Sports today are becoming increasingly competitive. Some athletes will do whatever it takes to move up the ranks. Although athletes’ today use performance enhancing drugs to gain a competitive advantage, it is not a smart idea in the long run because of the long term effects on the body, possible sanctions from sport organizations, criminal charges, and the negative image shined on the athlete’s sport.
Athlete’s today use performance enhancing drugs to both recover faster from injuries sustained while playing the sport, and also to help muscles recover faster after they have been fatigued (weight lifting). Anabolic steroids are one of the most common drugs used to help build muscle and by increasing the levels of testosterone in the body. Steroids can have serious side effects including; heart and kidney problems, serious mood swings leading to depression, testicular shrinkage in men, and sterility. One of the most famous users of steroids to publicly disclose his drug abuse was Lyle Alzado, an all-pro NFL defensive lineman. He played on various teams throughout the 1970-80s and when he finished, admitted to using anabolic steroids. While he was using, he said he encountered giant mood swings, which led to various off the field incidents. He also blamed the brain tumor that took his life on his use of steroids.
Another type of performance enhancing product is Ephedra, a weight loss drug. It is a drug that athletes use to cut down on weight. Most athletes stay in phenomenal shape, with low body fat percentages, but for some athletes loosing weight can be difficult. Ephedra provides a quick and easy way to shed weight; however it can be potentially deadly. The side effects include; heart attacks, strokes, and seizures. Steve Belcher, a pitching prospect for the Baltimore Orioles used Ephedra. After his death during 2003 spring training from heat stroke the coroner stated the cause of death was extreme dehydration caused by high body temperature and the use of the weight loss drug.
The world of sports has begun to aggressively test for performance enhancing drugs and have suspended, revoked, and sometimes banned athletes from continued participation. The NFL, NHL, and NBA have all created strict random testing in hopes of deterring the usage of performance enhancing drugs. MLB was the last major sport in the United States to start testing their players, after harsh criticism from the media. All four leagues have the same basic three strike policy; first time offenders get suspended without pay for a period of time or number of games, second offenders receive a lengthier suspension without pay and fine, and the third time offenders receive a lifetime ban from the sport. Although athletes are still testing positive, they are doing so at a lower rate than before the policies were initiated. Most sports do not have guaranteed contracts so if a player tests positive a team may release them without question, leaving the athlete without a paycheck or job. . The commissioners throughout the United States believe they are cleaning up their prospective sports and creating an even the playing field for true competition.
The negative press the sport of cycling has received in recent years is saddening. Over the last 10 years cycling has been swept up in controversy by another form of performance enhancer, blood doping and the use of EPA. The Tour de France is the sports biggest event, the super bowl of cycling. In the summer of 2006, the year after the immortal Lance Armstrong retired (won 7 consecutive tours), another American racer, Floyd Landis, won the event. After the race it was discovered that his “B” sample confirmed a positive doping test and the presence of synthetic testosterone. He was stripped of his title and banned from entering the event in the future. Various other world class cyclists have been caught using various performance enhancing drugs, giving the sport a black eye and leading many critics in the media to question if anyone is clean in the sport. Even Lance Armstrong has been accused by the regulatory body of doping in earlier races. This crisis in the sport of cycling has led many sporting organizations such as the Olympic Committee and numerous other athletic regulatory bodies to take a look at their current standards in hopes of combating this growing problem facing the world’s athletes.
In the highly competitive world of professional sports, athletes search for any opportunity to increase their performance. Even with the knowledge of the long term negative physical effects, possible criminal charges and banishment from the sports they love, athletes still continue to use performance enhancing drugs. The reasons most given by athletes to justify their use of these drugs, is to get an edge on the competition or to maintain their competitiveness if their colleagues are also using performance enhancing drugs. Until testing identifies all drug users and the penalty outweighs the gain some athletes will continue to risk both their health careers to improve their short term performance. Improved, real time, testing technology is probably the future solution to the problem.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a touchy subject these days. There are no set rules for it. Obviously a person can’t copy someone or something word for word and take credit for it, which is a huge no no. But even changing some words around from a book is still plagiarism. It seems like people use the same excuse over and over again, “I didn’t know how to cite the source” etc. Get educated on how to cite sources or use quotation. My 10th grade English teacher really helped me combat plagiarism. A good technique I learned was, when in doubt give credit to the person you are taking the information from. That way you are in the clear, regardless of how much of the information you might or might not have used. Plagiarism sometimes is harmless and the person might not even thought about it, but most of the time it is due to laziness. So don’t be lazy, do your own work and you will never have to deal with teachers accusing you of plagiarism.
Ann Coulter
First of all Ann Coulter is one of the most polarizing people in today’s political society. Anything that comes out of her mouth has the possibility to be taken as racist, sexist, or just plain condescending. Now don’t get me wrong I am in no way defending Coulter, I just feel that in today’s society, the media does a good job of twisting and paraphrasing comments made by people, in order to turn their so called comments into stories.
During this interview, the host of this show, Donny Deutsch does a great job of winding Ann Coulter up, asking general questions about politics. She rambles on until she stumbles upon religion specifically that all people in the United States should be Christians. This struck a nerve with the host because he stated he was a Jew. She goes on to say that Christianity is a progression of Judaism, a “FedEx” version.
To the everyday viewer, I don’t believe that her comments would have much effect on. However all sorts of pro Judaism groups I’m sure were outraged. These type of groups wait for people to slip up in the media and then attack the person. Overall I don’t think this particular interview will have much effect on Ann Coulter, if anything it will make her even more popular to her constituents. Most people regardless of political leaning expect Coulter to say things like this, because at the end of the day that is why she is getting paid large amounts of money to do.
During this interview, the host of this show, Donny Deutsch does a great job of winding Ann Coulter up, asking general questions about politics. She rambles on until she stumbles upon religion specifically that all people in the United States should be Christians. This struck a nerve with the host because he stated he was a Jew. She goes on to say that Christianity is a progression of Judaism, a “FedEx” version.
To the everyday viewer, I don’t believe that her comments would have much effect on. However all sorts of pro Judaism groups I’m sure were outraged. These type of groups wait for people to slip up in the media and then attack the person. Overall I don’t think this particular interview will have much effect on Ann Coulter, if anything it will make her even more popular to her constituents. Most people regardless of political leaning expect Coulter to say things like this, because at the end of the day that is why she is getting paid large amounts of money to do.
PostSecret
This website is very interesting. I believe some of the content to be true and original, but some of the humorous ones just seem to be fake. These postcards are from various people around the country, and were all put into a book. I can’t imagine why someone would send in a funny postcard that wasn’t theirs just for kicks, because this would take effort and time. So therefore I am inclined to think that all the postcards are original in that someone had to sit down and at the very least stamp and mail the postcard. Now some of the phrases might be stolen from another postcard, but the intent of the sender was there.
For some people this might be a way for them to air their deepest secrets. Some people are incapable of telling other people information, and using this method, there is still that anonymity that the sender might want. However if I were posting a deep secret of mine, I would want people to know who it was from, because sometimes that is the best part of telling secrets; trusting someone enough to let them in on a very personal piece of information.
The postcard that struck me was the black and white photo with a young girl holding a black cat in front of an old car. The card reads, “I don’t miss you any more daddy, I miss the daddy you could have been.” Black and white photos always draw people’s immediate attention, as it did mine. The picture of the young girl just standing there looking out speaks volumes; not even looking at the writing I was able to tell that this little girl was in some way hurt. The sender of this postcard might have been someone that never had a father in her life, and she is finally at peace with that, just sad of “what her daddy could have been.’
For some people this might be a way for them to air their deepest secrets. Some people are incapable of telling other people information, and using this method, there is still that anonymity that the sender might want. However if I were posting a deep secret of mine, I would want people to know who it was from, because sometimes that is the best part of telling secrets; trusting someone enough to let them in on a very personal piece of information.
The postcard that struck me was the black and white photo with a young girl holding a black cat in front of an old car. The card reads, “I don’t miss you any more daddy, I miss the daddy you could have been.” Black and white photos always draw people’s immediate attention, as it did mine. The picture of the young girl just standing there looking out speaks volumes; not even looking at the writing I was able to tell that this little girl was in some way hurt. The sender of this postcard might have been someone that never had a father in her life, and she is finally at peace with that, just sad of “what her daddy could have been.’
Friday, October 12, 2007
Position Essay
Professional Sports Contracts:
Pro sports today are a growing form of entertainment, and therefore the athletes should get paid accordingly, just like Hollywood movie stars. Movies stars also provide a form of entertainment, and get paid quite well for it. Although many media critics believe that pro athletes make to much money, they are not justified in their reasoning because of the multi billion dollar TV contracts, endorsements and sponsorships, and 24 hour media coverage.
Sponsorships and endorsements are a large reason for high paychecks for athletes. It helps individual sport athletes more than athletes on team sports. For the individual players, the endorsements are the bulk of their income. Tiger Woods for example made $12 million in winnings and $75 million in endorsements. Other sports like tennis and auto racing also rely on sponsorships because they don’t know when their next payday is going to come. If you consistently finish in the lower half of the field, you are not going to survive in the industry very long. Sponsorships that can be seen on cars or what type of clothes you where can keep you in the game for an extended period of time.
The expanding media coverage of pro sports can be directly correlated with the rise in player salaries. The three major channels (NBC, CBS, ABC) have invested billions of dollars in various sports, ranging from golf to baseball to hockey. Cable TV is another big reason for the media coverage. ESPN is a huge reason why. ESPN was the first all sports network. It covers the widest variety of sports, which helps smaller sports come to the national forefront. A person can be caught up with the day in sports by watching it for as little as 5 minutes.
TV contracts tie in with pro sports contracts because the larger the TV contract, the more money and owner will receive from the league, using a system called profit sharing. This allows the owners and general managers to pay players a higher amount of money.
Professional athletes should get paid the amount they do because as long as people are willing to support for it, why not? The media gets on their case for making too much money; however if you turned it around and the media received the same amount there would be no complaints. Athletes are just another target of jealous citizens who instead of doing something constructive; complain about the successful. Some people just seem to have enough time on their hands to attack anything they don’t like, and that is quite saddening.
Overall, pro contracts are on the rise. Despite what the critics think, they will probably continue to do so, because of both the hardcore fans support thru attendance and also the unknowingly supportive fan who might not attend the games, but support pro sports by purchasing advertised items and watching TV on a daily basis.
Pro sports today are a growing form of entertainment, and therefore the athletes should get paid accordingly, just like Hollywood movie stars. Movies stars also provide a form of entertainment, and get paid quite well for it. Although many media critics believe that pro athletes make to much money, they are not justified in their reasoning because of the multi billion dollar TV contracts, endorsements and sponsorships, and 24 hour media coverage.
Sponsorships and endorsements are a large reason for high paychecks for athletes. It helps individual sport athletes more than athletes on team sports. For the individual players, the endorsements are the bulk of their income. Tiger Woods for example made $12 million in winnings and $75 million in endorsements. Other sports like tennis and auto racing also rely on sponsorships because they don’t know when their next payday is going to come. If you consistently finish in the lower half of the field, you are not going to survive in the industry very long. Sponsorships that can be seen on cars or what type of clothes you where can keep you in the game for an extended period of time.
The expanding media coverage of pro sports can be directly correlated with the rise in player salaries. The three major channels (NBC, CBS, ABC) have invested billions of dollars in various sports, ranging from golf to baseball to hockey. Cable TV is another big reason for the media coverage. ESPN is a huge reason why. ESPN was the first all sports network. It covers the widest variety of sports, which helps smaller sports come to the national forefront. A person can be caught up with the day in sports by watching it for as little as 5 minutes.
TV contracts tie in with pro sports contracts because the larger the TV contract, the more money and owner will receive from the league, using a system called profit sharing. This allows the owners and general managers to pay players a higher amount of money.
Professional athletes should get paid the amount they do because as long as people are willing to support for it, why not? The media gets on their case for making too much money; however if you turned it around and the media received the same amount there would be no complaints. Athletes are just another target of jealous citizens who instead of doing something constructive; complain about the successful. Some people just seem to have enough time on their hands to attack anything they don’t like, and that is quite saddening.
Overall, pro contracts are on the rise. Despite what the critics think, they will probably continue to do so, because of both the hardcore fans support thru attendance and also the unknowingly supportive fan who might not attend the games, but support pro sports by purchasing advertised items and watching TV on a daily basis.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Logical Fallacy
Dicto simpliciter: A sweeping generalization and expecting it to be true in every case. An example would be that most men are faster than women. This on average is probably true but is not true because there are women out there that are faster than men, like I bet Marion Jones is faster than me, but I didn't take steroids. I have made generalizations lots of times without thinking them through, for example when I was young I told my mom I was stronger than her, and she asked why? I responded, because I am a man. She proceeded to pick up a chair and asked me if I could, I tried and was not able to, therefore proving my mother's point.
http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html#Introduction
http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html#Introduction
Stung
The author's argument has to do with the disappearance of honeybees throughout the country. The drop in numbers does not relate to the common pesticides and other insects that could potentially harm them, the death of numerous bees had to do with a new form of pesticide newly introduced that is much safer for humans.
This essay is different from newspaper's account of the honeybee situation because the author provided her own incite, humor and person experience to the story. It seems like the author truly cares about the issue, and is trying to relay the message as best she can. A newspaper would probably just discuss that the honeybees numbers have dropped and give a possible reason, nothing else.
Facts:
Is CCD been found in states such as TX, CA, and FL? Yes fact, http://honeybee.tamu.edu/media/pdf/06FAQCCD.pdf
Is David Hackenberg founder of Hackenberg Apiaries? Yes fact,
http://www.pabiodiversity.org/speakers04.html
Before the Colonists, were there any honeybees in the Americas? Yes fact,
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299982,00.html
This essay is different from newspaper's account of the honeybee situation because the author provided her own incite, humor and person experience to the story. It seems like the author truly cares about the issue, and is trying to relay the message as best she can. A newspaper would probably just discuss that the honeybees numbers have dropped and give a possible reason, nothing else.
Facts:
Is CCD been found in states such as TX, CA, and FL? Yes fact, http://honeybee.tamu.edu/media/pdf/06FAQCCD.pdf
Is David Hackenberg founder of Hackenberg Apiaries? Yes fact,
http://www.pabiodiversity.org/speakers04.html
Before the Colonists, were there any honeybees in the Americas? Yes fact,
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299982,00.html
Blog Review
My favorite blog layout is Are we on the same page?. It is totally different than everyone else's in that it is unique and original. First off, the background is different than the standard white. Brown is an unusual color in that not a lot of websites have a brown background. Secondly the blog has a picture of the blogger. If I knew how to do this I might think about adding one to my page but for the time being I am satisfied with what I have. Her blog is cool because it is completely different than most of the other people in this class. However since the blog is mainly used as a place where the teacher is able to read and grade our work, I am content to leave it stock and plain, because I would rather be finishing my assignment, than messing around trying to figure out how to make my blog look better.
Annotated Bibliography
Thesis: Although bottled water is convenient and supposedly healthier, it has a negative effect on the environment and should not produced for profit.
Edwards, Alys. (2007). Bottled Water: Pouring resources down the drain? Environmental Ethics. Retrieved Oct. 9, 2007 from http://www.environmentalethics-sihe.co.uk/pdfs/ALYSARTICLE_Edit.pdf
This article by Alys Edwards of the Swansea Institute of Higher Education, sheds light on the growing shortage of water among other things. According to the article, “the demand for fresh water will exceed availability by 56 percent by the year 2025.” This is an alarming statistic, because water is a guaranteed human right, and should not be a commodity for sale. Some economists describe bottled water as “Blue Gold” because it could become a trillion dollar industry if the demand for it steadily increases as it has been. Article ultimately states that bottled water is a growing environmental and economical issue, and measures need to be implemented in order to fight it.
Ferrier, Catherine.(2001, April). Bottled Water: Understanding Social Phenomenon. WWF. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://assets.panda.org/downloads/bottled_water.pdf
This discussion paper on the bottled water phenomenon basically covers all aspects of the bottled water; from its history to how much money the industry makes a year. This paper is definitely a pro environment paper, as it goes into great length the negative effects of bottled water on the environment. The argument made is very factually based, which usually means that the information is relevant and correct, as it was produced by the WWF or the World Wildlife Fund. The only possible downside of this in-depth information is that the paper was published in 2001, and a lot has changed. However I think that it has solid facts that can help build a foundation into the argument I am trying to present, that in fact bottled water is harmful to the environment.
Fishman, Charles. (July, 2007). Message in a bottle. Fast Company. Retrieved Oct. 9, 2007 from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html
This article by Charles Fishman delves into the economic and psychological reasons for this continually growing industry. According to author, bottled water did not exist thirty years ago. “Now people spend more money on it than they did on the movies or ipods.” This growing industry is a result of bottled waters convenience and being image conscience. Fishman says that “what we once used to get free from our homes, we pay for now, which is more than the price of gasoline.” He believes that until society really knows how harmful it is to society and how easy it would be to go back to tap water, the world will continue to use this ultra popular product.
Food and Water Watch. (2006, Jun). Bottled Up and tapped Out. Food and Water Watch. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled/BottledUpTappedOut.pdf
This website, provided by the Food and Water Watch, which is presumably a food and water watchdog group, is yet another site dealing with the harmful effects of bottled water. However this site is all about scare type tactics; providing details as to how the large corporations are bottling up tap water and making sometimes a 1000% profit on something that should be guaranteed for all. One of the sites main points is that just because it is bottled water does not mean it’s safer. “ According to study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found approximately one-third of tested bottled water brands violated, in at least one sample, an enforceable standard or exceeded microbiological-purity guidelines.” This is just one of the many valuable points made throughout the piece.
Fuller, Carol. (2007, Aug. 23). Moving away from bottled water. Grecourt Gate News. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.smith.edu/news/2006-07/BottledWater.php
Smith College is taking a proactive grassroot stance to combat the growing problem environmental problem of bottled water. Each student enrolled on campus this fall 2007 will be given a free water bottle, complete with hooks to attach to a backpack. By giving each student a bottle, it will replace the bottled water once given out at the dining hall’s Grab and Go. Although this may be just a local movement, it is still cutting down on the amount of empty bottles in the hope that someday, the rest of society will get the message and begin to ease up on bottled water consumption.
IBWA. (2007). Water our most precious resource. IBWA in conjunction with Dept Agriculture. Retrieved October 9, 2007 from http://www.bottledwater.org/public/IBWA_movie.htm
This slideshow produced by the International Bottled Water Association gives a pro-bottled water stance on the issue of bottled water. This association presumably represents the major corporations responsible for the distribution of bottled water for profit. The IBWA still sees a need for bottled water in society to help replenish our bodies with this liquid needed in order to survive. As far as the environmental impact that bottled water has, they leave that in the hands of consumers. They feel that if the bottles are recycled properly, there would be no issue. They also answer the issue that they (bottled water companies) are extracting large amounts of groundwater according to their critics. However they point out that other industries take way more from the ground, basically the blame them defense, which was rather interesting.
Mittelstaedt, Martin. (2006, Sept. 23). The Religious War on Bottled Water. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved Oct 8, 2007 from http://www.newsdesk.org/old_archives/000866.php
This article by Martin Mittelstaedt provides a different viewpoint to the issue of bottled water. The article still attacks bottled water and believes it is the wrong choice, however it isn’t all based on environmental reasoning. Strangely enough, some religious communities in Canada have spoken on the “extravagantly wasteful way of quenching a thirst” or bottled water. They feel water is an element of life, and shouldn’t be used as a way to make profit. The moral issue of the sale of water is disheartening to the religious groups, who claim that water is “a scared gift from God”. Overall this is an interesting outlook on a largely growing social and economic topic facing the world.
Owen, James. (2006, Feb 24). Bottled Water isn’t healthier than tap. National Geographic News. Retrieved Oct 9, 2007 from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0224_060224_bottled_water_2.html
Article by National Geographic states that according to reports bottled water is not healthier than water retrieved from the tap. “No longer a luxury item, the beverage has become a common sight worldwide.” What once started out as a fad (bottled water) started by health activists, has turned out to be detrimental to the planet. The author of this article James Owen, writes that this water is also becoming expensive, due to the mass transportation across international borders. He cites an example of a Finnish company shipping its own tap water all the way to Saudi Arabia, over 2,700 miles way, just for tap water! Author also shares the pro bottled water side, saying that pro bottled water activists feel that it is convenient and healthy alternative to other on the go products such as soda and juice.
Scow, Adam. (2007 Sept). San Francisco says no to bottled water. Sierra Club Yodeler. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/yodeler/html/2007/09/conservation10.htm
The San Francisco chapter of the Sierra Club reports in its Sept-Oct 2007 newspaper that the City of San Francisco in accordance with the mayor will stop buying bottled water for its employees. This move will save the city and its taxpayers roughly $500,000. It is also a show of faith to the municipal water source, which according to the article, comes from a very clean reservoir in Yosemite National Park. The newspaper also states that California contributes to 23% of bottled water usage in the United States, which is far too much. This move by the mayor according to the article is the first step toward regressing back to the age of tap water; a equally clean, cheaper, and less of an environmental impact. Although the Sierra Club is a well known Eco-friendly organization, the points made are in fact valid.
United Nations. (2003). International Year of Fresh Water. United Nations: UNESCO Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5226&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
In 2003, the United Nations along with UNESCO which is an organization within the U.N. that among other things looks into human rights; and the access to water is a fundamental human right designated 2003 the international year of water. This website although from 2003, gives numerous facts and figures dealing with water. An interesting topic that the article breaks down is the percentage of bottled water consumption by continent, and surprisingly Europe consumed the most, one would have thought that North America, specifically the United States would be the leading consumer, due to it’s fascination with health and convenience.
Edwards, Alys. (2007). Bottled Water: Pouring resources down the drain? Environmental Ethics. Retrieved Oct. 9, 2007 from http://www.environmentalethics-sihe.co.uk/pdfs/ALYSARTICLE_Edit.pdf
This article by Alys Edwards of the Swansea Institute of Higher Education, sheds light on the growing shortage of water among other things. According to the article, “the demand for fresh water will exceed availability by 56 percent by the year 2025.” This is an alarming statistic, because water is a guaranteed human right, and should not be a commodity for sale. Some economists describe bottled water as “Blue Gold” because it could become a trillion dollar industry if the demand for it steadily increases as it has been. Article ultimately states that bottled water is a growing environmental and economical issue, and measures need to be implemented in order to fight it.
Ferrier, Catherine.(2001, April). Bottled Water: Understanding Social Phenomenon. WWF. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://assets.panda.org/downloads/bottled_water.pdf
This discussion paper on the bottled water phenomenon basically covers all aspects of the bottled water; from its history to how much money the industry makes a year. This paper is definitely a pro environment paper, as it goes into great length the negative effects of bottled water on the environment. The argument made is very factually based, which usually means that the information is relevant and correct, as it was produced by the WWF or the World Wildlife Fund. The only possible downside of this in-depth information is that the paper was published in 2001, and a lot has changed. However I think that it has solid facts that can help build a foundation into the argument I am trying to present, that in fact bottled water is harmful to the environment.
Fishman, Charles. (July, 2007). Message in a bottle. Fast Company. Retrieved Oct. 9, 2007 from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html
This article by Charles Fishman delves into the economic and psychological reasons for this continually growing industry. According to author, bottled water did not exist thirty years ago. “Now people spend more money on it than they did on the movies or ipods.” This growing industry is a result of bottled waters convenience and being image conscience. Fishman says that “what we once used to get free from our homes, we pay for now, which is more than the price of gasoline.” He believes that until society really knows how harmful it is to society and how easy it would be to go back to tap water, the world will continue to use this ultra popular product.
Food and Water Watch. (2006, Jun). Bottled Up and tapped Out. Food and Water Watch. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled/BottledUpTappedOut.pdf
This website, provided by the Food and Water Watch, which is presumably a food and water watchdog group, is yet another site dealing with the harmful effects of bottled water. However this site is all about scare type tactics; providing details as to how the large corporations are bottling up tap water and making sometimes a 1000% profit on something that should be guaranteed for all. One of the sites main points is that just because it is bottled water does not mean it’s safer. “ According to study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found approximately one-third of tested bottled water brands violated, in at least one sample, an enforceable standard or exceeded microbiological-purity guidelines.” This is just one of the many valuable points made throughout the piece.
Fuller, Carol. (2007, Aug. 23). Moving away from bottled water. Grecourt Gate News. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.smith.edu/news/2006-07/BottledWater.php
Smith College is taking a proactive grassroot stance to combat the growing problem environmental problem of bottled water. Each student enrolled on campus this fall 2007 will be given a free water bottle, complete with hooks to attach to a backpack. By giving each student a bottle, it will replace the bottled water once given out at the dining hall’s Grab and Go. Although this may be just a local movement, it is still cutting down on the amount of empty bottles in the hope that someday, the rest of society will get the message and begin to ease up on bottled water consumption.
IBWA. (2007). Water our most precious resource. IBWA in conjunction with Dept Agriculture. Retrieved October 9, 2007 from http://www.bottledwater.org/public/IBWA_movie.htm
This slideshow produced by the International Bottled Water Association gives a pro-bottled water stance on the issue of bottled water. This association presumably represents the major corporations responsible for the distribution of bottled water for profit. The IBWA still sees a need for bottled water in society to help replenish our bodies with this liquid needed in order to survive. As far as the environmental impact that bottled water has, they leave that in the hands of consumers. They feel that if the bottles are recycled properly, there would be no issue. They also answer the issue that they (bottled water companies) are extracting large amounts of groundwater according to their critics. However they point out that other industries take way more from the ground, basically the blame them defense, which was rather interesting.
Mittelstaedt, Martin. (2006, Sept. 23). The Religious War on Bottled Water. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved Oct 8, 2007 from http://www.newsdesk.org/old_archives/000866.php
This article by Martin Mittelstaedt provides a different viewpoint to the issue of bottled water. The article still attacks bottled water and believes it is the wrong choice, however it isn’t all based on environmental reasoning. Strangely enough, some religious communities in Canada have spoken on the “extravagantly wasteful way of quenching a thirst” or bottled water. They feel water is an element of life, and shouldn’t be used as a way to make profit. The moral issue of the sale of water is disheartening to the religious groups, who claim that water is “a scared gift from God”. Overall this is an interesting outlook on a largely growing social and economic topic facing the world.
Owen, James. (2006, Feb 24). Bottled Water isn’t healthier than tap. National Geographic News. Retrieved Oct 9, 2007 from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0224_060224_bottled_water_2.html
Article by National Geographic states that according to reports bottled water is not healthier than water retrieved from the tap. “No longer a luxury item, the beverage has become a common sight worldwide.” What once started out as a fad (bottled water) started by health activists, has turned out to be detrimental to the planet. The author of this article James Owen, writes that this water is also becoming expensive, due to the mass transportation across international borders. He cites an example of a Finnish company shipping its own tap water all the way to Saudi Arabia, over 2,700 miles way, just for tap water! Author also shares the pro bottled water side, saying that pro bottled water activists feel that it is convenient and healthy alternative to other on the go products such as soda and juice.
Scow, Adam. (2007 Sept). San Francisco says no to bottled water. Sierra Club Yodeler. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/yodeler/html/2007/09/conservation10.htm
The San Francisco chapter of the Sierra Club reports in its Sept-Oct 2007 newspaper that the City of San Francisco in accordance with the mayor will stop buying bottled water for its employees. This move will save the city and its taxpayers roughly $500,000. It is also a show of faith to the municipal water source, which according to the article, comes from a very clean reservoir in Yosemite National Park. The newspaper also states that California contributes to 23% of bottled water usage in the United States, which is far too much. This move by the mayor according to the article is the first step toward regressing back to the age of tap water; a equally clean, cheaper, and less of an environmental impact. Although the Sierra Club is a well known Eco-friendly organization, the points made are in fact valid.
United Nations. (2003). International Year of Fresh Water. United Nations: UNESCO Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5226&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
In 2003, the United Nations along with UNESCO which is an organization within the U.N. that among other things looks into human rights; and the access to water is a fundamental human right designated 2003 the international year of water. This website although from 2003, gives numerous facts and figures dealing with water. An interesting topic that the article breaks down is the percentage of bottled water consumption by continent, and surprisingly Europe consumed the most, one would have thought that North America, specifically the United States would be the leading consumer, due to it’s fascination with health and convenience.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Proofreading Work
Grammar Girl provided some interesting techniques into proofreading one's writings; from emails to essays. Her first piece of advice is to have someone else read your work, however she points out that this is not always possible, like for example an email. She offers four other examples that a person can do themselves. The first is to read the piece of writing backwards. I tried this with my post about my youtube clip and it was confusing. I had never heard of this technique before and to be honest it was quite difficult. My brain couldn't function, it wanted to read the post from top to bottom. Therefore I decided to try read my work out loud, which was another technique of her's. This one went a lot smoother, and I was able to spot multiple errors that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Overall I will definitely take this advice to heart, because as hard as I try to proofread, I still seem to be marked down for errors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtF0l-yuL6E
This video clip on youtube is very useful because of the message it poses to its audience. The clip is actually a public awareness video, meant to send a powerful message to the public. This particular one deals with global warming. It shows a train speeding toward the camera, with a man in front of it. He is able to get out of the way of this fast moving disaster, saying he wont be directly affected by global warming, but there is a little girl in front of him. The poses the question that we as a society have the ability to slow down global warming, and therefore save the little girl in this metaphor. This issue of global warming is no joking matter, our world needs to do everything in its power to stop this epidemic. Sea levels are warming, poles are thawing, temperatures are rising etc. This clip is just trying to raise awareness of this very popular and controversial issue, and hopefully people will see it.
This video clip on youtube is very useful because of the message it poses to its audience. The clip is actually a public awareness video, meant to send a powerful message to the public. This particular one deals with global warming. It shows a train speeding toward the camera, with a man in front of it. He is able to get out of the way of this fast moving disaster, saying he wont be directly affected by global warming, but there is a little girl in front of him. The poses the question that we as a society have the ability to slow down global warming, and therefore save the little girl in this metaphor. This issue of global warming is no joking matter, our world needs to do everything in its power to stop this epidemic. Sea levels are warming, poles are thawing, temperatures are rising etc. This clip is just trying to raise awareness of this very popular and controversial issue, and hopefully people will see it.
Where does my food come from?
One Day Worth of Food:
Breakfast:
Eggs
Sausage
Potatoes
Pineapple
Water
Snack:
Pop Tarts
Powerbar
Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich
Celery Sticks
Peaches
Water
Dinner:
Hamburger
Nachos
Dinner salad
Water
Cranberry Juice
This List of food consumption for one day is a pretty basic day for me. I like to get some protein in me at breakfast so that I can be somewhat functional for the day. The eggs, sausage and potatoes provide quite a bit of it. I’m a big fan of fruit also, so anytime I can eat fresh fruit I take advantage of it. The snacks throughout the day are basically just a power boost right before basketball practice, so that I have some energy. So for my lunch I try to keep it healthy, with a sandwich and some fruit and vegetables. Dinner is my time to kind of let go, and eat some better food that isn’t as healthy.
As far as answering the question of where does my food come from, I sadly eat at the cafeteria on campus. The food is not the best, but it is edible. I looked at the dining website and was able to learn that the food is catered by NANA Corp. a native corporation here in Alaska. Obviously most of these food items are not found in Alaska, so they must be flown or shipped into the state. By looking at the food that I ate, I would say that most of the food is processed in the lower 48, frozen, and then shipped up here to Fairbanks in mass bulk. You have to remember that the dining hall serves thousands of UAF students each day.
Breakfast:
Eggs
Sausage
Potatoes
Pineapple
Water
Snack:
Pop Tarts
Powerbar
Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich
Celery Sticks
Peaches
Water
Dinner:
Hamburger
Nachos
Dinner salad
Water
Cranberry Juice
This List of food consumption for one day is a pretty basic day for me. I like to get some protein in me at breakfast so that I can be somewhat functional for the day. The eggs, sausage and potatoes provide quite a bit of it. I’m a big fan of fruit also, so anytime I can eat fresh fruit I take advantage of it. The snacks throughout the day are basically just a power boost right before basketball practice, so that I have some energy. So for my lunch I try to keep it healthy, with a sandwich and some fruit and vegetables. Dinner is my time to kind of let go, and eat some better food that isn’t as healthy.
As far as answering the question of where does my food come from, I sadly eat at the cafeteria on campus. The food is not the best, but it is edible. I looked at the dining website and was able to learn that the food is catered by NANA Corp. a native corporation here in Alaska. Obviously most of these food items are not found in Alaska, so they must be flown or shipped into the state. By looking at the food that I ate, I would say that most of the food is processed in the lower 48, frozen, and then shipped up here to Fairbanks in mass bulk. You have to remember that the dining hall serves thousands of UAF students each day.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Lead Sentence
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/american-labs-mishandle-deadly-germs/20071002074809990002
This lead is a summary. It discusses in the first couple sentences what the article is about. I like this lead because it quickly gets to the point that American Laboratories dealing with the worlds most deadliest germs have had multiple accidents in the last 5 years, which is frightening stuff!
This lead is a summary. It discusses in the first couple sentences what the article is about. I like this lead because it quickly gets to the point that American Laboratories dealing with the worlds most deadliest germs have had multiple accidents in the last 5 years, which is frightening stuff!
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