201)
Thoughts:
Knowing all the benefits (some regarding global warming) of replacing corn with grass in farms, why are we still relying on corn? Are we too lazy to make this transformation?
If grass farming becomes common in America, will it make a huge impact on its people? Such as the issue regarding obesity...If majority of the farms in America become grass farms, will the high numbers in obesity change drastically for the better?
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