A Take On Hemer's Post

The blog post that I decided to view was Ethan Hemer’s. The post that I viewed was the one in which we had to choose a celebrity and a certain advertisement that they had endorsed. Ethan Hemer decided to choose Chuck Norris and his endorsement of The Total Gym exercise product. Ethan talks about this product and about how easy it is to use. He says the main selling point is the fact that you don’t need all these extra devices and weights to get a good workout in, but instead you can use this one machine and change it to different angles to use the whole versatility of it. He then talks about how Chuck Norris is a great endorsement for this product because Chuck Norris is such a cool guy and inspiration to many people. Ethan also believes that Chuck Norris has done his job for endorsing the Total Gym exercise product and believes that it got the job done.

I would have to agree with everything that Ethan said. Chuck Norris is a prime example of someone who has worked out to achieve a great fitness level and if I’m going to take advice from anybody about working out, then Chuck Norris is who it’s going to be. Many people admire Chuck Norris for shows such as “Walker Texas Ranger”, and would love to learn the awesome karate moves and have the physical fitness that he has. When he says that a work out machine works and is a great product to invest in, then the public is going to trust his word.

I liked Ethan Hemer’s choice of Chuck Norris and the Total Gym exercise product. He describes the product very well and gives great reasons as to why people should trust Chuck Norris. Everyone loves Chuck Norris and knows how big of a BAMF he is.

The Obesity Epidemic

After doing all my research about obesity, I still feel that it needs to be a high priority for America and its people. The costs of obesity are more than just being an extra few pounds, but have turned into a huge financial cost and have been the cause of many early deaths. With around 300,000 obesity related deaths a year, I would think that people are now willing to do something about it. If there was ever a time to try and help then it’s now. The way to help this problem is by implementing an active exercise routine and healthier diet into middle and grade schools. Many people think that they can’t do anything to get these policies passed but the truth is, everyone can. Organizations like the Robert Woods Foundation and the ING group make it possible for anyone to give many and help with the obesity problem. These groups donate money and give schools initiative to implement more gym class and healthier menus.

When I attended middle school, we didn’t have any recess. Along with that, we only had gym class for a week every month. Luckily, I participated in sports outside of school, but I watched as many kids who didn’t work out or play sports just sat around all day and as I grew up with them, I could notice them put on more and more weight. This is a personal experience that comes to mind when I think about the problem America is facing. To help out, donate, or just to read up more on the different organizations that can help, go here or here. If a person isn’t interested in donating money then there are still ways to help. People just need to take control of what they can handle and that is their own health. People need to start getting active and eating healthier. By doing these things you can promote a healthier type of living.

Celebrity Endorsement

One endorsement that I have taken notice to when I watch the television is Jessica Simpson’s endorsement of Proactive. Proactive is a lotion that you can run on your skin to help prevent and clear away acne. Simpson has endorsed this product and talks about her own personal experience with the product. She talks about how at one time she had outbreaks all over her face that made her feel uncomfortable and self-conscious in her body. She tells about her story and how she came about finding Proactive. She supports that product in saying that it cleared up her skin and also, still helps her maintain her smooth clean skin today.

I believe that Jessica Simpson is an appropriate choice for a person who can endorse this product. She is a well-known name, and she has used that product so she has personal experience with it. I mean, it’s known that she has great skin and she attributes it to Proactive. Obviously, Jessica Simpson doesn’t know the “ins” and “outs” of Proactive and how it works, but she has seen the results and can testify for how well it works.

I think the endorsement will have the desired outcome that it is looking for. Jessica Simpson is a very popular figure who has had experience with the product. There are a ton of people out there, especially young girls, who look at Jessica Simpson and want to look the way she does. They would love to try the product if it is working for a Jessica Simpson and the results are clear. Simpson has a wide fan base and having her endorse this product will have a positive influence on Proactive.

BCS vs. Playoff System: College Football

The controversial topic that I have decided to write about is the discussion that has been taking place in college football for the past couple years. There is an argument over whether to keep the current Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system that decides the national champion or to get rid of that system and implement a playoff to crown the number one team in college football.

Those who are for the playoff system believe that the current BCS system doesn’t allow many of the top teams in the country the chance to play for the national championship. They believe that a team who might have had a rough start at the beginning of the year, but has won seven games in a row might be able to run through a playoff to show that they are the number one team in the country. They believe that the BCS doesn’t do justice for the majority of the teams around the country.

The article that argues for the BCS staying in place believes that it should because it allows for more excitement throughout the entire year. With the BCS, every single game counts and directly affects your season. As seen through many years, a single loss could hold a team out of the national championship game and just have two undefeated teams play together.

Being a college football player, I have my own opinion on this issue. I believe that the BCS should stay intact and continue to be the system that is used to determine the national champion and other bowl games. The importance of each game is heightened when one loss can ruin a season, and the excitement brews from this. Also, a playoff system would mean that there are more games and that the season would be longer and this is something that I definitely would not be in favor for. The season is long enough as it is and it takes its physical tolls on the people involved. Obviously, viewers might like it, but they aren’t the ones having to endure it.

Red Meat and Cancer

The article Baloney Science On The Perils Of Meat by David Becker talks about the newly found accusations against red meat. These accusations say that eating red meat can lead to a higher possibility of developing prostate cancer and advanced prostate cancer. However, the article also says that these newly found facts about red meat are meant to just reach headlines and grab attention rather than actually hold any actual importance. This is something that grabbed my attention. I mean, why even talk about it if it’s doing no good at all for the public. However, there is no stopping the media these days so the new facts must be disputed and this article by David Becker does just that. The article is basically just arguing the claim that red meat causes prostate cancer and its advanced form.

Within the article, Becker refers to a Dr. David Newman who believes that the statistics showing that red meat causes prostate cancer are so miniscule that he refers to them as laughable. The study that does support the idea that red meat causes cancer is so far-fetched that Dr. Newman says that these results will basically be thrown out the window eventually. As I read the article and looked through the supporting evidence, I too couldn’t believe that people were even making a big deal out of it. The percent increase within meat eaters and their likeliness to get prostate cancer compared to non-meat eaters is literally half a percent.

To me, this is just the media making a big deal out of nothing like they sometimes do and making more problems for the public to worry about. After I read the article, I came upon the conclusion that unless some sort of new evidence and statistics are brought to everyone’s attention then this should just be forgotten about.

An Unhealthy Diet

One product that has producers that are making questionable health claims with their ads is Kellogg’s Special K. With its new media campaign, Kellogg is starting to advertise that by eating their product a person can lose at least six pounds in just two weeks. In this ad, it is advertised that by taking a certain Kellogg’s Special K “challenge” it is easy to lose those six pounds. They give instructions for how to follow through with the “challenge”.

These instructions insist on eating two Special K meals a day in replace for two of your usual meals during the day and eat your usual third meal the way you always do. That’s it. They advertise that that is all you have to do to lose six pounds in two weeks. I have a hard time believing that that is all there is to it or else the U.S wouldn’t have a huge obesity problem. I imagine that maybe with a healthy constructed workout program that supplements the Special K diet it would be possible to lose those six pounds, but losing so much weight at such a fast pace can be unhealthy for the body.

If I were someone who was trying to lose weight, I would definitely not go about doing it the way Kellogg says a person should. The advertisement is just misleading to begin with and therefore, I just wouldn’t trust it. I would trust the basics if I were planning on losing weight. People aren’t stupid, and I believe that if someone is trying to lose weight then they know what foods are acceptable and unacceptable to put into their bodies. It isn’t hard. With a healthy workout program that someone sticks too and a healthy diet, anyone can lose weight; The Kellogg challenge is unnecessary.

My Self-Evaluation

As I watched my presentation on how to throw a football, I tried to evaluate myself as a non-bias observer. When I viewed my video I just wanted to be fair with what I thought of it to give myself a realistic self-review. So to do this I’ll critique my video by its content, visual aid, my delivery, and the general effectiveness of my “how to” speech.

First, with the content of my speech, I think I did a pretty good job. When it comes to throwing footballs, I broke down the steps in order from first to last and repeated my steps numerous times so to demonstrate the importance of each step. I talked about the steps and walked through them and then had an overview at the end of my speech in my conclusion. When it comes to my visual aid, I believe that it could have been better. As I watch, I felt that I was lackadaisical when I demonstrated the throwing portion with Ethan Hemer. Although, I wanted him to show what he had learned, I also believe I could have done a better job as I was working with him. I do, however, believe that I did a good job of delivering my speech. I had good eye contact with the audience at all times, I didn’t rush through steps, and as I watched, I felt that I was pretty enthusiastic about teaching how to throw a football.

As I look back on my “how to” speech and its overall effectiveness, I feel pretty good about it. Obviously, there were some things that I could have worked on to better my speech such as not being so formal with the audience or having a more structured speech, but I still think the way it came off was good. I involved the audience and thought that I kept their attention for my speech. I liked my speech and thought that it ended up being an above average presentation on how to throw a football.

A Salami Sandwich for One

If I were hungry and looking to prepare a meal for myself, I think I would make a salami sandwich. I would make this meal for a couple of different reasons. One, it’s my favorite lunch meal and second, it is super easy to prepare. First, I would start by getting some white bread and salami out from the refrigerator. I would then toast my bread so it could be warm when I put the cold salami on and eat it. Then I would get the toast, put it on a plate, and start by putting pieces of salami on each one of the pieces of toast. When I had the right amount of salami on there, I would sprinkle some Lays chips on to the separate pieces. Finally, I would crush the two pieces of toast together, each one consisting of toast, salami, and potato chips. I would then check to see if I had made a mess or not, in order to make sure that I had cleaned up everything. After I put the bread, salami, and chips away, I would enjoy my sandwich.

Michael Pollan talks about how the American public has forgotten how to eat food for pleasure and instead, just eating and then moving on with their day. However, I can’t speak for the American public; I can only speak for myself. With that being said, I would have to disagree with Pollan’s claims. I savor every time I eat. I love food as bad as that may sound, but it’s true. With my salami sandwich I would definitely try to take in every flavor I can taste and appreciate what I have just made.

I haven’t just accepted low-fat processed food. Instead, I love home-made, fresh food. The “real” food that Michael Pollan talks about earlier in the book is still making up a huge part of the food that I consume. I would have to disagree with his statement then because I am the only evidence that I can go off of.

Real and Fake Food

One food that I use to eat in its “real” form but tend to eat in its “fake” form these days is fish. I would use to eat real, fresh fish that my parents would cook and make for my brothers and me, but now days, when I am eating fish, I am usually eating fish sticks from a fast food restaurant or from a box. The “fish” that I am now eating is fake, processed, and chemically enhanced.

Compared to real fish, the fake fish that comes in fish sticks that I get at McDonalds or a shopping market is crispy and crunchy. I can make fish sticks in a microwave while to make real fish I would need to grill it. However, some of the qualities are a little alike. The small of fish seems to stay the same for both products. I feel like there is a much more natural smell to a real fish that I would be eating, but in the end, the products hold a similar smell.

I believe this change in eating from the “real” thing to the “fake” thing was mainly because of convenience. When I was younger, I was more dependent on my parents for making my dinner for me. Fish just happened to appear on the menu every once in a while. However, while I got older, I started to fend for myself when it came to dinner. I could get something quick and easy to make from a shopping market, or I just went to a fast food restaurant because it was cheaper and faster. As I get older, I think that I will fade away from eating fast food and therefore, stop eating the “fake” kind of fish. I will grow up and start actually making fresh food, and if this happens, then I will start eating “real” fish again.

In Defense of Food

In this first blog, I will talk about the first couple of chapters in Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food. Within these chapters, Pollan talks about and attacks the food industry, nutritionists, the "Western Diet", and how food is made. Also, he gives away the whole point of the book and his whole reason for writing the book very early on. The main point of the book, Pollan says, is to eat food but not too much, and he says you should eat mostly vegetables. That right there is a very small general outline of the book and its main point. One thing that he tries to make very clear when he says “eat food”, is to eat real food. What he means by this is to eat the wholesome kinds of food that we have eaten for most of our existence. He attacks the new, processed, chemically induced food with all of its nutrients that have been believed to give us a healthier diet and way of living. He pronounces this as completely wrong. Pollan argues that our “food” has been replaced by “nutrients”. As I read more and more about this point that Pollan introduced about food and nutrients, I realized that I agreed with what he was saying. He talks about how food in our world today is all about things like lowering cholesterol, saturated fat, and having fiber but that it misses some essential points along the way. He says that people and scientists are almost starting to look too much into the idea of food and eating healthier and with this, food is becoming artificial. These things have started to take away from the old, wholesome foods that use to fill people’s lives. Pollan argues that when foods are just filled with chemicals and nutrients, they can at times lack any vitamins, essential fats, or amino acids that people need. This article that I found really supports the idea of eating more wholesome, "real" foods instead of the nutrient enhanced foods of today.http://www.foodrenegade.com/food-not-nutrients/