Even More English (Eng. 101)

        An article by H.M.A. Leow called “The Surprising Imperial History of the Pekinese Dog” is about how Pekinese dogs became an accessory to British women because of their small, feminine like appearance. The small lap dogs do not share much history with other dogs, because most dogs today have a history of being used in hunting, but not these toy-sized lap ornaments.     Back in 1905 a British association called the Ladies Kennel Association was holding a dog show when a Chinese man was invited to be a judge. The Chinese man started to argue with one of the women over a perfect dog breed. The British held the dogs in a high standard. Leow states, " Within this realm of nostalgia, the dogs functioned as potent souvenirs, linking metropolis and colony through close connections between colonial conquest, sentimental pet rearing, and domestic spaces,” writes Cheang, noting that owning and breeding the Pekingese dog had become “an important expression ...

       An article on the Longreads website called “How to Run 314 Miles After a Traumatic Brain Injury” is about a couple that have faced life altering challenges but have kept going with their lives. The Barcelona's are a family that picked up running as a hobby and continued with it even through their life's struggles they have faced.     After a car accident in 1994 Todd Barcelona suffered a traumatic brain injury. Todd being a family man had a wife, Allison, a daughter Ashleigh, and a son waiting for him at home when they got the call that he was involved in a car accident. Even though the event shook their family the Barcelona's did not give up on life, they took the challenge in stride. Todd and Allison started running as a hobby, even after the accident Todd kept going. They entered  the 2023 Last Annual Volunteer State Road Race together which is a race that is 314 miles long. The author states "Chatting with two other runners, the Barcelona's...

       An article by Ira Fader called "Robert Johnson, Delta Poet" is about the bond that music and poetry share. The article explains that throughout history they have always been connected, and the stories they convey are nothing short of attractive to listeners.       The lyrics of a song are a lot like poetry Fader states, "Johnson had no training in poetry, nor was he trying to write it. The poetry in his lyrics had to have happened intuitively, brought forward by his sense for the right words and images, and then marrying these to the music." The words themselves told a story; they were an unintentional poem. But then the lyrics were paired with music, and it only added emotion and soul to it making it even more poetic. The majority of music was inspired by the time period it was composed in. For example, most music in the great depression was sorrowful or bluesy. It conveyed the story of struggling families in the nation at the time. Anothe...

      An article by Ryan Dulaney called "Napoleon the Unlikely Emperor" is about how a man born in Corsica to a position of poverty became the French Emperor, and well-known war general.     Napoleon had a natural talent when it came to strategy. He spent his entire life working to climb the ranks in the French army. The economy at the time was opening doors to the opportunities and chances he needed to succeed. After the French Revolution the new monarch had murdered over 40,000 people with no good reason for the killings. Then the monarch himself was beheaded, so the nation was indeed hurting. Napoleon saw his chance and the young military leader took it to start climbing. While he was in power Napoleon changed many in place customs, for example the class-based customs. This meant young men born from money were naturally accepted into the military. By doing away with this old tradition he increased the size of the military and organized it so it could reach it...

      An article by Ryan Dulaney called "Confronting the Stolen Land Narrative" is about a different perspective that clashes with the written history of the American colonization. This article explains the differences of men and how they view war.     The article follows the theme of "land cannot be stolen, only lost. It is either conquered or defended" (Dulaney). This claim while true, blows the written American history out of the water. Yes, it was a brutal battle to which many natives were killed, but war is nature. The article has examples of how the young men of many cultures were raised around this time. They were raised on war stories where simple family men were the villains because they were not glorious, natives were raised with a fighting mentality. It is natural male instinct to conquer and gain, this has been shown through thousands of mythologies, and historical figures in ancient Greece and Rome. The economic gain, status, and other spoils were t...

      An article by Evan Deturk called "An 80,000 Year History of the Tomato" is about the history of how a common day tomato came to be how we know it today. The fruit/vegetable has a very long road of breeding to become what it is today, the red, mostly uniform, meaty produce that appears in every culture's food.     Originally found in central and south America the tomato plant produced berries that were compared to the size of blueberries. They were tasteless and held no nutritional value. This was roughly estimated to be 80,000 years ago. Once they were domesticated, they spread rapidly through trade routes that covered all of Europe and Spain. Spanish and Italian cuisine immediately integrated the tomato into their foods. However, Britian had suspicion of the new food that it may be poisonous, so the tomato was later introduced to British and American cooking. Later in 1870 in America, Alaxander Livingston bred the first commercialized tomato. His practice...

      A CNBC video called "How TV Dinners Changed the Way America Cooked Forever" is about how the convenient trays of food have evolved and inspired modern day food companies.      It all started during World War II when women were allowed to work, they realized it left no time for homemaking. Frozen dinners started as 'Strato-Plates' made for planes. The food was lower quality and had no texture because the food was frozen slowly which caused the cell structure to degrade. To fix this issue Clarence Birdseye studied how Inuit fishermen in Canada preserved their fish, this gave him the idea of flash freezing food. Flash freezing food is essentially freezing it quickly, so the cell structure is unharmed by ice crystals, therefore ensuring a higher quality. Americans loved the quick meals and their sales rates proved that with 10 million trays sold in the first year of production. Swanson was the top producing company, and they stayed on top when they made p...

 A video on the TED website called "Is It Really That Bad to Eat Cookie Dough?" is about the adaptive bacteria called salmonella. Salmonella is a very common bacteria that is built to survive in all conditions until it reaches a suitable host to thrive in.      The article explains how poor farming practices can be a breeding ground for salmonella. The bacteria travels through animal feces and enter the animals. It infects the meat and if it enters a chicken then the bird's eggs are infected as well. While eggs and meat are being processed, they are exposed to frigid temperatures and unstable conditions while being transported, yet the bacteria survive. Then the meat is cooked, and the eggs are baked into goodies, then when consumed the bacteria floods the digestive track. Salmonella covers itself with protective enzymes to survive traveling through the stomach acid. The text states, "But once again, the bacteria detect these changes with built in sensors" (Bryc...

      Joshua Bell's TED presentation called "300 Years of Classical Music in 18 Minutes" makes me feel reminiscent and grateful that he's bringing attention to the importance of classical music. I played in an orchestra and still play stringed instruments so I can offer insight to the complex world of classical music.     Classical music isn't just an art; it is a lifestyle. Bell states "Each one of those musicians has spent a lifetime, tens of thousands of hours mastering their craft." Musicians do more than just play an instrument, which in itself is difficult. Learning the notes, time signatures, tempos, and the instrument itself is only half of being a musician. The other half is understanding the story and emotion being conveyed through the composition. If a musician doesn't play with emotion, then they are not playing music or telling a story they are just playing notes off a page. The story telling in music ranges from biblical compositions to...