My Ishmael & Food Inc.

What has struck you?

I was struck by how many people in the government were previously associated with companies that should be shut down. This shows why nothing is being done about the inhumane treatment of the workers and animals that are being used in these specific companies.

Do you agree or disagree with the concepts? Why?

I do agree with the concepts of Food Inc. because after seeing what is being done in these slaughter houses and farms, it makes me want to rid the world of all CAFOs and fast food joints. I also agree with My Ishamael that we should start thinking about our culture and how it has affected our earth and it's population.

How can you apply them to the real world?

I believe that you can definitely apply Food Inc. to real life because you can make healthier choices and maybe join organizations that take action against this type of food production and abuse of animals. (Thanks PETA!) You can also apply My Ishmael to the real world using psychology and rational thinking about how we should start helping the world rejuvenate by reducing our carbon footprint. We can also think about our actions in a whole new level just by reading this book.

What do your parents or family members think?

My mom thought that My Ishmael was an interesting concept but wouldn't be possible in the real world. She thought that in real life that animal can have empathy but not telepathy. She also considered the topic of the movie Food Inc. and decided that we would all agree that food production in the United States is overall very disturbing and we are all better served (pardon the pun) by eating local, raw, and organic foods instead of processed, genetically-altered, and trucked foods.

School Daze & School Daze II

" Teachers for the most part would be delighted to awaken young minds, but the system within which they must work fundamentally frustrates that desire by insisting that all minds must be opened in the same order, using the same tools, and at the same pace, on a certain schedule. The teacher is charged with getting the class as a whole to a certain predetermined point in the curriculum by a certain predetermined time, and the individuals that make up the class soon learn how to help the teacher with this task."

When I first saw this quote in 'My Ishmael' by Daniel Quinn, I automatically thought about my teachers Charlotte and Mele. It made me take a pause and think, Isn't this why I came to this school? To escape this kind of thing? I guess I did. I mean our school is based on project based learning so it stands out from the crowd of other high schools. So this quote is both right and wrong. Right because we do have to get all of our projects in at the same time and we are taught the same thing, but the quote is also wrong due to the fact that our school is different than most others and we aren't all taught the exact same way. Also, the quote is right because eventually a class does learn how to cater to a teacher's needs for learning success. So in the end, the quote is right due to most circumstances, but since our school is different it only applies in some areas.