Samantha Parker Final Portfolio

Written Expression November 6, 2012 Daryl Benjamin

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TABLE OF CONTENTS -PromptsWhy Culinary? ---3 Superpower---4-5 Omnivores---5 Glass Heart---6 Rose---6 Three Favorite Foods---7 Cooking for an Enemy---8 Music---9-10 -Persuasive Essay11-12

-MemoirPrologue---13 Rest---14-16 -Radio Advertisement17 -King Corn Worksheet17-19

-Rolling Notes20-32

Why Culinary?
My first culinary experience that made me realize I wanted to be a chef was when I was 11 years old, both of my parents were working at the time and my sister and I went to my Mimi and Papas house after school every day. I was always interested in food and in being in the kitchen, for some reason it always fascinated me and I was always trying to help mom, Mimi and Memere in the kitchen. At my Mimi and Papas house I had a pretend kitchen/restaurant and I was given all sorts of little pots and pans, empty boxes and spice containers. My Mimi even helped me make a stove and oven out of a plastic storage drawers and card board boxes. One day I was pretending to write a recipe for vegetable soup. Mimi saw it and looked it over and asked if I wanted to make it for real. I remember the feeling when she asked that. I was so happy and excited. Stuff like this doesnt usually get kids that age pumped but for me that was a very big deal. We looked at it and switched a few ingredients. For example the tomatoes were switched for canned soup and water was switched for chicken broth and so on. One weekend we went shopping, got everything we needed that wasnt at the house and spent all day making it. I remember it took hours (or to me it felt like it). For the first half hour we let the carrots and potatoes cook and then we added the rice, corn and spices, and added chicken broth when needed. We tasted and adjusted and then we had a real recipe written. Since then I was asked by family to make it often and the recipe has been readjusted and had other ingredients switched and replaced depending on what I needed it for (dad normally asked to have hamburger added to it). My Mimi still has the original recipe card in with her other recipes. She even wrote the date on it somewhere. I still remember how proud I was too. I know it was just soup and anyone can come up with a simple recipe like mine but because I thought of it and I did most of the work. I used my imagination a lot as a kid (hence the pretend restaurant I had), and that fact that something that I imagined became real was a huge deal for me. Ever since then I knew I wanted to be a chef. It was something that always seemed to click and came naturally to me. I learned as much as I could. In high school I found out there was a vocational school in Essex that had a cooking program and I took that opportunity and got in, Ive been working my ass off since. Im not the best, I know I screw up a lot but this means so much to me! If I dont practice and do all I can now then it will screw me up and I wont achieve my goal later down the road. Im not sure what I want to do with cooking when I graduate but I just know that Ill be cooing somewhere. I plan on doing my internship in my hometown so I can be near my family, and because it was my beginning. I may even go to my elementary school were I took some of my first classes and see if I can start one up or help out with one. Or even the middle school, Im not sure yet. I guess that cooking always was something I wanted to do, it just wasnt until Mimi offered to make my recipe into something real that made me realize that thats what I wanted to do. Its strange

how that works sometimes. You never know what events could impact you, no matter how small. Even is as simple as making your first dish.

Super Power
Which superpower would I chose? Im honestly not sure everyone picks invisibility, flying, mind reading and all that but theyre just so.mainstream. Its hard to choose one. I guess if anything, it would be the ability to I guess, even though this is going to sound very corny, to spread love wherever I go. Its something everyone needs and in our world, with all the shit and war and just plain hatred around, its something we need more of. For example, if some people were fighting, I could go over and use my power to fix it and make them get along and be happy again. I know that could count as screwing with free will, which no one should do but I think this could be ok, it could do a lot. From fixing a fight with some kids over toys and stuff, to fixing a family and keeping parents from splitting up. Wouldnt that be ok? Im not saying it would always work but it could help with little things. And in fixing those little things I think it could keep the bigger things like war from happening. I was told before that the bible says these three remain Faith, Hope and love, but the greatest of these is Love if that is true that I want the power to help spread that around. Its so important. I wish there was a power like that. When I was 12 my parents split up, I didnt know anything was wrong and I didnt know all the mean things dad did mom and what he was doing when he was working in Massachusetts. That power would have come in handy at the time. I didnt know that love could just fade and disappear like that; it didnt make any sense to me what so ever. I couldnt do anything to stop it from happening either, no one could either. They couldnt even fix it themselves. On top of that, the word its self has been thrown around so many times it has almost become meaningless. From teens that just started dating and have no idea what it really mean or couples who just say it cause they feel like they have to and theres no meaning behind it at all. I want to put meaning, real meaning back into it. Its a very powerful thing that most people dont understand. Im not sure if I even fully understand it. I just know it shouldnt be just thrown around like nothing. Its more important than that. Its not something you can see, I mean yes in movies youll see the couple holding hands, kissing and saying I love you but that itself isnt love. You cant smell it. You cant necessarily hear it either, again you can hear I love you but just because you hear that doesnt mean its there. You cant taste love (and no, valentines chocolates and candy doesnt count). And you cant quite touch it either. Its a very strong emotion that takes tons of time to develop, movies and TV make it look instant but its not. Its not something you plan either. You never plan to fall in love with someone. It just happens. I had a fiend Ive known since I was 5 years old, we were just friends and then we didnt see each other for a while because I moved. Then I started to hang out with him again in high school and then it just kinda happened. We didnt plan it; we didnt expect it simply just happened. And just because you do

fall in love, it doesnt mean youll get married and live happily ever after either. Its a lot more complicated than that, but its still an amazing thing, everyone needs it. The superpower I want is to spread love were ever I go. Its an extremely important thing that everyone, no matter who you are, needs. I want to be able to give that to people and make it meaningful again as it should be.

Omnivores
Humans would be better off if we were omnivores as we are now. There are many reasons for this. Our bodies require balance in nutritional needs. Meats provide us with protein, amino acids and fat. Vegetables and plants provide us with all the essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies also require. If we were to eat meat only we would have too much cholesterol in our systems (clogging arteries), too much un-healthy fats (saturated and transfats), and we would lack several vitamins and minerals that we need that we cannot get from the meat. Also, you dont know what that animal ate so the nutritional value differs from animal to animal. And if not cooked properly any bacteria and viruses in the animal may still be present when eaten. If we were to be vegetarians and eat plant foods only we would also be lacking a mass amount of protein and amino acids we need. Without protein our bodies dont stay properly fueled and our muscle tissue will deteriorate. Also if we dont eat meat, we miss a lot of fat that our bodies need to protect our inner organs and joints and protective layers between the skin and muscles. Fat also absorbs fat soluble vitamins, without fat to absorb this we miss a lot of nutrients. My mom once tried to go on a diet and avoided meat at all costs, eating nuts and peanut butter for protein and she became very weak and tired, she had to stop the diet and go back to eating meats. We used to be hunter gatherers. Meaning we ate the meat we hunted and the fruits and vegetables we gathered. Our bodies were built for both and require both. Yes we can eat all meat or all plants but in the end, even if youre in good health, you will be lacking in certain areas because its all meat or all plants. Both are absolutely necessary in order to live as nature intended.

Glass Heart If I were to be described as an object it would be a Glass Heart Its elegant and simple Precocious and Fragile With multiple facets, revealing each feeling, Every last thought. But they are very small And very few can see inside. To some its just a stupid little trinket, Something to smash When broken I shatter, Into a storm of tears. I can be dangerous and leave a scar Leave you feeling the pain, you expected me to feel. I may be broken, But can be picked back up, pieces put back together, Mended with care. Made Stronger than ever before. To others I could be everything, Something of extraordinary importance Like an heirloom, a family jewel. There are others like me All extremely different, All equally important, All beautiful beyond compare. Rose If I were to describe myself as an object it would have to be a Rose Sweet and Pure Delicate and Unique Each petal taking its own form Each one coming together Creating a picture A sculpture of a rare bloom Some dont see it And walk right by Others are drawn near But care must be taken If intentions are not of love You will feel the pain of her thorns And leave with a crimson scar
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Three Favorite Foods 1. Italian: Italian is one of my favorite cuisines. Italy has 2 of my favorite staples, pasta and coffee. I have always loved pasta; I eat it all the time. The al dente texture and chewiness of the pasta, the slight umami taste of the whole grain and the sauces, oh the sauces. Theres and infinite number of combinations. Theres a sweet cheesy Alfredo, a savory tangy tomato. I personally prefer a vodka sauce or any sauce with garlic. Something about garlic just makes my taste buds sing. Theres no other flavor like it, its like trying to describe what water tastes like, and you just cant! 2. Japanese: there are really only a few things I like from japan food wise. For me most of it is the culture that surrounds the food. There are very ancient and solid traditions with it. I love sushi, not the crappy California rolls, but not the hard core stuff with octopus tentacles. The sweet and sour flavor with a hint of salt from the sticky rice, the umami of the fish and nori wrappers ( seaweed) and the white hot heat of REAL wasabi. The teas are good as well. Im not a big tea drinker but the tradition of sitting at a kotasu (table with a blanket on it and you sit on the floor, very standard furniture in most Japanese homes) with family and guests sounds very homey to me. 3. French: Im not into the savory food of France, with the frogs legs and what not but the desserts and wines I like a lot. France is a very romantic place and nothing says romantic to me like chocolate and wine. The way it pairs together with so many other combinations. I have a French heritage and have had to do projects on it before. I found a French chocolate mousse recipe and it was amazing. The light fluffy, yet creamy whipped cream texture was to die for, and the sweetness of the milk chocolate with a very slight bitter hint was enough to make me feel like I was in heaven! And Ive tried wine recently and Ive noticed how well it pairs with all sorts of foods, and chocolate so far has always paired well.

Cooking for an Enemy

What would I cook for an enemy you ask? When I think of this I think of Sweeney Todd (Tim Burtons version) and it makes me think of revenge and killing random people and grinding them up into meat pies. But thats a smidge extreme, I wouldnt do that but what I would do would still be very gruesome and grotesque, but it would be cleverly hidden and looks like something perfectly innocent I would maybe find something nasty and absolutely vile like vomit, and make it into a stew. Or perhaps make a burger and have dirt and poison mixed in. Make them a drink and add chemical house cleaners in it. I could easily make them a dirt and worms dessert, with actually dirt and actual worms. I could cook up some spaghetti tossed with squid ink, but actually use snake venom. I could make tacos and claim they are mild, and wait for them to take a bite and watch them react to the fact that I added hot sauce, habaneros, ghost chillies, red pepper flakes and ground cayenne, and I wont give them milk either. I could make lemonade with them standing by and mistakenly squirt the juice in their eyes. All of those sound like brilliant plans but I have a simpler idea thats just as horrible. This may sound mean, but this is my enemy, someone I hate after all, they were mean to be and I will be back. Ill make them a 3 course meal that is truly first rate, make all they dishes love, but in each there will be something, something that they fear. Nothing likes poison or chemicals or human waste, but something much worse instead. When they have eaten the first 2 courses they will be very full but look at the dessert and decide this looks delicious! Theres room for a little more! And will eat each and every, every last bite. They will smile at me, and half way through saying thank y- the smile will flicker into a look of sheer pain, and flop on the floor. In that last bite they did not know, there was a walnut, deadly and small.

Music
Music has always been important to me, until recently that importance has been diminished in a way but its still important. I like all kinds of genres; its only specific songs that leave imprints on me. Some songs that have made massive impacts on me are: Fucking Perfect- P!nk Beautiful-Eminem How You Remind Me- Nickleback Young- Hollywood Undead Coming Back Down- Hollywood Undead Skin- Sixx A.M

All of these have very specific quotes in them that are very important to me. In Fucking Perfect, it wasnt just the song; it was the video as well. It basically tells the story of a little girl that all her life felt like she couldnt do anything right, would never be happy, and wasimperfect, so he cuts PERFECT into her arm and may have bleed to death in the tub. The whole worlds scared so I swallow the fear, the only think I should be drinking is an ice cold beer, so cool in line and I try try try, but we try too hard, its a waste of my time, done looking for the critics cause their everywhere, they dont like my jeans, they dont get my hair, exchange ourselves but we do it all the time, why do I do that? But then she realizes that it doesnt have to be that way, and grows up, gets married, has a daughter and goes in her room and tells her shes perfect. This was important because I used to cut, I too felt like I was never good enough, that someone or something was always better or more important. I thought something was wrong with me, I sometimes still feel like that. Beautiful is also another important song, the whole message to it is dont ever let anyone tell you, you aint beautiful. One lyric I found impactful was this, I even used this in my essay for neci nobody ask for life to deal us with these bullshit hands were dealt, we gotta take these cards ourselves and flip em, dont expect no help. It helped remind me I have to do it myself, that Im not going to get help, only I can do what I need to do. How You Remind Me is important cause of an old friend from when I was a kid, we knew each other since we were 5. Whats going on with us is complicated, and grew into something we didnt expect, nor can we control. Its not like you didnt know that, I said I love you and I swear I still do and it must have been so bad, cause living with me must have damn near killed you, this is how you remind me It just reminds me of him; its difficult to explain why. Young seems to describe whats going on around me, one lyric that was in it stuck with me We will Fight, We will Fall, Till the Angels Save Us All. This I actually made a painting into. Theres a power behind the words that is just engraved in my heart.

Coming Back Down, its a song that I always thought was beautiful, its about someone who died, and how they feel without them. One lyric helped me when my Memere died this April, it fit her perfectly I look to the heavens and the sky and the rest, I look inside myself and felt my heart in my chest, somethings are born blue theres nothing to say, some hearts to stay true when falling away something about that last part just said Memere to me. Skin is important to me because, by human nature we judge each other by our skin we make assumptions without really knowing someone. cause they dont even know you, all they see is scars, they dont see the angel living in your heart, so let them find the real you buried deep within, let them know with all youve got that you are not your skin It helps me remember to be myself. There are many, many others that are important, Breaking Benjamins Evil Angel and Had Enough are sticking with me. Music is someone transforming their emotions into art, when I hear a song, I feel less alone, that Im not the only one feeling the way I do. It links people together; it brings us together by all our emotions.

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Disney: Killing Innocence and Destroying Childhoods since 1928

(Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie premiered)

Disney has been known to provide wholesome, family and kid friendly entertainment for years, from stunning art and animation to memorable songs in every feature film. The characters are recognized everywhere, some other film companys characters are even designed after Disneys original work (look at the Disney princesses and then look at the princesses in Shrek 2). Hell, Mickey Mouse is an international icon for cripes sake! EVERYONE knows Disney! Yes, Disney does have some merits, teaching friendship, hard work, determination, courage, and the power of love. Disney however has a very dark side that puts sexual themes right in front of your childrens faces. In most movies the Disney Corporation had created the women are always submissive, weak, and beautiful, and likewise the men are always charming, handsome and rich. This is a very common theme and it puts out a message to children telling them this is how you should be. The men in almost every movie rescue the women. The women almost never defend themselves (especially in the early films). Also in the movies child abuse or misfortune in childs lives is a common theme. Some examples include Lilo and Stitch, the Rescuers and the Lion King. Lilos parents died in an accident and her sister has to care for her and almost gets taken away were a broken family arent we? In the Rescuers, Jenny is kept on a rundown boat in the bayou so she can get a diamond. The auntie treats her like crap; Adopted! Who would adopt a homely little girl like you? and was going to let her drown when the tide came in after she got the devils eye diamond out of the cave. In the Lion King, Simba had to watch his father die and was tricked by his Uncle Scar into thinking it was his fault he died and ran away from home and his responsibilities; No one ever means for these things to happen, but the king is dead, if it werent for you hed still be alive. There are other things in Disney films that are not good for children to be exposed to aside from unhealthy hidden themes. There are legit images in the movies that almost always go unnoticed, but once discovered are always the first thing you see. One classic example is the case to the Little Mermaid, Aside from Ariel and Prince Eric you see King Tritons castle, its made up of many columns, one column is a penis. Thats right a penis, right where everyone can see (if you have the movie I encourage you to look at it yourself, or Google the image). This is just one example; here is a list of movies with sexual messages in the animation: The Little Mermaid: Eric and Ursulas wedding scene- Priest has a boner The Rescuers: Bianca and Bernard leaving for the bayou: A topless model is seen in the open window on the building behind them. The Lion King: Simba looking to the stars, discouraged lays down pollen flows up: look closely and it spells out SEX Who Framed Roger Rabbit: the end of the movie when Jessica jumps out of the taxi in the panic - Jessica turns around fast and her vagina is exposed. Beauty and the Best: in the bar when Gaston lifts the bench with the girls on it he throws it down and their skirts go up and their underwear is exposed.

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These are just a few examples, there are many more. Some sources also claim that there is also satanic and occult symbolism hidden in the movies as well. However because of the many religious beliefs and viewpoints this evidence is very debatable. Now you may wonder why this is in childrens films. Some think its a joke the animators added and that it doesnt matter because the kids dont get it. Children do pick up on it and dont even know it. The eye only picks up the main scenes, but our subconscious filters the images and picks up on the things hidden in the background. Our eyes only process 24 frames per second; frames go by our eyes faster than that, about 30 frames per second, with new technology advances it has increased to 1,000,000 frames per second, especially with the TVs, the higher the megahertz, the faster the frames go by. True the kids dont get it but their brains are still picking up on it. Why is it there? Why would Disney want our children to pick up on this crap? Shouldnt a company like Disney want to keep our children innocent for as long as possible? Its very difficult to say why. Some sources say its to sexualize our youth at an early age, but its hard to believe and its hard to believe and difficult to place the reason. All that is evident it that its there and this isnt meant for our childrens eyes. If this was your child, and you knew that this is what they were seeing, what would you do?

Sources. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ubZ_QNn1Y&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEmowhVkhS8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHGb-UKO9NI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hak5_8_TsYk&feature=player_embedded

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Memoir
All that Im Living for, all that Im dying for All that I cant Ignore, Alone at Night All that Im wanted for, although I wanted more Lock the last Open Door My Ghosts are gaining on me All Im Living For-Evanescence School Night at a friends house and an ex was talking to me. Hey Sam, you should go out with him, he really likes you I dont know, he never seemed interested before, him and all his friends are kinda douches to me, you included sometimes He just didnt want you to know, come on just give him a chance, please? Well, alright I guess Ok awesome, come spend the night in the tent with us this weekend, itll be fun Do I have to? Hed like it if you did Ok. That Sunday morning in the tent. Hey Sam Yeah? Were over Wait, What? Why? We just Yeah. Outside tent: Laughter from his friends and Hey Sam! How does it feel to be used! Hahahahaha This has never happened to me before, Ive been broken up with before and I can handle that enough but this. I dont know what to do. Ive never done anything to them, I was hardly around them. I just dont understand, why me? Why are they looking at me like that? And those kids over there, I dont even know who the hell they are! The girl that walked past just gave me the dirtiest look Ive ever seen, I dont know her either. Some boys I dont know looked at me weird and started laughing a little bit; again I have no clue who they are. I knew this was a bad idea. Mom has always told me that if something in my gut tells me somethings not quite right that I should follow it. I should have known better, I knew they werent exactly what someone would call nice butI just wanted to fit in here, I just wanted them to like me.

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I was 14 years old when I moved to the park. My parents just split up and Mimi and Papa gave dad their old trailer I only had 4 close friends there and trusted them a lot; my cousin, my (now ex) boyfriend and 2 of his friends, they were the only ones I talked to. Up till then I was very sheltered; this was all new to me. This was the last thing I was expecting to happen. My ex convinced me to go out with a boy he hung out with, he was short, but then again his twin brother and sister were too, he had a problem with his leg too, he was born with a birth defect that made him like that. My ex told me he liked me but he never seemed interested before but I felt bad for him and my ex seemed serious so I gave him a shot. I was invited to stay in the tent with him, my ex, his brother and sister, and 2 other people. It wasnt my first time, but the whole time something didnt feel right. I knew this was set up for a reason, I should have known better and left, but I stayed. The bad feeling got worse and worse. I lay down to go to sleep, a little while later I heard this: So, do you really like her? Or are you just fucking around with her? Dude shes right there So? Who gives a shit? Shes dead asleep, she cant hear anything Answer my question, do you or not? Hehe, hahahahaha Once I heard that I felt like shit, like I was just a toy. I started to cry but hid it and continued to pretend I was sleeping. The next morning when I woke up, he woke up at about the same time and he turned over to me and said it was over. It was fuzzy what happened after. I just started bawling my eyes out. I didnt care that he dumped me; it was the fact that I was just plain used. I had no idea what to do; on top of that we didnt use anything. I got out of the tent and the boys were laughing their asses off like it was the most hilarious thing in the world. The girls were gone in the house. I started to leave and my ex yelled to me Hey Sam! How does it feel to be used!? HAHAHA I felt sick to my stomach, I was scared shitless. I felt like I was going to puke. I didnt know who to talk to, my mom and dad were out of the question, and they would flip shit on me if they found out. I just wanted to die. Too bad I didnt know how much worse it was going to get Next day at school I went to breakfast as usual, sat down and talked to my friends, I told them what happened and some looked shocked and others felt bad, they were pretty sympathetic and supportive which at that moment was nice, it made me feel like it wasnt so bad and that they would support me and be there when needed. I had a specific group of friends and some of them were friends with those guys and knew how mean they could be.

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But then I got the looks, the whispers and the laughter behind my back. Him and his friends were the worst, his brother and my ex the most (thinking back I think a good chunk of it was their idea), wasted no time flat in getting word out about what happened. It felt like EVERYONE knew before homeroom was called. No one really said anything to my face but I knew that lots of people knew what happened because of the looks and sometimes if I walked by they would suddenly stop talking or whisper. Im not stupid; I knew enough to figure out what was going on, what they were saying. I'm frightened by what I see But somehow I know that there's much more to come Immobilized by my fear And soon to be Blinded by tears I can stop the pain If I will it all away, If I will it all away. Don't turn away Don't try to hide Don't close your eyes Dont turn out the light Whisper- Evanescence Skank, Slut, Whore, Bitch, Nasty, Ho, Cunt, Worthless, Easy These words danced around me on a daily basis like evil ghosts that loved the fear and pain I had to endure. I started cutting, not sure why but it just happened, in my math class I chewed an eraser off my pencil and the metal got sharp, but the end of class I had Ugly Bitch caved on my left arm. I didnt bleed badly, only a few specks and the cuts werent deep either. This continued for a while. I got harassed and ridiculed even more, but at that point I didnt give a fuck, random people I didnt know or have ever seen at the school thought they knew who I was. I just did what I needed to get through the day so I could go home where it was safe and were I knew I was cared for, even being home didnt help much. For a while I contemplated suicide. Everything was a blur. I had consoling because of the divorce, I told my therapist what happened and that I was afraid I was pregnant; he coaxed me into telling my mom. He said if I didnt tell her, he was going to. Later that night mom came to me and said your therapist called, he said you have something to tell me. I looked at her and let everything out, what happened at dads, the tent, the cutting EVERYTHING. She listened, never interrupted like she usually would. I stopped and she just hugged me, she didnt yell or scream or even scold, just hugged me and started crying too. She called dad and we had an appointment at Planned Parenthood so I could get tested and so I could be put on birth control.

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I still had all sorts of wonderful things about me spread about the school but it died down after a while. It was old news. The rumors and lies still remained though. It followed me too; even in high school it was stuck. It was hard. I had to question every look, every smile, and every kind word; because I knew how often they were lies and deception in disguise. It is not a happy experience, and I hope not many others have to endure the pain I had to but its part of who I am. Its why I can understand being when someone is being kicked when they are already down. It made me stronger than I ever would have been without it happening. It made me a lot more cautious than and not nearly as trusting as before. It has on many occasions come back to bite me in the ass, and Im sure it will rear its hideous head again. If it werent for my past, the pain, the bullshit, the memories, I wouldnt be where I am today, I wouldnt be who I am today, If it werent for it all I wouldnt be Me.

In my shoes, just to see, What its like to be me Ill be you, lets trade shoes Just to see what Id be like to Feel your pain, you feel mine Go inside each others minds Just to see, what wed find Look at shit through each others eyes But dont let em say you aint beautiful They can all get fucked Just stay true to you Beautiful- Eminem

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King Corn Based on the film, King Corn, answer 10 of the following questions with at least one thoughtful paragraph (4-5 sentences) for each. Use the other side of these pages if your e hand-writing your responses and need more paper. You will receive extra credit for longer, more thoughtful responses. 1. Describe how the title of the movie, King Corn, relates to the movies themes. Corn is literally the king of all the crops. It dominates most plant agriculture in the United States.

2. How believable do the main characters seem, and why? They seem believable to me, they seem genuinely interested in the experiment, I can tell they did already know that corn is in everything we eat but some of the facts and processes behind it they didnt now.

3. Is the tone of the movie appropriate to the subject and the purpose of the film? Describe with details/examples. Yes, the point and info they were trying to get across was presented well. It was very informational. They clearly did their research.

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4. Talk about the main characters describe them, their motivations, and their conclusions. Graduated from Yale. They both had grandfathers from Greene Iowa and both were in the corn farming industry.

5. How does the editing (i.e., slow panoramic shots, close-ups, frequent short transitions) portray qualities that the filmmaker is trying to convey? I wasnt paying much attention to that but it was appropriate and it wasnt distracting and added to the film. The only prominent effects were old film and black and white/ sepia for memory and family memory parts.

6. Tell me something interesting about the movie for you. All the stuff corn is found in and how detrimental to our environment and health. I knew it was bad before but now I know just how prominent it is and its a massive issue that needs to be corrected and will take huge steps to correct. 7. How are the themes of the movie expressed? Give some specific examples. That corn is in EVERYTHING, friendships can be stronger and go back further than you (hence their grandfathers) And that corn is bad for you in the large quantities we eat on a regular basis, And the health and environmental issues that surround it 8. What things would you like to know more about after watching this film? How to expose it and convince our communities that we NEED to stop eating and supporting this crap. The other thing I wonder is why the government allows and supports this mass farming production bullshit (sorry but it IS bullshit) and they know full well the adverse effects on the public, shouldnt they care more about the welfare of the public vs. covering the rich peoples asses? 9. Soundtrack (music and ambient/background sounds) was it appropriate and functional? How did the filmmakers use volume, pitch, and tempo to stimulate emotions? It was subtle, didnt distract form the information presented, complemented to the scenes.

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10. How well did the main characters support their argument? What was their argument? Are you certain that the facts, assumptions and conclusions are correct? They did an excellent job with the info was presented in a story line manner, making the research and experiment easy to follow along with. It started with a sample of hair and why is there corn in my hair? to why are we eating this crap? We need to do something about it 11. Did you understand the issues they were exploring in King Corn? Describe the issues and your understanding of them. What was the subject and purpose of this movie? Yes, I fully understand the severity of the issue and we need to do something about it. Corn is in everything and its causing massive health and environmental problems (i.e pollution, diabetes, obesity). 12. Do you think the conclusions they reached follow logically from the premises? Yes, the info and story flowed well and was easy to follow and the point was clear and facts were straight forward (no jargon)

13. Did King Corn challenge your assumptions about food or make you think differently about things you take for granted? I am defiantly going to try and avoid eating processed foods. Its not going to be easy but it has to be done. I have always known that processed and packaged food was terrible for you, but not to this severity and I cant stand it.

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Rolling Notes
October 2, 2012 NOTES ARE PART OF FINAL EXAM!!!!! Syllabus day- class is now from 9:00-11:30Select the subject and the audience, presenting info to a group of chefs vs. kids will be very different in the way it is written. o Writing Portfolio-put all writing projects in a binder. Research essays and personal essays. Some examples include persuasive essay, restraint critique and a memoir. o Shoot for ES for the projects. MS is ok but instructor prefers ES as the standard. o Use easy bib for anything that is a research paper or if facts are necessary. o Use GUM, proper periods, semicolons and comas and DUH stuff like youre supposed to. o For professionalism, swearing in papers is ok, as long as its appropriate. If its just for shits and giggles, dont do it. o Freedom of Speech, participate, not only do you have a right to have an opinion in class, you HAVE to for credit. o Take feedback. Its to help improve, dont get pissed off if constructive criticism is given. o Have REAL meaning in what you are writing, not superficial bullshit everyone writes. When you write, it reveals something about YOU, dont hold back. Prompts-free writes that you automatically start writing and write whatever the hell you want that has to do with the prompt. o Will be read out loud and feedback will be given, positive only. Will kill and hour of class time. Power Point Lesson will happen after. Power points can be saved to hard drive so you have a record. (will not do). WRITING INVENTION Purpose-why are you writing this? Audience must be recognized Type of subject/Genre. Style-. Formal, non-formal, professional Research. o

Invention Strategies Critical questions-Why? How? Who? What? Where?-dig deep Free-write and brain storm-random, not organized, pure thoughts (prompts) whatever spews out of there 20

Composing Conduct research Narrow topic Develop Thesis-Main Idea Organize o Organizing strategies o 1. Intro. A. context B. why is this important? State Thesis o 2. Body A. Build Points B. Develop Ideas C. Support main claim-restate thesis o 3. Conclusion A. re-emphasize info Re-state thesis o Fist drafts, second, third, final

Revising Review o o o o o o o

Is it organized? Is it clear and easy to understand? Does conclusion re-stated thesis? Do the paragraphs match in structure? Format? Is everything clear? Does anything need to be added? Taken out?

Proof Read o Is it neat? No crumples? Nothing spilled on it? o Is it easy to read? o Are caps were they are needed? Punctuation? o Read aloud- in your head and out loud are very different.

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October 3, 2012 Use details and specifics, it puts a picture in the audiences mind, people think in pictures Use dialogue, adds detail

5 keys to effective writing 1. Put the reader first o Communication = understanding o Write to express not impress-use normal words, not huge vocab o Tie into readers experience o Make it relevant to reader-why should I read it? 2. Use simple words and sentences. o Dont add extra words o Every word should carry its weight o Cut to the chase. o Make it easy to understand. Duh terms o Preposition- tells were you are in space and time; only use simple ones, no need for fancy terms unless absolutely needed. 3. Use Jargon only when necessary o Jargon= specialized professional language Mise en place Nape Julienne Nacre o Use lame mans terms whenever possible OR when a definition can easily be added o You have to dumb it down. If they arent in the profession they probably wont have any idea what youre talking about. 4. Active Voice o Active voice tend to be more direct than passive or past-tense voice o The enemy is the verb to be, is, was, did 5. Format o Format so the reader can follow the information and understand the material o Use bullets, charts, bold, headings and sub headings. It breaks up the material and makes it easier to read/understand vs. full paragraphs ad sometimes sentences. o Break up and indent paragraphs o 4 ways to organize 22

Division , start with main idea and the bullet/ list details Compare/Contrast- put conclusion up front and list why? Problem Analysis Solution- state problem and write the solution or solutions that work best Cause/Effect- present a clear way analysis, make A lead to B and B to C and so on. If we do this and then this what will happen Plan, Organize, write Write the easy part first-Big main idea Branch out from the big idea and then develop the details Write easy part, then write conclusion and then add details and info on how A lead to D (Intro and main idea to conclusion) Start with a free write and fix with first, second and third draft take a rock and sand it into a diamond

October 5, 2012 `Essays o Into, body/details, conclusion Into grabs readers attention Gets the essay going States argument/thesis Short story Starts argument, must be an argument, not a fact Background info, give the reader and idea of what the rest of the essay will be like Can be any were in the first 2 paragraphs o Body Develops arguments, breaks into smaller arguments that are easier to argue, one those arguments accumulate then you can get the reader to fully see your argument. Body paragraphs should include Topic sentence-should support the thesis Clarifying sentence-re-states the topic-may bridge the topic to the details Support/Evidence-Research/personal experience. Should transition to the significance easily Significance, why its important-Relevant-ties back to topic o Conclusion `Restate the thesis, in a new way, dont repeat it! Wraps up the information presented. Leave a memorable quote or thought or image

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Links and Transitions Each part of the essay should flow together. Every sentence should link, paragraphs link, idea and research should all flow into each other smoothly. Assignment o Find and internet article, something short, distill into an idea, thesis sentence and send the link- send as Last name, first name, thesis sentence. Example Article: Global warming could be aggravating your allergies. Sentence: Global warming can make seasonal allergies worse.

October 9, 2012 Persuasive writing o Facts Matter, when using facts, especially scientific evidence, its easier to persuade the reader into the authors way of thinking. o to persuade someone to think/have the same opinion as you o Purpose must be clear, why the hell youre writing in the first place, why is this important? o Understand the audience o Support/know your opinion o Know the various view points of the subject-other side of your opinion o Find a middle ground with your audience; acknowledge your audiences opinion and WHY its also significant. o Explain why your opinion is more correct/accurate. o Be respectful of the other side of the story o Appeal to the audiences intellect AND emotion. Many arguments will have some form of emotional pull along with intellect (brain is smart heart is strong) Research Common ground first then go into the different viewpoints o Figure out what the audiences argument will be/the more common view point then back up your opinion o The appositive opinion may be stronger or have a majority agree with it, you may have to do extra research to back up your opinion to make them see what you see Creditable= Believable o Sources that have a credo or are creditable will have more factual information, sites that people will be more likely to believe instead of something off Facebook. Winch would you give better credit to? Huffington Post vs. Facebook o Dont lecture or talk down to the audience Avoid the Im right, your wrong 24

Avoid guilt trips if you dont think this then youre a horrid person

Assignment: Chose from the topic list and write a 500-1,000 word essay that has research to back up you viewpoint. (Dont use Wikipedia as the basis for the whole thing, just a starter) Email to Daryl Benjamin. Pop culture topics- Disney films-why they are terrible for children and why todays generation would be well off without them. Due: first draft-tomorrow. October 10, 2012 Persuasive Essays-2nd draft edits Initial caps in the header Body: 10-12 point font Heads: 14-16 point font State thesis-make it clear and mind blowing Delete the sentences that dont carry their weight. Books, magazines, and any print sources should be italicized Avoid and I terms. Its not about you

October 12, 2012 Descriptive words can make a huge impact on the writing, appealing to touch, smell, sight, and hear. o Appealing to the feeling of emotion can also make a world of a difference to the reader. Stories need conflict, otherwise no story is there to be told

Peer Editing Click REVIEW, and then COMMENT o Leave the note of editing the author should add

October 16, 2012 Telling a story within a story can hook a reader into a piece Figurative language can help with descriptions

Writing to an Audience Dont forget about why you are writing, the purpose o Entertainment o Educational o Informational o Other? 25

Oral Communication o Smile o Nod o Furrowed brows o Happy face, sad face, grrr faced (duck face?) Even the tone of voice can help the story Being able to read their faces can help us to understand what is going on. Its easy to lose sight of our audience when writing, so you must certain techniques to get what you are trying to say accosted. o Never forget-Audience and Purpose Who is the audience, what is the main readers base-having children read a piece and then adults will have very different results. We change our language according to who we are talking to. o You must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words.

October 17, 2012 Adjectives paint a picture in your head.

Advertising Writing Every commercial has a positioning statement o Branding o Slogan o What you are/ want to be known for USP-Unique Selling Point o What makes your product so special? Text = Copy Campaign ins a series of ads o Will appear in all advertising forms from broadcast, print and TV o Must reflect the positioning statement Creative planning o Spots have to resonate the consume o To make the consumer understand the message. The advertiser must understand the consumer Radio spots are 30-40 seconds long o Must have a powerful hook to make the listener pay attention within the first few seconds o Keep it Simple, Keep it Stupid USP can be convenience, price, quality, quantity ect. Commercial Formats 26

o o o

Dramatics Short play/story- product or service is the hero to the problem Demo Use a demonstration to get the product purchased Testimonials I used the product and I loved it Must have been actually used by the person Experts must be listed as real experts Celebs are often used to promote a product. Spokes Person Use a character Gieco gecko Flo-progressive girl The Free credit report. Com band Ronald McDonald-McDonalds Symbolism When the product is impossible/ unable to be shown Ex. Trojan commercials Direct Comparison Your Product vs. Other product Coke vs. Pepsi Must be backed up by legit facts Shouldnt have a big company vs. the smaller company Appeals Emotional appeals ASPCA Committal- Guilt trip o Makes you feel bad for not buying the product Advertising based on psychological research

Assignment: Make a 30-60 second radio ad for a restaurant or product or whatever. Describe the service or product, use adjectives. Include contact information, repeat 2-3 times. Make it memorable.

October 19, 2012 Feedback-Radio ads Nick Munro- not much repetition, contact info is present. Very well presented, could use a little more enthusiasm on the voice and tone. Jake Grim- Attention grapping, makes you want to buy a pet dragon to wreak havoc and take over the neighborhood, quick and to the point

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Zack Hartman- gives the details of the restaurant and food, descriptive, give s directions, repeats the number to call. Erika Carsella- Makes you want to buy the product, if youre a guy anyways. Includes a celebrity spokesman, enthusiastic, grabs some attention and makes you listen, even if you dont want to buy the product. Samantha Dusablon- needs a tiny bit more enthusiasm, very interesting product. Lists the website twice, mentions were products are from. Puts emphasis on the variety of the product. o Do not hit synonym button, can make a sentence sounds worse than it actually is Touch turns into something VERY BAD Emily Overmyer- Love the name of the company, lists the details, a little too long to me, contact info is repeated. Very specific. Spencer Shiremen- Music is a very nice touch! Very enthusiastic, gives the details of the service offered, contact info provided and repeated. Patrick Duggan- enthusiastic, makes the cakery sound inviting. Gives details about what he makes, gives contact info, and needs to be repeated however. His name mentioned helps sell the bakery more Chris Atkins- testimonial approach, gives info that a critic from Boston reviewed them. Gives the contact information and repeats. Tell what they are known for, large beer selection, more info on the food would have been nice.

Next Class Tuesday we are watching a movie October 23, 2012 Movie day King Corn -not thrilled about writing notes though For the first time, younger generations were expected to live shorter lives because of what we eat The food we eat will make our lives shorter- thesis o Hair records what we eat o Carbon in our bodies originates from corn, a cheap filler, processed crap o Almost everything contains corn, from sweets and juice with high fructose corn syrup to meats and poultry fed with corn We are made of corn They met in college and then found out their grandfathers were from the same town in Greene Iowa o Found relatives there that were related to the grandfathers, second cousins and such o Other guy found a third cousin. Told him is grandfather invented one of the first farm tractor A whole building is made of corn Government Farm Program- government helps pay for production and keeps it cheap 28

Instead of growing what we need turned into growing as much as possible Small scale farmers are being bought up and getting scarce, while big farms are getting bigger. The government helps the big farms make more money. Corporate Bastards Its all about maximum yield= maximum profit o Ammonia is put on the field- increases yield by 4X As equipment was being invented and more available, single farmers can work more land o The children didnt need to work the fields as much, so they did other careers, further decreasing the family farm. o One piece of equipment planted a whole acre of corn in 18 minuets They were planting industrialized corn-GMO-Genetically Modified Organism o Meant for high yields, tolerate living compact areas-lots of plants packed in per acre, tolerate pesticides They used Monsanto seeds Corporate Bastards Fun Fact: Pot is one of the weeds they need to spray in the fields o If they were smart they would harvest the weed too and make even more $ off that. Each silk is attached to a kernel weird huh? 2 trillion corn plants o Largest crop in American History o Iowa grows enough corn to feed the entire united states Tastes absolutely disgusting o Needs to be processes before its edible o The Iowa farmers cant feed themselves o Fed to Cows and other animals Feed stock 32% ends up in food products 5,000# gets made into sweeteners- High Fructose Corn syrup 5,500# will be fed to animals- McDonalds o Corn makes the cow die faster- only lives about 6 months on a corn fed diet Almost all industrial farms feed them this shit Instead of being grass fed like nature intended, they lock them up and feed them corn- original grazing land used to grow corn Land is still being used to feed them o Why? Have machines to literally look in them Cow does not look happy being in that weird looking machine Cows are developing illness because of the forced diet Cows are also taking medicine When you eat beef from certain companies, you are taking their meds o McDonalds 29

o o

On the Mass Scale farms now there is pollution, farms used to never produce pollution T Bone Steak: Grain Fed-9 grams-Grass fed- 1.3 grams o Hamburger meat is mostly fat disguised as meats o If born in the last 30 years- most people have ONLY eaten corn fed beef Too much corn was produced, so the corn sweetener industry was made. o for your own safety you cannot bring cameras into the operation aka- if people find out the shit we are putting in here the public will get pissed off and we will go out of business. o Battery acid is used to break down the corn. burns flesh on contact o Consumption of table sugar has gone down but there was an increase in sweeteners because of HFC syrup The figured that their acre of corn was made into HFC syrup HFC Syrup= no nutritional value whatsoever= metabolic issues= diabetes and obesity o And people wonder why Americans are such fatties We dont know how many calories we are consuming- drinks make this more evident. o Soda is liquid candy and junk food is cheaper o Diabetes= more sugar in the blood sugar than the pancreas can process- 1 in 3 New Yorkers have diabetes o Families buy cheaper food to feed their families Especially in poorer communities, thats why their children are larger in many cases When we grow Corn= We are growing fast food o Money wise= cheap Health and Environment wise= expensive. We should be impressed by the stupidity! We are growing crap! We subsidize happy meals- not healthy ones Our grandparents spent 2ice as much money on food as we do today and about 16% of our pay is spent on food. o This is due to replacement of family farms with factory farms. We (may) live in a time where abundance brings too much.

October 24, 2012 Review of the movie King Corn We talk about our thoughts and opinion s in the movie and how its relevant to our education here @neci and why its imperative we know about this October 30, 2012 www.grammarlee.com/edu Sigh up and create and account 30

Access Code: LL83Dk9UWtf8pEnM Upload the Memoir and save as V2 (or in my case V3-Final)

Memoirs A story of an experience that changed you o Memory based o A single event Just 1 How it shaped you o Put the reader in the memory, show them WHY it was important and how it made you who you are today Let them be exactly where you were Let them feel your feelings Write to the senses o Physical and Emotional o Write in your language, its about you, talk like you normally would Swears and all in my case Choose an experience that only you would feel- something specific to YOU. o Put the details in, the begging, the middle parts, but also be sure to put in the end and how youre a better person because of it, how you overcame it.

October 26, 2012 Memoir Writing First Draft Use plenty of adjectives o Appeal to the senses Sight, smell, hear, touch, taste Dialogue helps the audience get an idea of what happened. Not exactly as it happened to you but it will help them understand what happened and the significance of it

October 30, 2012 www.Grammarly.com o I got a very weird screen compared to everyone else. It asked me to sign up and enter a credit card number/info Strange. o Used the screen where I copy pasted my paper.

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Aside from the plagiarism (Eminem lyrics) and grammar (dialogue) issues its fine.

October 31, 2012 For Memoir we need context. o Hook, riveting intro o State what you want o Rising conflict o Introduction characters: 3 o Climax, moment of truth o Resolve Make peace with person(s) One person leaves Move on o Conclusion: Reflection What came of this event? Editorial bits o Short declarative sentences o Lots of adjectives Appeals to the senses Puts you were the author is, in the memory o Delete redundant prepositional phrases o Any word that isnt pulling its weight, introduce it to the delete key Scroll to the very end of the story o Slush pile Cut and paste parts that are important but dont delete, the parts are important, saving it for another area is good Move up the conflict

November 6, 2012 Final Portfolio Add Cover and TOC o Copy and Paste Documents onto one final o Add any and all writing materials from class o Must have page numbers!

And here I give you my final work-Hope you enjoyed it Thank You

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