Peer Response

Ok so I don't know that much about sports. And even though I have been "taught" many times about the rules of the game of football, I still don't really understand what is going on! But, reading Austin's blog was interesting, and I didn't even know before that there was a college-football controversy that existed over whether there should be a play-off system, or the same Bowl Championship Series that exists now.
Reading over the articles that Austin referred to, I have to say, at first I was thinking that the idea that teams don't "win" the right the the championship on the field, is kind of stupid. It makes me think that either
1) college football is just for fun so everyone should get a chance to play in the BCS like TCU coach says in this article, or
2) College football is a place where the players want to work for their spot in the limelight.
I think this BCS worked in the past, and might still function the way it is supposed to, but change would probably be a better thing, to add spice to college sports and keep it up to date with the changing times. After all, the fans have a say, as they do in the picking of the teams to play in the BCS. Maybe they would rather have playoffs.
So, I am not much of a fan, but I agree with Austin that there should be playoffs. Yet, I don't know how this would come about, but it can, no doubt.

Post 5: Compare Two Online Articles

So, the topic of Raw-milk becoming legalized in Wisconsin (and throughout the US) is still hot. One man, Max Kane, is being threatened with legal punishments, namely prison, because he will not rat his friends out who also drink raw milk, or the farmers that give it to them. He hasn't committed a crime! Max's story is simple - he was healed of his Crohn's disease - a painful intestinal disorder - through drinking raw milk. Pretty powerful stuff. Unfortunately, the-powers-that-be want to take that right away from him. Yet, he is giving raw milk great publicity by showing that the fact that he wants to drink it is not enough for him to be called a criminal. And it puts certain officials in a very bad light - maybe they don't have the peoples' best interests in mind...

However, XbeyondX states that raw milk is "a dangerous product that has been linked to countless illnesses and many deaths" - in fact "200 in recent years" according to this blogger. But too bad for his case - he does not provide convincing evidence that these figures are true, were one to follow his citations. I would hypothesise that were these figures true, they would be over the last 100 years. And if this is true, ask yourself, how many things have 200 people died from over the last 200 years that was much less "extreme" than raw milk? I would say, plenty.
As an article XbeyondX links to says, raw milk is sold throughout all of Europe. Does most of Europe have drinking (alcohol) problems like that of the US? No. They know how to use this substance responsibly. What makes one think it would be any different with raw milk? If the Europeans, however, can make drinking certain beverages a part of their culture, then we can too, and there won't be any controversy if this happens.

I am not convinced by XbeyondX, and the bovine just shows me how courageous a few people can be, and I am very thankful for them.

Peer Response

I love pickles! My mom ate them a lot when she was pregnant with me, so maybe that's why. I don't know. But homemade dill pickles are absolutely the perfect partner for a summer barbecue, as stated in Jo's LSC blog. What is amazing is how many vitamins and minerals cucumbers actually contain. Furthermore, it is amazing how beneficial pickles can be for one's bacteria-flora when they are fermented, as mentioned in the article linked to by Jo. Unfortuanately, most of us don't eat these types of pickles. Yet, homemade pickles made with vinegar, water and fewer ingredients than those in the store are better simply because of what they don't contain... extra chemicals and preservatives, like Polysorbate 80, which can cause infertility, and Yellow Number 5. These things are just not needed! If you would like to make your own pickles, I found a nice recipe recipe for them. Well, despite how much I love homemade pickles, and how much simpler they are than the processed kind, I will not shy away from these preservative-plentiful-pickles. Instead, I will enjoy them now, and one day, like Jo, I hope to can some like her grandmother and mine.

Post 4: Analysis of a Celebrity Endorsement

Kim and Khloe Kardashian (“Keeping Up with the Kardashians”) recently signed a deal with QuickTrim for Weightloss, each swearing by it. Khloe apparently lost 20 pounds using the product. QuickTrim is a line of weight-loss products that are meant to help people lose weight in a few different ways. Quick Trim Burn and Cleanse is a 14 day diet that supposedly “jump starts” one’s metabolism while also detoxifying one’s body. Celluslim is a ‘body-sculpting gel’ designed to lessen the appearance of cellulite and smooth the skin. The Quick Trim Super Cleanse is said to take weight off in 48 hours – wow. It is a lemonade drink that is taken in between meals. Lastly, the Extreme Burn touts its calorie – burning virtues - letting one burn up to 8,000 more a month.



Looking further into these products, a MD and professor at Georgetown says these products contain a lot of caffeine – so should say how much which they don’t, and could lead to an overdose if taken with a lot of coffee, etc. None of the products should be used over the long-term because they contain herbs that can be toxic. And don’t expect to keep off the weight you lose on these products – it will be mostly water weight, as these products act as diuretics and will probably give you diarrhea.

While this is not a product I would take, I think Quicktrim and the Kardashian sisters make good partners for it. The crowds they are marketing towards are most likely women (young women) who are concerned with being slim, sexy, and probably like watching the Kardashians’ show on VH1.
Although I could care less about whether or not the K-girls are successful with this product, in an article from cooltvoffers.com, an author seems to think the Kardashians’ weight loss story with Quicktrim is nothing less than “inspiring.” I can at least give them one point – they at least made me laugh! Watch the commercial and see for yourself.