Frozen Yogurt!

This weekend brought me to a nice little place on Roosevelt Ave and Union St that serves quite a delicious selection of frozen yogurts. The little restaurant is known as "Red Mango". As soon as I walked into the place I felt a very comfortable vibe, probably because of the nice trance music that was playing inside.

You're given the choice of ordering things like shakes, smoothies and frozen yogurt in 3 different sizes. (small,medium, large) However, there are only 3 or 4 flavors of frozen yogurt but all of them are extremely delicious and come with 3 toppings of your choosing. I ordered a medium sized pomegranate frozen yogurt with strawberry, mochi(Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice), and oreo cookies. It's a really nice place to chill and hang out with your friends while getting something delicious and nutritious.

Research Paper First Draft

           In America today, many farmers have resorted to taking short cuts when it comes to feeding and maintaining livestock in efforts to save money. We as consumers end up paying in the long run for the decisions that farmers make in sustaining these animals. The quality of meat is compromised, as well as the health of the animals when farmers choose to settle for less than what is necessary for the healthy upkeep of the livestock. The reasoning behind this is that farmers have become greedier. The alternative way of feeding the animals is the price we have to pay for their selfish decision. My project is based on the alternative feeding that farmers have found cheaper, rather than grass feeding that is essential for a cow’s healthy maintenance. I will discuss the consequences that we as consumers have to pay, and the effect that this cheap method has had on the cows we eat.

            As the farming process developed over time, farmers began to see small changes they can make in everyday decisions to help them save money and time when it comes to production. One of the ways in which they made a compromise is in the feed of the cows. The original way a cow was and should be fed was through grass and perhaps grain. But when farmers decided to cut down on the feeding of grass to the cows, they chose to use methods of which many people don’t know of. Farmers began to use feed that contained high protein content. This meant using anything and everything they can find to simply toss into the food in effort to save money and time in the cow’s growth process. But these alternative feeding discoveries were soon found to prove that this method was not only harming the cows, but the people that ate the meat as well.

            Cows have been fed grass from the very beginning of farming.  Therefore a cow’s metabolism is meant to withhold only grass feedings. When asked about this issue, Steven P. Bjerklie an editor for the trade journal “Meat & Poultry”, said: [the cows] were designed to eat grass and, maybe, grain. I mean, they have four stomachs for a reason- to eat products that have a high cellulose content. They are not designed to eat other animals”. (Fast Food Nation: p202) This also leads to our other problem of feeding cows dead animals of all sorts. When farmers change the feeding methods, they compromise a cow’s health. This feeding process is what gave room to the spreading of diseases and made cows prone to sicknesses. This mistreatment of cows allows the meat we eat as consumers to be affected as well.

According to Eric Schlosser in “Fast Food Nation”, cows were fed things such as “rendered remains of dead sheep and cattle…[and] were also fed millions of dead cats and dead dogs every year, purchased from animal shelters.” (202). The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) actually approves of the feeding of things such as dead pigs and dead horses to be used when it comes to the cattle feed. Cattle blood has also been incorporated into the feed that American cows consume. Yet along with this is the insertion of growth-hormones, protein supplements and antibiotics in order to speed up the growth rate of the cows. Farmers have found that since using these methods of adding hormones, they can slaughter and process cows quicker in efforts to make money faster. Since the earlier productions of cows, the rate of a cow’s growth has gone up by 23% due to the use of such additives.

            When cows are fed these alternative foods, they are found to be responsible for the widespread outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE a.k.a. mad cow disease) and E. coli O157:H7, amongst other diseases and sicknesses carried through the foods we buy and consume. An instance in which people have been affected by the harmful meat can be told in a story found in chapter 9 of “Fast Food Nation”. Eric Schlosser tells of a 6 year old boy named Alex Donley who died from the harmful effects of a tainted hamburger. This boy suffered from “abdominal cramps that seemed as severe as labor pains. It progressed to diarrhea that filled a hospital toilet with blood”. (200) The book then states that doctors tried to save his life by drilling holes into the boys head to release pressure, and place tubes into his chest to keep his breathing. This boy eventually died in less than a week from organ failure due to Shiga toxins from the tainted meat he consumed.

Stories like this are quite common in cases of E. coli O157:H7. According to Eric Schlosser in his article “Unsafe in Any Meal”, when it comes to children under the age of 5, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, “[they] face an elevated risk from food-borne pathogens such as listeria, campylobacter and salmonella”.

In “Fast Food Nation”, an interview was done on a government health official who compared the sanitary conditions in present day feed lots to a busy city in Europe during the middle ages in the way that health and sanitation was of no concern to people and which led to the spread of epidemics. The official goes on to say “You shouldn’t eat dirty food and dirty water, but we still think we can give animals dirty food and dirty water”. (202)

Since it is nearly impossible to inspect every feedlot and slaughter facility in the world, there have been multiple outbreaks of which we as Americans have not heard of. One in which was mentioned in the book “Fast Food Nation” was a case that occurred in January of 2001. In Europe, thousands of cows were contaminated with mad cow disease and a month later, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease spread throughout Great Britain. (271)

As outbreaks occur, many plants are forced to recall many products due to the diseases and outbreaks that occur because the lack of inspections of food. One incident told in “Fast Food Nation” required a plant to voluntarily recall 35 million pounds of ground beef produced by Hudson Foods in August of 1997. Yet by the time the recall was announced, about 25 million pounds of the beef had already been consumed. (195) However, this recall was not as large as the recall that occurred later on February 2008. Laurent Belsie included the story in her article in “The Christian Science Monitor” stating that “employees…drag[ed] so-called “downer” cows onto the killing floor. Federal officials determined the cows had not been properly inspected”. It had no problem taking the title of the biggest recall in American history recalling 140 million pounds of beef. This incident brought no lawsuits, but the two employees involved did face criminal convictions. The company eventually closed down as well.

Since the many outbreaks caused by tainted beef, companies have claimed to change their food-safety procedures. However, since the FDA shows no opposition to the feeding of dead animals to the cows we as humans consume, farmers see no wrong in using optional methods of feeding. Along with the feeding issues that bring bodily problems to the cows, there are also the lifestyle issues of the cows which affect their mental state and physical state as well. Farmers pack many cows into small locations and use tractors to roll them around on farms in some cases. We as consumers might not be aware of the problems since we are not closely linked to farms. Yet we are using this meet daily unknowingly to what extent the inspection of the cow went, and what conditions these cows have undergone. 

The prevention of the infected beef has only gone as far as recalls. Several meat industries have announced the issues with their meat, yet the recalls sometimes aren’t enough to prevent the spreading of toxic foods. According to “Fast Food Nation” in the United States alone “everyday…roughly 200,000 people are sickened by a food-borne disease, 900 are hospitalized, and fourteen die”.(195) These are most likely Americans that have not been shown the conditions of which the meat is produced. Since farmers aren’t as thorough, or as careful as they used to be in the beginning when the meat inspection act was first passed in June of 1906. Farmers have now put their effort into saving money and producing goods quicker. In effort to produce meat quicker, a cows feeding habits are put aside for the selfish benefits of the farmers. Cows are forced to grow quicker at an abnormal rate, and Americans as well as other countries worldwide continue to consume and buy the meat.

In conclusion, the only way to prevent the spread of such diseases lies directly in the hands of the farmers. As consumers, one cannot simply stop the consumption of meat since it is essential for us as humans as well. Yet farmers keep this in mind and continue to slack in the production and inspection of meat. Perhaps it is not their intention to make consumers sick or give them illnesses, but one thing that is and should be clear to them are the alarming numbers in food-borne illnesses that affect people in the United States alone. These rates should be the drive to which they raise their standards in the treatment, upkeep, and feeding of cows. One can only wonder if the farmers are consuming the meat themselves.

Works Cited

Belsie, Laurent. "Egg Recall: Does It Rank with Other Major Food Recalls? - CSMonitor.com." The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com. 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2010/0823/Egg-recall-Does-it-rank-with-other-major-food-recalls>.

 Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Perennial, 2002. Print.

 Schlosser, Eric. "Unsafe at Any Meal." NYtimes.com. Op-Ed Constributor, 24 July 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.

Abdominal cramps that seem as severe as labor pains? Really?

My topic is on the kind of pain that children, elders, and people with a not-so-good immune system may face when infected with illnesses caused by E. coli O157: H7. The reason I have chosen these groups of people is because they are the ones that are at most risk of contracting the virus. This topic interests me because in Fast Food Nation, Schlosser informs us of a young boy named Alex Donley, whose “illnesses [caused by E. coli O157:H7] began with abdominal cramps that seemed as sever as labor pains”. (200)That’s an astonishing comparison that he makes, seeing as how I always thought that only women were the ones to feel that kind of enormous pain when they give birth, but for a child to experience that kind of pain? That's ridiculoues. After that, he even experienced diarrhea that contained blood. His pain got so bad that doctors had to drill a hole in his skull to relieve some pain, then they had to insert tubes into his chest to help him breath while the “shiga toxins”(FFN 199-200, 221-222) were tearing down his internal organs. There was not much the doctors or his mother could do but watch helplessly as the little boy’s brain started to "liquefy". (FFN 200)He became ill on a Tuesday, and before dying the following Sunday, he had experienced hallucinations and dementia which made him forget who his mother and father were. This should matter to you as a reader because if you ever witness or experience pains that are this dreadful, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Prospectus

      Introduce your topic and discuss its importance: My topic is going to be about cattle diet and how it affects the quality of the beef that we eat. Depending on the kind of food that cows eat, determine if they will carry on a sickness or not even after they are  processed. The main diets that a cow should be given is a grass based diet. In my paper I will be addressing the disadvantages of compromising a cows feeding method. Alternative feeding tends to cause food borne illnesses like mad cow disease whereas grass based feeding usually results in higher quality of meat.

       
Introduce your questions and a working thesis: Why is alternative based feeding chosen so much over grass based feeding? Why don’t farmers just use grass anymore? Why is alternative feeding so cheap to produce? Is it healthier to choose alternative based feeding over grass based feeding? What illnesses does it cause in cows? Does it contaminate our beef?  How so? What sicknesses can we obtain? Have there been any recalls? How many people have been affected as a direct result of food contamination? What is being done to reduce this problem? Why doesn’t the government intervene in legislation? Whether a cow has been given dead animals to eat or grass to eat will determine the quality of the meat that ends up being produced.

    

     Discuss specific tools and sources that you will be using to conduct your research: I will searching for newspaper articles from subscription databases like LexisNexis Academic and National Newspaper index that includes America’s top five newspapers. I will also be looking at newspaper articles from our Annotated Bibliography packets which include: “Swine of the Times” by Nathanael Johnson, and article by Laurent Belsie that was published in August 23, 2010 with too long a title, “Eating well; irradiated beef: In markets, quietly” by Marian Burros and “How Now, Drugged Cow?” by Tony Hiss. Films like “Food Inc.” and “King Corn will also provide some influence when it comes to making my argumentation.

I'm Lovin' It

This weeks post brought me to a very popular and common fast food restaurant..........McDonalds. It can't get any worse than this, health-wise that it. As for the money I still had in my pocket was a different story.
I had just gotten out of work Saturday afternoon at around 4 o'clock when my co-worker mentioned that she was hungry but didn't want to spent a lot of money or wait too long because she had to go work again at 5 o'clock. As you can see, a compromise was not at difficult to get to when it comes to choosing a location.

My order was a number 7 medium Angus Mushroom and Swiss meal that was accompanied by medium sized fries, a dollar worth of chicken mcnuggets, and a bottle of water. I always make sure to drink water with whatever meal I eat especially if the meal is already stuffed with a lot of calories, mostly because I want to minimize the potential calorie count if I were to get a cup of soda. I also had two sides each of ketchup and sweet and sour sauce along with my meal
I wonder what the next weekend may bring? ;-D

"Barbecue the Way it Oughta Be!"

For my first post of my blog project i decided to go a little out of my comfort zone when it comes to the things that I eat. This would definitely have to be my highlight of the weekend.

When I awoke at around 2:00pm on Sunday, October 17, and realized that it’s was hardly time for breakfast. Still, all I decided to have was a bowl of cereal. Froot Loops to be exact. I ate my cereal and went up to my room to get dressed and ready before I head to a dinner date. My date was set at 6:00pm, and I decided not to eat anymore until then, to preserve my appetite.

When I arrived at the place “Smokin’ Als” of Massapequa Park, NY, I was met with the sound of jazz music playing, and portraits of dancing pigs. “How ironic“, I thought. These are the very pigs that we read about in class, that don’t sound as happy as they seem in these murals. What was most confusing was the fact that we were at a steak/pork house with a motto that says, "Barbecue the Way it Oughta Be!".

I ordered a burger thinking it was just enough to fill me up until I can eat some of my date’s food, since she never finishes. However, when this burger arrived it definitely lived up to its name of the “Mile High Burger.” Packed with mushrooms, American cheese, and a 12oz. piece of steak, it was just enough food to make me nauseous from taking that one…last…bite. My date ordered the half rack of “Monster Ribs.” One thing I found out from this place is that they offer big portions, for a reasonable price. These ribs seemed to have belonged to a cow of some sort, and were paired with a mountain of mash potatoes, mac n’ cheese, and a square of corn bread. It was enough to fill us both up, plus a doggy bag that serves us both for the next day.

I paid no mind to what I was eating, and since this place had no calorie count on the menu it didn’t cross my mind. I would recommend this place to people if they are very hungry, and have a reasonable amount of money. I found it a bit embarrassing to take pictures of such a monstrous meal, but I stayed true to my report and snapped away.

Response #2: Problem-Posing Assignment

1.      The problem that caught my interest in this chapter was that in 1941, the working conditions of Disney’s factory was not all that great. Hundreds of Disney cartoonists went on strike because they wanted to express some support for the Screen Cartoonists Guild. The problem is that Disney’s response to the union betrayed the employee’s sensibility. He fired anyone who was compassionate with the union that only wanted better working conditions. Disney tried really hard to break apart the union in many ways. This problem soon reflects a larger social issue. Are employees allowed to make labor unions in order to demand better conditions without jeopardizing their jobs?

2.      This is a quote from Walt Disney during the height of the labor tensions at his studio, in which he provides a solution to the labor union’s problems, he says “Don’t forget this, it’s the law of the universe that the strong shall survive and the week shall fall by the way, and I don’t give a damn what idealistic plan is cooked up, nothing can change that”.(37) By the quotation Disney believes that those who work hard and don’t complain will get greatly rewarded as oppose to someone who doesn’t because they will just end up getting fired and losing everything. Disney states that the solution to the workers problems is not forming labor unions, but in “a good days work”.(37)

3.      I can personally relate to this problem because as a swimming instructor, my working conditions are not always fair. The reason I say this is because for my job I have to be inside a swimming pool for hours at a time, teaching several classes. Sometimes the water is unbearable cold and would make me shiver to the bone. When I would leave the facility, I would already be showing signs of catching a cold. My problem relates to the chapter because I don’t believe that I’m getting paid enough for what I do and in the conditions I’m willing to do it in.

4.      There are two different types of solutions made in the chapter. One from the workers point of view and one from the view of Walt Disney. The workers solution to better working conditions was simple forming labor unions to make their demands heard. The solution of Disney was to fire any employee that supported the unions, rough up workers on the picket line with private guards, impose a phony company union, bring in an organized crime figure from Chicago to rig a settlement, and also accuse the leaders of the Screen Cartoonist Guild of being Communists. Fortunately, all of Disney’s efforts failed and the solution made by the workers finally worked out when Disney acceded to the union’s demands.

5.      Seeing as how the solution of the labor unions worked, there is no need for me to make them another one, so I will be putting myself in the shoes of Walt Disney by inventing my own solution to his problem. If I were given unlimited resources and connections, my solution would be to try to pass a law that would prohibit any and all assembling of labor unions. That way if anyone opposed the law they would have to face getting arrested. I would try to work alongside the government so that my outcome would be having a content company that doesn’t complain about their working conditions.