Food Inc Notes- March 8, 2011
No bones in meat, meat is processed by ranches that have little to do with farmers
Isn’t just about what we’re eating but about what we say and what we know
Eric Schlosser
Industrial food system began with fast food/drive-in, brought factory system to the back of a restaurant
McDonald Brothers
“Farm Fresh”- 3 or 4 companies controlling the meat
Tyson.
Birds are raised and slaughtered in half the time they were, but now they’re twice as big. People like the white meat.
Richard Lobb
Not producing chickens, producing food
Produce a lot of food on a small amount of land at a small price.
After decline in tobacco, farmers turned to chickens.
Vince- works for Tyson, “If you can grow a chicken in 49 days, why would you want one that you can grow in 3 months?”
Tyson refused to be interviewed for this film.
Carole- uses open window chicken coupes
Chickens bones don’t grow as fast as their body, so they can’t even walk more than a few footsteps.
Anit-biotics get put into the food but there’s built up resistance and so they become immune to them (crate full of dead chickens get taken away)
Workers= African Americans and Latino’s because they feel that they don’t have rights so won’t complain and the companies like these kind of workers.
Demands of upgrades for new equipment, or loss of contract, debt keeps building
Carole has no say in business.
Her contract was degraded when she refused to upgrade to dark, tunneled coupes
Typical Farmer- Borrowed 500,000 and makes 18,000.
Michael Pollan-amnivorse dilemma
“Corn is really really cheap, and corn makes them fat quickly”
“animals evolved on eating grass”
Cows stand ankle deep in their own manure all day long, so if one cow has it (ecoli) another will get it.
Allusion of diversity in super markets, only a few companies involved
30 % of land basis is being planted corn
Troy-vice president in American corn growers association
Paying to overproduce; farm bills
Larry Johnson- Iowa State
Biggest advance was high fructose corn syrup
Corn-diapers, charcoal and batteries??
Teaching fish how to eat corn…cheap
200 lbs of meat per person per year

1993-2 yr old child dies from Jack in the Box in Seattle, dead in 12 days
Saw blood in feces, ate 3 hamburgers, has "hemoragic e coli", kidney’s started to fail, received first dialysis treatment, not allowed to drink water, had to use sponges, begged for water (bit head off of one of the sponges) Took 2-3 years to higher a private attorney, August 1st was when her son was in the hospital, didn’t recall meat until August 27th, 16 days after he died.
"We put faith in our government to protect us, and we're not being protected at the most basic level."
Ecoli- found in Spinach and apple juice.
2007 Peter Pan peanut butter contaminated with Salmonella
2007- Recall of frozen hamburger includes 2 million pounds
13 slaughter houses today
Thousands of different cattle ground up in the one patty
Washington, D.C.
Barbara K. and Patricia Buck
Dianna DeGette
USDA shuts a plant down if it fails the tests, took USDA to court, USDA was  said to not have authority to shut plant down, pietri dish of salmonella and USDA can't do anything about it.
Kevin's Law- working for 6 years and it still hasn't passed.
"Sometimes it feels like industry was more protected than my son."
2 E. coli outbreaks that day
"all she wanted was for the company say that they were sorry that they produced a defective food and say that they would do whatever to make sure it doesn't happen again, but they couldn't even do that.

Beef Products Inc. = Eldon Roth (founder)
ammonia kills bacteria, so it became a processing tool -> used to cleanse beef (hamburger)

Maria Gonzalez- Burger King. (Dollar Menu) Buys food there for kids even though she knows it's unhealthy because she doesn't have enough money or time.
Why can you buy a double cheeseburger for 99cents when you can't even get a head of lettuce for that?
Salt, Fat and Sugar- humans are wired for these 3 tastes. Industry presses them but then explains that it's the responsibility of the individual.
1 in 3 children born in 2000 will be affected by diabetes.

Polyface Farms - Joel Salatin
Faster, Fatter, Cheaper
USDA tried to close them down because they're "unsanitary" due to working out in the open air.
"People say, what 3$ a dozen for eggs when they're drinking a 75 cent can of soda."
When you add up the "cheap food" it's actually very expensive when taking into consideration the environmental cost, health cost, and industrial cost.

Smithfield Pig ... - largest slaughter house in the world.
Eduardo Pena 32,000 hogs slaughtered per day.
because employees handle with so many hogs per hour with hands, get infections and lose fingernails
Teddy Roosevelt took on the beef trust, workers were slowly starting to be treated better.
meat packing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S.
1.5 million workers let go due to increase in meat packing companies. No need for corn. immigrants are being arrested but companies are not being punished for hiring.
Hard workers process our food, but they're being punished. Smithfield declined being interviewed for this film.
Smithfield (organic food) now moving to wal-mart due to customer's desire.

Monsanto- own patent seeds; 75 employees dedicated to investigate. Moe Parr-seed cleaner: has a machine that cleans and preserves seeds for following year.
when you genetically modify a crop, you own it.

Oprah was sued from what she said about the meat industry on one of her shows
Oprah won the lawsuit after 1 million dollars in fees.
You can go to prison for criticizing ground beef produced.
Also, "Cheeseburger bills".  they may sue even though they know they can't win, just to send a message.

The tobacco industry is a perfect model.
foods travel1500 miles from farm to supermarket
eat organic foods, read labels, eat foods that are in season.
takepart.com/foodinc

"While methods of eliciting and recording them were more or less rigorous in any given case, the absence of audio- and videotape recorders--or digital recording devices--necessitated reliance on human note-takers, thus raising questions about reliability and veracity." (What is Oral History?)
-Before reading this quote, I was already thinking about the fact that not many people feel comfortable believing oral history from the past due to the lack of technological advances used today. First hand, I think of the bible. Many people who are not sure about religion use this explanation to benefit their argument that the information could possibly be incorrect. I find myself too questioning just how much you can trust the written word of historical experiences. I get torn because being a writer myself, I know that no matter how hard you try to avoid admitting your own biases in writing, they will shine through somehow.

"But oral history's scope widened in the 1960s and 1970s in response to both the social movements of the period and historians' growing interest in the experiences of "nonelites."" (What is Oral History?)
-I'm curious as to what led to the changes in population of the interviewee's and how much that has benefited our society. I'm sure that some of the most interesting and helpful information has come from that of the lower class vs. the most famous and historical figures. The average person is easier to relate to, therefore making the information presented in the oral history more interesting and effective.

"The best interviewers listen carefully between the lines of what is said for what the narrator is trying to get at and then have the presence of mind, sometimes the courage, to ask the hard questions." (What is Oral History?)
-I feel as though this quote can be separated into two sentences. The first half relating to the quality of what is captured by the interviewer in comparison with exactly what the interviewee is trying to convey. The second being that of how close attention the interviewer is paying and asking the questions that will elicit further information that the interviewee may not have thought to present otherwise being initiated.

    After reading chapter 3 in Brown's article, I felt more prepared to conduct a successful interview. I feel that I will really benefit from the advice given under the section "What to Ask". I like the idea of making a list of why I chose to interview the person I did and then using that list to propose questions of how, why, and what. I feel as though coming up with questions will be a difficult task, but if I am truly involved with the subject matter and understand the reasoning behind picking the interviewee, the questions will be more successful. The questions will take preparation and many thoughts in advance to the interview. I also like the idea that if I can not find a candidate to interview or I would like to share my own information, I can simply create questions and have someone else interview me. This allows for more flexibility in my eyes.
    Under the section "Productive Interviews" I realize that my personality includes a little bit of both a good listener and a big talker. I hope that I am able to distinguish my role in the interview more clearly when the time is necessary. Reading this article was very helpful before participating in our collaborative research project.

"What is unsaid, a third use of the terms (and not possible to say with the stories so far presented), is the ambiguity, complexity, difficulty, and the uncertainties associated with the doing of the inquiry." (Clandinin & Connelly 55)
Research is never defined. Although scientists always want to believe that things are fact, information and knowledge is constantly changing. Though you may research the result of something for a year, different factors that the researcher is unaware of may affect the results and scew what actually can happen.

"Telling stories of ourselves in the past leads to the possibilty of retellings." (Clandinin & Connelly 60)
People who listen to your stories may give you different insights on the information. Therefore, you may be able to present that information later in an adjusted manner based upon the previous telling. Also, your story may change based upon reflection of telling after the fact and having different realiziations.

"This confronting of ourselves in our narrative past makes us vulnerable as inquirers because it makes secret stories public." (Clandinin & Connelly 62)
Sharing stories is a way of revealing your true self. Even if a story is fiction, it still letting a piece of who you are shine through.  

"Indeed, the turn to narrative occurs in ways that suggest the image of water that Foucault (1976) uses to discuss negotiations of power." (Pinnegar & Daynes 8)
I really enjoyed reading this section of the article. I already learned different references involving the flow of water in previous courses like psychology and sociology. The "water-flow" effect is very descriptive and visual for the reader. It's understandable and recognizable.
 
"This would allow social scientists to "stand apart from their subject and think of [them] as having an independent, object-like existence with no intrinsic meaning." (Smith, 1983, p. 7) (Pinnegar & Daynes 9)
This quote reminded me of the scientific experiment where they dress participants up and treat half as guards and half as prisoners. Here, the subjects are treated more as objects rather than human beings.

"Both researcher and researched will learn." (Pinnegar & Daynes 14)
In an experiment, it is very obvious that all participants will learn some piece of information or knowledge. Whether it's something miniscule, participation in research is still affective.
 
"In the process of counting to one, language plays an important role, for to count one of something, the thing to be counted must be defined and specified." (Pinnegar & Daynes 18)
I always pondered over silly questions like who decided the number system, the words that represent the symbols, who defines those symbols and what they are worth. What if you are counting a cookie for instance. How is it verified that it is one cookie broken into p

1. Do I have a good use of genres?
2. Are the transitions smooth or too choppy?
3. Should I include a picture of the actual bedroom?
4. Any suggestions on where to expand?
5. Should I include a picture of my grandmom and me?
6. How do I put the actual videa in vs. just the link?

    Creating a website, posting on twitter, posting blogs online and writing creatively on my website has definitely helped assist in making more mindful. I was able to connect in a more visual and appropriate way to the material I was working with both physically and emotionally. Using technology made me more excited to write and become more invovled with my writing. I really enjoy being able to incorporate photos and videos. I love photography so being able to use it for a writing piece was very exciting to me. Also, it was helpful to incorporate different genres including journal entries, lists, letters, and so on. It makes you connect better to the topic that you decide to write about because only certain genres are appropriate according to the subject and set-up. It allows you to eliminate those genres not related and include any that you may think of on your own. It's definitely another way to exaggerate your creativity which keeps you involved and thinking about the writing outside of the class period.
    After creating my website and writing my twitterive, I am able to recognize the connection and compatibility between my online identity and my true identity within the class. Perhaps I'm a bit more sarcastic and less serious/academic in person, but I sometimes feel as though incorporating sarcasm in writing is hard for me. Growing up writing under limited circumstances in school has made me more guarded when trying to show my true personality in my writing pieces. However, when it comes to my beliefs and morals, I feel as though it shines through both in my writing as well as in class. Depending on the subject of the piece, I feel as though the technology would allow for more comfort when showing sarcasm in an appropriate piece.

Ring Name: Lil Firecracker
Background: I've currently been arm wrestling for 7 years professionally and 10 years out-of-ring. My name derived from the fact that I'm a small redhead. Do not let my size seize to amaze you. Opponents who don't know me are shocked by my strength and those I've fought will excuse it. I grew up in the slums of Philadelphia and have had to prepare myself for the worst. I'm the only in my family interested in the arm wrestling business.  
Relationship Status: I am currently married to Dom. Our relationship has had its up and downs due to my fame, but we've battled through it all. Previously, I was married to arm wrestler AceFace. People Magazine has made me aware that he will be there to witness this once in a lifetime match. I'm not surprised. AceFace and I do have a child together which Dom and I have raised successfully together. I give much of the credit to Dom, considering I'm away many days training and arm wrestling.
Stats: The match against Latina Heat on February 17, 2011 will be my 256th match. My record is 250(wins):6(losses)
Injuries: Carpel Tunnel

Before the arm wrestling match, I would just like to say that I am not intimidated by the size of my opponent. I'm always the smallest and yet still one of the strongest. I know that Latina Heat has a good record, but I've had much more experience on and off the ring.

After discussing with Michelle the ideas for my twitterive, I realized a few issues that I might have to face. One would be, where should I focus my story? Is it OK that I'm using two different places: my bedroom at home and my bedroom away at school? Also, should I include certain details that stray away from my grandmothers death? Examples: dog's death, suicide, and ex-boyfriend. Talking about my twitterive also made me more excited to go home and find different things that I can include in picture format. (scanned images, letters, recipe, memorabilia) Also, I found myself questioning exactly how I got from college back home for my grandmother's funeral. Did my ex pick me up or did one of my family members? I feel as though I have a pretty decent grip on where I want my story to go. However, I feel as though I am speaking from my own personal experience so I might lack to include vital details that the reader may need to better understand where I am coming from and the feelings that I experienced at the time. I am planning to include many different genres and may need to cut out some that aren't directly affective.

Have you ever felt like you could write, if only given a direction to aim with little restrictions? The writings that we have composed so far in class have led me to feel more successful because we are doing just that. We are given a slight direction as to how to write, but not limited by what to write. I truly feel as though I have been thrown outside of my normal writing habits and been able to explore various creative styles. I already feel as though I have grown as a writer, if even in the slightest way. 
    By taking a quote out of Anzadula's piece and creating my very own micro-fiction, I was able to use my own experiences and ideas for writing and include a thought of hers as well. It was not hard for me to decide upon a quote in the article and put it into my own story. I knew that I did not want to go along with the language barrier because I have little to no experience with it. Instead, I chose a quote that I knew could take me anywhere I felt appropriate.
    As for creating the micro-fiction from my tweet, I felt as though I was more critical on what I could have tweeted about previously. I searched through my tweets thinking, "I could have been more descriptive". 
    I really enjoyed creating the Haiku and found poem. When creating the Haiku based upon the micro-fiction, I felt a little challenged. However, I really enjoyed taking on that minor challenge and feeling successful with my final piece. While creating the 'found poem', I was inspired. I already decided at this point what my twitterive was going to be based on. Therefore, I used 10 tweets that included something that went along with that topic/place. After reading the comments and re-reading through my poem, I was happy with the product. Not only did I create a poem, but I created a piece that will most likely get included into my twitterive assignment.

Haiku used blog post "Micro-fiction from Tweet"

I put on my coat,
a waft of cigarette smoke,
throat scratchy and dry.

Looking out my dorm,
light dusting of snow fallen,
a hideous thing.

Angrily switch out,
Nike Air sneakers to boots,
I trot off to class.

The wintery mix,
I forgot my book off the shelf,
Oh well-for not now.

Here are ten tweets that I wrote all at different time periods dealing with different situations. After reading these tweets, I created a poem dealing with my Grandmothe
#1 It's so cold in my house that my cat is curled up underneath my comforter
# 2 i love how clear the night sky has been.
# 3 should a child be forgiven for bad behaviors if its a result of lack of meds?
# 4 So tired because I procrastinated on doing my blog response and did it after the Linkin Park concert last night. #wrt3 no sleep stinks
# 5 Is it weird that my familiar place is also an unfamiliar place?
# 6 in rememberance..you are always with me http://twitpic.com/3xswf9
# 7 5 Years ago today..R.I.P. Grandmom. You're always with me.
# 8 After she passed and I moved back home, I didn't sleep in my bedroom for some time because she was the last one to sleep there. #twitterive
# 9 The only picture that she had in my bedroom, her last room, was one of me in a frame that says "I love my grandma" from yrs ago. #twitterive
# 10 After calling me to say that her lung cancer was cleared up, she unexpectedly passed from an aortic anuerism. #twitterive

 “Five Years Ago Today”

I moved back home
didn't sleep in my bedroom
she was the last one to sleep there.

So tired, no sleep
I love the night sky.

It's so cold in my house.
The only picture was of me.
You're always with me.

Should a child be forgiven?
My bedroom, her last room.

I love my grandma
R.I.P.