I agree that writing can be a chore and sometimes a cause for the support of any company that makes pain medication or adult beverages. I have to really find a motivation to write but, lucky enough for me, that happens often. My motivation comes from reading blog posts just like this one or any other that has a post title like "Just One Drink to Numb the Pain". I love to support those who need a motivation or supportive word. I too have many struggles with the mechanics of writing and can always see eye-to-eye with anyone who has the same struggles.
I have never been a good speller or the one in my class who can write with proper punctuation. I remember a specific moment in the third grade when I lost a spelling bee over the word "capital". You can bet that I am in awe when the show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" comes on. My wife is my rock, the love of my life, and the one who corrects my every use of the word "ain't" or my very southern pronunciation and attempted spelling of "worsch", which is more commonly known as "wash". I have to believe that auto-correct is about as useful as a push mower on the North Pole and strongly agree that it can misconstrue at best or at worst totally destroy the intended direction of a sentence. I have to say that I nearly lost my sip of coffee when I read "Just One Drink to Numb the Pain" and the colorful opinions of auto-correct and the specific "most of my papers have a very Christmas feel to them..." line. I couldn't help but imagine that being a part of the next Apple or Microsoft competition commercials.
I was fortunate enough to have parents that would provide any tool available to allow my siblings and I to learn to spell, write, and read well. The only issue is we, unlike kids today, were very attached to the world outside the window. We found that dirt is fun, dirty is funner, and dirt covered from head to toe is a competition worthy of the Olympics. It took the discovery of money and the inherent power that comes with it to learn that writing, reading, and spelling might be of importance someday. Mom and Dad couldn't spell, write, or read very well. We constantly heard the same "look it up" that Jarvis heard as a child and young adult.
This class and the ones to follow it will do very well in bringing-to-light the need to read and write often, if for no other reason than to pass it to a generation that will definitely need it. I cannot imagine what the future will hold for children but by reading Jarvis's blog post "Just One Drink to Numb the Pain" and writing this response it solidifies the importance of writing often, reading, and passing on the knowledge to anyone who may need it.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Blog Post One, Unit One
When a grandmother tells a mother "The heart of a mother lies not with her work, her life, or her future, but with the heart of her children"; she is correct. This thought can be seen in any park, playground, or picnic on a sunny Sunday afternoon. So why is it that mothers in America are so content to allow toys of questionable quality into the lives of children? Toys are an increasingly risky subject to parents; but why? Is toy quality just another scare that is being blown out of proportion? Have we given-up hope? Where can we turn to get the answers to our quality concerns? The decision to continue to purchase products of questionable quality is ultimately with the consumer. What we must realize is that the consumer, the company, the manufacturer, and the government all must play a roll in the enforcement of quality standards.
The news is here and it does sound bad. How bad is it? It would be naive to say that it is all a big misunderstanding that the quality of toys being imported into this country and sold everywhere are completely quality inspected and tested with a child's well-being in mind. It is also naive to think that a child touching or handling a toy will cause cancer. We have to carefully consider the side of safety and the side of understanding. Time is telling us that as China and the other big players in the manufacturing world grow, the quality of the products being manufactured within those countries also increases. China alone has poured millions of equivalent dollars into ensuring that the new quality standards for toys set forth by the United States Congress in 2008 are met and in many cases exceeded. It was then that we sounded the alarm, and the results are pouring in.
Everyday a new study can be found on the effect of lead based materials being used in the manufacture of toys. The primary issue isn't the cost to manufacture safe toys. The issue is the deception of quality practices in the manufacturing processes and also, surprisingly, with the quality checks that are reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This type of deception, deemed "untraceable" by Harris and Moure makes it easy to give up hope and accept that questionable products will always make it into the hands of the unsuspecting public. The process of deception is now being referred to as "quality fade" because initially and for a period of many months or even years the toys look and test very well and are ordered and shipped to arrive on consumer shelves looking flawless and thus keeping the consumer happy and unsuspecting. The issue stemming from this is the consumer, the toy company, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission become complacent by assuming that the manufacturing process isn't going to change and will continue to churn out safe toys for the masses. It is at this point, after the long period of trouble-free inspections, that the manufacturer will begin removing a small ingredient or manufacturing process resulting in an increase of profits for the manufacturer but a big decrease in quality over time. This change isn't caught due to third party, or off-site, quality testing. For example: A company will make and test ten units in-house. Unfortunately, nine of the ten units will not pass a quality inspection, however, the tenth one will. The tenth unit, the only one that passed, will then be sent to the third-party quality control personnel who report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Everything will look up to the quality standards set forth by the United States Congress even though bad units are being produced and shipped to stores all over the world. This process will repeat itself again and again until quality fall to the point that a child suffers because the lack of morality and common good that we seem to take for granted.
Parents have astounding new tools at their disposal to voice concern over toy quality. It must become a priority to ensure that the quality standards and expectations we have with toys are met without question. We have to understand that we can contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission and report suspected malfeasance, no matter how slight. We have to understand that we can contact the toy company directly and voice concern or demand answers. We have make sure that every parent knows that third party quality inspection is available locally almost anywhere in the United States and that inspection sites like Consumer Reports, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are here to fight the battle with toy manufacturers also. Manufacturers have feet and it is up to parents to hold them to the fire.
We do have a voice. It is loud and it is strong. Parents can ignore that an issue exists with toy quality coming from other countries or we can make it a point to help find the answers and implement the solutions. The fundamental challenge is change. Change will be the single hardest issue to voice, push, and grade. We have to push the change that we require as parents and set clear and unwavering expectations. This is done in part by contacting the Consumer Product Safety Commission directly with concerns, no matter how slight, and urging every parent to do the same. The push in change also must come by the constant awareness and education of changes in toy appearance, feel, and quality. We have to be vigilant in fighting to protect the health of children. We have to know that we have hope to change the tolerance, increase the expectation, and voice our concerns with toy quality. Every parent has a voice in the constant battle with quality, but will everyone choose to use it?
Sources:
http://www.cpsc.gov/BUSINFO/Locker.pdf
http://www.chinalawblog.com/2007/07/china_products_its_always_dark.html
http://www.quotegarden.com/mothers.html
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1776
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm
http://delauro.house.gov/text_release.cfm?id=849
http://www.house.gov/
The news is here and it does sound bad. How bad is it? It would be naive to say that it is all a big misunderstanding that the quality of toys being imported into this country and sold everywhere are completely quality inspected and tested with a child's well-being in mind. It is also naive to think that a child touching or handling a toy will cause cancer. We have to carefully consider the side of safety and the side of understanding. Time is telling us that as China and the other big players in the manufacturing world grow, the quality of the products being manufactured within those countries also increases. China alone has poured millions of equivalent dollars into ensuring that the new quality standards for toys set forth by the United States Congress in 2008 are met and in many cases exceeded. It was then that we sounded the alarm, and the results are pouring in.
Everyday a new study can be found on the effect of lead based materials being used in the manufacture of toys. The primary issue isn't the cost to manufacture safe toys. The issue is the deception of quality practices in the manufacturing processes and also, surprisingly, with the quality checks that are reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This type of deception, deemed "untraceable" by Harris and Moure makes it easy to give up hope and accept that questionable products will always make it into the hands of the unsuspecting public. The process of deception is now being referred to as "quality fade" because initially and for a period of many months or even years the toys look and test very well and are ordered and shipped to arrive on consumer shelves looking flawless and thus keeping the consumer happy and unsuspecting. The issue stemming from this is the consumer, the toy company, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission become complacent by assuming that the manufacturing process isn't going to change and will continue to churn out safe toys for the masses. It is at this point, after the long period of trouble-free inspections, that the manufacturer will begin removing a small ingredient or manufacturing process resulting in an increase of profits for the manufacturer but a big decrease in quality over time. This change isn't caught due to third party, or off-site, quality testing. For example: A company will make and test ten units in-house. Unfortunately, nine of the ten units will not pass a quality inspection, however, the tenth one will. The tenth unit, the only one that passed, will then be sent to the third-party quality control personnel who report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Everything will look up to the quality standards set forth by the United States Congress even though bad units are being produced and shipped to stores all over the world. This process will repeat itself again and again until quality fall to the point that a child suffers because the lack of morality and common good that we seem to take for granted.
Parents have astounding new tools at their disposal to voice concern over toy quality. It must become a priority to ensure that the quality standards and expectations we have with toys are met without question. We have to understand that we can contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission and report suspected malfeasance, no matter how slight. We have to understand that we can contact the toy company directly and voice concern or demand answers. We have make sure that every parent knows that third party quality inspection is available locally almost anywhere in the United States and that inspection sites like Consumer Reports, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are here to fight the battle with toy manufacturers also. Manufacturers have feet and it is up to parents to hold them to the fire.
We do have a voice. It is loud and it is strong. Parents can ignore that an issue exists with toy quality coming from other countries or we can make it a point to help find the answers and implement the solutions. The fundamental challenge is change. Change will be the single hardest issue to voice, push, and grade. We have to push the change that we require as parents and set clear and unwavering expectations. This is done in part by contacting the Consumer Product Safety Commission directly with concerns, no matter how slight, and urging every parent to do the same. The push in change also must come by the constant awareness and education of changes in toy appearance, feel, and quality. We have to be vigilant in fighting to protect the health of children. We have to know that we have hope to change the tolerance, increase the expectation, and voice our concerns with toy quality. Every parent has a voice in the constant battle with quality, but will everyone choose to use it?
Sources:
http://www.cpsc.gov/BUSINFO/Locker.pdf
http://www.chinalawblog.com/2007/07/china_products_its_always_dark.html
http://www.quotegarden.com/mothers.html
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1776
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm
http://delauro.house.gov/text_release.cfm?id=849
http://www.house.gov/
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Blog Post Two, Unit One
The memory of writing for an assignment has always been a good one. I love to write with a particular purpose and the idea of dissecting argumentative expression is just like taking a friend's new car for a spin without any strings attached. When I write I have some very key elements that attract my focus to the blank paper; direction, structure, and imagination.
I am a very bad story teller. My lack of direction when I talk means that I can keep an audience focused about as well as I can call a woman's age; a game that I don't even dare try anymore. This isn't an obvious fault of mine because I will never pass on an opportunity to speak in front of a group, crowd, or team. This is very different when I write because I find a direction, just like a GPS, and I stick with it even though it may be a long or unsettling road. At some point in anything that I write a specific map can be found, documented, and found again in nearly every document that I have tied to my glorious name.
I love to read to my son as a small part of the structure that he has in his life. He has suffered through every management, leadership, business, and religious book I can get into my well-worn hands due to the structure they give to me. Unfortunately, his two-year-old brain seems to absorb only the first few well-placed and attention-grabbing sentences before he falls sound asleep. I, however, always continue on because of the well-structured and attention-grabbing chapters that hold my minds-eye like the human nose to the scent of a bag of buttery popping popcorn. I try to capture new-found good structure and apply it to my work. This is usually found in the intense and intentional repetition of key words that tie to the subject matter covered. When I write it usually involves totally restructuring and laying out a new plan several times before I find a way to put into words exactly what I think. I like to keep the structure of my work fairly obvious to the reader, audience, or group. This is a key I have found keeps me focused and poised to succeed.
I feel that imagination is a huge part my thought process when I write. Imagine being stuck in a room full of gooey, warm, chocolate-chip cookies fresh from the oven. Now imagine being stuck in a room full of gooey, warm, chocolate-chip cookies in the pet-grooming shop with dog hair covering the floor, chairs, tables, and sink. The cookies suddenly drop far from being appetizing or even gooey and warm. I have an endless imagination with multidimensional capability. This always brings out my love for the opportunity to write about a memory, a gesture, a detail, a micro-portion of a detail and include all of the aspects of the image that is fully focused in my mind. I use my imagination in every detail of writing and speaking. I gravitate to the author that does the same because I also read with my imagination. I step into a story, whether fact or fiction, and follow the road to the end.
To me writing is like a conveyance into another world which accepts me without the slightest negative look, gesture, or sound. In this world I can express what I could have said, the story I would have told, the picture I should have taken. Writing is always good to me because I put into it the passion and pride that draws me back to expression through direction, structure, and imagination-the keys to my success.
I am a very bad story teller. My lack of direction when I talk means that I can keep an audience focused about as well as I can call a woman's age; a game that I don't even dare try anymore. This isn't an obvious fault of mine because I will never pass on an opportunity to speak in front of a group, crowd, or team. This is very different when I write because I find a direction, just like a GPS, and I stick with it even though it may be a long or unsettling road. At some point in anything that I write a specific map can be found, documented, and found again in nearly every document that I have tied to my glorious name.
I love to read to my son as a small part of the structure that he has in his life. He has suffered through every management, leadership, business, and religious book I can get into my well-worn hands due to the structure they give to me. Unfortunately, his two-year-old brain seems to absorb only the first few well-placed and attention-grabbing sentences before he falls sound asleep. I, however, always continue on because of the well-structured and attention-grabbing chapters that hold my minds-eye like the human nose to the scent of a bag of buttery popping popcorn. I try to capture new-found good structure and apply it to my work. This is usually found in the intense and intentional repetition of key words that tie to the subject matter covered. When I write it usually involves totally restructuring and laying out a new plan several times before I find a way to put into words exactly what I think. I like to keep the structure of my work fairly obvious to the reader, audience, or group. This is a key I have found keeps me focused and poised to succeed.
I feel that imagination is a huge part my thought process when I write. Imagine being stuck in a room full of gooey, warm, chocolate-chip cookies fresh from the oven. Now imagine being stuck in a room full of gooey, warm, chocolate-chip cookies in the pet-grooming shop with dog hair covering the floor, chairs, tables, and sink. The cookies suddenly drop far from being appetizing or even gooey and warm. I have an endless imagination with multidimensional capability. This always brings out my love for the opportunity to write about a memory, a gesture, a detail, a micro-portion of a detail and include all of the aspects of the image that is fully focused in my mind. I use my imagination in every detail of writing and speaking. I gravitate to the author that does the same because I also read with my imagination. I step into a story, whether fact or fiction, and follow the road to the end.
To me writing is like a conveyance into another world which accepts me without the slightest negative look, gesture, or sound. In this world I can express what I could have said, the story I would have told, the picture I should have taken. Writing is always good to me because I put into it the passion and pride that draws me back to expression through direction, structure, and imagination-the keys to my success.
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