Why Process Water?

Whilst thinking about foods that I have stopped eating in their natural form and have turned, instead, to their processed counterparts, I have come across a realization relating to the topic. It may not be a food, however it is one of the most important daily intakes of the human body. Water makes up the vast majority of the human anatomy, thus making it one of the most important resources on the planet. While looking back to my childhood I recall drinking this magical liquid from faucets, hoses, water tanks, pools, and even the occasional glass, on hot summer days and nights. That water was from a well dug on my family's place of residence and there was not any reason to dispute it's nutritional value or it's components.

Now in the 21st century, many Americans prefer bottled water over the well water of their youth. Bottling companies have been making claims that this purified water is better for the human body, has better taste, and is convenient. I happen to disagree. However as I have moved from my humble family farm to the city in pursuit of an education I have been exposed to the bottle fanatics and their ways. After tasting the water provided by the city of Madison I have to agree that the bottled water has a better taste, however, when compared to the cool well water of my childhood, there is no comparison. Bottled water simply cannot simulate that particular flavor. Many bottling companies claim their product to be better for you than the water at one's own faucet. In some cases this may be true, but in many cases the quality of the water is comparable.

The biggest downfall to the bottled water is the bottles themselves. These plastic vessels create litter and excess trash which is annoying to take care of and can be expensive to replace and fill. Why many choose to pay for water which can be obtained for a very small cost at a drinking fountain, sink, or an outdoor faucet is beyond me. Unfortunately as the products are similar and bottling companies have been able to utilize advertising, bottled water appears to be here to stay for at least the next decade. As long as there is a worry of disease outbreak or just a belief that the bottled water is better, there will be a market for the bottled water. Bottled water is a multi-billion dollar market which is growing with every bottle, the facts simply do not add up for this to be a plausible source of water.

Kraft......Foods?: A Response to Mr. Jacob Toll's Blog

After reading Mr. Toll's blog I find myself in a similar state of mind. As a poor college student, the thought of cheap food is always appealing and sometimes necessary to survive. However, the lack of real flavor and texture may cause one to rethink the cheap food alternative. Although the Kraft cheese product has more ingredients than the average cake, it is somehow cheaper than the genuine alternative. Why this is may be a mystery only food science engineers will be able to solve, but I'm not sure I like it at all. The Kraft cheese is just one example of many in the food industry where the cheap, processed, preservative filled alternative arrives at the store with the much lower price tag. Perhaps an economics major is needed as well to explain this phenomenon to me.
As for Mr. Toll's argument regarding the flavor and satisfaction gained from eating true cheese made with minimal ingredients, I couldn't agree more. Where are the foods of the old days where food wasn't plastic flavored as well as packaged in plastic? Unfortunately I do not see these foods nearly as often anymore, nor can I afford them on a farmhand's salary and pay collegiate bills. My hat is off to you Mr. Toll for noting this travesty at hand in the American food market. Keep up the good work.

A Lesson in Car Care

As many of those who will read this blog know, I recently performed a speech of the demonstrative variety on the topic of basic care maintenance, namely an oil change. My assignment is to evaluate my speech and determine my performance.
After viewing myself giving the speech, I have been able to detect the flaws in my presentation and also the items which I managed to excel in. In the speech I tended to get caught up in technical terms, attempting to remember the specific term for a location, part, etc. when a simple small description would have sufficed. Also there were points in the demonstration where my hands and arms were moving when it was not necessary. The elimination of these two flaws could have shortened my speech and allowed for a more professional posture. Also, the lack of repetition in the instructions also left it hard for the audience to fully remember the steps. As with many procedures and tasks in the world, an oil change is one which is mastered with repetition and practice. Had I been more repetitive throughout my speech I may have been able to convey my topic in a better fashion.
As for the good in the speech, there are a few key points.(200) In the speech, I gave a thorough description of the procedure for any year, make, and model vehicle. This made it universal to the class and allowed for most of them to relate to the speech. The speech was also effective as the visual aids used helped to give a better understanding of how the steps are performed in a basic oil change. My voice seemed confident and my posture was confident as well.
Overall I felt that I gave a good speech and was able to pass on some of the knowledge I possess to my fellow classmates in an effective and efficient manner. I look forward to more speeches in the future.

A response to Ryan's opinion of Carrie Underwood

After reviewing Mr. O'Leary's blog on the topic of miss Carrie Underwood and her endorsement of the Humane Society of the United States, I have discovered that I agree with his statement. Also, I learned a little bit about the back round of this country singing celebrity. I am not sure that I agree with his statement that Carrie doesn't benefit from the endorsement of HSUS. Although HSUS may not have the same beliefs that she was raised with, miss Underwood has grown to form her own opinions as an adult. Also she has been able to attract fans which have similar views as her and because of that similarity, she has made more money and is able to relate to her audience at performances.

I am not sure that the HSUS website displays these practices which Mr. O'Leary claims will hurt the dairy, poultry, and swine industry. I was not able to find this information through the link. As a result I advise that another link be added leading to a reputable source which may back his statement made in his second paragraph. Although I am aware of the policies HSUS intends to impose on farmers around the country and I realize the detrimental effects, I also realize that others may not and for that reason I ask for a little clarification and perhaps more information on HSUS.

Is Tiger in you?

Over the past years Gatorade has chosen some of the nation's best athletes to promote their energy drink. One of their latest celebrity endorsements has been from Tiger Woods. Gatorade created ads featuring Tiger using their product and had even created a new label featuring Tiger. Ads were created and displayed on television to sell the Tiger Gatorade.

In my opinion I do not understand why Gatorade chose Tiger Woods to promote their energy drink. Tiger himself is an outstanding golfer and is famous, however, the sport of golf isn't exactly a sport that requires an energy drink. Golf in itself is a relaxing sport requiring very little physical effort compared to other sports, such as soccer or football. For that reason I fail to see the reason that Tiger would have experience with energy drinks as he shouldn't need them to play golf(144).

Until recently the celebrity endorsement given by Tiger was beneficial to Gatorade as their new design and appeal was able to sell more of their product and thus make more money. Tiger benefited by getting paid for his endorsement. By saying that he prefers Gatorade, Tiger was able to make millions in endorsements. Overall I believe that the campaign created by this endorsement was successful before the Tiger Woods scandal was exposed. The main reason for the success was the fact that Tiger was a very famous athlete, although he may not have the need for a sports drink, he still had an influence on public opinion.