Blog 23; Expanding on one topic in Sleep Dealer

In Sleep Dealer, people become cyborgs by buying implants called “nodes” that allow to connect them to cyberspace.

a) Make a list of how nodes are used by the main characters: Memo, Luz, and Rudy. What uses seem perfectly normal to you? What uses seem perverse? Are there any uses that should be illegal? What uses are very similar to interactions on the internet?
b) In Sleep Dealer, Luz makes a living by uploading and selling her memories in cyberspace. Is this ethical? How does selling actual memories compare to writing a “tell all” autobiography, for example? How does it compare to participating in a reality television show?

      In "Sleep Dreamer" the nodes are used to perform different types of work in different countries and states. Memo uses the nodes to work. He works at a technology factory. Working long days 12 hours a day and sends whatever money he makes to his family to support them. Luz uses the nodes to remember everything, she then sells her memories. Rudy uses the nobes to control the drone. Luz uses seem normal to me. She uses her nodes to remember information. She keeps a log of everything she sees/does. It seems like she is just "keeping a log". Luz makes her living by selling her memories in cyberspace. I think this is ethical. Whats the difference between creating a book and selling it and creating memories and selling them? Nothing.  An autobiography is different from her selling memories because in the autobiography its all about you just like a reality show. We get to know you. not the people you interact with daily. with her selling her memories they could be about anyone, its not personal.

Blog 22; Watching and Responding to The Story Of Stuff

Define "planned obsolescence" and "perceived obsolescence" in your words.  
Who/What is responsible for these marketing strategies? 

Who/What benefits from them? 

Who/What suffers because of them? Are these strategies necessary? Are they right? 

Provide evidence from your own experience or from what you have read and discussed in class.

           Planned obsolescence is deliberately planning or designing a product with limited life. Companies make products so they last a certain amount of time and then you the consumer has to go out and buy a new one and spend more money.  convinces us to throw away products that still work great. If you have an old IPod and a new one came out and you got rid of your old IPod and bought the new one that would be considered Perceived obsolescence. Large companies benefit from Perceived obsolescence & .Perceived obsolescence. I think the government and companies are responsible for these marketing strategies. The main people that suffer from this are the consumers. We have to work hand day & night just to go out and shop and spend our hand earned money. The environment also suffers. There is currently only 4% of the forest in the united states left. One-third of the planet natural resources are gone. If we continue to abuse our environment in this way there are going to be a lot of drastic changes ahead.

Blog 20; Reflection on Food Unit

     I some what enjoyed the classes on the food unit. In class we watched "The meatix" and some parts of "Super Size Me". Although i don't know why we had a food unit? I'm thinking so we have stuff to "relate" to when we are writing our CATS. We also read an article on http://www.sustainabletable.org/ which was a requirement for blog 15. We also did Cat #3. Out of all the CATS we have done in this class i think this one i was comfortable with the most. Although i didn't pass this one either I got a 54 compared to my 45. 
    The point of the media unit we previously studied in class i think was to open our eyes to new things and develop our ideas. We have to start reading labels that are placed on the products we buy, visit farmers markets and not just shop in supermarkets because it seems more convenient, since they do sell everything we might be looking for, and most of all we should stay away from fast food restaurants.
    Although this unit was better than the other ones, i feel as if i haven't made much of an improvement in my writing skills.  

Blog 19; In Defense of Food.

• What items in Pollan's advice make sense to you? 
• Which could you implement right away? 
• Which seem hard to do or farfetched?
• Which you wish you could do, but your present lifestyle does not make possible?

In Michael Pollan's book "In Defense to food" he gives us tips on how to eat better. One thing he monitions is not to eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize. Many food today is processed or it contains "fake" ingredients. He also suggests not to eat any food with ingredients that you don't recognize. According to Pollan we should plant more plants instead of going to the supermarket to purchase them. I also agree with Pollan on his last tip, to sit down together and eat. I think if you sit down and have a meal with family/friends you would more likely than not eat a healthy meal.

The only thing that makes sense to me is to cook at home and eat meals together as a family rather than alone. The only thing i could implement right away would be to avoid food products that seem unfamiliar or that i have never heard of before. The "pay more eat less" tip seems a little far fetched for me. Not everything has the luxury of buying products based on there makeup rather than their price. many people buy items based on their price.Planting a garden is something i wish i could do, but due to me living in an apartment that seems a little impossible. I'm sure everyone would like to follow Pollan's tips for eating better but due to financial issues and living issues many people have to choice but to eat the "garbage" they have in the supermarkets.

Blog 18;Summarizing and Responding to "Where the Whale be At?"

Maybe i should apologize first for being white.

I'm sorry.

P.S I will not be doing this blog.

Blog 17: Summarizing and Responding to "The End of Overeating."

  Summarizing 

        In the passage by David A.Kessler, a former commissioner of the food and drug administration argues that alot of the processed food is being re engineered to create addiction. Many consultants describe how they are trying to fashion products that offer whats become know in the food industry only as "entertainment" Many of the foods today are created to "explode in your mouth". People who respond to laboratory designed concoctions according to Kessler is called 'Conditioned Hyper eating". People get addicted to foods such as cinnabons and Starbucks strawberries & creme frappuccinos according to kessler and just like research on rats, he maintains that animals brains react to sweet fatty foods the same way that addicts respond to cocaine.

Responding;

           I agree with David A. Kessler when he states that much of our processed food is being engineered to create addiction. Many of today's products such as meats, eggs and dairy have so many chemicals added to the to them so the products has a longer shelf life. Many animals are injected with chemicals so they can produce more eggs/milk. A large number of the animals are being tortured and killed and left to lie in there own filth which creates the rise of disease. Many companies are adding "special chemicals" to the food so it wont go bad so fast. Do you really think this is healthy for our body? Companies are trying to "fashion" products so they appeal to the consumers. Fat, sugar and salt turn out to be the crucial elements in this equation. different "entertaining" items mix these ingredients in different combinations.

         Kessler using the term "conditioned Hyper eating" to describe how people respond to these chemically engineered products. Many food like Cinnabons are Starbucks Strawberries & cream frappaccinos are like drugs according to Kessler. A research on rats proves that animals brains react to sweet and fatty foods the same way the addicts respond to cocaine. Companies are also adding chemicals to the processed food so consumers get addicted.
         Companies are all about themselves these days. Many processed food has added chemicals to maintain its "freshness". Food can be in the company freezer for longer without going bad, because of this companies are saving money. the food stays fresher for longer and they no longer need a new shipment as frequent, and because less food is being tossed away they are able to sell more. Many of the fast food companies target kids. companies such as McDonald's and Burger King put toys in there "happy meals" to catch the kids attention. When it really boils down to it it is not such a happy meal. Companies are always trying new ways to catch the consumers attention and want consumers to experience "new things"
          Consumers need to learn and get familiar with the foods they are eating and giving to their loved ones. Preparing your foods at home would be the safest and smartest bet. God knows what you going to get when you order your next "happy meal"

        

Blog 16: Revision of CAT #2

              In the passage by Nicholas Balaker he states that young children have a greater chance of picking up smoking if they see actors in movies doing it. According to researchers "Thirty-eight percent of children who start smoking do so in imitation of movies they have seen". The higher the rating for a certain movie the bigger chance of it having people who smoke; according to Dr. James D. Sargent, the lead author on the study and a professor of Pediatrics at Dartmouth medical school.
             Children now a days are going to see "R-rated" movies at such a young age. Young kids who go and see r rated movies have a greater chance of smoking. One study interviewed 6,522 children nationwide and gave them a list of box office hits. The researchers added up the number of times each child could have been shown someone smoking in a movie. Kids who viewed movies with people smoking were more than 2 & a half times as likely to pick up smoking as those who had very little exposure. Although according to Dr. Sargent the studies results only included young children and the report did not rule out the chances that smoking began before the children saw the certain movies. The out come of the results tell us that this topic should be taken with great concern.
            Nonetheless i believe that kids who view movies with people who are smoking there is a greater chance of them smoking. Kids these days are allowed to go see r rated movies so you should expect them to try "R-rated" things. The only people to blame for this is the parents, Kids should not be able to see adult rated movies. We are harming our kids in more ways than one.
           All my life until about 6 years ago my mom would smoke. It was a normal thing for me to see her with a cigarette in her hand. I guess i have her to blame for me smoking. Even though i was exposed to smoking by the movies and the "outside" world i personally think i was influenced by my mom. According to Nicholas Balaker kids are very much influenced by movies, from what the actors are saying, smoking or wearing. The children's mind is so naive and its a shame that children are learning this hasty habit from movies.We have to stop allowing our kids to see "adult" movies. Slowly but surely we are killing our children and we must come together and stop this or they will be no future for our children.