Sources! Find the irony

When searching for sources in English 101, I’ve found that it is best to search for a source on the general topic of my paper to start with. Once you have found a couple of different options to look through, you should skim them to find which ones have the most relevant information. This is a long and daunting task, but when you find an article or a book worth citing, it adds a lot of depth to the paper. This is true only if it directly pertains to your topic. As They Say, I Say mentions, you need to make sure that you don’t “quote and run” (41). If the quote or paraphrase does not add insight into your topic, or is not placed in a proper location, it is worthless to your paper.

It is also important to find enough sources that you not only have appropriate information to support your thesis, but that you also have multiple theories, opinions, or facts to refer to in order to build credibility. This shows that you really did research and put time and effort into the paper.

In high school, I was taught that you know where to place quotes or sources in your paper by judging where you have concrete details (CD) and commentary (CM). The method usually alternates with between one CD and one or two CMs, then repeat it. Basically, when you use a concrete detail, or a source, make sure to back it up with your commentary—an explanation and why it is relevant to your thesis—before you introduce another concrete detail. The reason behind this formula is that your paper has a nice flow while incorporating your own personal touch with the facts. This makes for a supported, and hopefully interesting paper.

Borlaug Blog

In Norman Borlaug’s article, he sets right a few misnomers about genetically modified crops, clearing the haze about the so-called hazards of them. He supports his views on this by saying that even Mother Nature modifies genetics. The way mankind does it now is only to “benefit feeding the human race” (489). It is a shame that people in the media criticize it so much, because there is no evidence that GMOs are bad for human health. I agree with Borlaug that people should stop worrying about the genetic make up of their food, and start worrying about the rest of the world that needs to be fed. It’s like what Penn said in his television show: it’s easy to reject this kind of food when you’re living in a beach house in California.

Paper 3 Article

The study by Mark A. Gray titled, “The Industrial Food Stream and its Alternatives in the United States: An Introduction”, states that the “global food stream” is moving toward more of a direct marketing, in which the consumer is more in touch with the producer. This is mostly concerned with organic foods, but is starting to branch out toward the more industrial side of food production. However, Gray states, “Direct marketing is successful only when small producers exploit the weaknesses of the industrial food system”.
The last two statements seem to me as if they contradict each other. I think what they are trying to do is trying to convert people from industrial to a “new agriculture”, which seems to me they define quite similarly to organic. Getting to the study itself, they attempts to answer the question, “How does the industrial food stream impose itself on individuals and communities?” This seems relevant in coming up with a convincing argument for an ethical food community. I may use it to support points on why an industrial food community is better for people.

Gray, M. A. (2000). The Industrial food stream and its alternatives in the united states: an introduction. Human Organization, 59(2), Retrieved from http://sfaa.metapress.com/media/d86tgdtuun3wngylwa7w/contributions/x/m/3/2/xm3235743p6618j3_html/fulltext.html

FINAL chapters, thank god.

To be honest, I am so glad to be done with The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It seemed a boring read…up until these last few chapters. I felt that Pollan really let his sense of humor come out, which made things a bit more interesting to read. I guess it’s a reward for suffering through the whole book. However, I thought that sentimentality and dramatics of the hunting chapter were a little much, and a little out of character compared to the rest of the book.

To move on from the voice and on to the concept of the last chapters, in chapter eighteen, Pollan manages to kill a pig. While Angelo, his hunting “Virgil”, is cleaning it, Pollan is faced with the problem of knowing where your food comes from, that was questioned throughout the book. Once he sees how disgusting the cleaning of the pig is, he questions whether he wants to eat it or not. He also talks about the pride he felt after killing the pig, but then when he views the pictures later, sees them as almost naughty and wonders how he could ever feel such pride. This is the thing that eaters of America are lacking today: a link between the animal and their food and what it takes to get it. This is a prominent theme in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and Pollan tries to put it in perspective through his personal experience.