To Eat or Not To Eat. That is the Question

In the article “The Return of American Hunger”, written by Ned Resnikoff, and published online by The Atlantic more than a year ago, the author argues that the “US Department of Agriculture” premise, which defines food security as “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life” it not as good as is sound in the actual America.

He says that by 2014, 48 million people were going hungry, and will increase with the new food stamps restriction that the government is imposing. Mr. Resnikoff lists a number of reasons and circumstances that cause the problem to increase rather than disappear. Two of the main causes of this debacle are the mentioned are the detriment of the wage grows, that he says have been “wildly unequal,” and limitations in the duration of the enrolment.

The contradictory policies of federal and local governments have impacted the access for the population to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). In the midst of the crisis, both the national and state governments have implemented policies that restrict access to so-called food stamp program. The logical thing would have been to support the program and make it reach more people.

His Name Was Ryder

Thomas Paterson, a CNN’s journalist, refers to a story of a 2 years old boy that held the hand of a voluntary worker for a program that helps families that struggle with hunger, to highpoint the problem of hungry kids in America.

The author points out that while thousands of children are hungry in America, government and state policies force restaurants to throw away food instead of donating, which means throwing away 40% of food at a cost of $ 165 billions.

What is making the difference is volunteering. They are in charge of distributing food to the most needy. The article mentions that in New York, organizations have managed to get the government to allow restaurants to donate food, and use the volunteer network to pick it up and take it to the places where it is most needed.

Hungry America Shooting Session

The shooting must include shiny objects. The main goal is to avoid the reflection.

The Return of America Hunger shooting Idea

I am planning in using a shinny ladle I will bring as a prop. A model, one of the classmates, approaches the ladle to his mouth like he/she is testing food. It will be a CU of the ladle near to the model’s mouths. The challenge for this picture has to do with the light and the camera setting. I would like to use a white background.

A shiny empty can with a shiny spoon inside.

Why does America have so many hungry kids?

The idea for this picture to have toy that lost the shiny surface next to some child shinny silverware next to an empty, clean plate.

Something that is not strange to me is the burden of loneliness that many elderly people live on a daily basis. For years, (I started as a volunteer and now I do it professionally), I have been teaching senior citizens the use of computers, and recently how to use cell phones and tablets.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 11 million, or 28% of people aged 65 and older, lived alone at the time of the census. As people get older, their likelihood of living alone only increases. Additionally, more and older adults do not have children, reports the AARP, and that means fewer family members to provide company and care as those adults become seniors.

My involvement teaching seniors the odd of computers has been overwhelming due to the experiences they shared with me, and the friendships we have created.

One of the main reasons why they enroll in courses to learn how to use computers is the illusion of being able to communicate more with their loved ones. Solitude is something that they don’t enjoy.

Recently I found myself dealing with a friend that was diagnosed with a deep case of depression. She is not a senior, indeed she is young and healthy, but I noticed the similarity of her symptoms to those who feel lonely.

I start wondering how many of the seniors are lonely and how many of them are depress. How these two extreme conditions match or stay apart.

I found an article in the online Blog of HUFFPOST writing By GlamourGals Foundation, Inc. called “Elder Loneliness: Is There a Solution to the Solitude?” that I would like to use as part of the backbone for my project.

The article mentions that loneliness is a severe emotion and the population that is more prompted to suffer from solitude is seniors. The article also states that 70% of the senior population is women, and 46% without children. As the article mentions, most of the senior population have difficulties to keep the relationship with their adult children.

The other part of the spinal cord of my project will be based on an Archana Singh and Nishi Misra research paper about depression and loneliness. They state: “Depression or the occurrence of depressive symptomatology is a prominent condition amongst older people, with a significant impact on the well-being and quality of life.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/glamourgals-foundation-inc/elder-care_b_1607401.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3016701/

An extra source about depression:

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/aging-depression.aspx

About my Audience: I think this is a topic for everybody, but the reality is different and the audience that could be interested in this work are people between 50 and 70 years old. But if the campaign is successful it could reach a younger audience.

About People: I would like to include people as well as to use props. I am talking with some of my old friends, trying to convince them to help me. As soon as I get the first yes I will start the logistics for the day of the shooting. If I can’t find people for the shooting I have a plan B. I will use different objects portrait the solitude and depression as big problem that doesn’t have enough attention.

Literal or Metaphoric: I think it will be a combination of both. It is not a poem and it is based on an article, but also the depression factor could make the difference since depression is something that no many people have clear what exactly is or how could affect to someone.

Models: I work with senior citizens and many of them are my friends. I already asked some of them to help me and they are thinking about it. I hope they could help me.

Objects: If I don’t have the Models, I will shoot props that are related to the topic. A cane, a frame with a faded old picture, a bible, a broken cup of tea, different jewelry. knitting needles, I would love to shoot a Rocket Chair but…

Light: The light will be dramatic since the theme is not a cheerful one. 3 points light with different lighting ratio. Short light, split light, broad. I will use strobes, not continues light. I will try to bring with me a couple of prime lenses.

Photographic Technique: I will shoot in color but I will try B&W. I will use three lights triangle with strobes. I want to try White and Black backgrounds. I will try, with the props, to get a DOF.

Gabriel Flores

The article Big Benefits from big Pharma: Longevity and Real Welfare Growth” starts with two statements against the pharmacy industry: one claims that the pharmaceutical corporations care more about the money than the benefits that they can bring to humankind, other argues that intellectual property shouldn’t be apply to the pharmaceutical industry to lowered the cost of medication.

Justin Hicks, based on a study conducted by The National Bureau Of Economic Research, know as NBER, brings a new vision to the table. In the article he mentions the “statistically significant” of the research and also comments about the positive economic effects. He mentions a research by Murphy and Topei who find that if United States reduces 1% cancer mortality “it would be worth over $500 billion.”

Hicks argues that pharmaceutical patents protection should be increase to incentivize research and development (R&D), in that way the pharmaceutical industry could grow and prosper, which will bring positive economics and individual health.

On the other hand…

Arnolds Relman and Marcia Angell opposed Hinks vision. Both authors argue, in their article “How the drug industry distorts medicine and politics.
America’s Other Drug Problem” that average R&D costs per drug is not nearly as high as corporations claimed.

The Authors analyze facts to support the theory. These reasons are based essentially on researches, lack of data provided for the pharmaceutical companies, real cost of developing new drugs, and the interests of the health care industry.

The fact that companies invest more money in advertising than in R&D is also a red flag in pharmaceutical’s claim that the high cost of their products is due to the investment they make in R&D. The theory is further supported by other data that include:

– An increasing number of drugs are simply licensed from academic medical centers or biotechnology companies, and are not entirely developed in the drug companies.
– R&D expenses are deductible from a firm’s tax base; calculation of the cost of R&D should be reduced by the amount of corporate tax avoided.
– Drug companies are impelled primarily by the financial aspirations of their investors and executives.
– Full disclosure of the data, including the identity of the drugs selected for study the pharmaceutical industry based their cost claims, and the costs for each of the studies.
– Most approved drugs entering the market are not really new, or they are licensed from other sources, or both.
– The private health care industry is primarily interested in selling services that are profitable, but patients are interested only in services that they need.
– Far from being a “research-based industry,” as it likes to call itself, the pharmaceutical industry now devotes most of its resources to functioning as a vast marketing and advertising.
Both authors point of view are valid, both are based on research, but I considered that Arnolds Relman and Marcia Angell article approaches more to the reality of the health care system and how they analyzes corporations’ used of different method to support a multibillion-industry and their investors.

I have some suggestion to approach the next shooting session:

Arms Wrestling:

For Arnolds Relman and Marcia Angell article I would like to use a contrasting light, where one side use a soft bright light while the other side reminds in the shadow; a ratio of 8 to 1. The image will be two-men/women arm wrestling. The idea is not to identify any of wrestling arms either with the corporations or the government/consumer, in that way spectators will decide who is who based on their own experience and the use of the contrasting light and the text. In both side we will see the same prescription that could have a white label or not.

Birthday Cellebration:

For Justin Hicks article I would like to shoot a birthday cake with the number 97 on it. The cake will be decorated with pills of different colors.

Another approach could be the number 97 covered in pills surrounded by birthday props.

Margie Warrell article main point, as she states in it, is: “Optimism creates opportunity and pessimism kills it.”

She based her avowal in researches, but in particular on one study made by Susan Segerstrong with a group of law student. group. Segerstrong found that law students who were optimism get better jobs and are more prompt to succeed. She remarks that these law students are in a group that see the glass-half-full, contrary to the other law students who look at a glass-half-empty.

Her main point is that she believes that positive attitude toward life makes you more successful and happier.

She mentioned 7 strategies “for filling up your cup of optimism.” She claims that: small changes in attitude, built self-confidence, see things from a new angle, hang out with optimist people, think in you as an optimism person and reflect it in your body language, laugh more, and exercise makes a huge difference in how you will enjoy and live your life.

For this shoot I want a reflected image of a glass with water that splash outside. The main reason is that the water is not still in the half of the glass is because, as Warell mention, you must be proactive and provocateur. Splashing water outside the glass a great way to show that optimism state.

I would like to use two strobe lights in the background of the subject. I will also need a diffuser, like silk white piece of fabric that will be in front of the two strobe lights.

The two strobes will be in different 45 angles. One in the top of another with the proper distance. Look at the diagram.

I will also need a white, black, or color piece of Plexiglas to create the reflection effect.

I would like to try this setting, if it does not work I will use the two-glass technique to create the illusion of the reflection.

One thing that must be considered is not to light the glass directly to avoid reflections.

A Healthy Outlook

Camille Chatterjee couldn’t be more accurate at the time she sustains that a good attitude is paramount for a better life. She specific refers to how blood pressure if affected by attitudes: “pessimists have a higher blood pressure that their more optimistic counterparts.”

She points to three main situations or states: Be optimistic, avoid stress, teamwork. Every of these advices has their own benefits and helps in controlling the blood pressure.

For this shoot I am thinking in bringing two glasses that I will put together in a peculiar way. Both will be half-full but the way in which I will set the layout will portrait, visually, what Ms. Chatterjee comments about the benefices that being optimistic, stress free, and the benefits of teamwork, bring to your life.

I would like to shoot this with a black background. Also with the reflection on the Plexiglas. I would like to use a tripod and long exposure, not strobe lights, to get the best image possible. But I am open to any suggestion that help me to achieve my ideas.

Water effects for these shoots will differ from the previous shoot in this series. I am thinking in using the fake ice cube the professor will bring to class.

Gabriel Flores

I analyzed both poems them I compared and contrast them.

Phillip Levine’s “Coming Home, Detroit”

Levin’s poem uses the city, and the events that are happening in that particular moment as the main protagonist of the poem. There is a politic tone in his words; riots, chaos and destruction, what did make this happen? We also feel the survivor in the middle of the anarchic situation. People that are not involve but are witnesses and victims of such society disparity.

As we know Detroit, the poet speaks of the dead-end era. A period of transitions where he remarks his respect for those who do not give up and whom hold out faith, a distant but constant belief that could be a better society.

He points to the demonstrations and responses against an industrial city, with its dirt and surrounded with smoke, from people that experience it every day.

E.E. Cumming’s “she being Brand”

E.E. Cummings’ poem “she has being Brand” a metaphoric description of a man  having a sexual experience with a first timer woman, refers to this mas who is about to drive a new brand car.

The description and the metaphor could be associated to the 1920’s idea of sexual liberation and changes in morality.

The poem describe, in an intimacy description and clear knowledge of a car parts and its function, an intimate moment of a man about to drive a new car.

The presence of the metaphor is not only in the poem’s meaning but also in the broken-condense syntax: putting words together as one, breaks with lines and illustrating beats with the description. We notice the use, or not, of periods and commas to emphasizes the metaphoric context of the poem and to sublime the assessment to which the metaphor refers.

The poem could be seeing as incongruous as humorous. But the metaphor is clear and direct, despite the techniques used by the poet.

Compare / Contrast

After analyzing and comparing-contrasting the poems of E.E. Cumming’s “she being Brand” and Phillip Levine’s “Coming Home, Detroit”, I can say that there is a strong social presence in their meanings. Cumming’s poem could refer to the American sexual liberation of the 20s, and Levine’s poem could refers to social changes that affect labor and workers. Both poems are told from a male narrator point of view.

Beside the social references of both poems, there is a politic tone involve in Levin’s poem that contrast with a more intimate experience in Cumming’s. But what is clear is the strong presence of technology.

This technology reference, that is a subtle reference because it is not in the poem itself, refers to the car industry revolution and how these revolutionary changes affect society behavior, as well the way societies looks and sense the world.

Both poems, which were writing in two different American history moments, involve cars or refer to the car industry; this is a way for the poets to tell us about that particular moment in history. We experience an array of feelings and experiences reading the poems but at the end we understand that both poems have a sense of hope.

About the Shoot for Monday October 30th.

“Change” “Passion” “Move Forward” “Hope” that will be the cue words to be considered for the shooting. The challenge is to portrait a metaphoric meaning of the poems using a toy car model from one of the two history moments when the poems were writing, 1926 or 1967.

I will try to bring a model of one of the most classic cars in the car industry, a car that shaped an entire generation; the 1967 Chevy Camaro.

I want it red because that color could be a representation of both moments: in Cumming’s poem the color will refers to the passion and love, as well as to sex and liberation. In Levine’s will represent the burst of a tired society against harsh work and living conditions and the progress and their consequences, in addition it could represent as a whole, car model plus color, a society moving forward as the main character in Levine’s poem does, despite the turbulent moments that Detroit society is leaving.

The shooting style is a big challenge. I would like to create an atmosphere that could be read as a romantic as well as a chaotic, depending the poem that represents. I would like a spot light in the car with all the surroundings blur with point of out of focus lights. I will use gels to create the different tonalities aside from the areas of high contrast using a ratio of 4 to 1 or 8 to 1. The car does not necessary be all inside the frame.

Michael Pollan states in his book A Botany of Desire: A Plant Eye View of the World, that: “the food chain that begins with seeds and ends on our dinner plates is in the midst of revolutionary change.” He refers to Monsanto, a St. Louis agricultural biotechnology and herbicide company, and its new genetically modified spuds.

Agriculture, as we know it today, invest millions of dollars in the care of crops. Pesticides, among other chemicals, are the paramount product in the business of growing crops. But the face of pesticides is changing. GMO revolution that started in the 80s is taking over the pesticide market.

Pollan mentioned that the set of “inputs”  as they are called, to all the extras involved in the harvest’s process, are a heavy load for farmers to carry. But a new-patented pesticide that grows inside, and with the product, is the kind of plant “new pesticide” that will rescue “American food chain”. It will replace expensive and toxic chemicals with expensive but apparently “benign genetic information” rooted inside the crops.

Pollan, figuratively, compares this new technology to Microsoft OS software: “With genetic engineering, agriculture has entered the information age, and Monsanto’s aim, it would appear, it to become its Microsoft, supplying the proprietary “operating systems”… to runs this new generation of plants.”

Next time you buy food, do not forget to read the small print on the label to avoid become a food-hacker: remember that the fact that you don’t know a law do not exempt you of breaking it.

Potato GMO picture Book Cover Approach

For both pictures I would like to use even light. No shadows. White clean background.

I would shoot a potato, with the American Flag on the top. The American Flag has GMO write it on it. The potato is surrounding by death bugs. Even all around. No shadows.

For the FreshDirect Picture

I will bring a cooked potato, I will fixed with some ranch cream and green parsley. I would like to use one of white tables in the room because I will try to lit the potato from behind though the vinyl. I would like an even light all over. Like the pictures you see in supermarkets: white background and great light that make the vegetables and the food healthy. No shadows.

Social media addiction is a bigger problem than you think

The main idea of the article refers to social media as habit-forming as crack cocaine.

Mr. Elgan remarks how constantly people check their social media and the time they spend doing it. He blames companies content creators mentioning that corporations and social media involved companies work hard to make networks addictive.

The author based his affirmations in different researchs, including the Cornell Information Science research based on a site called 99 Days of Freedom that reveals the difficulty people face in stopping the use of social media.

The article also mentions the Network Effect: the idea that networks becomes more valuable as more people are connected and the fact that many people are in Facebook because everybody’s on Facebook. Companies use different tricks to engage people, including the natural curiosity of the human condition: social media is designed to tell you the information you want to know, but they do it gradually to keep you on the network.

The article also mentioned Youtube, as the “perfect cocktail of addictive ingredients” exploiting the idea, among young adults, that surfing videos is good because you can find something better.

To kick the habit the article recommends create a Social Media Visit schedule and keep track of time you spend on social media and all your devices.

How Social Media Empowers Our Generation to Fight for Global Causes

The main idea of the article remarks that many people are attached to their devices because they are involved with problems in the battle against injustice, human rights, environment protection, etc. and Social Media are their best allies

The Jill Pohl’s article shapes the idea of people criticism of friends and collages because of their social addictive behavior is not as bad as it looks.

The author mentions that the so-called Generation Y faces new problems including unemployment and under-employment and the fact that social and political issues on a global scale has change dramatically, creating the perfect conditions for people to get involve in the fight for the rights, without matter if the problem is thousand miles away.

The article says that the same generation facing all these global problems, reacts against different social situations like racism and police brutality, racial and religious equality, human rights using technology: Social Media is a platform that enacts international change.

Social media is seeing as a “launching ground for change” and African Americans were the among the first to adopt Twitter at scale for social justice. It mentions the creation of the hashtag “Iftheygunnedmedown” was the only way to create a massive response to an increasing problem in America. The article also refers to a research from National Foundation for Educational, they found out that people get political, social and economic issues through Facebook and Twitter and new social media companies.

The article argues against people who look at Social Media as an addiction saying that now, Social Media users, are the generation most engaged with the world because people are able to use Social Media, log onto Twitter and end 140 characters with a hashtag for the world to see.

Ideas for next project.

Social Media Addiction

First Idea:

Silhouette of a person that have a phone in his hands with his head down in the typical texting position. I will try to get a full body and on the floor, are soda can, napkins, one or two pizza box, etc.

The screen of the phone emits a blueish light. Social media icons populate around the phone and head of the subject. NOTE: This part will be achieved in post-production.

Second Idea:

A book called: Facebookaholic: 12 steps to quick social media, rests next to a subject with a phone in his/her hands. He/she is texting about the book and how good it is.

How Social Media Empowers

First Idea:

An image of three or four subjects with a phone one of their hands. Phone screens face the camera and each phone has the candle App in the screen.

Second Idea:

In order to show solidarity, camaraderie, or friendship, a group of people will put their hands together, one on top of the other but palm facing up. Each hand holds a phone with the screen facing up and we can see part of different Social Media Symbols on the phone screens.

Head Phone Ad

To grow a new brand the client needs effective advertising. To simply run ads isn’t enough; craft a great campaign that speak directly to the target audience, campaign that excites and activates them is the main goal.

beats Solo 2, a headset from Dr. Drew, a company that now belongs to Apple, developed a campaign where famous artist and players wore beats Solo 2 during a creative process; to listen to the final mix of a new song that will be released, or simply for relax or to have fun.

The campaign showed the versatility and utility of the headsets, also displays how comfortable and wearable they are. The use of portraits of different musicians and players gave a more personal approach to the main concept of the campaign developed, creating a more intimate relation between the target population, the headsets and the brand through the feelings and expressions of the artist. The campaign also appeals to the feelings because most of the artist and players in the ads are popular and belong to the pop-cultural iconic movement.

The campaign uses different approaches: professional, casual, enjoyable, funny, friendly, and it is in direct relation with fame and fortune.

The illumination of the subjects in the portraits varies depending on the situation and moment they are portraying: high contrast where one part of the face is more lit than the other, the use of soft light, natural light, artificial and colored lights.

Backgrounds in the pictures are directly associated with the situation that the subject is portraying; for instance, a portrait of Nicki Minaj wearing a pair of beats Solo while she enjoys the reading of a magazine at her home.

Carlos Betance will bring the beats Solo 2 headphones that the group will use for the shooting session. About the other props, since every person in the group will work in their own idea for the ad, each of us will bring what will be used for the shooting.

First Option: I am thinking in shooting the subject laying on the floor or seating on a comfortable chair, wearing the beats Solo 2, listening to music and enjoying the music and the moment of relaxation. I want to portrait different qualities of the headphones beats Solo 2 like: using them will relax you, also will bring joy to your life, you will feel comfortable using them. I am thinking in a woman as a main subject, but could be a man also: he or she will be about 22 to 27 years old.

The camera will be in front of the subject pointing directly to her/his face, but the subject is no looking at the camera.

Second option:  shoot the subject looking at a LP or a CD. He/she is concentrated on reading the back of the cover of the disc. She/he looks happy enjoying the music. I would like for this shot a shallow depth of field.

I will shoot in Manual Mode controlling the three main factors that make possible achieve a shallow depth of field: aperture (f-stop), distance from the subject to the camera, and focal length of the lens on the camera.

I must set a Large Aperture/Small f-stop to have a better opportunity to get the effect I want to achieve.

The subject should be near to the camera to have a better opportunity to succeed in getting a shallower deep of field.

For the third factor that controls the DOF, Focal Length, I will try to get access to a 70-200 lens.

In the worst scenery, I will use the Portrait setting in the camera.

Light will be bright and soft. The shooting session will be at City Tech studio.

Hearing Loss PSA

The Healthy Hearing Campaign in NYC was a series of ads in the year 2013 to remind people to turn down the volume of their headphones.

The main idea of the campaign was to create awareness about the consequences of hearing music at high volume and encouraging users to turn down it in their personal listening devices.

The slogan used was clear and direct: “Turn down your music before you can’t hear it anymore”

The New York Health Commissioner mentioned the risk of listening devices at high volume and the high possibilities of hearing damage. This problem has become a serious public health problem, according to New York City Community Heath Survey.

The article also mentioned that this is a preventable problem following simple rules: Reduce the volume, limit listening time using headphones, use of volume-limiting features in the devices, and know about hearing problems and take the necessary preventions to avoid losing your hearing.

The ad shows a person wearing to different hearing devices that have two opposite meanings. In one of the pictures we see a man using a earbud, the tagline says: “Hear today.” Next to the first picture we see the same man wearing another kind of earbud but this is not for listening to music, but to help him listen anything. The tagline says: “Gone tomorrow.” In a clear reference to the problems that hearing a device at high volume cause.

The article recommends going to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorder to take a brief test to evaluate you hearing level and look for professional assistance in case the person need it.

What is the communication problem?
The high risk of hearing loss cause by noise: in this particular case, the high volume in listening devices.
The idea of the campaign is to educate about the risk of listening to music at high volume and its consequences, that include hearing loss.

Who is the audience and what should the PSA say to this audience?
The audience will be people that have a listening device and age 18 to 44. The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says younger adults aged 18 to 44 are about three times more likely to listen to music with headphone than adults aged 45 and older (61% vs 21%) It is a broad audience since listening devices are every day more and more popular, not only among young people, as we learned from the NYCDHMH research, but also with people aged 45 years and more.

First Idea
I visualized a subject, with both hands, each one in one ear in the position of recollecting sound. A pair of earbuds hangs in the palm of the hands. The light points to both hands and ears, creating shadow in the face. I don’t want to show the face clearly because the target audience is too broad, the idea is a faceless subject with a hearing problem, this subject could be anyone who is listening to music at high volume.

I will bring the earbuds.

Second Idea
I am considering creating a series of pictures, an ear CU, of the same person, wearing different headphone and earbuds devices, then one with nothing. I will then make a collage with the pictures of the ear wearing the devices surrounding the central image of the picture without wearing any headset or earbuds. Then the slogan that will reinforce the visual message. I can’t hear you, or What did you say. I can use also the phrase “Turn The Volume Down.”

Gabriel Flores

Shoot a series of portraits for The High Cost of Poor Health Care campaign.

Since the client asked for a healthy subject that looks worry about its health future, I am thinking to shoot a composition that will have two main elements: in the foreground we will see empty orange containers, well known as a standards medicine containers all around America, the second element is the subject – could be a man or a woman. The subject looks directly to the camera, it is concerned about its choices.

One side of the subject’s face will be well lit, while the other side will have shadows with the intention of creating a contrast that will reinforce the duality in which the subject is immersed.

The light will have an important role since it will create the mood of the ad as well as the dramatic aspect of the subject situation: healthy but without insurance.

The main message the client wants is about encouraging people, that have no insurance coverage, not to be afraid of getting one. As the client states: “We want citizens to see these ads and relate to the people in them.” These people used to live without insurance, but now they have no more excuse to get coverage.

The client wants people to know that getting coverage matters. The target is a vast multiracial and multicultural audience.

It will printed in major and local Newspapers as well as local print advertising reaching Latino, African-American and Asian/Pacific Islander communities and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.

The campaign will include billboard advertisements, transit shelter displays and convenience store posters that will appear in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Tagalog.

In the article by Mitsy Lopez-Barancello, planning director, and Yashoda Sampath, research lead, called The Fringe is In: “Multicultural” Marketing in a Millennial World.

https://tinyurl.com/y8dzv6ap

The author refers to the Pew Research Report (https://tinyurl.com/ycrfm9dd) that states “43% of millennials identify as non-white, and that number is growing.”

The article also mentions that “targeting market is dead.” two important aspects to take under consideration at the time to create the ad campaign since the diversity complicates any attempt to define a conventional audience.

Gabriel Flores

It is not new how Americans are dissatisfied with their current health care system. We were witnesses of the battle of powers about repelling the actual health system, known as Obamacare, over the weak proposal for a new health care system that the Trump administration wants to impose to benefit corporations than the American People.

Despite the Americans dissatisfaction, many of the affected people knew that what they already had was better than the new government was offering. On the other hand, the pressure of big pharmaceutical corporations increases adding more “drama” to an already dramatic situation. They reason that its profits, billions of dollars, will be used to develop even better drugs in the future and countries with less health care costs systems benefits from what they do, but no paying the price.

We also witnessed how Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli jacked up the prices of a decades-old drug used to treat AIDS patients and hiked the price of a popular anti-parasitic by more than $700.00 under the false pretense of the cost of researching when in reality, a good chunk of pharmaceutical “research and development” comes from the subsidized labs at universities and the National Institutes of Health.

Many research show that consumers in the United States now pay some of the highest prices in the world for many life-saving drugs. Recent reports show that critical cancer medicines, for example, cost as much as 600 times more in the United States than other countries.

A central tenet of elected officials is to be responsive to the wishes and desires of the public and many scholars agree that public opinion plays an important role in the policy process, part of what Ms. Elliot argues in her essay: “People love to claim that being healthy is more costly but it’s not true when you average out the cost of ill health over a lifetime.”

As she argues, “America has the best triage system in the world.” but also America is paying its lack of prevention. Obesity is a general health problem, the epidemic cuts across racial, economic and even state lines. More than one-third of American adults are obese, around 78 millions of people and the nation future doesn’t look much thinner. “Fast food restaurants cluster in poorer neighborhoods and obese adults eat more fast food than those who are normal weigh.” UC San Francisco 2011.

Beside of health habits, eating healthy and exercise more, Ms. Elliot also states that a good doctor that focus in preventing future illness in a patience is a clue to change America health panoramic.