The paper proposal was difficult only because I consistently find it difficult to begin writing. Once I start I can usually churn out and edit ideas rather quickly, but starting always poses a challenge. If I had more time, I would have spent longer revising it and checking for errors in spelling but I was in a hurry while writing it because I had four other papers I was working on and no way to print them out. I know that I need to work on my time management. It felt strange to write the paper proposal in first person. I haven't written anything in first person that isn't personal writing, and the entire time I was unsure of whether I was actually supposed to do it this way. It felt awkward and too casual to be taken seriously.
The easiest part about the paper proposal was the fact that I already had all the information I needed at my fingertips. Because it's a personal view on the information, it didn't require the tedious going back and forth between sources and references to make sure the information was correct. It flowed much easier than the other assignments we'd done. It felt good to get my opinion out and explain where I felt like I was having trouble. That way I can go through my final paper after it's finished and use the proposal as a checklist to change what needs to be fixed. There was definitely problems with the initial idea that I hadn't developed before now- I never really intended to delve that deep into the issue and wanted to stick to the shallow basic areas regarding the paleo diet, but the sheer bulk of the research required that I get up close and personal with the caveman diet.
I'm still not sure exactly where I stand on the issue, but I know that I don't think as highly of the idea as some of the others. I mean, I understand that the foods in the diet are healthy and we should be eating them anyway, but using the caveman diet as an excuse feels like a trope just to grab attention and make it seem more desirable. It would be much easier to just call it an all natural diet. Besides, there isn't nearly as much "natural" food left anymore. The only way you're really going to get completely natural food is if you grow it yourself and monitor your own farming techniques.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Blog Post 7
Mrs. Marlene Zuk,
I understand that you are the leading expert in the paleolithic diet study. I am studying the diet, and upon reading your interviews and articles, found that I disagree with your point of view. You state in your articles that there is not a single paleolithic diet. I disagree- although ancient peoples did move repeatedly to follow animals and herds, the general type of food they searched for did not change. I understand how you would consider this constantly changing society to reflect the diet, but it is incorrect. The exact foods you eat differ every day, but when one considers a diet it does not regard the individual foods, but the type of foods. I would be incorrect if I stated that ancient peoples ate the exact same thing each and every day, but instead of looking at the individual foods, I implore you to look at the bigger picture.
I also ask that you consider giving the diet some support. People cling to the idea of anything that could make them healthier or help them become better people. For people with diseases like diabetes, the only cure is a lot of insulin and a healthy diet. Saying that this diet is a fraud greatly lowers public morale. By giving support to the diet, you can help encourage a healthier world- even if it isn't for the reason they think it is. Food is such a necessary part of our culture, and you can see how desperate people are to improve their quality of life. By supporting this diet you would be giving the credibility we need to jumpstart a trend of health foods. And who knows? Maybe even though this diet isn't exactly paleolithic, it might evolve into a diet that our bodies are more familiar with.
The human body, since ancient times, has gone through a lot. By ingesting GMOs and artificial elements through sweeteners and dyes, we have lost the nutrients we need to survive. Evolution has shown that we evolve into what we need most, and our bodies evolved towards meat and agriculture for a reason. We lived long enough without artificial sweeteners, and many people were healthy then. Why would we need them now? If we could remove artificial elements from the modern diet, we may be able to improve the way we grow and care for food. It doesn't have to be a strictly paleolithic diet, but it has to be backed by someone the people recognize and trust.
Please consider,
Professor of Ecology and Diet
Penn State University (or whatever other university you like take your pick)
I understand that you are the leading expert in the paleolithic diet study. I am studying the diet, and upon reading your interviews and articles, found that I disagree with your point of view. You state in your articles that there is not a single paleolithic diet. I disagree- although ancient peoples did move repeatedly to follow animals and herds, the general type of food they searched for did not change. I understand how you would consider this constantly changing society to reflect the diet, but it is incorrect. The exact foods you eat differ every day, but when one considers a diet it does not regard the individual foods, but the type of foods. I would be incorrect if I stated that ancient peoples ate the exact same thing each and every day, but instead of looking at the individual foods, I implore you to look at the bigger picture.
I also ask that you consider giving the diet some support. People cling to the idea of anything that could make them healthier or help them become better people. For people with diseases like diabetes, the only cure is a lot of insulin and a healthy diet. Saying that this diet is a fraud greatly lowers public morale. By giving support to the diet, you can help encourage a healthier world- even if it isn't for the reason they think it is. Food is such a necessary part of our culture, and you can see how desperate people are to improve their quality of life. By supporting this diet you would be giving the credibility we need to jumpstart a trend of health foods. And who knows? Maybe even though this diet isn't exactly paleolithic, it might evolve into a diet that our bodies are more familiar with.
The human body, since ancient times, has gone through a lot. By ingesting GMOs and artificial elements through sweeteners and dyes, we have lost the nutrients we need to survive. Evolution has shown that we evolve into what we need most, and our bodies evolved towards meat and agriculture for a reason. We lived long enough without artificial sweeteners, and many people were healthy then. Why would we need them now? If we could remove artificial elements from the modern diet, we may be able to improve the way we grow and care for food. It doesn't have to be a strictly paleolithic diet, but it has to be backed by someone the people recognize and trust.
Please consider,
Professor of Ecology and Diet
Penn State University (or whatever other university you like take your pick)
Blog Post 6
According to what we learned in class, Ethos is the use of language to prove or present credibility, or in simpler terms, Bones from Star Trek. Because he is a doctor, we trust his judgement and accept what he tells us. An example of Ethos would be finding a medical source from a credible doctor or professor of medicine. Logos is Spock- an argument that uses logic and facts to appeal to our persuasive mind. Logos would be statistical evidence, and clear facts that can be verified. Finally, Pathos, or our beloved Captain Kirk ( a classic captain, but Picard still stands as my favorite). Pathos is an appeal to emotions, as Kirk demonstrates in every single scene he is in. In literary terms, this allows the person persuading to connect with the emotional or sympathetic side of someone. An example of Pathos would be those annoyingly depressing ASPCA advertisements that everyone changes the channel on because no one wants to hear the same sad song with various pictures of animals looking unhappy. Here I shall gracefully and artfully jump-cut to the newspaper ad.
Everyone remembers the familiar thunk of a VHS tape sliding into place. It reminds us of an earlier time- when we woke up early on saturdays to watch cartoons, and when rewinding at the end of every watch was something few of us remembered to do. Tapes are a fundamental part of our past- I'm sure everyone has their own stories about accidentally taping over their favorite show, or making audio mix tapes for their friends. VHS tapes are easy to work, relatively cheap, and hard to find- that's why you should jump at this rare opportunity to get this VHS machine now! As an employee of SONY, I know for a fact that VHS tapes and tape players are a rare find nowadays, and this particular model is in excellent condition. It is in perfect working order, and the package includes all the cables and instructions necessary for installation. It works with any television set, and can be plugged into any type of wall plug (non US buyers can add an adapter for a small fee). While it's difficult nowadays to keep up with changing technology, it's nice to have something familiar and comforting. Blu-ray, DVDs, and all the other formats that are common now are easy to scratch, and easy to lose. While tapes may be somewhat bulky, they're sturdy and easy to store. Please answer this ad for more information.
Everyone remembers the familiar thunk of a VHS tape sliding into place. It reminds us of an earlier time- when we woke up early on saturdays to watch cartoons, and when rewinding at the end of every watch was something few of us remembered to do. Tapes are a fundamental part of our past- I'm sure everyone has their own stories about accidentally taping over their favorite show, or making audio mix tapes for their friends. VHS tapes are easy to work, relatively cheap, and hard to find- that's why you should jump at this rare opportunity to get this VHS machine now! As an employee of SONY, I know for a fact that VHS tapes and tape players are a rare find nowadays, and this particular model is in excellent condition. It is in perfect working order, and the package includes all the cables and instructions necessary for installation. It works with any television set, and can be plugged into any type of wall plug (non US buyers can add an adapter for a small fee). While it's difficult nowadays to keep up with changing technology, it's nice to have something familiar and comforting. Blu-ray, DVDs, and all the other formats that are common now are easy to scratch, and easy to lose. While tapes may be somewhat bulky, they're sturdy and easy to store. Please answer this ad for more information.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Blog Post 5
The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to allow the reader some information on the sources so they can more easily understand them. Looking at a bibliography can be kind of confusing, especially if you don't know anything about the sources. For people who don't know much about the topic or how to read citations themselves, it gives a short summary so they can analyze and evaluate the source to see if it is necessary to their research or reading. That way the reader doesn't have to spend hours backtracking and wasting time and effort through what could be pages of sources in order to find one specific author or article. The source annotations are usually a paragraph long, and approximately 200 words. If someone is checking sources to grade or evaluate a paper, it makes it easier to see if the person used credible sources. It also prevents the grader or reader from having to go and read all of the sources in their entirety to understand what the author is talking about.
I find it to be helpful, although a bit tedious. I find it difficult to understand bibliographies if I'm reading them straight out, and I'm not sure what to look for if I need to go back and check a source for specific information. The annotations help me organize all of the source's facts and info, and summarizing it makes it easier for me to understand. The fact that annotations have to be so concise forces me to reread the sources, sometimes more than once, and focus on what is really important. It's also very helpful to have the author's name and type of source at the beginning, because it's much clearer and easier to look up than picking apart the citation itself. Showing the summary also proves to the reader that I have read the source and understand it well enough to present a general idea of the article or book.. From that point further, the reader can assume that I am armed with enough information to provide a solid and credible argument. Researchers and students would find this style of bibliography very helpful, especially when looking for obscure or very detailed topics. I say this because when dealing with a complicated or specific topic, especially one in which there are multiple sources by the same author, it's very difficult to keep many sources separate. I'm not sure if the use of APA versus MLA makes a difference in the formatting of the annotation, but no matter which type of citation I use I suppose it's the same information and the same article.
I find it to be helpful, although a bit tedious. I find it difficult to understand bibliographies if I'm reading them straight out, and I'm not sure what to look for if I need to go back and check a source for specific information. The annotations help me organize all of the source's facts and info, and summarizing it makes it easier for me to understand. The fact that annotations have to be so concise forces me to reread the sources, sometimes more than once, and focus on what is really important. It's also very helpful to have the author's name and type of source at the beginning, because it's much clearer and easier to look up than picking apart the citation itself. Showing the summary also proves to the reader that I have read the source and understand it well enough to present a general idea of the article or book.. From that point further, the reader can assume that I am armed with enough information to provide a solid and credible argument. Researchers and students would find this style of bibliography very helpful, especially when looking for obscure or very detailed topics. I say this because when dealing with a complicated or specific topic, especially one in which there are multiple sources by the same author, it's very difficult to keep many sources separate. I'm not sure if the use of APA versus MLA makes a difference in the formatting of the annotation, but no matter which type of citation I use I suppose it's the same information and the same article.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Blog Post 4
It was relatively easy to read and comprehensively understand the sources I have been looking at, mainly because I have no experience with the topic. Since I don't know anything about it, each source has given a particular insight into whether or not the paleo diet could be a good idea. I think the best source I have right now is the Evolution of Diet article from National Geographic- it not only provides plenty of information but looks at different cultures' diets to compare it with our modern diet. I liked the fact that it questioned what we as people will do when the earth's population has grown. It was a question I hadn't thought of before- from what I've seen on earth so far in my relatively short life, plants and animals are a renewable resource. I didn't think of the paleo diet as a way to effectively ration food based on portions, but now that question sits in my mind quite heavily. I keep wondering- if we keep up our habits of factory farming and whatnot, will we someday run out of food? I hope I'm not alive when that happens.
As I continue reading, I hope to form my own opinion on whether or not the paleo diet is a good idea. I am inclined to think that it's far better for us than what we currently eat (fast food, GMOs, etc.) but the truth is that I would most likely be unable to do it. I'm rather weak willed when it comes to diet change, and I would probably go back to my usual eating style after a few days. The article Cavemen Who Walk Among Us disagrees with the paleo diet, albeit in a passive way. I think that I will probably have to look for more sources because the majority of information out there on the paleo diet is positive and attempting to convince people that the paleo diet is better. I was hard pressed to find articles that called the diet fraudulent or attempted to debunk it. That said, I'll keep looking for more sources. However, I did find some articles that argued against the topic. The New York Times article The Evolutionary Search for Our Perfect Past brings up the fact that when people say the diet was eaten by their ancient ancestors, there is very little information as to which ancestors. The idea of a paleo diet is in itself very vague, and the author claims that looking back to the pleistocene gives the illusion of getting back to nature. Earth is evolving, and so are we. I like that we live in a world where information is easily accessed and people can make the choice to eat what they want. My question is, do we really know what's best for us?
As I continue reading, I hope to form my own opinion on whether or not the paleo diet is a good idea. I am inclined to think that it's far better for us than what we currently eat (fast food, GMOs, etc.) but the truth is that I would most likely be unable to do it. I'm rather weak willed when it comes to diet change, and I would probably go back to my usual eating style after a few days. The article Cavemen Who Walk Among Us disagrees with the paleo diet, albeit in a passive way. I think that I will probably have to look for more sources because the majority of information out there on the paleo diet is positive and attempting to convince people that the paleo diet is better. I was hard pressed to find articles that called the diet fraudulent or attempted to debunk it. That said, I'll keep looking for more sources. However, I did find some articles that argued against the topic. The New York Times article The Evolutionary Search for Our Perfect Past brings up the fact that when people say the diet was eaten by their ancient ancestors, there is very little information as to which ancestors. The idea of a paleo diet is in itself very vague, and the author claims that looking back to the pleistocene gives the illusion of getting back to nature. Earth is evolving, and so are we. I like that we live in a world where information is easily accessed and people can make the choice to eat what they want. My question is, do we really know what's best for us?
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Blog Post 3
The topic I chose was the paleo diet. I had heard of the diet before, but I know little to nothing about it. That was one of the reasons I decided to use it- I wanted something different, something that would require new information. I also chose this topic because as an anthropology major, I am deeply interested in the ancient world and prehistory, and though it is a stretch to connect the two, the paleo diet does have a little to do with prehistoric life. The basic idea of the diet is to recreate the hunter-gatherer diet of early humans during the Paleolithic era. The major argument for this diet is simple- since this was the original diet that early human beings ate, it is the diet that humans were built for and meant to eat. The converse argument to this is that human beings have evolved away from that diet for a reason.
I hope to go into depth regarding the foods permitted for the diet, how they affect the body, and what the modern human being needs to be healthy. I will then look at the paleolithic human and research their diet regarding plants, animals, and other environmental factors affecting diet. The primary focus of my paper will compare the paleolithic human body to the modern human body to see why or if humans have evolved away from ancient food towards modern food. Since modern diets are highly composed of genetically modified foods, the body has had to adapt. We also face a lot of pesticides and preservatives that are not only unnatural but possibly toxic.
I personally eat a lot of meat and starch, and I know it isn't necessarily healthy, but since I'm anemic (not iron deficient), I have to eat a lot every day or else I don't have the energy to function. I've had very rough drops in blood sugar if I don't eat enough, so part of me wants to know if this paleo diet could ever sustain me if I decided to try it. I'm happy with my weight, so it isn't as much desire to try the diet as it is curiosity, but it piqued my interest in ancient things as well so I decided to give it a try. I realized that we don't really think about food that much, especially when it comes to prehistoric earth. Many of the foods we eat didn't exist- it was just fruit, roots, and meat when you could get it. I love food, so I'm not sure if I'd make it in a world with no pizza or pasta or ice cream, but ancient humans did, so it makes me wonder if it's really for the best.
I hope to go into depth regarding the foods permitted for the diet, how they affect the body, and what the modern human being needs to be healthy. I will then look at the paleolithic human and research their diet regarding plants, animals, and other environmental factors affecting diet. The primary focus of my paper will compare the paleolithic human body to the modern human body to see why or if humans have evolved away from ancient food towards modern food. Since modern diets are highly composed of genetically modified foods, the body has had to adapt. We also face a lot of pesticides and preservatives that are not only unnatural but possibly toxic.
I personally eat a lot of meat and starch, and I know it isn't necessarily healthy, but since I'm anemic (not iron deficient), I have to eat a lot every day or else I don't have the energy to function. I've had very rough drops in blood sugar if I don't eat enough, so part of me wants to know if this paleo diet could ever sustain me if I decided to try it. I'm happy with my weight, so it isn't as much desire to try the diet as it is curiosity, but it piqued my interest in ancient things as well so I decided to give it a try. I realized that we don't really think about food that much, especially when it comes to prehistoric earth. Many of the foods we eat didn't exist- it was just fruit, roots, and meat when you could get it. I love food, so I'm not sure if I'd make it in a world with no pizza or pasta or ice cream, but ancient humans did, so it makes me wonder if it's really for the best.
Blog Post 2
I love to write, but in the past I have struggled with citations. Since I'm going to be writing a lot of papers in college, I know that I need to use citations correctly so I can give the authors of work their due. The hardest part for me was not only figuring out where the citation needed to go, but the actual format of the citation itself. I'm never really sure if I'm doing it correctly, and I know that can be dangerous when it comes to writing papers. I am good at paraphrasing, but I know that sometimes it should not be used as opposed to direct quotes.
I also suffer from writer's block when it comes to essays. Because I write poetry and short stories, I am familiar with the frustration it can cause, but I get much more stressed when it comes to school papers. I want to learn how to write longer and more in depth essays without spending hours staring at an empty page. Writer's block is my worst enemy. To me, there is nothing worse than not knowing what to say, and I often find myself angry because I know what I want to write but my brain refuses to translate it onto the page in the way that I want it to look. I end up at the end of the night with a paper that I am dissatisfied with but will turn in simply because it's done.
Another skill I want to learn is how to revise and edit my work. Too often I make one draft and realize after I get the graded work back that I made a mistake that could have been easily fixed. I need to focus more on not only what I'm writing but how I'm writing it. I can't afford to make silly mistakes, especially on courses I need to graduate. I figure that I worked hard to get into this school, so there is no reason why I cannot work hard to stay here. The difference between revision and editing has always been confusing for me. Until now I assumed that they were interchangeable and basically the same thing.
The last two skills I need to work on are presenting research with confidence and working in a group. I am used to being the student in my class without a partner, so I haven't really had much experience working in a group. I often chose to work alone because I worry about my grade being shared with someone else, and I can get paranoid about being judged by others. I am good at public speaking and have done it many times before, but confidence is an issue. I tend to try to be as humble and polite as possible, and I don't like giving people criticism. I need to learn these skills to be successful in college and as a student. Hopefully this class will give me the information and skills that I need to be a better writer.
I also suffer from writer's block when it comes to essays. Because I write poetry and short stories, I am familiar with the frustration it can cause, but I get much more stressed when it comes to school papers. I want to learn how to write longer and more in depth essays without spending hours staring at an empty page. Writer's block is my worst enemy. To me, there is nothing worse than not knowing what to say, and I often find myself angry because I know what I want to write but my brain refuses to translate it onto the page in the way that I want it to look. I end up at the end of the night with a paper that I am dissatisfied with but will turn in simply because it's done.
Another skill I want to learn is how to revise and edit my work. Too often I make one draft and realize after I get the graded work back that I made a mistake that could have been easily fixed. I need to focus more on not only what I'm writing but how I'm writing it. I can't afford to make silly mistakes, especially on courses I need to graduate. I figure that I worked hard to get into this school, so there is no reason why I cannot work hard to stay here. The difference between revision and editing has always been confusing for me. Until now I assumed that they were interchangeable and basically the same thing.
The last two skills I need to work on are presenting research with confidence and working in a group. I am used to being the student in my class without a partner, so I haven't really had much experience working in a group. I often chose to work alone because I worry about my grade being shared with someone else, and I can get paranoid about being judged by others. I am good at public speaking and have done it many times before, but confidence is an issue. I tend to try to be as humble and polite as possible, and I don't like giving people criticism. I need to learn these skills to be successful in college and as a student. Hopefully this class will give me the information and skills that I need to be a better writer.
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