Response to Stephanie's Post (For Friday the 30th)

Stephanie Geiger chose the celebrity endorsement, Drew Barrymore, the 2009 Cover girl. She said the Barrymore advertises the new Cover girl mascara, known as the Lashblast mascara. Stephanie said that Barrymore is a great endorser because she stays true to herself and many teens look up to her. Barrymore is very successful because she is pretty and has not been into trouble with authorities or any media. The quote that I enjoyed in Stephanie’s post was “We partnered with Drew because she emulates the ironic image of cover girl with her fresh, natural beauty and energetic yet authentic spirit.” I liked this quote from Cover girl because it really expressed how they felt about Barrymore’s appearance and style.
Stephanie’s ideas and opinions in the post are great. She is honest and very convincing. It helped to have a video clip, so that I could actually she the beautiful commercial once again. I agree with Stephanie 100% because Barrymore has always been true to herself and she is very striking and beautiful in her commercials. Along with Barrymore’s great commercial, movies also help here in her success in selling the product. I think that movies help her sell the mascara because most people see her in movies. Therefore, when they see the commercial they are that more willing to buy

Sidney Crosby adn Reebok (For Friday the 30th)

Sidney Crosby is the youngest captain in the National Hockey League to ever win a Stanley Cup. He is a young talented and very good looking player. Some people do not like him because they think he is a baby. However, that does not stop people from buying Reebok apparel and equipment. Reebok has not always been the most popular brand on the market for hockey equipment. It has not been that popular because other brands have been more advanced and better commercialized.
Since Sidney Crosby has now been sponsored by Reebok, people have buying Reebok hockey equipment no stop. Crosby is a very appropriate endorser for this brand because he is so talented. Along with his talent he has good looks and respectful attitude on and off the ice. The endorsement has been very successful for both parties because Crosby loves Reebok equipment and Reebok has been selling a lot more products. This campaign is fairly new and I think it will continue to have an amazing outcome because Crosby will be in the National Hockey League for the rest of his life. It will continue to be successful because he and his team won the Stanley Cup last year. Also his team will continue to make the National Hockey League Playoffs. Young teens and kids look up to Crosby and think he is unreal, which will help his endorsement.
The link below is a commercial of Crosby showing off Reebok's apparel and equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MP-zqkJUi4

Response to Kari's celebrity endorsement

Kari’s article was about a celebrity endorsement. She talked about Halle Berry and her last year popular fragrance release. It is funny that I read this post because I actually have bought the new Halle Berry fragrance not even knowing that is the most popular perfume on the market. Kari mentions that this is top selling item because of who is advertizing the product. Since Halle Berry is sexy and good looking, most women want to look that way. Therefore, more people are willing to buy it because the smell of the great perfume will make you feel sexy and beautiful. I agree with this statement that Kari wrote because when I wore the fragrance I totally felt that I smelt sexy and fresh. However, Kari did say that celebrity advertizing can be dangerous because if the celebrity does not use the product than that can turn back on the company and make them look bad. Therefore, the company will lose a lot of money because if the public knows that the celebrity is not wearing it, then they will not purchase it.
Kari’s post was very informational and her opinions and facts were very clear. I do agree with everything that Kari wrote because I have actually purchased the product. However, I have not purchased some products because I know for a fact that some celebrities do not use the product that they advertize. This article was interesting to read and from now on I will think about which type of products I buy at the store.

Comparing articles about the drinking age

I chose two opposing articles online about the drinking age. One article supported that the drinking age in the United States should be twenty-one and the other article should be changed to eighteen.
The first article (http://www.cspinet.org/booze/mlpafact.htm) supporting the drinking age to continue to be twenty –one stated a lot of facts. One main fact that was brought up was that a National Study found that kids in high school drank more when they had a lower drinking age of eighteen, compared to kids in high school that had to follow a drink age of twenty-one. Another topic that was mentioned was that kids who start drinking at age eighteen are more willing to drink more heavily in college and as they get older. The article said if the drink age were to be lowered it to eighteen than kids younger than eighteen would start to drink even earlier than eighteen.
The second article (http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html) offered a lot of reasons why the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. The article mentioned that most kids drink under the age of twenty-one because they want to rebel and go against authority. Therefore, it is an adrenalin rush for the kids because they try not to get caught by the cops, but they are not as worried because of their alcohol consumption. One fact that stood out was that drinking and driving accidents percentage decreased, but before the drinking age was raised to twenty-one. The last fact that was surprising to me was since the drinking age has gone up missing class percentage, lower grade percentage, getting in drinking fights percentage and vomiting after drinking percentage have all gone up a more than a couple percent.
I think that the first article about the drinking age should stay at twenty-one is more convincing. I think that it is more convincing because of all the facts that were listed. My opinion has not changed after I have read the articles. I still think that the drinking age in the United States should stay at twenty-one because kids are not responsible enough at eighteen. The only argument that I have is that I feel there are other factors that need to be considered in the second article is that more kids have started to go to college. Therefore, I feel that may have affected the results of some of the percentages. After reading the articles my personal feelings are the same as the writers themselves on the topic. In other words I agree with the first article in some areas and I agree with the second article in some areas.

Peer Respones to Andrew's Cooked Meal

After reading Andrew’s blog about his delicious mash potatoes and biscuits, I decided to tell my mom about it so she could make them sometime. Even though he found the recipe on the internet I still give him credit for this great combination. Also now I will be able to just go straight to his blog to figure out the recipe, rather than going on the internet and trying to find it.
However, besides the great meal that he seemed to prepare, I disagree that he thinks that processed foods are not that bad for you. I disagree with him because as an athlete you constantly have to watch what you eat. Also I have had numerous nutritious talks about what is healthy for you and what is not. My trainer always stresses on eating real foods, which are non processed foods. Also she always mentions that if you want to have non processed foods you should only have them once in awhile because they do nothing but bad for the body. Therefore, in Andrew’s case he says that he can see why people do not like to cook a meal from scratch because it takes so long. I understand that processed foods are more convenient, but people need to understand what they are really fueling their body with.
The article that Andrew found a lot of facts that support why people should not be eating processed foods. The one thing that concerns me with college students is that I feel we are always in a rush. Therefore, it is just easier for us to eat the unhealthy processed foods. I think this would change if State Street and other locations had more organic restaurants.
The article that I found supports even further that people should be eating real food over processed foods.

Prepare a Meal

Three of my friends and I decided to have dinner one night at my place. Since I was the host I was the one who had to cook. I planned to make marinated grilled chicken breast on whole wheat buns with lettuce and tomato. Along with the chicken breast was a tossed Caesar salad. To drink I offered Pepsi, skim milk, and water. Therefore, before going to the store I made a list of things I needed; three chicken breast, Italian dressing (for marinating), whole wheat buns, a head of lettuce, one tomato, mayonnaise, a bag of tossed salad, Caesar dressing, a 2 liter of Pepsi, a gallon of skim milk, and water. I went to the store and went to the dairy section to get the milk and headed up and down each aisle to get what I needed. When I returned to my house I put the chicken breast in a plastic bag with the Italian dressing to marinate them over night because it gives them more flavor the next day.
When I returned to my house from class the next day I had to get down to business because my friends were going to be there by six o’clock and it was already five fifteen. Therefore, I put the marinated chicken breast on the grill and while they were cooking I cut up the tomato and peeled some lettuce. Since I am so cheap I just used paper plates to serve everything. Therefore, I put the whole wheat buns, a slice of tomato, and a piece of lettuce on each plate. Then I went back to the chicken breast and flipped them. The Caesar salad was the easiest thing out of the whole dinner. All I did was cut a little hole in the bag and squeezed the Caesar dressing in it. Then I shook the bag a little bit and put a small portion on each plate. The chicken breasts were done now and therefore it was time for my friends and I to eat. My friends enjoyed the dinner; especially the chicken breast. After dinner was finished I cleaned up by just simply taking each of the plates and throwing them away. I felt great about the dinner I made and knew that all the preparation was truly worth it.
I agree with the quote in Pollan’s book, “a flood of damaging innovation…such as low-fat processed food,” because processed food is so unhealthy for Americans. The reason Americans like processed food over non- processed food is because processed food tastes better and it requires less preparation than non- processed food. However, Americans look at the low-fat words on the processed food and think well it says low fat so it must not be that bad for you. The meal I made does not affect my opinion because I made a healthy and non-processed meal. For example, I grilled the chicken breast instead of buying pre-cooked frozen patties.
The link listed supports my opinion that processed food is bad for you compared to non-processed. Therefore, I agree with the websites contents.

Self Evaluation of Speech

After reviewing the video of my speech I was actually quite surprised because I did not realize how I sounded during a public speaking setting. I think that I started off well and it defiantly helped that no one had ever played hockey before. I could explain my topic quite easy because I get dressed for hockey practice every day. Therefore, I remember by heart how to get ready and I do not even need to look at a piece of paper. It was relevant because no one had ever played before and by watching my demonstration they then knew how to dress themselves or someone else. I thought that the organization of my steps was pretty well thought out because I started from the bottom of the body to the top. However, I told the class that I would tell them what each piece of gear protected and I forgot about the shin guards and gloves. As a result, I was a little unorganized with my thoughts at the time.
When looking at the physical part of my presentation. My volume, visibility, eye contact, body language, and energy were positive and upbeat. However, at some parts in my presentation I could have been a little more enthusiastic. I say this because I feel I was a little too comfortable up in front of everybody and I could have changed my voice tone more. The one thing that helped my energy was the effectiveness of my visual aids. Obviously if I did not have my hockey equipment the audience would have been lost from the very first step. When I made eye contact with the audience throughout the speech, they seemed pretty intrigued and interested about the hockey gear. Since they were so interested it made me feel more comfortable standing up in front of them.
If I had to choose a topic again, I would choose the same one because I was so familiar with it which made speaking in front of people that much easier. After watching my speech I think I would change my voice to be more enthusiastic because I feel I could have grabbed the audience better. Overall I thought I did a pretty good job for my first demonstration speech ever.

Response to Carrie Edmunds Post About "Fake" vs. "Real" Food

After reading Carrie’s post about margarine and butter, I would have to disagree with her only in one way. I disagree with her because she says she cannot notice the difference between margarine and butter. I can tell the difference between them because all I have ever eaten was butter. My mom cooks all her meals with butter and we only have butter in our refrigerator.
Beside the point in her post about the taste I agree with her in every other aspect. I agree that you cannot tell the difference in smell and looks. Also I agree with her when she mentions the fact about obesity in the U.S. and how it is a major problem. Since margarine is cheaper at stores I think that when I live in an apartment next year I will end up buying margarine. However, I like the taste of butter is way better then margarine and I think that I will have a hard time switching over. I think the reason that will make it easier for me to switch is that margarine has less saturated fat content and less cholesterol. Agreeing with Carrie again next year I will probably buy margarine, but still use butter for cooking purposes. The reason I will use butter for cooking is because for some reason I can really tell the difference between the two in a big proportioned meal.
The link I found supports Carrie’s post and agrees with my response. It talks about how margarine is better for you than butter.

"Real" food vs. "fake" food

If I were to choose a food that I love to eat, I would choose scrambled eggs. However, I can really tell the difference between McDonald’s scrambled eggs and the eggs that I eat from my neighbor’s farm. McDonald’s scrambles eggs, known as “fake” food, look and taste totally different. When I order McDonald’s scrambled eggs they look very fake and the color of them is quite different from the farm eggs. Also the eggs taste completely different. They taste as if they have many artificial flavors and chemicals added to them. However, McDonald’s does a phenomenal job at covering up the eggs because they smell exactly like home cooked scrambled eggs. Despite the fact that McDonald’s eggs look and taste different, they still have some similar essential vitamins/nutrients. They have vitamins C and protein. These “fake” eggs are pretty nutritionally equivalent to farms eggs. Farm eggs have vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and protein. The “fake” eggs from McDonald’s are definitely not better for you then the “real” eggs from the farm next door. This is because of all the chemicals and extra ingredients such as, liquid margarine that they put in them (Romer, 2009).
The reason people still eat McDonalds eggs is because it is convenient, cheap, and your still getting the similar protein and vitamin intake. Even though McDonald’s eggs are convenient and cheap I still think that people prefer non-processed eggs over processed. After discussing the “real” and “fake” eggs I think I will still eat the McDonald’s eggs. However, I will still prefer the farm eggs over the McDonald’s because I cannot stand the way I feel after eating McDonald’s breakfast. I feel as though I ate a whole plate of processed food.
The link posted talks about “real” food without a doubt is better for you than processed food. I agree with this article because of the way I feel after eating processed food. After I eat processed food I feel gross and I feel as though I need to get my body flushed out from all the chemicals.

Romer, L.V. (2009). Are You filling up on real food or fake food?. Retrieved from http://rawplus.com/fake.html

Response to In Defense of Food, by Micheal Pollan(introduction and chapters 1-4)

After reading the introduction and first four chapters of Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, I was really surprised on some of the arguments that came up. One argument was about protein against carbohydrates and which one should be a bigger factor in ones diet. This argument started because like he mentioned in the book that proteins were the most important thing to eat in one century and carbohydrates were more important in another century. Another argument that Pollan brings up is what types of food and vitamins can cause or prohibit cancer. A third argument that he discussed was about fake foods being better for the body than real foods. For example, real butter versus the fake margarine that everyone tends to buy now days. The last argument of Pollan’s that stood out at me was the fact that some foods can be imitation. This fact sort of scared me because one could be eating something that they think is healthy, when really it is the exact opposite.

Pollan mentions that some citrus fruits and vegetables protect our bodies from cancer or even heart attacks. I agree with this statement because when one thinks of the unhealthiest foods, most think of greasy burgers and fries. Therefore, those types of unhealthy foods can cause clogging of the arteries and create a heart attack. Another key point that I agree with is the whole subject about fake foods being better for you then the real ones. Generally I disagree with this statement because the sound of fake foods just sounds bad for the body. For example, margarine, a fake food, has a main ingredient that might cause heart attacks. However, most fake foods have a lot more preservatives in them, which keep bacteria and germs out of our food. Since I know preservatives keep bacteria out, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable about eating fake foods than real foods.

The link listed supports my statement about preservatives being good for the body because preservatives fight off bacteria and germs.