Cameron Pistillo is a man who chips away at himself each and every day in such a way that he is refining himself. Refining himself down to a point where you can only see what he truly stands for, and who he truly is as a person. Cameron’s journey as a writer has been tenderly cared to, and always pushed down the right path, or just pushed in some direction in general. He never really knew where he was headed. To this day he is still unsure, but each day shapes him more and more, as if he’s a piece of rock and life is a dremel. One of the way’s Cameron was refined this semester was through his skill of analyzation and preparation. He learned to truly show something his effort by finding the sources and being interested in the research he was doing. One of the biggest things he learned is that something is all the more fun if you personally are motivated to achieve something, or to share the information you have acquired. As a writer before this semester, he looked like he was going with the flow or just doing what he needed to get by. He just needed to add his own sentiment and motivation to make his work truly something he wished to share.
Cultural Food Icons tackle Antibiotics
Researchers think the antibiotics used to work by suppressing low-grade infections. In recent years, however, pork producers found other ways to accomplish the same thing through improved hygiene. This has occurred even while swine operations grow. As a result, the drugs have become largely superfluous yet many farmers still use them.
Deconstructing the Gender of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”
In one of my favorite shows, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, gender plays a huge role in the characters, comedy, and message of the show. Their is only two main female characters on the show, and four men. The two ladies by the name of “Dee” and “The waitress”, are both mistreated by the men in a humoring manor, that’s not completely offensive. A lot of the humor comes from the picking on of the two female characters in the series. This could be an offensive way to look at the show for many women, as it could be seen as degrading. But, the show is loved by many people because it is so funny. What message does this drive into people today? The sad part is, it’s kind of humoring to see “Dee” get picked on and treated unfairly in their group of friends. 
The gender of the characters is a key aspect in the humor of the show. Playing the two against each other makes for interesting feud’s and relationships. The male roles in this series have a perspective that women are lesser than them. The guys rarely listen to Dee’s advice or ideas, and they barely pay her any attention, as if her words are meaningless. This could be seen as a potential influence towards a more male audience.
“The Best of Dee”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2TJKOz7ZiY
Science Of Shopping
Analyzing stores under the guidelines of Paco Underhill’s theories you can begin to depict between the different strategies stores use to give you every incentive to make a purchase. I chose to visit Group USA, a woman’s dress store located in Arizona Mills mall. Taking a look at the store I can relate a lot of their strategies to Underhill’s theory. These strategies range from store design and layout, to lighting and placement of the product. The store leaves you a bread crumb trail of strategies used up to the second you purchase your product. Taking Underhill’s theories into consideration can completely change your shopping experience.
Underhill states that when a customer enters a store, they typically go right. Knowing this, I now choose to go left upon first entering the store. Analyzing the layout of Group USA, I look at the dresses they have over on the right hand entrance and compare those to the left hand side. I found that in this particular store there wasn’t any significant change in the price, design, or quality. But, I did notice that in the front of the store they display some of their more expensive dresses for potential customers to see as they walk by the front of their store. Yet in the front of the store behind the displays, they keep their cheaper dresses, while the more expensive dresses are actually in the back of the store. This is a strategy the store uses because they know not every day does a lady drop a thousand dollars on a dress.
The lighting and design in Group USA is bright and vibrant. Lights are used to light up the many portraits that line the walls. The portraits and photographs that are placed along the wall display images of happy individuals and families in black and white. Most of these photos look like they were taken in the 1900’s. The people in these pictures all look joyous and gives the store that same positive feel. Overhead lights hang over the areas with product layed out, strategically placed to draw your eyes. With the lights, and the photos placed on the walls the store has a happy, vibrant feel to it.
Group USA has its breadcrumb trail left for you, to lead you to a purchase. They use displays at the front of the store to draw you in. Once you’re in, you’re bound to most likely go right according to Underhill’s theory. They give the store a comfortable feel by the design of the store, all the walls and pillars are white, this complements many of the white expensive dresses that line the back wall. Once you are deep in the store you start to reach these more expensive dresses, where a concierge is usually around to help you if you want to try any of them on, or have any questions. They use this strategy knowing it takes a little irking of the customer for them to make a bigger purchase.
Group USA is now a store that has my full understanding about their use of strategies. When heading into a store it’s interesting to take Underhill’s theory and apply it to your shopping experience. When giving thought to his theory it really makes it easy to analyze the store and the strategies they’re using to get make you purchase. These strategies go down to the fundamentals of the building and its layout, and to simpler things such as the lighting and placement of the product.
Antibiotics Kill
Antibiotic resistance occurs when an antibiotic has lost its ability to effectively control or kill bacterial growth; in other words, the bacteria are “resistant” and continue to multiply in the presence of therapeutic levels of an antibiotic. Antibiotic resistance can cause serious disease and is an important public health problem. It can be prevented by minimizing unnecessary prescribing and over-prescribing of antibiotics, the correct use of prescribed antibiotics, and good hygiene and infection control. Use of antibiotics on farms has been extremely controversial in the past and to this day. By using antibiotics we are creating drug resistant pathogens that could eventually travel to a human. This is where the scare of this study lies, many locals are showing up to their local hospitals with urinary tract infections and multiple other types of infections that comes from drug resistant pathogens in meat and other food sources. The use of antibiotics with animals promotes growth and healthy animals, but is effecting the natural gene selection and adaptation creating a potential risk. Antibiotic resistance cannot necessarily be prevented but the process can be slowed down. While some resistant bacteria are found naturally in the environment, pathogens and non-pathogens are released into the environment in several ways, contributing to a web of resistance that includes humans, animals, and the environment.
With the help of antibiotics, American meat production has tripled over the last 50 years. But with the growth also came concerns. Antibiotics made for a cheaper and higher grade meat industry which people obviously supported. If you added these drugs to the feed of the animal it prevented sickness, and reduced amount of feed needed which helped with cost. One of the unintended causes of this advancements was antibiotic resistance. The question today is there a link between animal sickness and human sickness? Substantial data show elevated antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with animals fed NTAs and their food products. This resistance spreads to other animals and humans—directly by contact and indirectly via the food chain, water, air, and manured and sludge-fertilized soils. (American Society for Microbiology)
There are a lot of unknowns in this field. The direct link hasn’t been made between an animal who was given antibiotics, and a human that ate the produce causing sickness. Even though this direct connection hasn’t been made it’s easy to look at rising trends such as hospital visits, common infections, and causes of illness. “Each year, millions of people in the United States become sick from food-borne and other enteric (gastrointestinal) infections. While many of these infections are mild and do not require treatment, antibiotics can be lifesaving in severe infections. Antibiotic resistance compromises our ability to treat these infections and is a serious threat to public health.” (Centers For Disease Control). An antibiotic resistant bacteria called MRSA has been known to travel from pig farms to people. Scientists found that person’s with MRSA infections tend to be near a large confined animal feeding operation. The theory is that the MRSA causing some of the infections is coming from pig manure. When you have antibiotics in feeds, the manure is loaded with that bacterial waste.
People living close to these farms or near one of these feedings are 38% more likely to acquire MRSA. Using antibiotics in the feed of these barns is resulting in antibiotic resistant genes which travels in a variety of different ways. Many hospitals are receiving tons of locals with infections that are tying back to these pathogens. “WHO’s 2014 report on global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance reveals that antibiotic resistance is no longer a prediction for the future; it is happening right now, across the world, and is putting at risk the ability to treat common infections in the community and hospitals. Without urgent, coordinated action, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill.” (Who) For a single patient with a skin infection, or other bacterial infection, antibiotic resistance may mean that a prescribed medication does not work the way it is supposed to. This may result in an infection that does not heal as quickly, or other complications such as additional visits to the doctor, additional tests, and another prescription for a different antibiotic. The infection may get worse before resistance is discovered and the treatment is changed.
For the entire community, and all over the world, antibiotic resistance is a problem because many bacteria that cause infections are becoming more resistant to commonly-used antibiotic treatments. New medications are slowly being developed to treat resistant bacteria. Appropriate strategies for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance should reflect identified scientific or public health objectives, resources and available technical capacity for testing, and sustainability. These antibiotic resistant organisms surely aren’t going unnoticed and are being monitored heavily. As a community everyone must do their part in preventing rapid progression in these organisms. Any misuse, abuse, and overuse of antibiotics leads to resistant organisms that is jeopardizing the health of the world.
References
Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report and Foodborne Germs. (2014, April 14). Retrieved December 15, 2014, from
http://www.cdc.gov/narms/resources/threats.html
Postier, Russell G, P. (n.d.). Antibiotic-resistant organism infection. Retrieved December 3, 2014, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212790996/BD6271A189E74AC2PQ/4?accountid=38189
University of Advancing Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2014, from http://uat.waldo.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=68103
University of Advancing Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2014, from http://uat.waldo.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=67449
100 Ways to Die in English Composition
If enrolling into your first college english course doesn’t kill you nor does the reminder that you will spend countless hours writing papers that won’t affect your future in any way, then you’re a trooper. But, this isn’t where it stops. Because little did you know, there are hundreds of ways to die in english Composition. Peering into my past, I never really enjoyed an english course. I never enjoyed the prompts given, the teacher, or the atmosphere of the class. My first college level english course gave me a different perspective, with more freedom, a better atmosphere and a helpful teacher.
English composition provided me with more freedom than any past english courses. My teacher, Yvonne Watterson, also supported the students own idea’s and whatever we wanted to write about. Even though there is a rubric, and a general expectation of the work you turn in, you’re basically free to write about whatever you please. I learned that this is one of the most important aspects of writing. Writing about something you’re interested in gives a person that drive to acquire and progress in that knowledge, and share it. Incorporating your writing with a little soul searching make for perfect acquaintances. If you’re like me, and you don’t really know where you’re headed in life yet, searching through these topics and finding ones that interest you guides you through a little bit of that process.
Having a good relationship with the teacher is essential to the enjoyment of any course. But, you must reach out and put in your effort to make that connection. Having good communication with your teacher is a huge factor in maintaining a good grade. In this particular english composition course the teachers effort to make that connection is obvious. Keeping in mind that she has her own personal schedule, sometimes assignments are graded a little late and the shell can be confusing. But if you do your work on time, this is nothing a little patience can’t fix. The teacher is more than happy to make compromises with the student as well, as long as that student is working of course.
This english course provided a completely different atmosphere than any course I’ve had in the past. I believe the atmosphere is created by the attitudes of the student and teacher. Even though our class is very quiet, I enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. I find quieter environments easier to work and focus in. The teacher is very active, always willing to walk around and offer her assistance. This gives sort of a comforting feel, especially with asking questions. Similar to many, my question’s go unstated most of the time and stay pent up in my brain. In this course, it was easier to let those questions flow out, letting them get addressed.
Overall, I enjoyed my first college level english course more than I did any of my past english classes. The comforting atmosphere makes for an easy writing environment where no ideas are judged. The freedom given to the students to broadcast whatever idea they wish makes for a more integratable class. The teacher who is always willing to help and work with you to ensure the grade you desire makes this an overall great course.
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Describing People Within a Picture!
When you walk into someone’s home the first thing you typically notice is the smell, but what personal ideas about that person do the items and accessories in their home give you? The way my “space” is set up says a lot about me. My desk space would show you I’m a student, and my Xbox shows you I play games in my free time. If I walk into somebody’s home and I see animals that are well fed and treated I would assume that person is caring, or if I saw junk everywhere I would think that person was stressed or disorganized.
Our possessions have great value and to each person those possessions and symbols are representation of who they are. If I had my laptop, or T.V stolen I would be frustrated, upset, and a whole mix of emotions just because of another person’s choice to tamper with and steal my belongings. Our possessions and symbols do give us a sense of security and stability and I believe it’s healthy. There is nothing wrong with expression.
My room is a representation of myself. My desk with two monitors show’s that I’m more of a serious computer user. I have lots of electronic devices laying around such as an iPad, Xbox, phones, which would tell you that i’m into technology. My protein and workout supplements sit next to my running shoes which shows that i’m into fitness and sports.
Size Matters?
“There’s an entire industry around this type of roles, with celebrity trainers like Gunnar Peterson and Harley Pasternak, two of the most expensive, in-demand, and efficient trainers on actors’ payroll, putting their clients through hell for up to 3 months before the film starts shooting. Books and news articles are written, supplements sold, and workout routines advertised: in other words, money is being made. Indeed, women are more objectified on the big screen than men (more on that next week, I promise), but that’s not to say it doesn’t happen to the guys too. If anything, looking ripped so that they can be paraded on camera is now part of their contract, a prerequisite for being a versatile actor and, yes, action star.” Say’s the Size Matters blog.
In today’s society we parade ourselves around the role models and models, that are provided to us in our everyday lives. But role models have changed due to the way we produce ad’s and the people on them. It’s rare you ever see a man on a billboard who isn’t ripped, or “buff”. Same goes for women’s ads, they only show what a “perfect” girl in today’s society should look like. Not only is this effecting society, but the self confidence of the individual. These ads are made to make you envy, they do a good job because it’s rare that people are happy with their bodies when it doesn’t look as what it seen as “perfect”. This has effected me in my life as well throughout my middle school years because I was “too skinny”. I was tired of being made fun of, so I turned to steroid use to get the body that people wanted to see. Society and the demand to meet what’s perfect drove into making a mistake, and self confidence issues lead to many suicides each day. The girl’s you see in most of these ads have their imperfections photo shopped out, and those guys use illegal supplements to look that way at great cost. Being fit is important and everybody should partake in fitness, but nobody should feel low about the way they look because of what society has turned “perfect” into.
Physical Fitness Round-up
Cody’s blog on fitness goes into detail about how fitness can effect children and adults with depression induced by stress or ADHD. Physical education is proven to relieve stress. James A. Blumenthal, Ph.D. and his colleagues said that, “The group of patients who had been treated with only exercise had the lowest rates of depresssion and relapse, compared to the other cohorts who had been treated with only Zoloft, or even a combination of Zoloft and exercise.” Physical exercise is essential and is a huge part of my life today. Check out more of Cody’s findings on the benefits of physical fitness on his blog!
Health is important to me and I want to make sure I maintain a healthy body my entire life. In her blog, Melissa Bender states that, “There are many different aspects that go into creating a healthy life. Health isn’t just above being physically fit. It’s not just about not being sick. Some people can be free from illness without being healthy. To me health is about being physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.”
I couldn’t agree more Melissa, that’s why I have demoted my life to making sure i’m at peace emotionally, pushing myself physically, and being positive mentally. Everyday I wake up and state positive intentions for myself to set my day in a positive direction right from the start. Good mental health is all about the attitude you choose to put out and the energy you surround yourself with. Being in-touch with your emotions is another way to stay healthy, letting yourself cry is good. Holding in any emotion can be stressful.
Check out her blog for more fitness tips and tricks on how to stay healthy emotionally, physically and mentally!
For me, getting to the gym can be a hassle. That’s why I do a variation of floor exercises and easy at home workouts that take 10 minutes or less. My life has become so busy with school and work that it’s hard to find a good hour of my day to dedicate to the gym. Check out Men’s Fitness guide on how to get jacked with easy at home workouts that save you time.
R.A.F.T
Role: Judgement
Audience: Myself
Format: Poem
Topic: Good judgement
Cameron,
You have so much potential,
I’d hate to see that go,
But if you’re going to make it,
There is one thing you should know,
Making judgments is essential,
But please do not forget,
It’s never a bad thing to take a dip and get yourself wet,
But our lives are built from choices,
everything we hear,
You need to step up, come on volunteer,
I know it’s hard to find motivation,
think of the possibilities,
You can impact our whole nation,
Provide us new abilities,
To reach this point in your life,
It all goes back to choices,
And maybe once in a while,
You should listen to those voices,
Sometimes you think you know it all,
But you’re sorely mistaken,
it takes time for so much knowledge to be taken,
Don’t regret your mistakes,
Simply learn your lesson,
Point that positive energy, in a new direction.
cameronkonin 