HW 25 - Response to Sicko

1) There are many issues with the American health care system, either 1 out of every 6 adults don’t currently have health insurance or those who do have it don’t have coverage that is sufficient enough to really be called “health insurance.” Just because people can apply for health insurance doesn’t mean that they can necessarily gain health insurance. In America all the incentives are towards less Medicare for the people who need it. There are other counties that have health care systems that are considered to be socialist practices; these countries include Canada and France as well as other parts of Europe.

2)

A. Medicare drug act of 2003 and 50 million adults don’t have health insurance

B. the Medicare drug act of 2003 was important to proving his thesis because it described how the health care system got to be broken and how the government officials were aware of what they were doing and didn’t care or weren’t aware of the outcome of their actions regardless of who was harmed. The statistic that there are 50 billion adults without health insurance didn’t support Michael Moore’s argument, that even people with health insurance don’t have security. Although the statistic did cause an immediate reaction of “oh my gosh that can’t be true” Michal Moore was attempting to shock the audience in a way that they “felt” something and were connected and entertained by the movie.

D. the Medicare drug act of 2003 was “intended” to give seniors and the disabled more prescription drug benefits and more choices to those under Medicare, but it really gave the right for drug companies to charge whatever they like for their medication (they are allowed to price gouge). This piece of evidence is legitimate because it attempts to show the audience about how the current healthcare system became the way it is today. The evidence is accurate based on my sources (http://socialistworker.org/2007-2/636/636_04_Killing.shtml) and (https://www.cms.gov/mmaupdate/)

3)Reaction: it was most important to hear the individual experiences, in America, Canada and in Europe. This was helpful because it was brought down to a humane level there wasn’t any big figures or complicated laws involved, it was simply…person A and B can’t pay for their co pays on their medication and now person A must clean bathrooms and spills in grocery stores until he dies. I think the feeling of sadness is the most crucial when watching this movie because the feelings of shock and astonishment of “how could this be happening this is horrible, let’s change this” are very short term where as feeling sadness towards people, with lives and families and thoughts and feelings of their own are more sustained. I don’t think the movie affected my views about the dominant practices in our culture mainly because I couldn’t explain ½ of the concepts Michal Moore spoke about, it was a good movie for the moment but once the moment is over we all go on living our lives the same way we did before we saw Sicko.

HW 24 - Illness & Dying Book, Part 3

My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid published by Farrar Straus and Giroux in 1997

The book I wrote titled My Brother is a biography about how I handled my brother’s struggle with HIV. Throughout his time of being ill I realized new things about myself as well as my family, specifically my mother. My brother eventually died from AIDS, which allowed me to form deeper thoughts about what he meant to me. Through my writing I am indecisive about many of my thoughts, as well as repetitive. I discus my feelings about Antigua and the significance of cultural and physical differences between the Antigua style of health methods and American style of heath methods.

“…the stunted passion fruit-for it was that, stunted, unable to go on, unable to go back, it could not yet die” pg 127 –Devon was like the passion fruit he was “Stunted” and couldn’t go forward to a new part of his life and he couldn’t go backwards because the things prior to his sickness led to him contracting HIV.

“I had been thinking, my brother had just died, my brother has died, but to her I said, as simply as this, “My brother died” and she said as simply as this “I know.” Pg159 – I enjoyed how Jamaica states that saying her brother is dead is simple when she knows it’s simple to say but complicated to process. And she also conveys that the woman’s response was simple which I would have assumed would have been an insult if Jamaica didn’t say the same thing about herself.

“…a plastic bag like the ones given to customers when they buy an expensive suit at a store that carries expensive clothing.” Pg 178 –this reminded me of how Devon was not very rich in his life and neither was his family, I therefore think that the purpose for Jamaica mentioning how the bag looks like one from a fancy store means that he finally found his fortune, even if it was in death.

I enjoyed this book more at the beginning then I did the end, the end seemed way too repetitive. It could be that the “action” (of the brother’s death) had already happened in the middle of the book that the rest of the writing felt a little useless. At times I thought how it was nice to have such a detailed account of a specific individual’s experience, Jamaica really wrote with depth and honesty.

HW 23 - Illness & Dying Book, Part 2

My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid published by Farrar Straus and Giroux in 1997

Précis: Jamaica disuses her relationship with her family and mother, she is very repetitive when she speaking about them clarifying who she feels is really her father and how she feels about her mother and other brothers. Devon becomes increasingly better and develops dreams of having a family and a house of his own. Jamaica reveals that she liked it better when her brother was ill and closer to dying, when he didn’t have any dreams. Her brother soon takes a turn for the worst and dies. Jamaica and her mom go to the cemetery to try to find where Jamaica’s step father is buried but they can’t due to the fact that someone was buried over him.

Insightful quotes:

“He lived in death. Perhaps everyone is living in death, I actually do believe that, but usually it can be seen; in his case it was a death I could see” -88

-this stood out to me because in our culture the dominant discourse is that people aren’t dying or “living in death” until they show physical signs or are told by a medical professional.

“Everyone I told that my brother had just died said how sorry they were… they hoped to convey the sincerity of their feelings; they really were sorry that this person they would not have liked at all. [The words ‘I’m sorry’] are such a good thing to hear if you are in need of hearing them.” -105

-This made me realize that the recipient of “I’m sorry” may have an opinion towards the use of those words. It’s interesting that she points out that even if the apologizer doesn’t know the dead person they will still apologize, which makes me think that they are sorry for the family member or friend rather than the dead person.

“I was so tired of him being in this state, not alive, not dead, but constantly with his necessities, weighing on my sympathy…I wanted him to go away I didn’t care if he got better or if he died.” 108

-if Devon died then Jamaica could go back to not knowing him, not thinking about him, not pitying him and not feeling any guilt.

I think it’s true that when a person close to another is sick the well person has resentment. The sick one is getting all the attention and the well one could feel survivors’ guilt in a way. Or possibly just be angry and in partial denial about the “loved” ones illness. I also think that death and dying can toy with feelings of love; the well one may think they love the person because they know they will be gone soon but they may also realize that they weren’t very close to the sick one at all.

HW 22 - Illness & Dying Book Part 1

My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid published by Farrar Straus and Giroux in 1997 is about this woman’s ill brother, Devon. Devon lives in Antigua and is dying from AIDs. Jamaica lives in the United States reveals that she doesn’t like the Antiguan culture. She doesn’t know her brother very well but his sickness has influenced her to go see him back in her home country. The awareness about HIV and AIDs is very low in Antigua and the health care is very atypical of how American hospitals are run. Jamaica brings a drug called AZT from the states for her to take (since they don’t have this drug on the island) she also brings stronger doses of several other meds to make Devon feel better.

“I had said to him that nothing good ever could come of his being so ill, but all the same I wanted to thank him for making me realize that I loved him” pg. 21

-This is an example of how feeling like you are losing someone or being guaranteed you won’t

have them around for your whole life makes you grateful for their presence.

“…he had no children, as he lay dying, his friends had abandoned him. No one, other than the people in his family and his mother’s friends from her church, came to visit him” pg 14

-I think this sheds a light on the cultural values of how one is expected to have a room full of visitors/ spectators when their death is near.

“I missed him. I missed seeing him suffer. I missed felling sorry that in the midst of some large thing and hoping he would emerge from it changed for the better. I did not love him.” Pg 57-58

-I think it is interesting that she doesn’t think she loves him any more yet at the beginning she was sure of it and very profound about her love towards him. I think that maybe because he is getting better she is starting to feel less sorry and she is no longer repressing feelings of anger towards Devon.

Well in this case the majority of the immediate family was brought together. Devon is staying in this crappy hospital, (which happens to be the one for the poorer people on the island). The room is filthy and there are no flowers or photos or anything of that sort. He is also placed in his own room, the fan is thick with dust the floors have stains and the windowsills have sot. The author made a note to exemplify that her brother was intentionally isolated from all the other patients who aren’t sick with HIV. The family seems to be very real when they are with him they acknowledge his illness but I don’t feel that they baby him extraordinarily. When Devon is feeling well enough to leave the “hospital” (which isn’t stocked with typical meds like Tylenol) he moves in with his mother and sleeps in the same bed as her which I found to be a little odd almost as if he is going back to being a child. Jamaica talks about how her mother is only a good mother to her offspring if they are babies, sick or in jail. It seems to me that while Devon is home his mother is being overly helpful and is crossing boundaries that we have in our culture. 

HW 21 - Expert #1 Comments

On his HW 20 post
Hey Abdullah,
I think it is interesting that you felt/feel that "Erik’s fight with cancer truly motivated me to do something with my life instead of just wasting time in front of the almighty computer monitor." I find this to be interesting because I myself had a moment when I felt this way, but it swiftly passed, I don’t know if lifestyles can be changed that quickly but it would be fascinating to find out if they could and for how long the lifestyle can be altered. I am curious to know why/how hearing Beth speak about how she and Evan helped Erik motivated you.
-Amanda


On his HW19 post
Hi Felipe,
I think your most insightful line is “For the most part my parents felt that when a person is sick, all of their requests should be attended to and only “happiness” should be shared with them; meaning that you should agree with anything they say and laugh at any jokes and pretend like everything is perfectly fine. But at what point do these perspectives stop being cultural and become more personal?” I find this to be insightful because I believe that happiness is the most important part about living. One must be responsible but if they aren’t enjoying themselves then what’s the point of their existence. This connects back to what you were saying because often time’s people or at least I doesn’t think about how I would be happy if I were ill. The main focus is how I am going to be happy as I am right now. Plus I never thought about it in terms of “happiness” but more in the terms of comfort. A way you can improve this blog post is if you were to make the sentences flow better. I would have also been interesting to hear your answer to the question you posed.
-Amanda
From peers
Amanda,
I liked how you connection with what Beth had done for Erik and what you would want if you were ever admitted in a hospital. Like you, I also found it interesting how Erik was protected and discouraged from thinking about death. I also liked your thoughts on why Beth feels upset every time she sees anyone injured/sick.
I also liked how you ended your blog by pondering whether Beth was relieved/grateful that her husband died the way he died instead of something less painful such as a coma.
One thing i think you should include in your next blog is how you would have reacted if someone is your family was diagnosed with cancer (God forbid). Just try to make it more personal.
Overall, a really good blog. Keep it up. :)
- Abdullah


Sickness, death and dying are part of our lives. It seems that Amanda has captured how this is truly a personal experience that we all find different ways of dealing with. The body and mind are just two parts of the equation. The third part, the spirit, never dies and is the eternal now.
- Daniel (father)


This post is from my brother he didn’t feel like typing it so I transcribed it for him.
I like your line “The thought of me getting hit by a car and dying tomorrow scares me because I have a strong feeling that my family and friends would be shocked and I (am currently) worried about them feeling like they owe me something or having regrets concerning me and our relationship.” This is my favorite because I often times wonder about things that could unexpectedly kill me or others. I mostly focus on how a single action of mine (or another) can prevent this from happening or create this event. But I’ve never followed the thought through beyond the “accident” part, your post made me more aware of other aspects about unexpected death.
-Theo (brother)

HW 21 - Expert #1

Insights:

1. Beth said that her husband would say “I’m not bleeding so I must be fine”

2. When Erik went on the clinical trial Beth said she understood but doesn’t believe that Eric understood the agreement being made.

3. The doctors told the wife how he was really doing but didn’t tell Eric.

4. Erik’s family never used the words “dying, death, afterlife, or gone” they remained positive 100% of the time.

5. Erik’s family placed his artwork and photos around his room so people could see him as a person and not for his sickness.

6. Beth said that her husband rather be paralyzed if it meant surviving as long as he could still use his hands to make art.

7. Erik had stopped eating so Beth would go to get him sashimi, and the people at the restaurant knew who it was for and Erik’s condition.

8. Beth said she wanted to photograph her husband but he wouldn’t allow it.

I think many of the insights were had something to do with secrecy as well as openness. It sounds like Erik was shelter (or deiced to shelter himself) from the idea of death or dying, due to the fact that words which connoted ideas of death were promisingly avoided. From my understanding of Erik’s family’s experience, the process of dying was not hidden or sugar coated or discreet, but his actual death was. This isn’t good or bad, but I find it interesting that in all the experiences I have been exposed to there is always an element of secrecy, possibly implemented (consciously or unconsciously) as from of protection or to create a sense of comfort.

When I heard that art work and family photos were placed around the room it made me rethink how I would want my experience to be if I was ever in a hospital suffering from an illness. I think the art and photos serve as comfort and inspiration for the family and the patient but also, like Beth said, remind the patients visitors that regardless of the illness hopefully the persons illness is just a phase and they are still the same inside.

Further thoughts:

I was curious if Beth and Erik’s family talked about Erik’s death with other people or if it was never spoken about. I was also wondering why Erik didn’t want photographs taken of him and if Beth regrets not taking any. Beth had said that she doesn’t always cry when she thinks of her husband but that it would be certain things like car accidents that would spark tears, I thought that maybe her tears are being shed for the family of the injured or sick (because she knows how it feels to be in their place). Finally I was interested to know if Beth ever wished that her husband had slipped into a coma or if she is grateful for the way Erik died. I also want to thank Beth for coming to share her story with us it was a privilege to listen to.

HW 19 - Family Perspectives on Illness & Dying

I don’t have a very clear understanding of illness or dying, mainly because I haven’t been forced to think about it before. If I were in a scenario where I was at the hospital for an extended amount of time I would imagine that I would want visitors, such as my mom, dad, cousin, grandparents, my brother and his mom, a few friends and certainly my boyfriend. But not all at once that would be too intense. I would want them to acknowledge that I am sick or dying but then alter the conversation topic to themselves and the events in their lives. I think flowers would be nice but not necessarily if each person gave me a bouquet. I would much prefer fun toys that could entertain me for when I didn’t have guests in my room, or possibly things that would make me feel more alive.  I would want people to do things with me. Take me out of the hospital to the ocean so I can sit in the sunshine and feel the mist off the water kiss my skin. Or to a kitchen where I could bake fresh cookies and roast a chicken infused with garlic and herbs. If I were to die I wouldn’t want people to grieve over my death for too long. I would want them to acknowledge I am no longer there as the being I previously was, but I don’t want anyone to be in serious pain or heartache due to my loss.

One thing pertaining to sickness that I have most recently been concerned about is Alzheimer's. It scares me to imagine seeing a loved one and having them not recognize me or them not remember meaningful events. This thought terrifies me even deeper if I think about me and my husband when we are older, its one of my biggest fears that one day one of us won’t be able to remember the other. One other thing on the topic of dying that I’ve thought about is what would happen, or how would I feel if I died young. The thought of me getting hit by a car and dying tomorrow scares me because I have a strong feeling that my family and friends would be shocked and I (am currently) worried about them feeling like they owe me something or having regrets concerning me and our relationship. I would want them to know that I was grateful for having them in my life and they most likely had a deep impact on my thinking and happiness. I wouldn’t want them to know this for my sake but I think it might help them accept that I am gone.

My father said that if people came to talk to him he would want them to be comfortable and he wouldn’t mind if they talked about him and his condition the whole time. He said he would like to be outside and taken to a park if possible and he wouldn’t want bought gifts and would rather have the money donated to a charity. He also said that he rather undergo Euthanasia then have to endure a series of surgeries, even if it meant that he might survive. My grandmother (his mom) said that she would want people to acknowledge that she was in a hospital and her condition but then she would want them to focus on their lives and the events that were exciting and interesting in the “outside” world. She said she would also want to leave the hospital every chance she got. She said she would like flowers, but only one or two hand selected delicate ones that she can admire and paint or sketch. While we were talking she said something along the lines of, when someone dies their loved one doesn’t cry for the one that’s passed away but they are really crying for themselves.

There are a few parallels between my dad’s values and my own values I believe that if I was really not in touch with reality, and was very sick that I wouldn’t mind what the people in the room talked about I would just be grateful that they were there to see me and spent time with me. I am not sure if I would make the same decision about undergoing Euthanasia it would depend on how much pain I was in I guess. I think my values are more closely similar to those of my grandma. I really liked her idea that when people cry when their loved one dies they are really crying for themselves because I think it’s true. In all the loss I’ve experienced the reason for my tears were because I felt like I didn’t compensate or reciprocate enough, and that I wouldn’t get the chance to anymore. One other thing my grandma had told me is that every so often she gets this urge to run up to her mom and say “Mother! Mother! Look what I discovered, look at this!” I don’t say this to my mom as often as I should but I am going to start.

HW 18 - Health & Illness & Feasting

My experience this holiday fit both into the anti body and body centered practices of the American culture. I was the head chef for orchestrating thanks giving dinner, this meant that I had to spend hours preparing the menu, making grocery lists and accommodating the rest of the families wants. On thanks giving I needed to wake up early and head over to my mom’s in order to start the prep work for later in the day. This was an anti body experience because I ignored the fact that I was tired in order to wake up early so my family would have a smooth traditional thanks giving. In my mind it was necessary that everything went according to plan, and this was unconsciously more important than getting enough sleep. After the thanks giving meal I wanted to clean the dished and set the table with dessert dishes but my legs were sore from sitting all day so I let my grandma get them while I stayed seated. This was a body centered experience because I desired to clean and let my guests rest but I focused on my body and let myself relax.

I would say that food was about 65% of the focus of the thanks giving get together, 20% was about family, 10% was about the Jets vs. Bengals game at 8:30 and 5% was focused on how to make everyone comfortable, how to cause the least amount of stress, and finally how to get everyone out of our apartment once our family started overstaying their welcome. One of the main reasons that my mom and I host holiday parties at our house is because everyone else in the family is horrible cooks. It’s either that they can’t cook or they don’t take each dish seriously enough so they end up half ass-ing the meal and using boxed potatoes or frozen prepared sides. I am sure that there is a lot of repressed emotion for the family when they get together so it’s possible my mom attempts to make the food as perfect as possible to make up for the family issues. The plan is that if the food is the center of the event then nothing else can be.

My family was as mobile as they could have been in the apartment, there were empty chairs but not due to any illnesses. My grandfather was sick though, he was acting strange early in the evening and when we sat down for dinner he didn’t wait for everyone to sit down or for my grandmother to say grace he just stated eating. He was not jolly at all on thanks giving and the only one who actually had a conversation with him was my mom’s boyfriend who spoke very sarcastically. I think the family resents my grandfather; he does do certain things to deserve it though (like not waiting for everyone to sit down especially those who cooked the meal). I know I would cry if my grandfather died and I would be incredibly sad and I think his wife and his children and others would too but it’s so hard not to get frustrated with him and not to feel resentment. But now that thanksgiving is over its time to plan out the Christmas meal to the dime in attempts to make that one as flawless as possible.

HW 17 - First Thoughts on the Illness & Dying Unit

I personally haven't experienced a lot of illness and dying in my life. I have only lost one immediate family member that I was close to. The illnesses that have occurred I haven't taken seriously. when I was little my aunt had breast cancer but I wasn't exposed to the reality of her condition all I knew is that she didn't have any hair and was tired a lot. Most recently my mother had anemia and was getting multiple blood transfusions and that affected me but I don't ever remember being scared that her anemia would get worse or it would make her permanently sick. It’s safe to say I haven't experienced a lot of loss; the most traumatic experience would be when I received calls that my grandparents were in the hospital, I wasn't given much information and therefore assumed the worst scenarios. My grandfather is obese and is unhealthy he has been for a long time and it will probably affect his life span but I am not sincerely worried for some reason.

My parents and I don’t really talk about illness or dying they don’t give any profound advice. We will only talk about it when it’s reliant to our lives (if a loved one is ill). They have encouraged me talk to something if I have any questions or problems concerning dying or illness though. I remember in 9th grade I was really emotional because one of my friends who was in college was drinking a lot and I was concerned that he was going to drink himself to death and my mom talked to me about it and told me everything was going to be alright, I can’t remember if that actually helped or if my worry eventually went away over time.

Some possible unusual perspectives I have about sickness and death are that whatever happens things will be okay. In all my experiences of having to deal with sickness or death I had been shocked, and then the problem resolved itself before I could have any further emotions. Due to my lack of exposure to dying and sickness I don't know how I would handle having to accept that someone close to me was in tremendous pain and I couldn't help them. The thought of not being able to say good bye to a loved one before they die frightens me, because they won’t know how much I really care about them. But I also believe that death only affects those it leaves behind, where as illness affects the patient and the ones surrounding the patient. I'm curious to find out how the reaction to the news of fatal illness, illness and death are different from each other in different people and what makes their reactions different.

HW 11 - Final Food Project 1 Academic research

Précis: To summarize the Wall Street Journal article "Gillibrand Not Sweet On Sugary Drinks Plan" Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is unsure if she yet supports Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson proposal to ban the purchasing of soda with food stamps. The proposal is meant to create better eating habits of New Yorkers, and is attempting to lower the cities obesity rate. By limiting which drinks can be bought with food stamps it directly affects the behavior of the adult rather than the child. The rule would apply to beverages containing more than 10 calories per 8 ounces, with an exception for fruit juices without added sugar and would be tested for two years.

View point one: Support of the proposal

By restricting that sugary drinks be bought with food stamps essentially the consumption of soda and other unhealthy sugary drinks would decrease amongst the lower income class in New York City. New Yorkers with the lowest income were most likely to consume one or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day, putting them at a greater risk of obesity and diabetes. “The obesity epidemic is also taking a toll on children. In New York City, close to 40 percent of public school students in kindergarten through 8th grade are overweight or obese. The figure is 46 percent for Hispanic students and 40 percent for black students.” The idea is that if there is no longer soda available in lower income households that children and adults won’t have the urge or capability to drink it. “The proposal for this initiative will not affect the total benefits received, but by cutting out sugary drinks it would increase the amount of money available for more nutritious foods and beverages.” This may work or will the excess money be spent on other types of sugary/high calorie foods? Health care costs caused by poor diet are paid by the city and taxpayers so this I an attempt to eliminate two problems with one proposal.

View point two: Disagree with the proposal

Although the new rule may change eating habits it’s not going to create long term values. Instead of completely removing sugary drinks from people who have lower income diets, there should be better funding for better nutritional education, AND more education about the origin of cheaper food (high calorie food) and how it is produced. Having an informed population is the only way to maintain a long term pattern of healthy eating. If you are trying to get a drug user off drugs you can just remove the drug from their life for two years without educating them about the consequences of using that drug. They won’t have the willingness to stay off that drug once the two years is over, because of their lack of knowledge. Senator Gillibrand said: "I think giving parents and families the tools they need to make the right choices is a better approach."

sources:

wall street journal article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704127904575544250017855716.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Press release:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/hra/downloads/pdf/Food_Stamps_Press_Release.pdf

HW 11 - Final Food Project 2

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. 

Argument: The lack questioning by the public of the origin and production of food creates an ignorant society. When reality is exposed we discover that we have been secluded from how the factory farm animals and workers are being treated.

Supporting claim 1: Factory farms are inhumane and don’t value the lives of the livestock.

Evidence1- Factory farms main concern is rate of production (From Fast food nation)

Evidence2-the safety and well being of the animals gets neglected (http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/campaigns/factory_farming/) (http://www.hfa.org/hot_topic/wash_post.html)

Evidence3-animals are given antibiotics and other drugs in order to change the size/growth of the animal, to make sure it can’t fight back and to keep it from getting diseases caused by their living conditions ( http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/farm-animal-cruelty/what-is-a-factory-farm.html)

Supporting claim 2: The use of factory farming causes food borne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. These are attempted to be reduced by the addition of chemicals.

Evidence1- bacteria and pathogens are exposed and transmitted onto the animals flesh during slaughter, the intestines of the animals break and release all the animal manure. (Fast Food Nation)

Evidence2-these forms of bacteria and pathogens spread all over the meat and can cause food borne illnesses like salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. (http://www.foodborneillness.org/what-we-do/advocating-for-laws/128-kevins-law.html)

Evidence3- chemicals such as ammonia are used to kill possible pathogens that will cause food borne illnesses. (Food inc.)

Supporting claim 3: Those who work in the meat packing industry are treated as well as the animals.

Evidence1- exploitation of immigrant workers (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/06/opinion/06iht-edmeat.htm?_r=1)

Evidence2- lack of safety in the slaughter houses (http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/processing/)

(http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/27191/OSHA-cites-Illinois-company)

(Fast Food Nation)

Evidence3- corruption in government that makes it almost impossible for helpful reforms (http://www.naturalnews.com/000908.html) (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/business/25tomatoes.html?ref=business&pagewanted=all)

HW 10 - Food, Inc. Response

Précis: Food Inc. investigated the food industry’s harmful effects on our health and environment. The director, Robert Kenner focused on the discrimination and repression of men and women who are working for the meatpacking and fast food industries as well as the farmers. The movie also highlighted the need of reform in industry due to its widespread monopolies, problematic interpretations of laws and subsidies. There was also large focus on the political corruption between the government officials and the fast food executives.

The movie was able to offer a better sense of tone and emotion then Fast Food Nation provided. A good example of this is during the movie when Kevin’s mother was discussing the death of her son, and they had the mini montage, although I don’t think it was exactly necessary it definitely made me feel heartbroken and helpless that the child was so innocent and was killed by something that could have been avoided. I don’t think that Fast Food Nation did a very good job of making the reader feel helpless and regretful for not taking action with in the food industry sooner. But Fast Food Nation was better able to convey social concepts such as the fallacy of composition, the tactics used by the fast food industries to make more of a profit and the idea that if the consumers demand healthier food or better safety standards the industries will provide them with their desires.

I think it’s important for the public to be informed little by little about where their food really comes from and who is producing it and what will happen to society, the environment, Americans health, and the economy if things don’t change. Its important that all this information isn’t thrown at the public because it will surely be way to overwhelming and it will create fear, instead more campaigns should be constructed to have posters on the subway and at bus stops that give facts about how what we (as a country) eats is harmful. It’s going to be difficult because the first steps will require essentially giving up fast food, non-organic meats and produce in order to send the message to the industries. But once the public’s needs are heard I believe things will change. This summer McDonalds released a smoothie promotion which contains on average about 330 calories which is very similar to the calorie count of the high class Jamba Juice. I feel awakened to now know how my food affects so many other people I am only going to buy organic meats, and I plan on telling my friends the effect that their hamburger has on not only them selves but also the rest of the country.

fast food nation hw 7d

Chapter 9

Précis: Due to industrialization and the centralized system of food processing, feedlots, slaughter houses, and meat grinders have caused more food borne diseases which are occurring more today than ever before and the long term aliments are more serious then centuries ago. In 1997 there was a mass recall of hamburgers due to the E. coli 0157:H7 virus. 35 million pounds were recalled but by the time the recall was issued 25million pounds had already been consumed. E. coli 0157:H7 has mostly affected children because children are the number one consumer of hamburgers, being sickened by 0157:H7 results in diarrhea, cramps, fever, vomiting and possible death. Feed lots allow for the growth and survival of the pathogen due to the improper precautions and care of the animals. Slaughterhouses also cause the pathogen to spread more easily if the if E. coli infected intestines brake open onto the animal then anything the worker or that animal touches gets infected with the pathogen. The assembly line definitely benefits the transmission of the pathogen. In the past the ground beef was local so if it was contaminated it would only infect those in a small radius of the origin, but today not only is it difficult to find the origin but meat can be coming from hundreds of miles away. The mass production and distribution of contaminated meat is irreversible, in fact one infected cow can contaminate 32,000 pounds of beef.  Meat factories constantly deny that they are responsible for any existing problems when it comes to food borne illness. The slaughter houses were actually given the responsibility to inspect their own meats, but this is hardly done due to the amount of will power amongst managers, the effects of food poisoning don’t affect the corporations in a large enough scale to force the managers to keep cleanliness. The industries companies are in denial about food issues, the process to make everything regulation would only take 6 months and raise prices a penny per pound of meat, but they lack the determination. When an outbreak occurs the USDA doesn’t give specific information to the public, nor does the meat packing industry. The focus for eliminating the growth of pathogens and bacteria has been to destroy them after they have already infected the animal and cuts of meat, this allows the industry to ignore the fundamental problems. But it would be more efficient to solve the problem at the roots by changing the way the animals are fed, raised, stored, and killed. The USDA who is assumed to be protecting the public is actually contributing to the food borne illnesses by purchasing the most contaminated meats for the school lunch program. As if the slaughter house isn’t enough reason to worry about what’s in or on your, hamburger, bacon or chicken nuggets the staff preparing it behind the counter has extremely poor hygiene. Happy eating.

Gems: The numerous plans that are created have no effect if the managers of the slaughterhouses don’t take them and used them in their factories. It’s a waste of resources if there is no enforcement in meat packing industry. All of the participants in the meat packing industry are constantly being bought out, whether if it’s faster production or paying off politicians.

Thoughts: I think votes should be taken from the public and the public should be allowed to decide whether they are willing to sacrifice a few dollars to ensure they won’t eat possibly lethal meat. I think that the FDA needs to play a bigger role in the meat packing industry maybe there should even be a separate organization for just meat packing, employee safety, and the treatment of the animals. I am not sure if it would ease my mind to know that the animal I was eating had a happy life or not, I think a major issue is I don’t think about the animal’s life, I am not sure if I even see it as having been alive.

chapter 10

Précis: Fast food chains have moved overseas to a ton of other countries. In order to reduce fears of American imperialism the companies attempt to buy as much food as possible from the country they operate out of. Children are the target market in all the countries that fast food companies operate in.  Many children in other countries look to the American culture as an example of what they should value, eat, listen to, and wear. But America has become the most obese nation in the world; we have also broken the record for the speed at which it took. Fast food portions are constantly being super sized doubling or tripling the grams of fat and past promotions to introduce healthy dishes have failed. Obesity is causing 280,000 deaths a year, and annual health care costs are increasing as well as lose weight quick schemes. In many foreign countries American fast food restaurants have been looted, attacked, burnt down and destroyed by rioters and people who disagreed with the McDonalds principles. In 1990 McDonalds sued Greenpeace volunteers for distribution leaflets that contained information that, if believed by the public, would tarnish the McDonalds name. The Greenpeace volunteers were sued for 40,000 Euros but McDonalds dropped the charges hoping to ease bad publicity.

Gems: ”The annual heath care costs in the United States stemming from obesity now approach $240 billion; on top of that Americans spend more than $33 billion on various weight loss schemes and diet products.” The people of the United States are becoming more and more obese, and instead of fixing their eating habits or changing their children’s eating habits they are ignoring the roots of the issue and are attempting to fix it with diets or drugs or weight loss meals, all these are expensive and unlikely to make one healthier. It’s the same approach that the slaughterhouses use when it comes to sanitizing their meats. Instead of feeding the cattle grass while they are growing and keeping them sanitary the industry ignores that issue and waits till the meat is already contaminated to add ammonia and other chemicals onto the meat.

Thoughts: The whole section about Las Vegas doesn’t really connect for me. I understand that he is talking about illusions and false joy, and how the convention symbolizes how the victors get to celebrate and have the last laugh but I don’t understand what the purpose of talking about all that was. Maybe he’s saying that they hold fast food conferences with famous powerful managers but don’t get anything done they are just celebratory meetings for how successful the fast food industry is?

Epilogue

Précis: Conway’s Red Top and In-and-Out are perfect examples of eating fast food that hasn’t caused others as much pain. The employees are long time and often the owner’s family, they are educated and the meats are at a lower rise for containing pathogens. If fast food advertising targeted to children were banned then the obesity rate would decrease, because kids would not be as exposed to it. It is so difficult to regulate the United States food safety system because it is managed by twelve different government organizations; each organization has different jurisdictions so it is very complicated to have each group work together to solve the food safety issues. The organizations need to merge and the fines and punishments for breaking food safety and labor laws need to be harsher. If the public choose to boycott a product of the fast food industry the company would change it to fit the public’s needs.

Gems: “the fast food chains insist that the suppliers follow strict specifications regarding the sugar content, fat content, shape, size taste and texture of their products. The chains could just as easily enforce a strict code of conduct governing the treatment of workers, ranchers and farmers” (268)

Thoughts: Food served in school cafeterias should be healthier then what is sold at fast food restaurants. Lower income children are typically eating school lunch the fact that the meat and meals aren’t as healthy as fast food industries automatically targets children of less affluent households to be obese or unhealthy, against their will. Also its interesting that the whole book basically explains that the monopolization of the fast food and meat packing and farming industry has caused the problems but then its says that the problems could be solved better if the government system designed to regulate the industries were grouped together.

Fast food nation hw 7c

Chapter 7

Précis: In Greenely, Colorado the meat packing industry is not benefiting the community. The air smells of rotting slaughterhouse waste, and the low paying jobs result in violent, drugged up neighborhoods. ConAgra, the company who runs the largest meat packing complex in the nation takes as many short cuts as needed to create large amounts of hefty cattle as quick as possible. The company is completely unconscious of how their get rich quick system is effecting the environment around them. In 1906 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair was published, in his book the made accusations that meat processing plants housed many unsafe and unsanitary conditions for the workers, this raised public awareness. In 1960 the Iowa Beef Packers opened they used the same speedy principle as McDonalds. Throughout the slaughter house there were assembly lines, they only had to teach each person one skill, therefore saving time and money. The next “improvement” to the industry was to move the slaughterhouses in rural areas closer to the feedlots, and further away from any labor unions that would question the methods of employment. Following the change in location, meat grinders were introduced to the slaughter houses this drove small processors and wholesalers out of the business, transforming the meat industry. Over the past two decades ConAgra has not kept their hands clean, they have paid millions of dollars in fines for attempting to cheat ranchers out of profits. More and more meat packers are immigrants from regions such as Mexico and Central America; this increases the employee turnover rate and decreases the amount of pay the company gives to each employee. The placement of meat packing factories greatly affects the future outcome of the neighborhood in which they are placed. And the company has no idea.

Gems/thoughts: The idea that the meatpacking companies were wise enough to move the slaughterhouses to more beneficial locations. “In addition to creating a mass production system that employed a de-skilled workforce, IBP put its new slaughterhouses in rural areas close to the feedlots—and far away from the urban strongholds of the nation’s labor unions” (154) I think this is an important concept and the same idea can be applied to fast food restaurants. I am sure that fast food companies are moving their franchises closer to school, and in neighborhoods of lesser income, as well as many other strategic areas.

Chapter 8

Précis: In the large chilly room there is nothing that would seem unusually to the typical American, but as the tour continues down the assembly line (which very much resembles the potato factory) there is a change in mood. There is meat hanging from hooks and young Latino women cutting slabs off at the meat comes towards them. The kill floor quite different here its hot and humid and the workers are holding saws and are cutting cattle in half and there are cows hung by there hooves swinging around in the air. There are men pulling the insides out of cows, and the blood on the floor is ankle deep. At the start of the assembly line cows are getting stunted, then the necks get cut and gallons of blood fall all over the cutter. The amount of blood on the floor makes it very easy for a worker to slip and fall onto the concrete floor resting beneath the blood. Every year approximately 40,000 workers suffer an injury or illness that requires more then just first aid. Meat packing is now the most dangerous job in the United States. Pressure is put on floor managers and workers to slaughter and process as much cattle as they can in a given day, so many injuries are not reported. Even during after hours in the slaughter house there are numerous injuries amongst the clean crew workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administrations role in the meat packing industry has been declining since the 1980’s, the number of injuries that have been reported has decreased but that’s no reason to think that the number of injuries have decreased.

Gems: There is a lot of corruption in the meat packing industry. And there is a lot about the hamburger process that most Americans don’t know about.

Thoughts: I don’t know if the meat packing industry was further exposed that people would collectively take action and boycott meats from specific places or if they would choose to ignore it further. I am also curious how much extra money it costs to humanly raise and slaughter cattle, as well as how much extra resources would have to go into the meat packing industry to make sure that the employees are safer and healthier. 

HW 9 - Freakonomics Response

The freakenomics authors address correlation vs. causation by subtly differentiating the two. An example of this in the movie was the cause for why crime rates decreased in the 90s when they were expected to rise. Many politicians and citizens assumed that effective governing, longer prison sentences, increased police officers, a break in the crack epidemic and harsher punishments for minor offences, all contributed as CAUES to the crime drop.  Freakenomics argues that the dominant discourse for why the crime dropped is actually correlated with the crime drop but not completely caused by it. The movie attempts to prove that the development of abortion rights led to fewer unwanted children being born. Parents who were unprepared to raise a child were no longer forced to, thus eliminating a potential unstable environment with little parental support, the child who may have become a criminal was never born. This is the meaning of correlation and causation that I received from the movie; I suppose that some correlation is causation. That was shown in the movie when the directors claimed that although the longer prison sentences, higher police volumes and the reduction of crack wave weren’t the foremost cause of the crime plunge they did make up 65% of the possible reasons for the crime reduction. In this case the correlation is also PART of the causation.

The directors mostly rely on statistics to convey their evidence. Statistics are an innovative tool because it’s releasing the evidence in the most direct and simple way possible. Often time’s statistics are automatically assumed to be true but frequently the evidence used to create the statistics is never released, which can make the statistics less believable.

I disagree that “Freakonomics serves as an inspiration and good example to our attempt to explore the "hidden-in-plain-sight" weirdness of dominant social practices.” Through out the movie the directors were questioning social principles, such as what incentives construct a slacker/cheater or which incentives create a hardworking/honest person. The movie examined several examples of how incentives work and if they will actually create the presumed result. The sumo wrestlers with a win record of 7 (wins) had incentive to cheat if they were matching a wrestler who had a record of 5 (wins). If the opponent with the lower record won then he was able to move up and he must return the “favor” the next time the two matched again. In both the examples of paying students to achieve higher grades and the incentives behind cheating they definitely examined the reasoning behind incentives and explored the practices but DID NOT explain how they were weird or different from other practices. The movie didn’t critique the behaviors the directors studied they just talked about the patterns they observed.

HW 7b Fast Food Nation

Chapter 4
Young people, like Dave Feamster, who have used up all their possibilities, are often times owners of fast food restaurants. Franchising schemes are a win-win situation for both the franchisee and the franchisor if the opportunity is manipulated correctly. In today’s economy it’s not worth the money, energy or resources to attempt to became a successful franchisee of a large organization. For franchisee owners it is crucial that stores of the same company don't open in a close vicinity of each other. The demand for the product that the store is selling decreases due to the amount of supply in such a condensed area. the government backed loans given to fast food "entrepreneurs" money to be successful which means that the public is supporting the fast food industry whether they want to or not. Not all fast food franchisees are horrible people; those like Dave Feamster are just trying to make a living. He is kind to his employees, takes them to events and helps pay for their college education. there are many franchise owners whose goals is to keep making money and there are others whose goal is to just make enough money to live and then give back to their community or their employees. Those who are constantly attempting to achieve conventional goals will never be fulfilled because the amount of money one can aim to make is infinite, therefore their goal will never be accomplished. I think it’s great how the author doesn't attack Dave Feamster or portray him as a horrible person. But rather associates him with less superficial things like having a family, starting a local hockey team and giving money for his employees who are in college.

Chapter 5
J.R. Slimplot was an ordinary boy who took chances and made investments which benefited him. He became successful within the potato business he had his hands on machines that were able to quickly clean, slice, flash cook and flash freeze potatoes. These new techniques for preparing potatoes made J.R Slimplot a multibillionaire, selling the inventions (and potatoes) to major fast food industries. Despite his wealth he has stayed loyal to the potato industry and the fast food business. Currently the fast food industry is making the most money off of the French fry business. The farmers and manufactures make hardly any profit compared to McDonalds. There is an organization called The Potato Growers of Idaho which is aimed at helping famers make logical contracts with processors. All around Idaho farmers are falling into the fallacy of composition. This is the idea that if a new piece of machinery makes one farm more profit that it would also make everyone else’s farm more profit. Fast food is so processed that all the natural flavors are cooked, and frozen out of the potatoes, the French fries would have no taste if it weren’t for the “natural flavor” which is added during the manufacturing process.

HW 8- Growing Our Own Food

I didn't mind growing my own food I would have rather had a different veggie, other than radishes. Its pretty simple to do, but I had to keep up with the watering and draining. On some days I forgot but if I had set it up as more of a routine then it would be more likely that they would have grown more or looked healthier. This assignment made me realize that it must be incredibly difficult to run a farm. I know that if I grew crops and harvested for a living I would be a lot more attached to my food and would put my produce on the market at a high price. The process of growing the sprouts was a little magical, it was surprising to see how much they grown in such a short little time, without much effort. I wouldn't say it was a sacred experience because I didn't value the sprouts at a high level, possibly if I was growing something more time consuming or laboring I would have considered the product of my efforts to be sacred.

HW 6 - Food Diary

I believe that throughout the day I had foods that fit into the main food groups, grains, fruits and meats. But what is nutrition? The dominant discourse for nutrition is that in order for something to be nutritious it needs to be fresh and natural, containing no perversities. If something is nutritious it is considered to be healthy like fruit. The actual definition of nutrition is “the process by which living organisms obtain food and use it for growth, metabolism, and repair” (The American Heritage Science Dictionary). In this case most foods would be considered nutritious if all the food needs to do is give you energy. Certainly there are particular foods that are beneficial for the body’s repair better than others.  I thought that Nutrition had something to do with how many nutrients and what different kinds of nutrients were in the food, also how balanced the meal was.

The experience I had while eating the food depended on the setting I was in, who was with me in my environment as well as what mood I was feeling at the time. These things determined whether or not I enjoyed eating what was prepared. For example the night before I had french toast my dad had been pressuring me to have it for breakfast, I was very reluctant and immediately told him no, then changed my mind that night. The next morning I was dreading having to eat it. I took a couple bites and couldn’t stand the dense texture of the maple syrup drenched bread. It could have been that my dad is a horrible cook but I think it’s due to the psychological state I was in. for me the French toast represented my power over my father. When my dad was pleading if he could make the French toast I had the power. By allowing him to get what he wanted I felt that eating the French toast was a task and that by giving in to him I was conforming to my parent instead of rebelling.

There are many ways that the food represents power in our society. Firstly when a parent in punishing their child it is heard of that they would threaten to send their child to bed without dinner unless the child does what the parent orders. Food can also represent social status one has in a community. It’s as simple as the difference between attending a suit and tie five star restaurant and an Olive Garden.

Lamarca Pasta- very yummy calories: unknown i had been waiting all day to eat this for lunch. it was a little chilly and i wanted something simple cheap and comforting as well as wholesome.

Limonada- it was crisp and refreshing i was craving something light during soccer practice. I grew up drinking limonada so its very familiar to me. 150 calories.

HW 5 - Dominant Discourses Regarding Contemporary Foodways in the U.S.

Dominant discourse is what the majority of the people think about a certain topic. The most common value, thought process, idea or opinion with in a certain subject

According to the media there are conflicting discourses when it comes to the subject of whether or not the U.S. food ways have been changed or if there is still more change to be made. Form the article “Told to eat vegetables, America orders fries” the author made the point that the food industry has attempted to make eating veggies easier but that doesn’t necessarily meant that people are actually consuming more vegetables. Although there was reform made in availability of vegetables, the people that make up the country still need to have the will to eat more vegetables. All in all according to the author progress has been made but there still needs to be more improvement. We are only ½ way there.

I think someone who was moderately well informed about the mass media and the food dominant discourse would have probably in the past have been on a lot of diets in order to change the way they appeared to others. Although they were on a diet they would probably also binge on past food or junk foods that are high in saturated fats and starches, and they would have had an unbalanced diet. They might also buy a lot of organic fresh fruit and vegetables in order to relive their guilt of not actually having eaten any. But when they get home they put them in the back of the fridge and don’t reserve the time to cook or prepare them and the produce gets rotten. I think this person would be very talkative about how to make changes in their diets but never actually take the actions that would cause significant change.

One of the current dominant discourses in the U.S. regarding food ways are the whole organic themed movement. Many people are pro organic and they don’t even understand what it means for something to be organic. Others might not be affected by the non-organic products so to them non-organic is just fine. Other discourses are that Americans need healthier lifestyles, meat is unhealthy, pesticides are killing the environment and there is reason to be afraid of certain food products due to “outbreaks”. People such as doctors, nutritionists, Food and Drug Administration representatives, and celebrities get quoted about food topics because they are trusted by the majority of the population. The media knows that if they publish a quote from a credible source then they will receive a larger audience and in return higher ratings. Select places or sources where information about food can be found are in magazines, health shows, newspapers, restaurant and fast food advertisements and television food shows. The over all health of the people in the U.S. is a problem that requires a solution. People need to have their diets or daily exercises. I don’t know if there are any key solutions except for raising the future generations so they are not as exposed to junk foods and they learn to like healthier foods. Or maybe a solution would be to build schools that are grades pre-k to 12^th eleven stories tall that way children would have no way to avoid the exercise. 

HW 4 - Your Families' Foodways

My father (and his side of the family)

My dad eats almost everything that he purchases at Trader Joe's. He absolutely refuses to waste food, not that that’s a bad thing but when he cooks dinner he will guilt my brother and I into eating what ever he has put on our plates. His guilt trick includes a lecture about how hundreds of children just like us don't have food to eat and go to sleep hungry; it doesn’t work on me anymore. Unfortunately my father is a horrible, horrible cook. He doesn't really cook with creativity and if my brother mentions that he liked the "chicken nuggets" then my father would make that for dinner ever single night. Similarly to how I was given peanut butter and jellies every day for lunch from kindergarten to 4th grade. I guess he thinks its easier to not get anyone else's opinion when it comes to dinner or school lunch, and when I attempt to cook dinner by my self he insist on "helping" which really means he takes over and controls aspects of the meal I am trying to cook I think the whole situation is about control for him.

My father’s food ways could be brought back to the fact that when I was younger he was a vegetarian. He stopped eating meat because he didn’t think it was well for his body, he was also against the curtly to animals. But since my father stopped being a vegetarian he has become very healthy he will only buy fresh and foods with limited preservatives in them. No microwaveable meals. No microwaves. No pop-tarts. Everything needs at least a 10 minute preparation. He rather pay a high price and get a better quality freshness, then a low price for a lot of chemicals.

My grandmother (his mother) is extremely cautious about what she puts into her body. She keeps a lot of unusually natural things in unlabeled jars in her fridge. I wouldn't eat them. She pays a lot of money for specific things like bread without wheat, and jams made naturally without refined sugars. She was born a raised in upstate New York where there are a lot of farms so I think that attributes to the fact that she insists on buying locally. Due to where she was nurtured she was more exposed to farm land and farmers and the work that they must do to make a single gallon of milk, this causes her to appreciate it more.

I think that buying locally is great if it is possible, a lot of times the grocer won’t specify where the meat or vegetables or dairy is actually from and people like me don’t have the will to take the extra step to find out. Personally I think my grandmother’s life style is a little extreme but if she is happy with it and comfortable then it works for her. Then again location really does make a big difference because if I lived up state and there were fresh ingredients being sold next door, down the road or in a stand on the side of the road then I would certainly buy them instead of grocery store products.