Prospectus

• Introduce your topic and discuss its importance.

My topic will be about animal cruelty in Japan towards dolphins. Japan is on of the countries that has the biggest fisheries of dolphins in the world. As we have been reading through Schlosser and Peter Singer books about animal cruelty is one of the main points we are discussing. However, I want to get a little deeper, since animal cruelty does not only happen in slaughter houses but also at other counries and are killing this beautiful and smart mammals in order to make profits. This topic is very important since these animals are suffering and we should do something about it. For my point of view I think animals are living beings and by that reason we should take care of them and by that we taking care of nature because we all belong to the ecosystem and all living beings including us have a duty to make. Everything in this life has a "butterfly effect" by that I mean everything you do we have a effect towards another thing until it becomes something big and we can't stop it.

• Introduce your questions and working thesis.

The questions I will use are, Why Japan is one of the countries that fishes most of the dolphins?, How many other countries fish dolphins? In what way and why?, How many dolphins are killed in day in Japan?, What part of Japan they do this fishery?, What methods of animal cruelty they do?, What countries get the dolphin meat?, What else they do to dolphins if they are not killed for food?, How does affect us at the end?, In what year will dolphins get extinct?, How the rate of killing dolphins got higher during the years? Which solutions has been involved and why the have failed? My thesis is we need to start making a change in our way of living and learning more what's around us, because most of the people might care about this issue but they don't do nothing about it and in  order to have  a change we should begin to be he change.

• Discuss specific tools and sources that you will be using to conduct your research.

I will use many sources as I can but one of the websites that I will go will peta.com. This an organization against animal cruelty and that will help me a lot about my research. Also I will go to the librry website and look at the databases my key words will be Fisheries in Japan, Japan and dolphins, Dolphins and fisheries, Statistics of dolphins killed in Japan etc. Also, I will watch the documentary "The Cove" because that will help me a lot for my research.

Finding Healthy Meal around LaGCC

In this project I’ll be searching for healthy places to eat around LaGCC. First I will go to several places and I will try their food and check their menu, so I can know how healthy is their food and also I will know how hard or easy to get this types meals. Also, I will check the budget, since now it’s a very important for us. I will show pictures or drawings of the menus, food, and most important of the place. I will describe the experience I have on each place and I will say my comments about it. Also, as time goes by doing this project I will

I choose this project because that will help us to find more options for healthy food and it will for our health. Also, for my point of view this will help me to have more knowledge about healthy food. Therefore, most of the day I am in the college and lately I haven’t ate well, so I’m looking forward for new options and experiences about food which can be good for my health and all the people.

I really hope to learn to take care myself, in the way to take out fast food from my life. Also, the themes I will talk about would be looking for places around the college that served healthy and cheap food. Therefore, how many places I can find and I hope this project inspire my readers because it’s around school and affects all of us. Moreover, as time goes by doing this project I will show to myself what I consider healthy changes.

Fast Food Nation Chapter 1.3 "Behind the Counter"

One of the problems of "Behind the Counter" chapter which I really identified with was Elisa's. Elisa Zamot is a sixteen year old girl. She is the older sister of two (Cookie and Sabrina). Elisa wakes up every Saturday at 5:15 am to get ready to go work at McDonald's. For her is hard to wake up at that time but she takes a shower, puts her uniform on and goes to work. When she arrives at her job, the manager unlocks the door and lets her in. Sometimes the cleaning crew (a married couple) is there finishing cleaning. However, most of the time the manager and Eliza are alone on that empty restaurant. They start turning on the ovens, taking out all the frozen food out of the freezer and finally they open at 7:00 am. Eliza takes the order at the counter and hands of the orders at the customers from breakfast through lunch. While the hour pass the rest of workers begin to time in. After all of that Eliza finish her day of work and walks home with her sore feet because to be standing all day.

I choose this problem because as I was reading it, remind me to myself when I was working at KFC. I didn’t have morning shift but I got the night shift in which I have to from four o’clock at afternoon to ten or eleven o’clock at night and if I wasn’t lucky enough I had to stay until they closed the restaurant which it was at two o’clock at the morning. I worked 4 days a week (Wednesdays- Saturdays) and sometimes some of my free days too, if they call me. I didn’t have any choice to go work since at that time I really needed the money. After my classes I had to get on the train run to KFC get change and start my work, therefore all the team members have to buy from their check these special shoes which doesn’t make fall on the floor. My job was to take the orders and also pack the orders and give to the customers in any way the manager arrange the faster way to give out orders. The orders have to done maximum of 1 minute. Also, after all the rush every one of the team members had to go clean the lobby such as getting the rays, take out garbage, cleaning the tables and sometimes sweeping the floor. So when I got home I was so tired and during my classes I was sleepy which made me to fail my grades.

Some of the solutions to problem would be that the mangers should not exploit the workers or even pay us more than the minimum. Therefore, to give a break not make us ask for it and the most important of all respect our schedule and free days. Sometimes, I tried to talk to the manager some of points and he got really mad. I think he thought this job was all. I don’t judge him, since he worked most all of his life in that KFC. However, the only solution that worked for me was to quit and I don’t regret it, since now I got a job which is more flexible about my education and the best of all I don’t have to standing all day and not having a break. However, I need to get another job because I need more money than they pay me, but this experience make me look life from other perspective and I can get a good job as my education get higher.

Way To McDonald's (New Version)

My friend and I entered to the McDonalds of 40 St and soon as we walk in we see this full line of people anxious to make their order and all the employees rushing to get them. The smell of fast food in the air which is kind of oily or grease smell with fresh air from the AC. First started making the line to counter and while we were standing in the line I started asking him what he is going to eat. Well, he already knows 2 mcChickens, a cheese burger, large French fries and a medium soda and if he is not full enough he will ask for a icecream cone later. However, I'm just standing looking at the menu but I really don't know what to asked for. I just see a whole wall full of food choices and at the same time flash-backs coming to my mind about all I have read and saw about fast food, so I ended up asking for a McStrawberry Smoothie. I confess I love sugar and love smoothies and the coffee collatas from Dukin Donnuts.

After that we got the order and found where to seat. I started driking my smoothie while my friend was devoured the food, I was like "hey! Slow down.. Is not a food race" and my friend tells me that he so hungry that he can't help it. He was eating and I was watching him eat and I see how does little hamburguers can be swallow by such a short period of time with out almost been chew it well enough it to pass it down. The french fries looked so shiny and crispy ready to be eaten but at the time same full of oil that it pass trough the bag and my smoothie was very cold and sweet and with some "fruit" pulp in it, causing me a brain freeze. Well, this is my experience going to McDonalds which lately has not been so great as other times, since now I'm carefful of what I'm going to put on my mouth.

Way to McDonald's

Yesterday, I went with my friend to McDonald's. He loves the dollar menu in which he can get McChicken, cheese burger, everything that he likes for a cheapest price. Honestly, I'm not a fast food fan but I'm not against it either. However, since I have been watching documentaries about fast food, reading about it too. I'm trying not eat it as much as used to do it, now it's mostly when is an emergency. Going back to the McDonals experience, my friend and I entered to the McDonalds of 40 St and soon as we went in we see this full line of people waiting to make their order and all the employees rushing to get them and complementing the smell of fast food in the air which is kind of oily or grease smell. We first started making the line to counter and while we were standing in the line I started asking him what he is going to eat. Well, he already knows 2 mcChickens, a cheese burger, large French fries and a medium soda and if he is not full enough he will ask for a icecream cone. On the other hand, I'm just standing looking at the menu and I really don't know what to asked for. I just see a whole wall full of food choices and at the same time flash-backs coming to my mind about all I read and saw about fast food, so I ended up asking for a McStrawberry Smoothie. I confess I love sugar and love smoothies and coffee collatas from Dukin Donnuts. After that we got the other and found where to seat. I started driking my smoothie while my friend was devorating the food, I was like "hey! Slow down.. Is not a food race" and my friend tells me that he so hungry that he can't help it. So while he was eating I was watching him eat and I see how does little hamburguers can be swallow by such a short period of time with out almost been chew it well enough it to pass it down. The french fries looked so shiny and crispy ready to be eaten but at the same full of oil. The soda very sweet and icie complementing the saltyness of the food. My smoothie was very cold and sweet and with some "fruit" pulp in it, causing me a brain freeze. Well, this is my experience going to McDonalds which lately has not been so great as other times, since now I'm cautious of what I'm going to put on my stomach.

Annotated Bibliography 1

Stephanie Mendez

ENG 103 (Research Paper)

Professor Alexander

09/20/10

Annotated Bibliography 1

Citation:

Denise Grady. "In Feast of Data on BPA Plastic, No Final Answer." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 6 Sept. 2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/science/07bpa.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=science>.

Annotation:

            This article discussed about bisphenol-A, or BPA which is component used for some plastics containers and other products. BPA has caused many concerns that this chemical has caused diseases such as cancer and obesity genes on children. Therefore, people want to ban BPA from different products such plastic bottles, baby containers, food containers and so on. However, the government health officials still cannot decide if that chemical is bad for the society. On the other hand some marketing places became “BPA Free”. Many people have been taken sides about to ban BPA or that BPA is not harmful which becomes a continuously battle.

            I think this article is helpful and with good sources, since it shows me the argument about this issue which affects our society and the two sides of it. Therefore, have sources which it shows me that what the people are really thinking and how can affect me and the rest of the people.

            This article also make me think and learn more about this issue, since I heard of it but I never sat down and research about it more. Furthermore, it made more aware what it’s happening around me and also I will try to start using plastic containers without “BPA”

Stephanie's Food Thoughts

Welcome Fellow readers!!!!

 I'm Stephanie Mendez, I was born in Ecuador. I came to the United States at the age of 11 and since that moment I have been living here, learning a new language, new culture, making new friends, and making new perspectives about my life and future as time goes by. My Research Paper class gave us a topic to reflect on which is about food. 

For my personal opinion, I love food. Who doesn't? and I also like to try new kinds of dishes. I live with my mom and she is from Colombia which means it's a lot of arepas (corn bread) with huevos pericos (scramble eggs with tomatoes, onions and green peppers) and coffee at the house. Honestly, my mom is the one who cooks most of the time, but I always help her to prepared the ingredients. 

Moreover, when we do our shopping for our groceries, we go to ours closest Super Market, BJ's and "Risaralda" (Colombian Butcher Shop and goodies). The Super Market is mostly for grains, veggies, fruits, and traditional food such as arepas, colombian cheese, etc which are easy to get since we live close to it. BJ's on the other hand we go mostly for the organic section, specially the milk and meat or sometimes vegetables and fruits only if haven't buy it yet. "Risaralda" is the butcher shop where my mom likes to buy the traditional colombian meat and goodies such as chicharron aumado (smoked pork belly), entrana (skirt steak), pajarilla (don't know how to explain in english), chorizo (colombian sausage), and many others.

Further more, I have a good appetite so its hard for me to have a special dish, since any food dish have it's own special flavor even if it's vegetarian. However, the fact that I love food doesn't mean that I like everything or that let myself eat whatever food that looks good. I like to make sure, oh well, I try to be sure where my food comes from, since at the end it's really hard to know that nowadays. Following this further, my mom and I try to make sure that our meat is not tortured and we do that by going to the poultry or the organic sections of the markets. In the same way, we get our vegetables, fruits, herbs etc by the season and organic eggs. 

As you can see, we try our best to not contributed slaughter animals that we eat and not only because its animal cruelty, also because its bad for our health. Besides that we like veggies, fruits, grains that are healthier by being organic. I don't deny that I eat junk food because I do, like once or twice in a while but I do it, since is so delicious and tempting, but on the other hand I know, it can be bad for me and I don't reject the idea to become a vegetarian and stop eating junk food.

Thank you Fellow Readers for taking your time to read this blog I hope you enjoy it! ;)

Steph