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.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
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.
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