Marking Period 4 -Great For You?

Wal-Mart's new food label

Wal-Mart, one of the biggest food-selling corporations in America, have added a new label to make it nice and obvious what foods are "Great for You". Starting this spring, Wal-Mart has slapped the nice, big, green label on many of its in-house brands. They intend to work with other food brands and health groups to make labels First Lady Michelle Obama, supported the effort to help people make healthy choices. Goals announced included cutting back on sodium in packaged foods and eliminating industry produced fats. However, it's too early to tell whether or not the "Great For You" labels really will help consumers or if they'll just be another label among the plethora of labels already out there.

Marking Period 4 -Nutrition continued...

Why Aren't G.M.O. Foods Labeled?

Everything from sugar to trans fats to MSG can be found on the label, but not G.M.O.s (genetically modified organisms). Why? because they don't want to suggest or imply that these foods are "different" or "dangerous". Genetically engineered foods are of course different: they may grow faster, require fewer pesticides/fertilizers/herbicides, and reduce stress on land and water. However, they aren't all dangerous. People just steer away from them without even knowing much about them and how they work. What they really don't know is that G.M.O.'s already exist in a lot of our food, and more is probably on its way, but producers still are reluctant to label them -something that seems demeaning and undemocratic.

Marking Period 4 -Beginning Research

Chemical-Free Nonsense

Science writer of the L.A. Times, Deborah Blum, writes about the discrepancies of food labels, especially when they say something as bizarre as "chemical-free". Through a little research, Blum finds out that chemical-free only means that the product is free of industrial or synthesized chemical compounds; however, she is still skeptical of the safety of "natural" products. Not because of what a company might do to any food product, but the Earth itself has enough toxic elements that can get into our food. So is it nature or the additives that we should be worried about?

Analysis -Thomas L. Friedman, NY Times

Thomas L. Friedman can be classified as more of a liberal voice, but unlike some blind-liberals, Friedman has logical arguments that make sense when he's talking about the importance of the future of democracy and how much the Arab World may or may not be a part of that.
"Help Wanted"
1) Friedman's position is simply that the leaders of a democratic future are going to have to be bottom-up governors to get the best from the people early. After the Arab Spring, if all those little nations are going to become unified, stable, democratic countries, they need a "very courageous and special leader" (Help Wanted)
2) He communicates with his audience by using little metaphors. The title itself, "Help Wanted" demonstrates that someone is going to have to take on this task of "getting all those fish back and swimming together in one aquarium", and they'll need that special leader as soon as possible.
"Watching Elephants Fly"
1) In this post, Friedman hates to see leaders around the world not taking away as much as they possibly can from what has happened in Egypt and other Arab countries this past year. Since no one saw it coming, "what makes [them] think [they] know where it's going?" (Watching Elephants Fly)
2) In this post, Friedman uses simpler, but stronger language to emphasize the value of events such as the Arab Spring, something as common as watching elephants fly. "And whenever you see elephants flying, shut up and take notes". This makes it easier for the audience to understand what Friedman wants to see from the global sphere.

Synthesis -Thomas L. Friedman, NY Times

After reading a few of columnist Thomas L. Friedman's posts, it's pretty easy to tell what he believes is important  (and not so important) in today's society, nationally and internationally: brushing up on what it means to be a democracy and what a democratic government should be doing. Friedman takes the Arab Spring very seriously and knows that the world, especially big countries like the United States would be foolish to not learn anything from this kind of event. He understands how much this could change the Arab World, and if other countries want to help create a stable democracy in those Arab countries, they also need to start answering the most crucial questions of their own nation. What most nations need right now, is a bottom-up government that can find answers for the future of democracy as soon as possible, and the way to do that is to "Shut up and take notes". America has made a lot of mistakes, but what to do with democracy in the Arab World cannot be one of them post-2011.

Help Wanted

This week, columnist Thomas L. Friedman writes about the importance in this day and age to, as a leader, get the best out of the bottom-up, rather than the individual's ideas-down. The people in Russia after the fall of the USSR to the Middle East to Egypt to present-Russia won't stand for a change in leadership without their voices being heard. The people have more "freedom from" things. The democracy movement that has been happening in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries should be a wake up call to Russia's Vladimir Putin who just recently reappointed himself president.

Newt, Mitt, Bibi and Vladimir

This article shows that there is a wide range of attitudes towards the Israeli-Palestine conflict as 2011 comes to an end. Columnist Friedman criticizes Newt Gingrich, a member of the House of Representatives, for being too extreme on the Israeli side by saying the Palestine people are "invented". All his claims don't even end up very "pro-Israel" if you dissect the options Newt says Israel has. On the other hand, presidential candidate Mitt Romney just puts up the front that it doesn't matter what Israel does, America just has to applaud it. As for Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu "Bibi", isn't helping the thousands of confused Jews out there that at this point, don't know who they are. Israel seems to be facing a more cultural war than a political one.

The Arab Awakening and Israel

In this column, Friedman continues his investigation of the issues in the Middle East, this time focusing on Israel. He notes that Israel is in a really bad situation, considering it lost an ally, may be being targeted by Iran, and surrounded by unstable countries. Also, many people in Israel fear that it will be taken over by Islamists, especially because it has an Arab awakening practically in its own backyard. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu feels that the Arab world is actually moving backwards, and not forwards, meaning there is a valid possibility that Israel will be hurt, and the way Israel will come out of this well is not by doing nothing as it is now.

Introducing Op-Ed Columnist: Thomas L. Friedman

In the Arab World, It’s the Past vs. the Future

In this column, Thomas Friedman expounds on his concerns about the Arab world today. With the Arab Spring this past year and more countries such as Syria now with its own revolts, Friedman doesn't see a bright future for any of the Middle Eastern nations unless somehow, they get a peaceful transition to democracy. He is in awe of the determination of the Arab youth, but also sees reason to be cautious because of those countries' histories. Also, he questions if Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and others will be able to make this transition without any guide from the outside world.

Athletic Concussions (Synthesis)

I originally chose this topic because of the "Concussion Awareness" sheet I got earlier this fall that had to be signed and returned to the Athletic Office in order for me to play field hockey this season. At that time, I thought it was kind of silly that it was mandatory for every athlete at our school to have to do this if they wanted to be on a team. However, after looking more into why concussions are such a big deal in high school and even junior high level sports, I realized that there really was an increasing number of reported concussions and that parents, doctors, and coaches are all divided on how to fix this important health issue. I could understand why so many parents wanted some rules in sports such as hockey and football to change to help reduce the risk of concussions; however, as an athlete myself I feel like I wouldn't want any of the rules bent just to avoid risks. I agreed more with the coach's point of view that it is the responsibility of the coach to teach their athletes the right way to hit/tackle/block/etc. so that they are safe. I know my field hockey coach yelled at us if we ever raised our stick too high or lifted the ball into a group of people. Athletes won't put themselves in dangerous situations if they know and practice how to strategically work around them. One factor that I hadn't thought of was the issue with equipment. A lot of the columnists I read said that the changes and technology of sports equipment such as helmets and pads are the biggest reason why the number of concussions are increasing. I believe that in some cases this is very true, the helmets that NFL football players get are probably very different from those of youth football leagues, but they should have just the same amount of protection. Also, using a mouth guard myself, I wonder if it will ever be proven that mouth guards can help reduce concussions.

Athletic Concussions (2)

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/non-traditional-outlook-health-in-sports

Another way to look at concussions and other head injuries due to sports is the entertainment our society gets in watching dangerous, contact sports. And to be honest, those professional NFL/NHL athletes get the best equipment while kids following their heroes from youth leagues up to high school get "buckets that wouldn't be fit to protect your head from a single smack". This is why equipment isn't doing much to protect them from head injuries. However, because people have some strange mentality that when we watch sports, everything is okay when in reality, these athletes are pushing through a lot of pain during their games for our entertainment. Therefore nothing will really get fixed until we understand that small hits during a game can actually lead to long-term repercussions.

http://www.dotcult.com/hockey-concussion

Ryan Jones believes that the number of concussions is actually increasing because of the changes in the rules of hockey. Rules such as the trapezoid rule and the obstruction penalty has actually changed the way athletes play and have made it more dangerous for them. Jones also points out that the change in equipment might have an effect on why hockey has become more dangerous. While hockey pads used to be soft, now athletes wear hard plastic pads that are honestly more of a weapon than protection.

Athletic Concussions

http://www.themanitoban.com/articles/48388

There have been an increasing number of concussion reports in youth sports such as football and hockey, arousing more concern on how to protect children from concussions because very often the symptoms are subtle. Paediatric radiologist Dr. Martin Bunge says that the rules should be slightly altered for youth leagues. So for hockey there shouldn't be any checking or hitting until at least age 15 or 16. Thereby minimizing risks for younger athletes of getting concussions. On the other hand hockey coach Brian Foreman argues that hitting is a big part of the sport strategically and physically. Thefore it's up to the coaches to teach responsible hitting to the players at a young age so that they minimize their potential for injury over the years.

http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/mouth-guards-concussions-controversy-continues
Do mouth guards prevent concussions? The one piece of equipment that appears to be the sole protection from concussions in athletics is the mouth guard. Studies show that symptoms of a concussion are shown less in athletes that wear mouth guards, but that doesn't mean mouth guards directly prevent concussions. Columnist Brooke de Lench and other moms of athletes would love to see solid evidence that mouth guards prevent concussions, but for now, all they can really do is advocate for stricter enforcement of existing rules on safety, and wait until that evidence comes.

2 Year Anniversary of Typhoon Ketsana: Manila, Philippines

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20110926/800_ap_philippines_typhoon_110926.jpg?2



The center of this picture is the giant, all white, Marikitna statue -the symbol of the city Marikina, just east of where the massive typhoon claimed 500 lives on September 26th, 2009. The white statue is photographed from an angle that accents the height to commemorate the losses, but also the new lives and growth since the catastrophe. The bleak color of the sky also helps contrast the flower and emphasize the statue as a whole.The flower in the center of the statue's chest is the only bright colored accent in the entire picture. It also represents both a memorial and possibly something beautiful that the city still holds.

Leadership Crisis

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/opinion/sunday/leadership-crisis.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

The United States is facing another possible economic recession, and President Obama only has a year left in his term before the 2012 elections. However, the problems our nation has faced -unemployment, financial deficit, etc- haven't been resolved and haven't exactly been improving. Part of this is because it is clear that the Republicans won't cooperate with him or the Democrats, and very little has come into agreement within the two parties. Although Mr. Obama has also done a lot, it hasn't been enough. The solution for President Obama now is to take on Congress and focus on the public, because it's the people, not the arguing capital, that he needs to make his case to.

Remember 9/11

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14875533

TEN YEARS AGO on September 11, 2001, approximately 3000 people lost their lives due to a terrorist attack on the United States. Peter Negron is the son of one of many innocent men that were killed that day. Peter was only 11 years old when he was suddenly left without a parent, like so many other children were within hours of the attack. In 2003, Negron read a poem called "Stars" for his dad and all those people still remembering. Today, Negron, now 21, shared another message with the nation about growth, strength, and reflection. He spoke about how he's wished that his father was with him to watch him and his younger brother grow, but also that he's learned so much from his father even after his death. "I hope I can make my father proud" he says. "I miss you so much, Dad."