March 29, 2010

So far in our English class we have been assigned certain assignments in which we have had to research and use outside sources in order to validate and strengthen our argument. However, not just "any" source would suffice. We have had to use sources that are appropriate in our argument and ones that have been scholarly certified.

When I first receive an assignment in which I must use sources, I go through multiple steps in which I seek and determine whether sources are reliable and sufficient. I first decide which stance and side I will argue in the assignment and then try and decide which quotes or statistics would best help my argument. I then start my search by using the EBSCO search engine which I have just recently found to be a useful source in order for research thanks to this class. When using this search engine I first start very narrow in my search and if I have no success in finding the perfect quote I broaden my search until I find the appropriate article. I then run this article through Ulrich in order to determine whether it is peer reviewed and scholarly. Once I have decided the sources and quotes that I will use in my paper I then go about deciding on how to incorporate them accordingly into my paper in an effective way in which they will support my argument. I first decide which three main arguments I will make throughout my paper. Once I have done this I decide which quotes will best support these arguments and I place them accordingly. I can improve this process however by not looking for such specific quotes because I find myself sometimes not able to find "exactly" what I was looking for which leaves me empty handed sometimes. I also could use more search engines other than EBSCO in order to widen my options.

Norman Borlaug

This article was very interesting to me in that it provided a counter argument which it supported genetically modified food. Throughout this course we have been reading the Omnivore's Dilemma which has seemed to have a negative view and approach to GM food. I also agree with Norman in that it is easy to discourage genetically modified food when you are not hungry. I see GM food as being strong and potentially very beneficial to the future of the world. As long as it will save lives I have no objections toward it.

When watching Penn and Teller's bull shit and they interviewed the Vegans on the board walk, it was easy to see that they had never really experienced hunger like that of those in third world countries. They seemed rather ignorant to the fact that even though GM foods are not "organic" they still are saving thousands of millions of lives around the world, which is a lot more than their "salad burritos" are doing.

In these last three chapters of the book omnivore's dilemma, Michael Pollan addresses the issue in which human beings obtain their food and attempts to answer the question, as humans, what should we really be eating. In chapter 18, Pollan writes about his quest to hunt and successfully kill a wild pig. He also talks about the process in which after killing the pig, they obtain the meat from it. Then in chapter 19, since he just focused on the hunting part of eating in chapter 18, Pollan directs his focus to the gathering aspect of eating by writing of his experiences of foraging for mushrooms that were edible. He described the process as more of hunting than gathering because there was the potential that the mushroom's would be poisonous. This was somewhat enlightening to me because I have been hunting and have shot game and used the game for meat. However, I have never foraged or gathered my food such as mushrooms because the process seems rather boring and unnecessary.

In chapter 20 of the omnivore's dilemma, Pollan sets out to prepare and consume what he deems the "perfect meal". He first sets a list of rules in which the "perfect meal" must follow and follows them and goes through some pretty extreme measures in order to do so. After reading this I have a newfound longing to recreate and even eat this "perfect meal" on a regular basis. However, for most americans, like myself, this goal is unobtainable due to our fast paced lifestyles. This fast paced lifestyles has contributed to the capitalist styled agricultural system we have in America today that Pollan has written about throughout the book