tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43019380793775908662024-03-19T23:04:20.192-08:00English 111X F11 - Spring '12Ryan Batemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009792486715847927noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-25820257783589820872012-04-23T17:44:00.000-08:002012-04-23T17:44:59.385-08:00Superman<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Essays that are primarily focused
on the worlds current environmental cataclysm and its impact on man-kind
fascinate me. Which is exactly why I took a significant liking to “The
obligation to endure” by Rachel Carson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In our current world there are several different ways to control the
insects and pests that make their homes on our farms. New chemicals are being
produced everyday, and according to Rachel, these insecticides can have a
harmful affect on humans and the environment. What we regard as “pests” are
able to adapt to the chemicals we use, so more deadlier chemicals are in demand
for production. Carson is a passionate environmentalist with a clear concern
for the well-being of the worlds inhabitants. This is very apparent in the
style which Carson conveys herself in her writing. Rachel states, “Can anyone
believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of
the earth without making it unfit for all life?” Carson seems pretty educated
about the applications of pesticides and the possible effects that can occur
from these chemicals. I feel that Rachel has a specific target audience whom
she is pointing this worded guilt pistol at, that target would be those who use
chemicals, like a farmer. Another audience would be the people concerned with
the relationship between people and the environment and what’s done to protect
the environment from man. I suppose Rachels excerpts could hold potential for
someone interested in the improvement of the environment, and need some
arguable facets to benefit their cause. The author makes a crucial point that
people are unaware some of the chemicals used in insecticides have a negative
affect not only on pests, but also harmless animals and insects. Therefore, the
insecticides are passed through these creatures and agriculture on to people,
who <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are eventually affected as well.
This point then weaves into that not only is wildlife at risk, but peoples
health is in danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rachel makes her
opinion on chemicals pretty evident when she states that insecticides should be
referred to as biocides instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
addition, the way that Carson writes her paper is from a logical perspective.
She presents the significance of the problem regarding her topic, and then she
backs up her opinion with facts and evidence. She elucidates the negative
effects insecticides have, then she presents a healthy possible alternative to
the problem. Rachel explains what the problem is, the significance of the
problem, and how the problem could be improved or fixed. Carsons plan of attack
works because she makes her point and provides concrete reasoning and logic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
-scott</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Scott Shearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192336273828996692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-37247285942483008922012-04-17T11:28:00.000-08:002012-04-17T11:28:03.853-08:00So I thought the essay "Television: The plug in drug" was pretty interesting. I have seen in so many families the TV kind of take over daily routines and rituals. I too remember as a child having many family gathering for holidays, and the children running around the house crazily playing off the wall games that we made up as we went along, while the adults sat around the living room talking and laughing, having a few drinks here and there. I can also remember however, all the grandchildren cuddling up in my grandmothers bed to watch Rugrats once we were all worn out. TV has been in my family for as long as I can remember and I don't seem to agree that it ruins the quality of family time, at least not in all families. <br />
I have a three year old who loves to watch TV. I only let him watch disney movies, and educational programs that air on TV. I admit that I use the TV a lot when it comes to trying to get things done around the house. If I have homework to do, i'll turn the TV on and let him watch his shows while I do my work. I also make it a point though to turn it off when I'm finished and make him sit with me and read books or work on his numbers or letters. TV can be a great tool in that aspect, but I think the real problem is parents being lazy. Either not wanting to take the time to work on those things cause they're just too tired, or letting their children watch too much tv simply because they want to watch their own program in another room and letting the kids watch TV allows the parents to do that. We have four televisions in my house, all with DVR cable boxes. I love my TV shows don't get me wrong. I just choose to make my TV time at night after my son has gone to bed and use the time I do have with him to make each day as productive as I possible can with his learning.<br />
I think that the TV is only as damaging as you let it be to your family life. My family is pretty big on sports. We get together to watch sporting events making enough food to last days as we sit and watch big games. If we aren't all at one house watching something, the phone rings off the hook during games as we discuss what's going on. In this sense I think that this is just one more thing that makes my family as special as I think it is. So all in all I have to say that I don't necassarily agree with Winn's essay.SKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356315891467179064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-13801357635517196492012-04-17T10:15:00.001-08:002012-04-17T10:15:26.880-08:00Reading ResponsesReading <i>The Obligation to Endure</i>, I see that it actually ties somewhat to my group's reading <i>The Ends of the World as We Know Them</i>. They both relate to the downfall of humanity. It's just that one goes about it with the collapses of societies, and the other goes about it with the self-destructive nature of mankind's endeavors in the chemical field with insecticides. I really see where he's coming from with his mentioning of "resurgence", for it is indeed true that insects are very adaptive. It kind of goes with the territory of having a generation lasting no longer than a few days or weeks. The only issue I have, is that his opening is more focused on the problems faced by people due to insecticides, but he ends up spending the rest of the excerpt focused on the insects and the way society has been targeting them. However, his point really made me recall a presentation I watched on PBS about a certain chemical contained in such stuff as colognes and perfumes to help them last longer, that has actually been found to reduce the "ano-genital distance", or the distance between your bung-holio and your genitalia. Considering how modern youth are so into such things as Axe & Tag and other body sprays, I shan't be surprised if, in a few generations, we'll end up evolving to have a cloaca.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I enjoy the points put forth by <i>Television: The Plug-In Drug</i>, the effect that the "tele" has on small children is astonishing. It doesn't help that sometimes exasperated parents decide that a brilliant and easy solution to taking care of children is to throw them to the television. Also, looking at television, things like Sesame St. and the like from classic children's shows actually had some educational value to them. However, nowadays I see more and more shows that merely seem to be heavily influenced by drugs and crazy trip-outs. And the point of the multiple-set family is a good one. In the old days you had shows like "The Andy Griffith Show", which was definitely a family-oriented show. But nowadays, the television shows are more focused, aiming towards the men, women, OR the children. And it really does affect the peer group as the reading says, people are often using things such as television as a way to connect to their friends, and some of the impressions that may be given by television are inappropriate for the younger viewers. But then, without television there wouldn't be shows such as Nature or NOVA, which were a big part of my life as a child, and I even find myself still very much partial to such shows. The television is very important to the spreading of news and knowledge. As Caleb points out, the imagery that is made possible by television makes things such as news that much more of an impact on our lives. If a picture is a thousand words, just how many words is a reel in a newscast worth?ESCfromNomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879469525608432942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-23169065175598174442012-04-17T09:09:00.001-08:002012-04-17T09:09:21.431-08:00ZombiesI must say that I rather enjoyed " Television: The Plug-In Drug." I was completely engaged the entire time and had no problem following along like I did in some of the other essays, though the reason may be my own paranoia of the television. I have noticed in the past that my family is the exact image of the one Winn portrays, glued and tuned out on a daily basis. Ive made several comments and started several arguments over the way T.V seems to run our lives. My mom tunes out so much she will literally ignore me if one of her "soaps" are on. My dad goes straight to bed at 6:30pm when he gets home from work, and besides the late night snack, spends all night watching T.V away from the rest of us. Except when Idol is on, then he will come downstairs, make some comment about the show, and instead of watching it with us, continue up again to his room to make another appearance 15 minutes later to say something else. Now, I'm not saying I'm any better, though I may not be away from the rest of the family, I'm still downstairs watching T.V. If I'm honest with myself the only reason I'm doing anything with my family is because I don't have T.V in my room and anytime I want to watch a movie the T.V in my parents room goes out for some crazy, unexplainable reason, and we wouldn't want my dad to be without T.V for an hour and half now would we? Its very sad. We eat in front of the T.V, we fall asleep in front of the T.V, we ignore each other in front of the T.V, we pretty much do everything in front of the T.V and it took this essay to really get me started on my soap box. The more and more I think about it, the more and more angry I am that Ive become another statistic. My fiancee is the only one I think has any sense and the poor guy is stuck with me. To move beyond the realm of the T.V its not the only culprit that enables families to ignore each other. Cellphones, Internet, video games, these are all weapons against the family household. My fiancee, Brent, is constantly complaining about me being on my cell phone. He says it makes him feel like I don't want to engage with him and even with that said, I still cant help myself. People these days are talking more and more about our escapist society. They talk about how we use movies and games to escape from reality, from the war, from the economic strain. Apparently these devices can give us more comfort and reassurance than our families can. I cant even remember the last thing me and my family did together, aside from just me and Brent, in honesty I cant even remember the last time I went and did something outside. I used to run the hills in my hometown in Ohio. I would pick berries, go fishing, and watch the stars come out until I was dragged into the house. I remember having a teenage summer going to concerts, walking on the railroad tracks, going to antique malls, and getting into various troubles. Now all I do is sit at home, watch Dr. Phil and ignore the wold around me. I'm not completely trashing my family. When it comes to being there for each other and getting the necessities done we are perfectly functional, but we do rely too much on the T.V to help us get along. I think tonight I am going to try something different. I might take a walk with Brent, or be the one to cook dinner. Either way I'm going to step away from the T.V and the cellphone tonight and see how that feels. I might find I actually like the world around me if I step back long enough to see it.ShandiHigginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633118336458016888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-46725164331023784642012-04-17T01:45:00.001-08:002012-04-17T01:45:17.291-08:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Television: The Plug-In Drug</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Marie Winn's essay Television: The Plug-In Drug it rings of
the truth, as I have lived through the changes within the broadcast industry
and seen it deteriorate to what we have today. The first time I saw a TV the
tube was round and the programs were only on for a few hours a day. The screen
was as black and white as the programs themselves. They were an extension of
the radio programs. As a kid there was little interest other than the TV
itself. Time went by and there appeared programs for the children like Howdy Dowdy
Show, and Roy Rogers. There was no violence or sex as we have today if the Lone
Ranger had to beat the bad guy up once in a while it was fast and with little
ado. Of course the good guy always won, and no died. Programs were only a half
hour long. Our family would all sit and watch Father Knows Best and Leave It To
Beaver, and other shows that taught good family values. The FCC had total
control and tried to keep it that way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However this did not last, producers started
to push the limits and found people liked the programs that hinted at sex and violence
but did not actually show it. Eventually they wanted more because it produced
revenue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually the TV stations won
more freedom under the first amendment right to broadcast more sex and violence
but the FCC still had some control. Over the years the FCC lost ground and the
stations gained ground. Even though studies go back to the 1960's and before
and found the effects to be bad most of the public and the media ignored those
findings. My wife and I chose to keep the TV out of the house for many years
because of these finding, but eventually we broke down and bought one. luckily
our youngest was in his teens by this time and any major influence that the TV
might have had was already past. However I found myself becoming a couch potato
taking the drug and that became a problem, and yes I liked the action shows
with all there violence even though I think they could still be good without as
much gore in them. Maybe the salvation for this generation will be the
internet, or will it follow the path of the TV?</span></div>James Burkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890299007581093087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-36717959517144868652012-04-16T23:21:00.000-08:002012-04-16T23:21:24.836-08:00sex, drugs, disasters This essay was very interesting. The different theories as to what could have happened of the dinosaurs was interesting. The first theory, sex, said that the temperatures were rising so much that the male testes couldn't function in the heat and they died off due to lack of reproduction. I never thought about this theory but it made me think it could have possibly happened so it opened up my mind a bit. the next theory, drugs, says that there could have been possible flowers with hallucinogens that would make the dinosaurs trip and eventually overdose, again never thought of this theory but that doesnt mean its not possible and the last theory, disasters, is the most common theory. The theory that the dinosaurs went extinct because of meteorites so big that it destroyed almost all species in the world. this is something ive heard a lot and i think its the most believable, theres still proof of meteorites and it's the most brought up speculation. I think so far this was my favorite presentation, Scott obviously knew what he was talking about with his group and was super interested and proved facts and showed lots of excitement about his research.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818892050162735385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-39010635287830871242012-04-16T21:42:00.001-08:002012-04-16T21:42:55.044-08:00Response: The Ends of the Worlds as We Know Them.<br /><br />I liked the way in which Jared Diamond laid out his points in his article “The Ends of the Worlds as We Know Them” and compared many different cultures that have failed and used them for his examples. I really enjoyed reading this piece, it flowed well and I felt engaged with it the entire time I was reading. Most research articles seem to be rife with quotations and scientific data. Maybe it was the lack of all the statistics and concrete facts and citations that made Diamond’s article more interesting and readable for me, compared to some of the other research articles we have read.<br /> Also, in contrast to some of the other articles we have been reading lately, this one did not directly cite other people’s research to back up what the author was saying. However, considering the brief bio at the beginning of his article he is well educated and he must have had to do a lot of research for all the books he has written, so I think the reader can give him the benefit of the doubt in this case and we can trust most of what he has to say.<br /><br />His article could have been construed as preachy, but I think it is a genuine plea to the rest of humanity to realize the mistakes of our forebears and be able to learn from them. In this way I think it is similar to the Pollan article we read, “What’s Eating America” because Michael Pollan seemed to also impress upon readers the impact which humans have upon the planet and the importance of finding ways to live more sustainably, ways which will not jeopardize the future of our society. Both authors talk about earth’s “finite resources,” as Diamond puts it. Compared to Pollan’s article, however, I think the title Diamond chose for his piece was much more fitting and gave the reader a better idea about what to expect when they were reading it.<br /><br />In this article the author is asking many things of the reader, right from the beginning he talks about reflecting on humanity and being able to learn from our collective previous mistakes. He pushes his audience to think very hard and ask themselves difficult questions, sometimes about things that we don’t like to think about that much because often the answer we land on is an unpleasant one. <br /><br />One interesting thing that Diamond pointed out is that because of globalization, nearly everyone in the entire world is connected. This was probably the part of the article that I dwelt on the most after I finished reading it. This fact of modern-day global interconnection means that we risk not just one culture dying through human error, but a near total global collapse, on a scale never seen before.<br />ferrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14424845844083841204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-35033475010187859132012-04-16T17:05:00.002-08:002012-04-16T17:05:47.267-08:00Enduring When reading "The Obligation to Endure" it's hard not to notice the way that Rachel Carson uses her research. She uses several different professionals to further her points as if trying to add credit to her words to show that it isn't just her that feels this way and she isn't the only one finding that we are poisoning ourselves with the pesticides that we use. Her idea seems to be really passionate to her; this shows throughout all of her main points where she begins to almost start ranting about how horrible we are for continuing to use pesticides. Her opinion and facts are somehow tainted by the fact that she is an environmentalist and that she puts her emotions into this piece of writing.<br />
She does use the research she gathered in a good way by providing good quotes from different people. This can give the reader a warm fuzzy feeling in knowing that she can back up her facts and it isn't just her opinion. She also provides solutions to some of the problems that are given or at least somewhere that the world as a whole can start pushing for.<br />
On the other hand some fo these ideas that are given to reduce the problems that we have are very biased; leaning more towards her environmentalist view. A good example to point out would be the decrease of acreages so that there would be less plants for insects to infest and therefore reduce the insect problem without using insecticides. I can't help but to look back at another reading we had, "What's Eating America". In this essay Michael Polin uses some words from Vaclav Smil's book "Enriching the Earth" in which Vaclav explains that the creation of the Haber Bosch process in which ammonium nitrate is used to produce nitrogen for agriculture. The reason that this process was created was due to the fact that with the current organic way of producing crops we would only have 2 in 5 people that would of been born in todays society. This shows that with the current production of food in agriculture we are just getting by and if we were to reduce the acreage for farming we would be hindering ourselves even more than we are currently. Of course this is just one example of hers that appears to not be applicable, but her other ideas seem quite reasonable as alternatives to better our environment in the future.<br />
All around this essay appears to have a lot of work put into with the research that she has done. It has at least made me think about how much pesticides we use in America and gives me an idea of some things that can possibly be done to prevent any more damage to this environment that we have. After all we only have one Earth and it's our job to make it livable for the next generations to come.aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08784305150972648097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-26436212831694056992012-04-15T13:10:00.001-08:002012-04-15T13:10:36.808-08:00Television the plug-in drug<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Television has become a large part of our culture not just
here in the United States, but all across the world. However, I believe it hasn’t
completely destroyed all the traditions that Marie Winn thinks that it has
taken. Instead, I believe that the television has given a new traditional that
our culture has become accustomed to. It seems as if she is talking to people
that didn’t exactly grow up with televisions and instead as they came out, life
started to change for them. Growing up with television my whole life I have not
seen changes to the family traditions I had growing up to life now. Other parts
of my life have changed, but not the traditions in which my family had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We grow up in a society where everyone is considered
different and where some people truly strive to be different than their parents
and friends. Also, where television might have destroyed families when it first
came out, it isn’t doing it now. Ms. Winn is using compare and contrast through
personal feelings rather than using actual research and actual numbers to support
her thesis and topic. I believe some parents due depend too much on television
to teach their children right from wrong rather than doing it themselves. Ms.
Winn makes a very valid point in that regard because my wife and I know people
who just sit their child in front of the television so they may do what they
would like to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as rituals go I do not real as if my family lost any
while we were growing up. We actually had a big time tradition on Sundays in
particularly. Every Sunday my family would sit down and watch football together
on the television and picked who we thought was going to win. After this my
brother and I would go outside and play football or any other sport or activity
that we could think of doing. My father would go to work and my mother would
clean up the house. That was a Sunday ritual for my family, whether it may seem
like a ritual to Ms. Winn or not I don’t know, but it was something my family
and myself enjoyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Looking someone squarely in the eye or looks to the side or
shifts one’s gaze from side to side is something that parents teach their
children. If a child doesn’t learn this aspect from a parent and the parent
expects the television show to teach it then this falls more on the parents
than the actual television program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After reading this essay I have taken away from it that Ms.
Winn doesn’t like that the invention of the television. She feels as if
television has destroyed some of the family traditions that she grew up
admiring. What I believe she fails to realize is some of the traditions that
have been created from the invention of the television. Or some of the times
when family members do become closer because they get a chance to sit them and
enjoy being together watching a movie or a sporting event.<o:p></o:p></span></div>psteckmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09060495107199798372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-23094587351308298752012-04-12T15:52:00.000-08:002012-04-12T15:53:28.133-08:00Sex, drug, disasters, and the extinctions of dinosaurs: responseAfter reading through this essay a couple of times, i find it difficult at times to comprehend or understand what Gould's was trying to say or point out. It might be because, I was not hooked or that the essay did not grab any of my attention enough to even read more. But having to discuss it in class and listening to the group who were presenting it to us they had my ears wide open.
Gould has a lot to argue about and seems to me, he claims he is right and everyone else is wrong. He does this, by talking about science and arguing what science should mean. As stated in the first paragraph "Science is a fruitful mode of inquiry' and not a list of conclusions" he argues the fact the people or "scientist" jumped into conclusion too quickly and that they use conclusion as the main idea and not refer ably as the consequence. Gould is disappointed at the fact people tend to mix theories from methods. What's that suppose to mean? Aren't hypothesis or theories made to be proven, and in order to do so we should find a conclusion for it?
Another interesting topic he then talks about, is the extinction of dinosaurs and the three theories behind it. The first one was sex, how one theory states that even the dinosaurs can tolerate increased temperatures, and in such high temperature the male dinosaurs testes become sterilized which would not allow them o reproduce. The second was drugs, this theory states that the dinosaurs died of overdose. The dinosaurs did not have a liver that could detoxify
the angiosperms that were supposedly growing on some kind of plant. The third was disaster, this theory claimed that an asteroid or some kind of catastrophe is was led the extinction of dinosaurs. The theory behind e disaster was what Gould supported the most because it was reasonable and there were a lot of evidence to back up this theory. The other two theory on the other hand (sex and drugs) he did not support very well. In fact he argued that it should not be considered as theories and that scientist needed more studies to proof it was right.KTKurapatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03210732485422808417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-69342854778008779872012-04-12T12:34:00.000-08:002012-04-12T12:34:09.396-08:00What's Eating AmericaIn Michael Pollan's essay "What's Eating America" was very inconsistent. He didn't really have a main topic for the essay. His topics changed throughout the essay. He made some references to some books that probably didn't need to be in the essay. His opinions on the matters of the essay weren't very clear also.<br />
<br />
He began the essay on the history of corn then the farming of corn in America. He mentions that corn is a big part of American life. There are about 45,000 corn products in our markets that he mentions. After that he mentions the invention of chemical fertilizers that are made from ammonium nitrate. The chemical nitrate had a big impact on agriculture. There is mention from a reference to a book that the population today would be a lot small if the chemical fertilizer was not invented. He then references to another book about Fritz Harber the inventor of a chemical fertilizer and that he won the Nobel Prize. He also mentions the Fritz Harber's wife killed herself. That reference could have been left out of the essay. After all that he goes on a tangent on how the nitrogen from the fertilizers are poisonous to the environment. If too much nitrogen is put into the environment, that it will eventually kill everything. I believe that the nitrogen problem was the main topic for the essay because he mentions it a lot towards the end of the essay. He should have just stayed on that topic.<br />
<br />
The essay could have been done better if it was written starting with the main topic and ending on the same topic. Instead he started with history of corn and ended with the harmful effects of nitrogen. He did a complete 180 degree turn with his essay. It seemed that there were too many topics for his essay. The topics he mention seemed to contradict each other also. He mentions on the good things of chemical fertilizers then goes on a tangent on how bad they are. Overall he should have stayed with one subject for the essay.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284200835656528870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-68436302359008910482012-04-12T08:28:00.000-08:002012-04-12T08:28:21.332-08:00Irony, It's what's for dinner!<style>
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In the essay,
“What’s Eating America,” Michael Pollan explains the double edge blade of what
farming industry is in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the beginning of the essay, he makes the case about how important and dependent
Americans are on the crop corn. He goes off to list the vast amount of products
and uses the simple crop does for everyone. Even I was surprised by the
application that corn provides. However, It seems that was just the beginning,
after reading more I discovered this essay to be way more frightening than the
essay, “ The Ends of The World as We Know Them.” </div>
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Michael switches
gears, when he explains that all of life is taking energy from plants or from
plant eaters. The hard earned energy converters, working tirelessly everyday to
produce food and promote growth for their goal of survival on this planet. It
all comes to an end when someone or something consumes them for the caloric
value that they hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
compelling about this outlook is that Michael makes the case that humanity
could never grow past a limit due to not enough nitrogen in the ground.
Nitrogen being essential for all life on the planet is extremely limited
through out the world. </div>
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After exploring
how ironically, humans through the development of trying to kill one another to
secure political geographic lines, resources and other causes, ended up using
all the left ammonium nitrate as a way to artificially introduce nitrogen into
the farming industry. This explodes the power behind the U.S. for its
capability to grow food. It is interesting to read “The End of The world as We
Know Them,” as seeing one of the big down turns for all civilization is of
course lack of food. This can be applied as a warning to some of the biggest
societies in today. This artificial way of introducing a key ingredient in our
soil is a great way of breaking that cycle of limited food……right? </div>
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No, my hope of
having a heart warming essay of informative, and reinforcing that American
health and society on a whole is safe came to end as Polland explained the
perils behind using the Haber-Bosch methods and the impact it has on the
environment. As also in explained in “The End of The World as We Know Them,”
failing to keep an eye and maintain the environment was a huge key factor in
most of the downfall of those societies. So when Pollan explained that the
artificial way of adding nitrogen, has the potential threat of ruining our
seafood supply and when the nitrate evaporates into the air and becomes acid
rain, it effects people and animals who drink it, I flipped out. I don't know
about you but I love eating sushi….and I really love drinking good healthy
water with delicious sushi. </div>
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All this fear and
warning signs of course is triggering my guilt to start buying local homegrown
food or organic food. More expensive, but healthier food is a small price to
pay for the greater good of humanity right? I hope so, but it seems
contradicting as the end of the essay states that organic farms and the organic
market is still able to compete and produce the goods regardless of using the
old fashioned way. As stated earlier that without having the Haber-Bosch way of
growing food, we wouldn't have as many people in the world, due to the
population restraints of having less food. So is going back to the old way the
answer? I wish I had that answer, perhaps from the bombs going off in
Afghanistan, and other places around the world, and through the military industrialization
we, as a human race, can ironically find the answer to this problem. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>ケイレブ レヴィットhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971928672656867027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-56996803539564870442012-04-12T01:03:00.002-08:002012-04-12T01:03:35.197-08:00Response<br />Sex, Drugs, Disasters and the Extinction of Dinosaurs<br /><br />Though I like to think of myself as a fairly competent reader, able to understand most large words and some convoluted theories, I could not concentrate while reading the first few pages of Gould’s essay, “Sex, Drugs, Disasters and the Extinction of Dinosaurs.”<br /><br />The first time I attempted to read it, I didn’t really see where the author was going or what point he was trying to make. While I was waiting for him to prove his point I lost interest in his essay within a couple of pages and put it away to read later. I think the author tried to capture the reader’s attention with his title, and this failed for me because I had no idea where he was going with it and it lost and confused me. I wanted to be interested in what he was saying but his text failed to draw me in at the beginning. After I made myself try reading it again, I did start to get interested in the middle of the text and found a few of the ideas Gould presented to be rather intriguing.<br /><br /><br />However, there were a few thing about this piece of writing that did not work for me. It did not seem to be accessible enough to the reader; I thought Gould used a bit too many long, drawn out examples and went off on too many tangents. Perhaps this kind of writing may be appealing to scientists or scholars, but it was not to me, an average college student. I felt that Gould seemed to ramble on about an idea and as the reader I had no notion of what this would be ultimately leading to. Though Gould did make some interesting points and eventually came to thought-provoking conclusions, I felt that the way his ideas were laid out in this piece of writing was a little disjointed.<br /><br /><br />I had to push myself to feel engaged in “Sex, Drugs, Disasters and the Extinction of Dinosaurs”, and I don’t think that is something the reader should necessarily have to do. I think the author should produce a piece of work that is compelling, and may challenge the reader in that it presents new ideas, but it should also capture their attention in the introduction. There were a few elements of “Sex, Drugs, Disasters and the Extinction of Dinosaurs” that I was dissatisfied with, but eventually after I read through it more thoroughly (and read it in its entirety) I found that I enjoyed it more that I initially had anticipated.ferrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14424845844083841204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-47613391878151167112012-04-11T15:52:00.004-08:002012-04-11T15:52:43.934-08:00What’s Eating America<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I found this essay by Michael
Pollan very enjoyable to read because it is something I’ve been looking into
for quite some time. I challenge someone to have a diet where they are not
digesting some by product of cord. Corn syrup is in about everything we eat and
sadly it isn’t good for us. This essay digs a little bit in to an American’s
diet. His focus is on corn and not only does he just talk about corn being in
almost all our food products but he brings up other issues such as fossil fuels
and our factories polluting the air. It’s amazing when you stop and think about
how many things are made from corn. The part that really grabbed my attention in
Pollan’s essay was when he stated…
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“It’s not merely the feed that the steers and the chickens and the pigs and the
turkeys ate; it’s not just the source of the flour and the oil and the
leavenings, the glycerides and coloring in the processed foods; it’s not just
sweetening the soft drinks or lending a shine to the magazine cover over by the
checkout. The supermarket itself–the wallboard and joint compound, the linoleum
and fiberglass and adhesives out of which the building itself has been built–is
in no small measure a manifestation of corn.”</div>
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It gets you to just really think about it for a second, corn
is pretty much used in everything.<span> </span></div>
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<span> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Michael
Pollan then goes on to talk about how corn use really “sprouted up” in the year
1947 after World War II because of fertilization. After this was developed,
Pollan claims that is when our lives really started to change from overly
consuming corn to pollution from the fertilizers and factories. Non-organic
farmers think they need all these processes to make the most corn and the
fastest, although it’s damaging all our health. He discusses how the synthetic fertilizer
is mostly wasted when used because the synthetic nitrogen from it isn’t taken in
by the plants and instead is released and evaporated in the air and some it also
seeps down into the water table. These affect the earth by contributing to global
warming and also affects our health, when we consumes theses little bits through
our food or water over time. </div>
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<span> </span></div>
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<span> </span>Pollan's ending
paragraph states how organic farmers get a long just fine by using natural ways
to maintain and grow their crops. They use the sun and water, and they don’t
use synthetic fertilizer. He says we need to reduce our dependency on synthetic
nitrogen. I completely agree, although this might be more work, in the long run
we will be healthier for it and so will the world. Over time using things like synthetic
nitrogen really do affect our lives. </div>Amanda O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533167114929154684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-88328038899360338422012-04-03T15:01:00.000-08:002012-04-03T15:08:56.850-08:00Nicki Minaj<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Nicki Minaj</span><br />
<br />
My four year old loves her and my Mother despises her. Nicki Minaj is loved by America and around the world. She has fans all around and not just little girls it's men, women, teenagers, oh ya and don't forget she reaches out to Gay's and Lesbian's as well. I myself love her and I think that she is a great role model. She is strong, independent, outgoing, smart, and a beautiful person. I allow my daughter to be her biggest fan but what about those hater's out there. I can understand why people disapprove of Nicki Manaj. She's raunchy, not so socially acceptable. She is a rapper and she swears in some of her songs. Her style of clothes are revealing and proctavive. So is she a good role model or a bad role model?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Ashley Sommerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529749943757999251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-38756920361862559232012-04-03T10:50:00.001-08:002012-04-03T10:59:07.000-08:00ThesisIn our society today, many people find entertainment from making fun of other individuals and many well known pop icons are solely known because of this reason. On February 10th 2011, Rebecca Black's song It’s Friday was released, although this song was released with the intent of being taken serious, Rebecca Black’s popularity sky rocketed and her video went viral by jokes and negative feedback.Amanda O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533167114929154684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-6501406888017636382012-04-03T08:31:00.003-08:002012-04-03T08:31:36.702-08:00WOW Thesis<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">World of Warcraft provides an
escape from reality, giving a chance for self-expression and communication
regardless of sex, race, or physical appearance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08784305150972648097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-75294415234161360522012-04-02T23:26:00.002-08:002012-04-02T23:26:47.778-08:00Twilight Thesis Draft<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Twilight series
is very popular with younger teenaged kids, and due to its
popularity, it may be giving the youth of the United States the wrong
ideas. The many small themes throughout the story just may be
warping their minds and twisting their views on such topics as
necrophilia and bestiality.</div>ESCfromNomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879469525608432942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-76139428847797992312012-04-02T20:05:00.002-08:002012-04-02T20:05:40.448-08:00pop media thesisSunrise Bagel and Espresso to-go cup, as a rhetorical devices reflect the Fairbanks employ experience of being controlled. Chloe DeRuyterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16504817635986267260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-69267335542099102212012-03-27T07:56:00.000-08:002012-03-27T07:56:02.680-08:00The COVE ResponseThe Cove was by far one of the saddest film I have seen. I couldn't imagine how bad slaughtering could get any worse among those innocent dolphins. This movie was definitely filmed to inform people about the killing of about 23,000 dolphins each year and to stop and change the Japanese fishing practices at the cove. It was also filmed to educate viewers the high risk of mercury poisoning from dolphin meat. Knowing this I would think maybe killing dolphins should stop if the risk of mercury poisoning could cause severe brain damage or maybe even death. So why kill so many dolphins or even kill them at all? I mean i understand that it helps create jobs for the people and that this so called job brings food and a roof over these "fisher men's" heads and their families as well. But honestly their are other ways they could bring food and shelter to their families without having to captivate and slaughter so many dolphins. We have a huge variety of fishes out in the ocean that we could catch/kill and are way healthier to eat other than dolphins. But then again maybe there isn't other jobs these fishermen's can work for. One of the things that got me thinking was the way this movie was filmed. The movie only captured the killing of dolphins and the behavior acted upon the dolphins at the cove but it didn't really address what would happen to the small city of Taiji if the slaughter of dolphins were to stop. Will the city survive if they were to stop doing this? The film was only addressing one point and doesn't sway an opinion, it just open our eyes to a situation. Yes one could argue that it that America has no right to be messing in other peoples business cause then it would cause other problems, and this i agree with. But now that the Japanes people outside of Taiji know whast happening at the cove, I'm pretty sure they would eventually take this matter in their owns hands and try and stop/protest against the slaughtering of these dolphins.KTKurapatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03210732485422808417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-34318285651166288482012-03-27T02:39:00.002-08:002012-03-27T02:40:33.196-08:00A Documentary Devoid of Legitimacy<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cove</i> I have decided that
it's hard to find a person who makes an emotional appeal without sounding a
little silly. Ric O'Barry, being the one making the appeal, tries to bring to
light that dolphins are suffering all around the world for various reasons. The
two main points covered in the film was first that dolphins needs to be removed
from capitivity, saying these animals are unhappy in these conditions. The
second part of the film is a series of repeated clips covering the fishing
industry of Japan and their harvesting of Dolphins. With these two points many
good points were raised, but I still feel that several things were said that
bring the viability of Ric O'Barry's argument into question.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a
long time now man has kept many animals in captivity by many different means
and purposes including protecting endangered species. A lot of people agree
that captivity is a bad thing for animals of a certain nature, and they should
all be released to their death. But I for one feel that the selective programs
that many zoos have spent many years and money on has done great work to keep
several endangered animals from extinction. Ric O'Barry, former dolphin trainer
now activist, made a very strong emotional appeal in this video that ended with
his favorite dolphin committing suicide in his arms. This act being the one
that proves his argument that dolphins are not happy in captivity. Now this is
something that stuck with me. After everything that is mentioned, his dolphin
"committed suicide?" I don't understand how this could possibly be
known by Ric O'Barry. Since we can't really communicate with the dolphins, how
can he really know the dolphin was sad? How do we know that it killed itself in
his arms? Are we supposed to take his word on something that sounds so silly
simply because he is Ric O'Barry? I for one don't buy this entire thing, and to
be honest the video lost a lot of its weight for me when the suicide was
mentioned. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
second part of the video covers Japan's harvesting of dolphins for food and
other various things. There is no way to disprove its happening, we have video
of it and it's a known industry in Japan. Now it may just be a cultural thing,
but I myself frown upon the idea of hunting dolphins. And I would go on a limb
to say that I am not alone in this sentiment on dolphin hunting. But I also
feel this was a poorly organized argument made in the video. For starters they
have video from one infraction, that's it. Then they take this same, shirt bit,
and repeat it many times while trying to make the argument. Then if this wasn't
one sided enough we get interviews from only people who obviously are opposed
to it, specifically people who don't live in the village in which this occurs. What
benefit would we really have if we stopped the hunting of dolphins. Sure the
population would increase with natural breeding, but there are people who would
suffer. The hunting of this non-endangered animal brings a very large amount of
jobs to Taiji. Taking this away would ensure a lot of hungry mouths. Are we do
focused on saving this one animal that we don't care to save our fellow man? On
top of everything else, once I did some further research on the topic I find
that there are several lawsuits now against Ric O'Barry for inaccuracy of the
film. Claims that Hideki Moronuki, the assistant chief of the whaling division
at Japan's Fisheries Agency, were false. Tetsuya Endō is suing Ric O'Berry what
was is said to be misleading edits of his comments in the film which has
damaged his reputation. And I would like to end this reply with the statement
that this is one of the most artificial videos, devoid of legitimate facts, I
have ever had the displeasure of watching (besides any film made by Michael Moore). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<br />Travis Olexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245063598242561955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-16753256721178695082012-03-26T20:47:00.004-08:002012-03-26T20:47:52.598-08:00The Cove ResponseI can see why the documentary The Cove got a lot of attention when it was released, and was considered controversial. The film is made by people who really care about a cause and will go to the extreme lengths we see in the film to expose the horrors of dolphin slaughter. To accomplish this, an elite team is put together to capture footage of what happens in the small cove in Taiji, Japan.<br /><br /> I do agree with the message the film has. Even though I was prepared for the rhetoric, I still felt captivated and moved by this film. The filmmakers make a very strong case, building up their argument with pathos, ethos and logos. It was expertly put together, making you feel sympathy for the dolphins and giving you an adrenaline rush not unlike watching an action movie when the team does their reconnaissance in the middle of the night. The film packs a powerful emotional punch. People feel for the cute dolphins that are like humans on so many levels. Its aim was to point out the secret slaughter and to motivate the world to speak out about this issue. In this respect, it had great success. <br /><br /> Though dolphin abuse and slaughter is a main topic in this film, an other central theme is the government agenda and the amount of transparency governments have with the public. I think these themes are important because they tie in with corruption, propaganda and government transparency that we have been talking about in class. The thing that disgusted me most about this issue was, after the way in which the dolphins were being killed, how the Japanese government tried to cover it up. <br /><br /> I can understand that they don’t want outsiders meddling in what they do in their country, and that they get angry when westerners lecture them. But how many Japanese would approve of this massacre, and of their children eating toxic meat in their school lunches? Also, these dolphins do not belong exclusively to Japan, but to the whole world, and at the moment the Taiji fishermen and Japanese government are doing a great job of killing as many as possible. The fact that this is all taking place in a park is appalling. On the National parks of Japan website states that their “National Parks are places where superb natural wonders are protected and bequeathed to future generations”. Um, really? The hypocrisy in this statement is evident after seeing what is happening in Taiji.<br /> It is sad that the Japanese media doesn’t cover this more, and that not many Japanese people seem to know about this slaughter, yet the rest of the world condemns them and not their government or the small number of fisherman and trainers. Most of all, I think that it is just sad that the Japanese government either cannot see (though it seems so blatantly obvious) or simply doesn’t care that it is depriving its next generations of dolphins. <br />ferrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14424845844083841204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-3462895742225307312012-03-26T19:43:00.000-08:002012-03-26T19:45:56.256-08:00Our Finned Friends<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can honestly say I was not deeply moved by The Cove. It’s
not that I particularly agree with the mass slaughter of our underwater allies,
but unnecessary mass killings like this are happening all over the world with
different creatures. However, in no way is it right to inhumanely kill an
animal. Especially if that animal is toxic, and it’s intent is to be sold as different
higher quality meat for human consumption. This is not only deceiving, but the
Japanese are ultimately killing themselves, for what, money? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These
fishing companies are no different from bigwig cigarette corporations. They are
only trying to make a buck and put food on the table like any other person in
this twisted world. The only difference is that consumers of tobacco know what
they are getting themselves into, while the consumers of dolphins for the most
part, have no idea they are eating mercury dolphin. Nor do they know that their
dolphins are far passed the safe human mercury consumption limit. Who knows,
maybe the Japanese think they are getting some sort of superpowers from eating
radioactive contaminated meat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found it
pretty funny and Ironic that the Japanese spokesman guy ended up having mercury
poisoning, after being such a strong advocate for dolphin fishing, I almost
rotfl’d, kidding. But this does bring to light that most of these Japanese
advocates weren’t even aware of the horrible long term effects they could be
causing to themselves, their children, and every other fish consumer. There is
a large majority of Japanese people that are already suffering from the effects
of radioactive contaminants from their reactors, and the atom bomb of course,
but they really aren’t making it better for themselves by passing off toxic
meat to their children. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can agree
that the killing of any animal should be regulated, but in no way should it be
ended. Animals killing other animals are
what keeps the world in balance. A smart
man did once bring about the topic of survival of the fittest. The Japanese
however, have a tendency of taking things to the extreme. Killing 23,000
dolphins a year is too much, especially if they aren’t even safe to eat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rick
O’berry did a fantastic job with the making of this film. He’s a lot like the filmmaker
Jason Russel, except O’berry can keep his clothes on in public. On another
note, Rick only brought about the negative, shocking information about dolphin
killings, which is the meat and potatoes for an effective rhetoric. He
obviously caught the Japanese Fisheries Agency with their pants down, and was
able to use his findings to swing the public’s opinion of what goes on in the
fish processing industry. The International Whaling Commission was clearly
being manipulated by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. It was just fantastic how
O’berry showed the IWC how Taiji was being served as a horrifying microcosm of
massive ecological crimes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Scott <o:p></o:p></div>Scott Shearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192336273828996692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-45826962451634590222012-03-25T16:42:00.002-08:002012-03-25T16:42:19.939-08:00Ethos Creamed Filled Doughnuts!<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After watching the documentary “The
Cove,” I felt a lot of mixed emotions. Even as I write response after having
the class discussion about this controversial issue, I still feel mixed about
the film. From the start of the movie to the end of it, I was filled to the
brim of one-sided facts and arguments. It is safe to say that this film was
aimed right at the throat of its enemy and trying to obtain its goal, ending
captivity and having regulation reform with the IWC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Do
I like dolphins? Yes, I love them. Back in the day when a video game console
only busted out 16 bits, I played vigorously a game called Echo The Dolphin!
Swimming through an almost never ending campaign of bloodthirsty sharks and
other deadly atrocities I had a connection with the dolphin I was controlling.
I felt remorse for the dolphin that had lost his family to unforgiving alien
race that needed the sea full of delicious fish and mammals. It felt unjust
that within one scene an entire pod of dolphins along with many other members
of the marine biology were captured and herded to space. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the same way, it’s hard not to feel remorse over capturing dolphins and sending
members of those pods to different places around the world, while the rest of
the pod is sent to its end. But within every inch of myself watching this
documentary screamed at me. The lathered thick scenes of ethos covered guilt,
all the personal testimonies of the heroic adventures who defiantly stood
against the criminal empire and its acts of villainy. The scientific filled
facts of mercury poisoned meat, and to the negligence of Japan’s representative
to the IWC. Who portrayed as a secret Illuminati member posed to strike the
destruction of whales and dolphins alike. All of it, all of its magic did not
work on me. I was turned off with the slam of another culture that has its own
laws and way of doing things differently. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that make me heartless for not
being swooned over by the scenes of dolphins swimming freely with a beautiful
original song “Dolphins And People?” to accompany the scene? Or when it came to
the scene of the woman crying because a dolphin was dying? No, it doesn't.
Fishing, and hunting has never been a pretty sight. Cleaning a moose is
probably one of the most disgusting things I have witnessed next to of course
my mom giving birth to my younger sister. I couldn't imagine dolphins and
whales being any different. While working in a tender filled with halibut, I
reeked for hours and sometimes a day as I was stained in halibut blood and slime.
Do I still eat moose and halibut…yes and quite of it too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
film is no different than the way that Fox News operates. Fox news is notorious
for utilizing fear as a way of telling news while proclaiming the network as
“Fair and balanced.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way of
filming and broadcasting is like having a dinner full of desert with not a lot
of meat or protein (founded facts with an unbiased input). By filling your diet
up with ethos-covered doughnuts and not filling up with a hearty logos meal,
someone can in essence debate and make a subject into anything. I am more than
sure someone could make a documentary about how Hitler was the greatest man to
have ever lived and stopping him and his vision for the Third Reich was the
greatest tragedy this planet ever faced. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
example of this kind of filming is the Kony 2012 YouTube clip. Another
delicious creamy ethos doughnut filled inside and outside with even more
delicious ethos. Without presenting all the facts, just the ones that paint a
beautiful effort by using emotions rather than cold stone facts. The Kony 2012
campaign brought the cultural reaction to a decline as more people questioned
past the ethos doughnut. How Fox News and other news agency are still around
gets me but, what the cove should have done instead of making an amazing sound
track (which I bought) and scenes strictly made to target your heart and other
emotional responses is given me a chance to see to be presented with both sides
views and perspectives. The pros and cons, a simple list of what is going on. I
don't need a movie to tell me that dolphins are cute and it’s sad when they are
harvested. I am more than capable understanding that most cute animals are
probably really sad to witness being harvested. </div>ケイレブ レヴィットhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971928672656867027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4301938079377590866.post-67112963053563196412012-03-22T10:11:00.000-08:002012-03-22T10:11:04.641-08:00PURE BRUTALITY I will start by saying that I loved this piece of rhetoric more than any other we've had to write about. I consider myself a little bit of a hippie. I'm not going to go and tie myself to a tree or walk into a room full of politicians with a TV showing illegally documented footage of dolphin killings, but I do pay homage to the characters with the balls big enough to do so. I will admit that the author of this video was very biased and did not show any part of the other side of the story. However, I still feel that no matter how you could spin this into the favor of the Taiji population it is wrong and stirred a lot of anger inside of me. At the end of the film there is a number to text to find out what you can do to stop the madness and I had already text this number before I had even walked out of the classroom door.<br />
The food chain is a natural process and essential for survival among all species. The dolphins must eat fish and we, at least to be healthy, need to eat the cows and the chickens and other species that roam the earth. The way we do such a thing is the problem and I do not agree with the way these dolphins are being slaughtered in cold blood. I also have just as much of a problem with the way the cows and chickens are slaughtered in the USA. Terrifying these animals into a cove by loud noises, capturing them, and then brutally stabbing them until they die is not OK, humane, right, or any other positive spin on things it plain and blatantly wrong. Who is to say that these animals are not self aware like the video claims? After my research I must say there is more evidence that points to them being so than not. We may not be able to prove that they are, but we will never be able to prove that they are not. As long as species go, dolphins are one of the more intelligent and as the highest authority on the food chain we should have respect for the creatures that feed our families, especially if we are aware of a higher intelligence in such an animal. Not only could we be brutally murdering a creature that could provide so much insight into the development of a species but eventually we are going to start running out of dolphins and that will be even more devastating to our planet than finding a more humane way to obtain the meat to feed our families.<br />
Beyond the dolphins slaying there is also the issue of the people living in and eating the meat of this country. What type of idiot seriously thinks its OK to feed poisoned meet to a vast population of people?! Not only are they harming themselves and others but they are helping promote the birth of deformed children. I just cant fathom so many people and members of the government being aware of this risk and still trying to cover it up for the benefit of low production cost. I respect others cultures, I really do. I believe deeply in equality and freedom for every individual, like the saying goes, I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. However there is a point where things are just wrong and this production of dolphins has reached that point. Not only should it be evident in the footage of this video, but there is hard evidence proving that even the people committing the crime know it is exactly that, a crime. Why else would people go to such a length to hide it from the community? Why would so many people be trying to cover it up if they truly believed there was nothing wrong with the practice? They would not it is as simple as that, they would not.<br />
I may not be able to give my life to a cause. I feel bound by my socialization to follow a path of "success" in the nations definition and obtain my college degree, but I will also not turn my head completely. My name is on the list of people who have signed to urge the stopping of such a crime in The Cove.ShandiHigginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633118336458016888noreply@blogger.com0