Demonstration Speech Evaluation

I did a demonstrative speech on how to replace an Ipod battery. Basically, I wanted to show everyone in the class how to do this themselves on order to save money and be more independent from Apple store repairmen. I showed everyone how to open the Ipod, how to remove the battery, told them where to find a new battery, and finally I showed them how to put in the new battery and close up the Ipod.
During my speech I felt that I was fairly confident and enthused although I could have done a better job as I was pretty nervous. I was loud enough for everyone to hear and I felt that I looked into the audience appropriately. During the presentation of the steps I tried to hold up the Ipod so that everyone in the room could see what how I was performing all of the steps; but the Ipod was rather small and some people in the back may have had a hard time seeing what I was exactly doing.
Having an actual Ipod with me to show everyone was a great tool to have because it was really the only way to fully explain to everyone in the room how the process works. I feel that everyone was really interested in the visual aid because with each step when i held up the Ipod to the audience I noticed that many people leaned forward for a better look.
I would consider this topic again as I know how to do it well and it is interesting to me. I would make some changes to my speech though; such as my nervousness and I would prepare better for it. If I had to do this speech again, I would prepare for it better and that would be all I needed to improve.

Prepare A Meal

This blog post for LSC 100 required me to plan and prepare a meal and then respond to a section of Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food". The meal I planned for myself was some macaroni and cheese and a couple hot dogs. I bought all of these items at the grocery store. To prepare this meal I used the kitchen located on my floor in my dorm. First I made the mac n' cheese; I boiled the water and put the macaroni in and after the noodles were soft i drained them and added the cheese powder, milk and butter. Next, I made the hot dogs; I just cooked those in a pan on the stove top. The whole preparation took me about half an hour. Then, I proceeded to eat my meal, I ate the mac n' cheese first then ate the two hot dogs with mustard and ketchup on them. All of the food was delicious and I enjoyed it very much. Cleaning up was pretty easy because the only dishes I had to clean were a couple pans and a fork. Also, I had to put away the the condiments and throw away any trash I produced making the meal. After my meal I felt proud of my meal making skills and very satiated. After re-reading pages 54-55 of "In Defense of Food" I find that I do in fact agree with what he is saying. Pollan is basically saying that eating has become less than what it used to be; a very pleasurable experience that was not upset by the modern way of worrying whats in the food and how it could be "bad" for you. Although I do agree with what Pollan is saying, my meal had no influence on me. I do realize that the cheese in my mac n' cheese was not actually cheese and that the hot dogs were very processed, but I did sit down and enjoyed my meal and found it to be a very pleasurable experience. I didn't worry about the ingredients or nutrients in my food, I just ate it and had a great time. Many things influence the way people eat; in America nutritionism has influenced many people to be afraid to eat a certain way. I was raised in a family that always sat together at the dinner table and ate together and enjoyed the experience. This has lead to me believing that you shouldn't worry whats in the food and just enjoy it.

Response to "In Defense of Food" Section 1

In the first section of Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food", Pollan discusses how the diet of America has changed over the last century. Pollan states that America does not eat "food" anymore but rather processed, nutrient enriched victuals found on store shelf's today. Pollan's argument is that America has become obsessed with the "nutrient"; that we value food for these "nutrients" that we cannot see when we should just eat pure, unmolested food. Pollan points out how nutritionists have tried to break down food into parts in a search for the "miracle nutrient" as we have seen with all the different supplements available (such as Omega 3's). In response to the American diet, Michael Pollan simply says "Eat Food. Not to Much. Mostly Plants." (1)

When Michael Pollan said in his book that "food is disappearing from store shelves" I believe he is correct. Anyone can go shopping and look at the items around them, look at the list of ingredients and clearly see it. Many people don't even know what half the stuff is in the list of ingredients. It would seem that food is built more than grown or made; with certain chemicals and nutrients added. Even when a label proudly states "made with real ______" one can hardly see it in the ingredients. Nutrients are a huge deal in the food industry, with foods being enriched with this and that and being called "superior". Pollan argues that with food we look at the parts (nutrients) rather than the whole thing; and that in thinking that a few nutrients added to a food will make it better is incorrect. Take an apple for instance, there are thousands of different nutrients and phytonutrients in it, who's to say its the vitamin A that makes it nutritious?

So far, Michael Pollan has made a lot of sense in his book. I believe that he has some good ideas and I a looking forward to reading more