Monday, December 9, 2013

Final Project: Steamed Salmon with Vegetables.

I really enjoyed my final project because I love cooking.  I decided to prepare a meal thats steamed because it's very healthy and delicious. Meals that are steamed are less likely to lose their nutritional value. I choose to cook salmon with asparagus, baby zucchini and whole wheat couscous. I went to Trader Joe's in Rego Park to purchase my ingredients.

Ingredients: 
Couscous Whole Wheat: $1.99
Lemon 1 lb: $1.49
Baby Zucchini 12 oz: $2.49
Asparagus 12 oz: $2.99
Skinless and Boneless Salmon 0.755 lb: $7.54
Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend with Ginger: $1.99



Directions:
I unpacked all of the products and washed the salmon and vegetables. Then I sliced the salmon into 4 pieces then seasoned it and squeezed lemon on it.



I placed all of the ingredients inside the steamer.
Then I set the timer for 15 minutes.






Meanwhile, I started preparing my side dish Couscous. I poured  hot water into couscous and left it for 5 minutes covered.


I removed the food when it was ready.




 I ate my meal with mom and brother. He took the picture.

















Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Hype: revision

           The article "Hype" by Kale Lasn is informing us about the negative impacts that advertisements have on our daily lives. I strongly support the authors first sentence " Advertisements are the most prevalent and toxic of the mental pollutants." Advertisements are the most dominant in these days on ours way of living with thousands of marketing messages.
           I agree with authors view on public announcements because they really do have big influence on our entire society. Too much of something can bring out negative effects. I understand and accept advertisements that informs us about an open job position, services or events. I strongly disagree with companies making money by advertising cigarettes and alcohol. For example, commercial promoting Ciroc Vodka by Sean Diddy. The advertisement shows attractive girls dancing at parties surrounded by luxurious objects. We all know this type of effective advertising can lead people to addiction . People don't know how to have a good time without alcohol and cigarettes in hand. People aren't concerned about their health, and also when children are around them. For example when parents invite friends over for a drink. Most damage is done to teens and minor because they are introduced to alcohol and cigarettes. They can bring negative effects on their health and future.
        Advertisements are made in many different ways to convince adults and children to like the product and then to purchase it. Sometimes we see parents with children in the store where the kid is making decision what he/she wants to eat. Most of the times kids are crying because parents don't want to buy what kid wants. Children are watching television where commercials are showed to them. Afterwards the child wants to eat what they saw on tv. For example old commercial, little boy is singing  Oscar Meyer song about bologna. Nowadays adults are used in the new Oscar Meyer commercials. Commercial says, "where words aren't enough, so say it with bacon". Thats the way companies are trying to sell us their products. But do we have to buy it ?
        Everyday we pass by many advertisements that are on everything. They are informing us about new product releases and suggesting what we should buy. The author mentions bank machines, gas nozzles, billboards, shopping cards. Everywhere we look they are there. Sometimes I feel like they are observing us, and are trying to convince us to go shopping. Kallle Lasn stated in the article "There is nowhere to run." Yes, I do agree with the author. We are hopelessly bombarded with ads everywhere we go. Pointless is to take a road trip thought the countryside to rest your mind and eyes on beautifully view of nature because like author  mentions there are "... enormous billboard..." on the side of highway and on the fields.
         We are all intelligent people and we should not let advertisements to control our life by what we buy, eat or drink. Advertisement are in ours life and always will be . Now is a start to be open mind it, and to know when is time to say "no" to them.

Monday, November 18, 2013

blog13: 099 CATW Prompt and Sample Essay to Copy

Individuals in Groups

Something happens to individuals when they are in a group. They think and act differently than they would on their own. Most people, if they observe some disaster or danger on their own- a woman being stabbed, a pedestrian slammed by a hit-and -run driver - will at least call for help; many will even risk their own safety to intervene. But if they are in a group observing the same danger, they hold back. The reason has more to do with the nature of groups than the nature of individuals.

In one experiment in behavioral psychology, students were seated in a room, either alone or in groups of three, as a staged emergency occurred: Smoke began pouring through the vents. Students who were on their own usually hesitated a minute, got up, checked the vents and then went out to report what certainly seemed like a fire. But the students who were sitting in groups of three did not move. They sat there for six minutes, with smoke so thick they could barely see, rubbing their eyes and coughing.

In another experiment, psychologists staged a situation in which people overheard a loud crash, a scream and a woman in pain, moaning that ankle was broken. Seventy percent of those who were alone when the "accident" occurred went to her aid, compared with only 40 percent of those who heard her in the presence of another person.

Psychologists call this "diffusion of responsibility" or "social loafing." The more people in a group, the lazier each individual in it becomes. Often, observers think nothing needs to be done because someone else has already taken care of it, and the more observers there are, the less likely any one person is to call for help.

Adapted from "In Groups We Shrink" by Carol Tavris. Originally published in the Los Angeles Times, 1991.

Sample Essay Response

People are not the same when they are in a group. A person is smart, responsible, reasonable, and hardworking. A person cares for others and knows his or her moral standing. People are unintelligent, scared, lazy and onlooking. People seem to think that its always some elses problem. All they can do is watch so thats what they will do. Yes, a person is less likely to act if no one else is acting. Even if it is the moral or professional duty of a person to help or act, they may fail if they feel out numbered.

Carol Tavris says from her " In Group We Shrink" that, in group, people have, what Psychologist call, " diffusion of responsibility" or "social loafing."

Experiments show that students, in a room filing with smoke, would be more likely to call for help if they were alone. This is contrary to the test with multiple students who would sit there and allow the smoke to fill the room. In a real life situation the people who do not act upon smoke is not likely to survive.

This behavior is not restricted to young college or high school students which have little life experience. In a surveillance video of a parking lot, a man was stabbed and then mugged. The assailant escape leaving the man bleeding. The man gathered enough strength to stumble in front of the traffic going though the parking lot. He might have thought to himself that this would be a fast way to get help. The drivers proved him wrong. Cars would drive around him to avoid him. Perhaps these people did not want to hold up traffic. Each minute wasted is more blood drained. Even a school bus carefully tried to avoid him. The man, knelt down hold his arms up with blood on them. Finally a lone man got out of his car and assisted the man to the hospital. It look almost an hour for someone  to decide to help and it was during a gap where the savior was alone with no traffic behind him and no passenger.

At the hospital one could be treated for whatever ailments one may have. That is why the stab victim wanted to go so badly. But even at the hospital there is no guarantee. At one New York City hospital, a elderly woman collapsed due to a heart condition in the lobby. All the people waiting watched as she hit the floor. However they returned to whatever they were doing. Minutes go by activity around her remained normal. Doctors were seen walking passed and then disappearing past the camera. Almost as hour passes and finally a guard is seen feeling her pulse. After ten minutes a stretcher comes to take her away. What tool so long? Whatever the case may be the assured thought was that some else must be handling it.

There are cases of individuals who would help despite other people. But the general masses are always onlookers. As seen, students seem to disregard their own life from laziness. Even adults and professionals are guilty of this. That is the nature of people. That is why are heroes in the world. There needs to be balance.





Friday, November 8, 2013

Blog 12

            The article “Imitation of film: Here's Smoking at you, kid”,written by Nicholas Balakar explains us how movies where smoking is exposed can lead children to smoking habits. I agree with the author, that kids who have been more exposed to a smoking in a movies, most likely will start smoking in their future. Now, most of the movies contain bad ideas for kids one of them is smoking also, improper behavior, crime and much more. This everything is presented to children in young age.
        We all know that this type of movies where smoking is exposed doesn't bring out good results.  Children who have seen actors smoke in the movies might smoke or will like to try it. Dr. James D. Sargent states in the article “R- rated movies contain twice as much smoking”. And also their studies show that most of kids begin to watch R-rated movies from fourth grade. I strongly agree with their studies result, because when I was in fourth or fifth grade have seen movies where smoking was taking place. The fact is that our parents have no idea that this kind of movies can lead children to try a cigarette. I thought smoking is cool, but this bad influence can lead to a bad result. In the movie everything is making on purpose for people to enjoy movie and to show them what they want us to see.
        Parents should not let children watch movies which ones are rater with R, even if think this movie is okay for them to be watched. There is no point to take a risk and allow them to watch movie where smoking might be exposed and other improper behaviors. Children like to try many different ideas what they have seen in movies or what their favorite actor have done. 
       Movies, now contains a lot of these bad acts, which are watched by children. Smoking is the main bad habit where most R-rated movies contain. Parents should take control over of what kind of movie their kid can watch. Specially to cut off kids from R-rated movies.