"Routine And Cliche Separate Man From Himself, Hide Him From Himself, Separate Him From His Deepest Truth." - Eugene Ionesco "La Tierra Es De Quien La Trabaja" - Andre Luiz
October 23, 2010
Food, Inc. SPITBACK
Text vs. Movie:
The 2 forms of information both have different pros and cons, and the media forms should be used for different purposes. Most bluntly text is better at getting a lot of detailed information to the user. Movie is better for aiming at a more general population and less intelligent. This is because you can get a pretty good general knowledge about a subject in a short amount of time watching a movie. Now a day’s text is for a more dedicated and intelligent population because it takes time in our face paced society and you learn a lot more.
The movie offered an easy concept of percentages and numbers whereas when reading about numbers it is harder to realize the actual effect the numbers have, especially with percentages. For example when the movie had the pigs, cows, chickens going on an assembly line into the factory they showed how the companies dominated the market with shading the animal. This really gives the viewer how much they dominate the industry. Whereas when you simply read about it is less ingrained in your brain.
Books when you read them create a personalized image in your brain that you create, these images are more personal to one self, and have a personal feel to them. For example when reading about the slaughterhouses and the workers conditions you imagine it for your self so you feel like you are there and can really feel the workers pain and struggle. A movie creates an image for you so it is less personal and in this sense more factual because it is actually how it looks, or how they make it look. This can create a more shocking image because it is one you see but it gives you a sense of perceiving it from an exterior's view, as when reading its a view as if you were actually there, since you create it.
A movie also has a sense of brainwashing to it because it plays music behind it the scene, which can sway your emotion and create a way point of view that you might not be true to what you believe. A con from movies are that you can hear the persons tone of voice and see the expression they are making whereas in reading it is described to the reader, so the imagine it. This relates back to a book letting you create the image and a movie creating the image for you. I also think with text you really value words more and their meaning. When watching visuals you value them but on the surface one tends not to find their deeper meaning because they go by to quickly.
Thoughts: I believe the ending of the movie was intense because of the background sound and because of the words but that were powerful, but I believe the solution to their problems were made to simplistic. In thought this is what we need to change the world, we all take part by not indulging in their products because obviously the big corporations would be nothing without our money. But most viewers like Naima stated can't change their life style because of one movie, even though the incentive is clear and worth it. I believe the movie creators should have included easier things for the public to do such as the web links they provided. I also think it is very saddening that we as Americans are so brainwashed by branding and "what we 'know' is what is good" that we can't make lifestyle changes to save our health, our country, our government, or freedom, and our PLANET.
October 19, 2010
#7d
In 1997 an outbreak of E. Coli 0157:H7 hit Colorado and contaminated 35million pounds of Hudson beef. The nations industrialized and centralized food system is causing more breakouts because of the mass-production system. Many new food born pathogens are being discovered because of this production system. The hamburger was originally considered food for the impoverished and White castle changed the face of the burger. This caused beef consumption to be pushed beginning mass production, causing major E. Coli 0157:H7 breakouts. E. Coli 0157:H7 is mutated bacteria found in the digestive system. It kills children and harms adults producing bad stomach aches, cramps, anal bleeding and diarrhea can cause harmful diseases overtime, it gets into the meat through the animal fesses. Meatpacking industries filthy factories in early 1900’s caused change but quickly they dominated the FDA ultimately giving it no authority. Slaughterhouses constantly have E. Coli 0157:H7 breakouts and suitable meat is distributed anyways. Instead of changing their procedure companies simply “clean” the meat with ammonium nitrate. The cheapest meat in the U.S.A is cooked in the public school systems and causes many E. Coli 0157:H7 outbreaks.
Gems
• “The USDA plan, however has been significantly watered down during negotiations with the meat packing industry and Republican members of Congress. The new system would shift many food safety tasks to employees. The records complied by those employees-- unlike the reports traditionally written by federal inspectors -- would not be available to the public trough the freedom of information act. And meat-packing plants would not be required to test for E. Coli 0157:H7, a pathogen whose discovery might lead to immediate condemnation of their meat. Instead, they could test for other bacteria as a broad measure of fecal contamination levels; the results of those test would not have to be revealed to the government; and meat containing whatever organisms the test found could still be sold to public.” • “The USDA chose meat suppliers for its National School Lunch Program on the basis of the lowest price, without imposing additional food safety requirements.”
Thoughts & Reflections
This brings back memories from when I was in middle school and elementary school. I felt the pressure to fit in so I would have my parents stop packing my lunch and eat the horrible cafeteria lunch. Fellow students and me always wanted to protest this food and attempted to change the quality of food in our school but we had no idea as to why the food was so horrible and, now I FULLY GET IT! We didn’t even get REAL PLATES OR FORK AND KNIFES, OR WATER. Only milk, Styrofoam trays, and sporks. The government does not care about the people. This also brings me back to my “health” classes where we were brain washed. All the information our P.E teacher gaves us came from the U.S.D.A so if the supposedly know what is best for us, then why do they ignore this fact when it comes to the money. We should have been educated on the TRUTH!!!
Chapter 10 - Global Realization
After Communism collapsed and WWII ended Mc Donald’s opened its visit franchise abroad in Plauen, Germany. This was the first symbol of their Globalization. Many natives of the countries opposed Mc Donald’s but with time gave in because of the corporations dominating monstrosity. Countries such as Turkey whom highly opposed it became a country dominated with Franchises highly imitating American "culture". The Mc Donald’s raised the obesity rates in many countries, and brought with them their mass-production methods for their ingredients changing the face of the earth. Many people tried destroying Mc Donald’s but in doing so were intimidated and hushed by the corporations, giving Mc Donald’s the leeway to continue domination.
Gems
• “The success of McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and T.G.I Fridays in Germany has helped spark a franchise boom.” • "Today 44 million American adults are obese. An additional 6 million are 'super-obese'; they weigh about a hundred pounds more than they should. No other nation in history has gotten so fat so fast"
Thoughts & Reflections
I come from an itsy-bitsy town in the south France, St. Raphael. I’ve visited every summer since I was 5. The feeling I love when landing and sense the motherland, its indescribable. One summer I realized the place I loved so much for its cultural roots was no longer the same, WE NOW HAD MC DONALDS! I didn’t even realize the tremendous difference between the bloods inside of me until; one root began growing in the other. Mc Donald’s was the opposite of the culture we come from especially my family who is in the business of food, and now here it was taking over. It made me so mad to see it and to eat it when I was there. I remember once my whole family had a huge event and for some reason there was no food and we were all starving so my aunts husband thought hey, Mc Donald’s, so we ate Mc Donald’s on my grandmothers dinning room table, all 17 of us. She was the only one who didn’t eat it. I look at it now and see it as the utmost disrespect. It pains me and ingrains in my head even more that I will never eat fast food again. It is one thing to hurt your own culture, but to hurt others that’s where I draw the line!!
Epilogue – Have it your way
Dale Lasater raises cattle the old-fashion American way very un-conventional compared to the dominant discourse. There is still chance of natural farming; Red Top and In-N-Out are fast-food restaurants that use higher quality ingredients and better staff conditions. Corporations don’t have all the power they also have to obey the laws, and with change in legislation the American people can make a change. We can also vote to change every time we eat by choosing the right food and not giving our money to mass-production.
Gems
• "Throughout the Cold War, America's decentralization system of agriculture, relying upon millions of independent producers, was depicted as the most productive system in the world, as proof of capitalism's inherent superiority" • "Every month more than 90 percent of the children in the United States eat at McDonald's.”
Thoughts and Reflections
I thought this book was amazing and it has truly inspired me to get involved in changing American legislation and food ways. I am starting with baby steps by putting love into our schools roof garden and hopefully we can start a project exemplifying how all NYC roof tops should be covered in green, imagine how many acres that would be!! I am also participating at added value an urban farm, and getting the word out there to who ever will listen. I also think the further information at the back of the book is really insightful.
October 18, 2010
#7c
In 1997 an outbreak of E. Coli 0157:H7 hit Colorado and contaminated 35million pounds of Hudson beef. The nations industrialized and centralized food system is causing more breakouts because of the mass-production system. Many new food born pathogens are being discovered because of this production system. The hamburger was originally considered food for the impoverished and White castle changed the face of the burger. This caused beef consumption to be pushed beginning mass production, causing major E. Coli 0157:H7 breakouts. E. Coli 0157:H7 is mutated bacteria found in the digestive system. It kills children and harms adults producing bad stomach aches, cramps, anal bleeding and diarrhea can cause harmful diseases overtime, it gets into the meat through the animal fesses. Meatpacking industries filthy factories in early 1900’s caused change but quickly they dominated the FDA ultimately giving it no authority. Slaughterhouses constantly have E. Coli 0157:H7 breakouts and suitable meat is distributed anyways. Instead of changing their procedure companies simply “clean” the meat with ammonium nitrate. The cheapest meat in the U.S.A is cooked in the public school systems and causes many E. Coli 0157:H7 outbreaks.
Gems
• “The USDA plan, however has been significantly watered down during negotiations with the meat packing industry and Republican members of Congress. The new system would shift many food safety tasks to employees. The records complied by those employees-- unlike the reports traditionally written by federal inspectors -- would not be available to the public trough the freedom of information act. And meat-packing plants would not be required to test for E. Coli 0157:H7, a pathogen whose discovery might lead to immediate condemnation of their meat. Instead, they could test for other bacteria as a broad measure of fecal contamination levels; the results of those test would not have to be revealed to the government; and meat containing whatever organisms the test found could still be sold to public.” • “The USDA chose meat suppliers for its National School Lunch Program on the basis of the lowest price, without imposing additional food safety requirements.”
Thoughts & Reflections This brings back memories from when I was in middle school and elementary school. I felt the pressure to fit in so I would have my parents stop packing my lunch and eat the horrible cafeteria lunch. Fellow students and me always wanted to protest this food and attempted to change the quality of food in our school but we had no idea as to why the food was so horrible and, now I FULLY GET IT! We didn’t even get REAL PLATES OR FORK AND KNIFES, OR WATER. Only milk, Styrofoam trays, and sporks. The government does not care about the people. This also brings me back to my “health” classes where we were brain washed. All the information our P.E teacher gaves us came from the U.S.D.A so if the supposedly know what is best for us, then why do they ignore this fact when it comes to the money. We should have been educated on the TRUTH!!!
October 12, 2010
#7B
- ""Eventually I opened a Mc Donald's across the street from that store which they had renamed The Big M," Kroc proudly noted in his memoir, "And it ran them out of business.""
- "In New York City, the SBA backed thirteen loans to Burger King franchisees; eleven of them defaulted. The chain was "experimenting" according to congressional investigation, using government-backed loans to open restaurants in marginal locations. Burger King did not lose money when these restaurants closed. American taxpayers had covered the franchise fees, paid for the buildings, real estate, equipment, and supplies."
- "Reeve says, "By the time I was 24, I was making millions, I was pretty pleased with myself... I was selfish and neglected my family... since my accident; I've been realizing ...That success means something quite different. I see people who achieve these conventional goals, none of it matters.""
- Kroc is really one of the most selfish people I have ever heard of and cannot wait till his greedy self gets the horrible karma he deserves, I wonder if he lives a happy life with his millons of dollars,and millons of Mc Donalds.
- This makes me sick ! SOON I AM GOING TO BE A TAXPAYER !! I am not about to pay for Burger King establishments I refuse to ever again support such franchises, but back to my life issue, HOW DO I CHANGE ALL OF THIS ?!
- Christoper Reeves is a perfect example of Karma getting at him for what he deserved, apparently but no one will realize that money dosen't matter until they getting a PERSONAL life changing experience.
- I wonder if the publication of this book in the least changed fast food income.. DOUBT IT !
- "about 90% of the money that Americans spend on food is used to buy processed food"
- "Fast food companies purchase frozen french fries for about 30 cents a pound , reheat them in oil and sell them for about $6 a pound."
- This upsets me profoundly and I think it is the example of the ignorance Americans reek in foodway's, simply because they are being controlled by rich puppetires.
- "Today the top four meatpacking firms - ConAgra, IBP, Excel, and National Beef - slaughter about 84% of the nation's cattle."
- "Most American beef cannot be exported to the European Union, where the use of bovine growth hormones has been banned."
- (http://www.eu-oplysningen.dk/euo_en/spsv/all/101/) states the life expectancy in the E.U is 80,8.
- (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/births_deaths_marriages_divorces/life_expectancy.html) states the life expectancy in the U.S.A is 77.
- This is a big jump but in the E.U bovine growth hormones cannot be used, and the E.U over all has better health than americans, but all us Americans care about is money.
October 10, 2010
Home Grown Sprouts !
October 05, 2010
#7
- "A lot of kids at Harrison don't save any of the money earned at their fast food jobs. They buy beepers, cellular phones, stereos, and designer clothes."
- "The turmoil of an earlier era has been replaced by a sad and rootless anomie. "I have lots and lots of kids who are terribly depressed," Trogdon says, "I've never seen so many, so young, feel this way."
- " "I see the possibility of unions," he warned. The thought "chilled" him. He asked everyone in the audience to give more money to the industry's key lobbying groups. "And [senator] Kenndy's pushing hard on a $7.25 minimum wage," he continued. "That'll be fun, wont it? I love the idea of that. I sure do - strike me dead!" As the crowd laughed and roared and applauded Brinker's call to arms against unions and the government, the talk about teamwork fell into the proper perspective."
- It makes me upset that kids work at these horrrible jobs, for these terrible companies and then simply return their salary right back to such companies such as nike, motorola, and so on. These are all companies who rely on cheap labor, cheap quality, and "fashion trend" and ever changing technology to make their profits.
- Something is terribly wrong with the world we live in if so many teenagers are depressed, I thought teens were supoose to have the mind state "im unvincable" and be most determined. This leads me to the thought that so many young people find things wrong with our society but sit back and let it happen, no revolts or protest are ever happening.. I guess I should get off my ass.