Black Friday

Thanksgiving is a holiday about being grateful and spending time with families and friends with a big feast. We only celebrate it once a year and it’s a wonderful holiday with joy and a yummy, delicious meal. Seeing families and friends a few times a year is one of the best parts. Usually a Thanksgiving dinner starts off by going around the table and asking what everyone is thankful for. After all that is done, it’s celebrated by eating the main course, the turkey. But don’t forget what comes after Thanksgiving, Black Friday!

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving where America saves more money than the whole year. Thank the lord for the person who made Black Friday because that’s the real reason being thankful for is. We line up days or even weeks at a store before it even starts to happen, this is all about preparing for Black Friday. It’s totally worth the savings! We line up happily and cheerfully for those items that we never had. Forget why Thanksgiving was even created, lets go out and celebrate Black Friday instead. New items are forever while a holiday is only a day. Only in America is where we line to buy new items at a discounted price after we say what we are thankful for.

Universal Health Care

I am writing my essay on universal healthcare in the United States. So far I’ve have not conducted any research on this topic but I do know that some countries have universal healthcare and live far better than us. For example, Canada has health care for all citizens but make up for it by raising taxes. This can eliminate a patient’s worry about paying their medical bills. In fact, the United States military is one of the most funded for; I believe it is over 50% just for defense. I understand that protecting our land is key to the United States future but if Americans can’t help their own citizens then how can we help other countries? Moreover, Universal health care can help prevent early stages of medical problems by going in for regular check ups instead of finding a way to pay for the bills. Although most can say that paying for other people’s health shouldn’t be our problem but isn’t education being paid by our taxes? Also some would say that people won’t take free health care system seriously but there are students that don’t take free education seriously either. So why can’t we pay for each other’s health?

            In all honesty, I hope to find out that universal health care is possible in the future of the United States. If this is possible, what can we do to prevent raising taxes on citizens? What steps must be made if the United States does suggest having universal health care?

Summary Compare/Contrast Food Pickings

In my essay, “Food Choices” explains how GMO’s, or genetically modified organism, and organic food is different from one another. The GMO’s industry says that it’s safe to consume and will do nothing harmful to the body but other parties argument otherwise saying that it should be labeled since people should be allowed to choose what they eat. In Europe there are about 28 nations that banned GMO’s and believe it to be unsafe to eat since it’s still early to test it in long studies (qtd in 2). However, organic is safe to eat also but could contain pesticides and various forms of diseases such as E. Coli. This is a result of natural fertilizers, another form of dung, and pesticides being used more often. Pesticides could be contained on the food such as strawberries and pass on the effects onto human consumption. Farmers are getting increased crop yields due to the fact that GMO’s are modified to resist disease and pest that could destroy the crop which in turn increases supply make it cheaper. Organic foods, however, are less likely to have smaller crop yields compared to GMO crops. Also increase use of pesticides are being used as pest can be immune to the poison and to kill these pest they also use natural predators to hunt them down. GMO farm animals are likely to be housed in cramped spaces and do not have the freedom to roam around in grass fields. However, organic farms must allow their farm animals to be free and eat organically grown food to pass organic inspection in which they pay around $2000 a year for. When their livestock are sick, they are only then allowed to feed their animals hormones or antibiotics for combat the disease. 

In the ted talk “Your body languages shapes who you are,” by Amy Cuddy presents the idea of nonverbal high and low powers stances and how it can change the mindset. In the animal kingdom when an animal feels powerful they puff out their body and inclined to susceptible riskier situations. Unlike high power stances, a powerless stance creates a delusional mindset and making yourself smaller like folding your hands in or touching your neck. A research explains that blind people who have never seen body languages also do high power postures when they feel powerful in a situation. Cuddy says pretending to be powerful can make someone feel powerful.  She also explains that your own body language can change your mind depending on your stance. A powerful stance such as expanding your arms out can increases testosterone, known as the dominance hormone, by 20% and a 25% cortisol decrease, which is the stress hormone. Meanwhile, low power stances lose about 10% testosterone and a 15% increase on cortisol. Cuddy gives a preparation for a job interview and explains to find yourself time before an interview and do a couple of exercises like throwing your hands up like in a V-shape. “Fake it till you become it” and “Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes “ Cuddy says.

            It’s interesting how ones own body language can change the mindset and even lower or increase your hormones. Cuddy says powerful people are more likely to take risk or gamble and I have actually tested this theory on my friend a few times on poker night. My conclusion is that he seems to bet big when I give a subtle body language that goes to my demise of losing but of course he’s a good bluffer. I am interested in body language and I note to myself with a few questions when I see other people’s stances. I have watched this ted talk before and I have done the exercises on my own and I know it works. My mindset has definitely changed before and after the exercises and as I am still “faking it.” Ted Talk by Amy Cuddy.