In class, we watched the documentary Food Inc. These are my thoughts on three discussion questions.

1. What do you think about Oprah being sued for saying she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue eating hamburgers, as described in the film? What do you think about a law that prevents you from saying something negative about a particular food item?
I think this is a blatant violation of first amendment rights. It's amazing to me that the beef industry has so much political weight that it can squelch free speech. Libel laws once protected newspapers. In the case of The New York Times vs. Sullivan, courts ruled that proof of actual malice must be shown for defamed public figures to collect damages. Even though what the Times printed wasn't entirely true, the courts decided that Sullivan did not receive the same protection as private citizens. This precedent allowed newspapers to be the critical watchdogs necessary in our democracy. Now, it seems like companies are receiving the same protections as private citizens. ("Corporations are people") I think that of all industries, the food industry should be held to the highest standards. Besides, Oprah was describing her feelings, an opinion. There was no call to action. I don't care how many people watch Oprah, how was this even a case?

2. There is plenty of research showing that healthful food makes people feel better, have more energy, and stay well. Do you think if more people knew about this research, they would make different food choices? Why or why not?
Research about the harmful affects of cigarettes has been widely available for over 50 years. Still, millions smoke. While hot dogs and soda might not be as addictive as cigarettes, they are certainly cheaper. I think that by and large, people go for the better deal and are fooled by advertising daily. I used to work at Target, and we put up "As Advertised" signs that showed a price no lower than the regular price; still, people stocked up. Yes, down the road, they will pay for poor choices with medical pills, prescription costs, and even earlier death. But the majority of people seem pretty impulsive and short-sighted. Additionally, at least two generations of cultural tradition may be hard to disrupt with a collection of academic research. After all, what is the Fourth of July with out a hamburger off the grill, right?

3. In the film, author Michael Pollan says, "We've skewed our food system to the bad calories, and it's not an accident." What does he mean by this?
Corn is heavily subsidized. Corn products are in just about every processed food. Pollan discusses this more in-depth in his book The Omnivore's Dilemma. During the Great Depression, a system was established whereby the government would offer loans for farmers who kept their commodity crops off the market when prices were low. Since people always have to eat, fluctuating prices do not affect demand as in other industries. Supply is also different; unpredictable weather events affect crop yields from year to year. For these reasons, he argues that the free market system will never work in agriculture. However, during the Nixon administration, new regulations allowed the government to purchase commodity crops outright and pay farmers the difference between the market price and a "target price." This system only encourages farmers to grow more corn, and sell it at any price, flooding the market and driving down prices. It's no wonder that foods of marginal nutritional value have been developed to utilize as many corn ingredients as possible.

After reading Michael Pollan and Wendell Berry, I have a slightly better understanding of the economics of the food industry. Pollan very rationally illustrates the principle that matter cannot be created or destroyed, merely transferred from one state to another. The increases in yield per acre for crops like corn do not come without a price; for every acre of corn grown today, around 50 gallons of oil is used for tasks such as harvesting, transporting, and producing fertilizers.

I believe that every advance in technology comes with a price. For every progressive technological action, there seems to be an "equal and opposite reaction." Cars shorten the distance between us while simultaneously drawing lines against human interaction. They simplify travel, while creating traffic jams, urban sprawl, and harmful greenhouse gases. Electric cars avow a solution to one of these problems; now we just have to figure out what to do with all those dead batteries.

It seems the same with food. While nothing I read will immediately change my already-mindful eating habits, I would like to help affect change in the choices that are available to us as consumers. Berry makes a list of ways to eat responsibly. On his list is to "participate in food production to the extent that you can." Last year, I began a small garden in the backyard, unaware that the neighborhood association has a policy against planting vegetables. I don't know if a well-maintained garden brings down property values (shouldn't it be the reverse?), but it does seem a bit tyrannical not only to have limited choices at the supermarket, but also to prohibit one of life's basic tenants, the freedom to produce your own food.

These are my comments about Twitterives that were not presented in class.

Kelly McLaughlin - Reading With Analisa
I love this. Right from the well-written prologue, I was emotionally involved. But with each new chapter, my investment grew stronger and stronger. The organization is spot-on relevant: content grouped in chapters alternately scientific and romantic. Clicking though them was like reading the pages of a book. The parts based on research reinforced my conviction that reading to children is important, and the pages with personal stories brought the concepts life in an emotional climax--almost like a story!

I was impressed with the screen captures of tweets in the prologue. They have rounded corners and shadows behind them, and I want to know how to do this. The page with the book covers was such a good idea and well executed. In Chapter 4, I loved the detail of the narrative, like the bookmark that came from Chuck E. Cheese. These details really help create a realistic and poignant scene.

My only thoughts on revision: 1) I really hope that the interview to come is with Analisa. I feel like I almost know her, but want more. And if it is to be with her, I think putting it at the end is the right idea, like reading a book before you see the movie. And 2) I wanted to see a picture of you reading to her, or at least a picture of her face. This video would serve this purpose, and that might be enough. I like the pictures in the beginning, but they are distant and I kept remembering the picture that you have on your "About Me" page.

Pauline Tazewell - Love and Forgiveness
Wow, forgiveness is powerful stuff. I like the inclusion of "forgiveness is an action word" and that it is mentioned 145 times in the bible. This part of the Twitterive is powerful, and I can tell that the writer has experience talking about forgiveness. I think the repetend is strong: "I never gave up."  But I wonder if it sets the right tone for forgiveness. It seems like there are maybe two sides to the story, the struggle and the release. "Love and Forgiveness" is perhaps the second part of the story; maybe the first part is naivety, deception, or bitterness. Maybe these themes would be better organized on two pages.

I like the inclusion of the soon-to-be husband. It serves as a happy ending of sorts, but I had two questions. First, what is the reasoning for including a "current" diary entry at the beginning? And second, I want to know more about Reeves. Maybe this isn't the point of the story; I don't know. Maybe including too much about him would detract from the forgiveness theme; however, I thought that he got brushed over: a quick diary entry at the beginning and a wedding invitation at the end.

Ashley Pfaff - Letters to God
Using the repetition of letters is an effective way of telling the story here. I like that, while most seem semi-fictionalized, a photo of a "real" one is even included. This technique reminded me of the way the classic young adult novel "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret" uses letters to God to set off chapters. I can follow the dynamic main character's transformation from "non-believer" to "uplifted" through the letters. I also like the comments under "Symptoms of Depression:" they're almost like tweets! Running thoughts, add another dimension.

I think my favorite part of this twitterive is the small instance of three photos. It looks like it's the same photo, only each is progressively darker, like sinking into depression. I was wondering: might this be repeated towards the end, only in reverse? A picture gets lighter and lighter? Lastly, I noticed just a few common mistakes ("you're/your," "are/our," "christian's/Christians") that once corrected, will keep the reader from being distracted from the story.

Lindsay Jones - Car Crash
The images here are effective; we see phone screens, a smashed car, a girl in the hospital. They illustrate the narrative so I could understand what it felt like a little better. When the pictures of the smashed car appear in the story, the crash has just happened and it is night. However, the pictures are taken in the daylight. It shows the aftermath, but not the moment. Obviously, no one is going to recreate a car crash to take pictures, but it would be interesting to experiment with some photography of fragments of the night: a blurry traffic signal, the torso of a man running to help. It might take readers further into the story instead of daylight photos that might take them further out.

Two other thoughts: 1) There might be too much back story. There are a lot of events leading up to the crash that seem irrelevent. One possibility is to try leading off with the crash itself and work in details as needed. In lieu of extended backstory, the recovery seems ripe for expansion. I wanted to know more about getting back in a car, what it was like to conquer that fear. 2) The story doesn't really have an ending. I wanted to know: Does Monica heal? Do they remain friends? What is it like to drive again?