More Reasons to Move to Asheville

There is a new movement in Asheville, NC, to promote the local food scene. Growers, chefs, markets, restaurants, and community are all gathered under the banner of FoodTopianSociety.com. Asheville keeps creating more good reasons to live there or nearby. The Appaliachian Sustainable Agriculture Project was the first of these "umbrella" movements supporting sustainable food production, and the FoodTopian Society is following in that same vein.
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Meat, the Prostate, and Big Pharma

A new Oxford University study has found that a diet containing meat and dairy may lead to increased likelihood of prostate cancer in men.

Because the connection between animal fat and prostate cancer has been established before, I've thought about it every time I've seen a current commercial running on TV. It's for Flomax (get it? MAXimum FLOW of urine, not constricted by an enlarged prostate?), one of the popular drugs to reduce the symptoms of BPH (swelling of the prostate). It pictures these guys who are all happy now that they can get in and out of the bathroom quickly -- and they're all standing around a grill at a cookout!

Imagine -- a drug company that sells a prostate-shrinking drug showing men at a cookout preparing to consume the very foodstuffs that are bad for the prostate. It's part of the do-whatever-you-want-and-then-take-a-pill mentality that Big Pharma has sold the American consumer.

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Hide Your Private Stuff

Check out the clarity of this first picture taken by the new Google-sponsored satellite that is now circling the earth, snapping pix of the globe. These pictures will, in due course, begin replacing the images now seen on Google maps, etc. This is a picture of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, taken from 423 miles above the earth:

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What Goes Around . . .

Very interesting article written by Dean Reynolds, veteran CBS News correspondent who has spent the last 12 months on the road covering both the Obama and McCain campaigns. His article is about the differences between how the two campaigns operate and how they treat the press: one of the campaigns is friendly toward reporters, one is not; one of the principals is friendly to the reporters, the other is not; one of the campaigns is extremely organized when it comes to letting reporters know about schedules, travel, etc., the other is not; one of the campaign's plane is cramped and smelly, the other is clean and accomodating.

Reynold's final paragraph is insightful:

"Maybe none of this means much. Maybe a [campaign] that is focused solely on victory doesn't have the time to do the mundane things like print up schedules or attend to the needs of reporters.

"But in politics, everything that goes around comes around."

Banks Down, Brewers Up

From Agora Financial's 5 Minute Forecast:

Just out of curiosity this morning, we sought out the best and worst performing sectors over the last 12 months:

Worst: Dow Jones U.S. Mortgage Finance Index, down 95%.
Best: Dow Jones U.S. Brewers Index, up 17%.

That pretty much sums it up, eh?

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Right or Responsibility?

In the presidential debate last night, one question illustrated the clear difference between Obama and McCain. If I didn't have any other reason NOT to vote for Obama, his answer to this one question would have been enough:

Brokaw Question: "Is health care a right, a privilege, or a responsibility?"

Obama Answer: "A right."
McCain Answer: "A responsibility."

Obama's answer is the same answer that created the sub-prime mortgage mess: Every American has a RIGHT to own a home whether s/he can afford it or not. That belief was engineered by Democrats and translated through Fannie and Freddie and we are reaping the results. Separating rights from responsibilities (and privileges -- such as home ownership) is fundamental.

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Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture

This past August, a group of well-known activists for healthy food and sustainable agriculture (Wendell Berry, Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, et al) released a draft Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture -- a 12-point statement intended to influence the next iteration of the always-lamentable federal Farm Bill. Several hundred thousand people already have signified their support by endorsing the statement at the Declaration's web site. I would encourage you to go to the site, read the (brief) declaration, and add your endorsement.

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Avocado Transplants

Here are the six avocado trees I transplanted from the flower beds into the side yard. The row of four borders my neighbor's property line but he was fine with having them there; the two on the left could be problems being so close to the driveway. The jury is out on whether any of them will make it -- one of the six looks a little pale this morning. We'll see.

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Figs and Books

Went to Home Depot this morning to get potting/planting mix for transplanting the avocado trees (pix tomorrow -- too dark when I finished) and spied a great Brown Turkish Fig tree -- actually, the one I got has two trunks growing out of the same pot, even better. I bought some Brown Turkish Figs at the store the other day -- $.79 each. The price wasn't marked and the checkout person thought they were $.79 for the bag instead of $.79 each. Needless to say I haven't bought any more at that price, but a bag for $.79 was nice. And they were delicious -- as big as golf balls. So when I saw the fig trees at Home Depot I grabbed this one. The card that came on the tree says they can get 40-50 feet wide and tall, so I put it on the open space on the side yard.

Digging this hole was like chipping concrete:



All tucked in with a mix of mushroom compost, composted cow manure, potting soil, and organic fertilizer:





These look just like the ones I bought at the store -- huge:





On the way to Home Depot I stopped in the Matthews Public Library book sale that began today and runs all this week. A nice stack of hardbacks for four bucks:

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TED

TED (stands for Technology, Education, Design) is an annual, invitation-only conference of the best and brightest thinkers in technology, education, and design. I have a DVD of the TED conference from 2006 -- mind-boggling to watch these speakers, using their 18 minutes to tell the other attendees what they are working on. Cash prizes to further that research are awarded to the best.

This was one of the presentations on creativity in children (many more of the 18-minute videos, on a variety of subjects, at the TED website):



This one is a Swedish researcher who uses an amazing presentation of data on child mortality around the world. The audience was blown away by his presentation:

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Your Bank's Stability

Go here to get a rating on your bank's financial condition. Very detailed information.

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What About Cancer-Preventing Foods?

Tour de France legend and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, as part of his Livestrong war on cancer, has challenged McCain and Obama to list three things they would do to lessen the impact of cancer if elected to the presidency. Their answers are brief and pointed, but focus mainly on doing more of what's been done in the past: more money, more research, more accessible healthcare, etc. McCain makes a brief reference to "healthy living" which is commendable. (Yet see the previous post below on what McCain keeps in the 'fridge on his tour bus, and his overall eating habits. His idea of "healthy living" is not that healthy.) But it's clear these two have no more creative ideas than trying to improve what has been done in the past. 

The new DVD, Healing Cancer from Inside Out, makes it clear that in spite of billions of dollars spent over recent decades, cancer still has the upper hand. There was definitely not "one American death per minute" (as Armstrong notes) in 1900 as there is today. From that perspective, we are in worse condition now than before the billions were spent. As books like Dr. Colin Campbell's The China Study point out, the first line of defense against cancer, and the most potent weapon against reversing it, is an immune system made strong by the cancer-fighting properties of plants. 

From the national level, regardless of which of the two is elected, we're in for more of the same:

UPDATE: I removed the embedded video because of the IRRITATING fact that it plays automatically every time you log onto my blog. To watch the video you can click on the title line of this post above.

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The Health of the Candidates

In his latest Newsletter, Dr. John McDougall does a thorough, detailed analysis of the current diet and health status of the two presidential candidates. One is in good shape and the other is not.

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Weight Loss on Raw Food

Nice story on CNN.com of a 300-pound young woman who lost 160 pounds over two years by switching to a raw vegan diet. Has kept the weight off for four years and authored several books on switching to a vegan, raw-food lifestyle.

Food Storage Jars

One of Jen's friends posted on her blog the story of the pesky little moths that get into food products (mainly grains, in my experience) in the pantry. They lay eggs in the food, etc. -- resulting in having to throw out everything and start over. Sealed storage containers are the solution, as Anna said, showing the Ball jars which are so good for many uses. A couple of years ago I made the same switch and finally found online a source for one-quart and one-gallon glass jars (with screw-on lids) to store dry foods in (rice, beans, oatmeal, cereal, seeds, pasta, flour, etc.). They are sold by the case (12-count) and were just $2-$3 each when buying that many.

The reason I like the one-quart jars is because they are straight-sided, meaning the openings are wide at the top for sticking measuring spoons or other utensils in. The large jars on the bottom shelf (below) are great -- 128 oz/one-gallon size -- for storing large quantities of dry bulk foods.

I had a VERY DIFFICULT time finding these jars online. Very strange to me that something this common would be so hard to find. When I went back this week to try to find my original source to send to Jen's friend, I couldn't find it. Don't know if it's still out there or not, but this is a market niche that seems to be waiting to be filled. If anyone finds a good source for these LARGE size glass jars, please post it in the comments:

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Fall Colors

Snagged this "fall" bouquet at Harris Teeter this morning. Don't do flowers very often, but want to do more. They bring such color and "good cheer" to a room:





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Top 10 Blogs for Writers

Michael Stelzner (the leading writer of corporate white papers) has released the results of the "Top 10 Blogs for Writers, 2008/2009" contest.

There's something here for everyone: Moms, see #9. Here are his descriptions of each:

1. Copyblogger: As the undefeated champ, this blog has held the number-one spot for three straight years! The baby of Brian Clark, this blog keeps winning because of its excellent and educational articles.
2. Men With Pens: James Chartrand and Harry McLeod are the dynamic duo who continue to deliver rich content and community discussion.
3. Freelance Writing Jobs: Founded by Deb Ng, this site is the first stop for freelance writers seeking new work and great articles (and it remains a top winner since this contest began).
4. Write to Done: This blog delivers a steady stream of excellent articles for all writers and is the product of top blogger Leo Babauta.
5. Confident Writing: Looking for encouragement? Joanna Young will help you take your writing to the next level.
6. The Renegade Writer: Linda Formichelli and Dianna Burell, authors of a book by the same name, help freelance journalists find inspiration.
7. Remarkable Communication: One part writing, one part marketing and one part selling, this excellent blog by Sonia Simone will help any writer succeed.
8. Writing Journey: Looking for a great stop on your writing journey? Bob Younce’s blog will refresh and energize you.
9. Freelance Parent: Two moms, Lorna Doone Brewer and Tamara Berry, provide excellent perspective on writing while balancing time with little ones.
10. Urban Muse: Susan Johnson covers a wide range of excellent topics that all writers will enjoy.

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Augustine's Pears

Whenever I look out my back window to the heavily-laden pear tree in my neighbor's yard, I think of the role pears played in St. Augustine's conversion. From chapter four, book two, of his Confessions:

There was a pear tree close to our own vineyard, heavily laden with fruit, which was not tempting either for its color or for its flavor. Late one night--having prolonged our games in the streets until then, as our bad habit was--a group of young scoundrels, and I among them, went to shake and rob this tree. We carried off a huge load of pears, not to eat ourselves, but to dump out to the hogs, after barely tasting some of them ourselves. Doing this pleased us all the more because it was forbidden. Such was my heart, O God, such was my heart--which thou didst pity even in that bottomless pit. Behold, now let my heart confess to thee what it was seeking there, when I was being gratuitously wanton, having no inducement to evil but the evil itself. It was foul, and I loved it. I loved my own undoing. I loved my error--not that for which I erred but the error itself. A depraved soul, falling away from security in thee to destruction in itself, seeking nothing from the shameful deed but shame itself.

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"3" "7" or "PC"

The evidence seems to be mounting about the danger of some plastic bottles. The dangerous ingredient in the plastic goes by the name "BPA," and a report I read said that 90-95% of Americans have BPA in their bodies already (according to an AMA study). One BPA research study summarizing 218 other studies on BPA found that 189 of the studies found harmful effects of BPA -- an 87% agreement rate. BPA has been linked to a number of diseases, but the American Medical Association.

The FDA, however, is on the other side of the evidence and said this on September 18:

Based on our ongoing review, we believe there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects.

The easiest way to tell the "bad" plastic bottles (including water bottles, baby bottles, energy drink bottles, food storage containers, etc.) is to look on the bottom. You'll find a triangle with a single digit number in it. The "bad" bottles have a "3" or a "7" in the triangle, or the letters "PC" stamped on the bottom. Some of my two- and five-gallon buckets that I use for dry bulk food storage have a fork/spoon icon stamped on the bottom signifying "food grade."

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Smoothie

FRUIT SMOOTHIE
This has been my daily lunch for the last month or more, at least on the days I work out around noon, which is most days. It's full of good stuff -- very healthful. I tweaked this recipe until I got it right, and it's delicious. The ultimate taste test -- the particular palate of one David K. -- produced two-thumbs up. He had one of these daily on his recent visit to Charlotte.

Here's what the finished product looks like -- recipe below:



After pouring the smoothie into the tumbler I rinse the sides of the blender with (good) water, enough to wash the remaining mix down to the bottom of the blender container (whatever it's called). I then blend that mix and pour it into a separate glass and drink it down. It's diluted and weak, of course, but I'm not about to waste all the nutrition that's left on the sides of the blender. Rinsing and remixing is much easier than trying to scrape off what's left with a plastic spatula:



I'm going to list these incredients in the order I add them with a few notes. (A blender strong enough to blend ice and frozen bananas is required.) Into the blender "thing" put . . .

•A half-dozen ice cubes (made with good water)
•Half a peeled orange (leave as much of the white pith as possible)
•Half of a large, frozen banana (buy the cheap bags of ripe bananas when you can find them; peel, wrap in plastic wrap, and keep a supply in the freezer)
•1/3 cup organic blueberries (large bags of organic blueberries at Costco)
•1/3 organic berry mix (big bags of organic mixed berries from Costco -- contains blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
•1/3 cut mango chunks (frozen from Trader Joe's, but not organic)
•2-3 organic strawberries
•6-8 organic red seedless grapes
•Other pieces of fruit? (I had some Turkish figs this week and threw one in for fun.)
•1/2 cup of decaf sun (green or black) tea
•1 Tbsp Vanilla extract (extract much better than vanilla flavoring; the best price I've found is at Trader Joe's for vanilla extract)

Put the lid on and start the blender, turning it up to the fastest speed. The ice and frozen banana create a frozen slush at first that doesn't "blend," so just let it run, creating heat to melt the frozen stuff a bit. I usually have to use the "plunger" that comes with the Vita-Mix to jam stuff down into the blades and get it mixing. You can add a bit more tea (or water) if you think it needs more liquid. Let it "blend" while you prepare the next ingredients.

I use a coffee bean grinder to grind up the following seeds into "meal" consistency before putting them in to blend:

•1 Tbsp. chia seeds (from www.getchia.com)
•1 Tbsp. raw pumpkin seeds
•1 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
•1 Tbsp. hemp seeds
•2 Tbsp. raw flax seeds (a daily supply of Omega 3's, along with the hemp and chia seeds)

Grind the above together into meal. When the "stuff" in the blender gets to a liquid consistency (creates a vortex in the blender container), dump the seed meal in and let it blend in.

Finally,

•1 heaping Tbsp. of vegan vanilla rice protein mix. (Available at most healthfood or natural markets, but only in one-pound sizes. I order the three-pound size from vitacost.com at a much better price. Vitacost.com has a fixed $4.95 shipping charge regardless of what you order. Any supplements, etc., that I buy I usually order from them.)

When a new vortex has formed and the seed meal is mixed in, put the protein powder in. Let the entire batch blend on "High" for another minute or or so. The longer it blends the smoother it gets, but depending on the speed of your blender the temperature will begin to rise as well -- so find the happy medium between smoothness and coldness.

Takes about 10 minutes to do the whole deal once you get in the routine, and well worth it. I have only made this with the Vita-Mix blender, which is a powerhouse and creates a velvety smooth blend. And the chia seeds add a "slippery" mucilage effect when they are added to anything (besides being full of good nutrition).

Next to come is the list of ingredients Jennifer used for burritos at Ellen's recent birthday party.

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Friday Fun

Anna sent me the following puzzle. How would you answer?

3 men go to a hotel and rent a room.
The manager tells them it is $30 so they each hand him a ten dollar bill.
Later that day the manager realizes he gave the men the wrong price. The room is actually only $25.
He gives the bell boy 5 one dollar bills and asks him to refund it to the men.
The bellboy keeps $2 for himself and gives the men back $3 which means they ended up paying $9 each for a total of $27. If they payed $27 and the bellboy kept $2 where did the other dollar go?

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Zvents

Check out Zvents -- a search site that shows you everything that's happening (interesting events, not news) in your community. Just go to the site and (by magic) you're presented with a home page filled with activities in your community.

Cycologist

Daniel's "new" Honda Shadow 600 cycle (2001 model). After a not-nice thief took his Honda scooter from the carport of his house (never recovered), which was his transportation in lieu of a second family car, he replaced it with this bike. Very nice, really clean, low miles, 50-60 mpg -- what could be better?

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David Sighting

Son David was in town for several days last week before heading to the beach with the Raleigh crew, and before starting back to grad school at Drexel University in Philadelphia later this month. Somehow the camera didn't surface at the right times when Dave was here, so borrowed this picture from Jen. She and Daniel and the girls drove up from Columbia to see Dave and sister Anna. L to R below -- Anna, David, Daniel. (Thanks for the photo loan, Jen.)

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Pastor Profile

The Sunday Charlotte Observer newspaper ran a front-page story on Steven Furtick, the pastor of Elevation Church where I've been attending. Read it here.

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Ellen at Seven

Enjoyed an afternoon and evening in Columbia for Ellen's seventh birthday party. It was a large event -- a dozen or so kiddos from babies to seven-year-olds, and most of their parents. Jen laid out a wonderful buffet of ingredients for a great burrito meal, then her always-delicious vegan chocolate cake with white icing.

I gave Ellen my present before the crowd arrived. It was sort of awkward to wrap so she had to hide her eyes while I brought it into the room:



The longed-for horsie -- plastic, but a horsie nonetheless.



Arianna had gotten a similar horse for a previous birthday. Instead of a horse, Jay got white designer contacts to throw off intruders -- you can't really tell if he's looking at you or not:



Jen has now done 12 of these (7 + 5) and is darn good at it:



Blowing out the candles. Check out Ruby, the little crumb-cruncher over Ellen's right shoulder. She'd as soon give you a hug as not -- a true party favor:



Seven is a happy age, at least for Ellen. (Actually, all her years have been happy ones.):



Arianna and her BFF:



Proud to be seven (especially when you get a great burrito supper). I sat down to read a story to the girls before the party and it suddenly dawned on me that Ellen could probably read it to me since they've been working on reading in homeschool. She took the story and began reading as if she was 12! I was blown away. If she came to an unfamiliar word (not often) she sounded it out almost without breaking rhythm and proceeded on. Arianna read some as well and did amazing for age 5 -- sounding out every word phonetically whether she knew what it was or not. This is not just grandfather talk. I know the difference between struggling reading and comfortable reading and Ellen was amazingly comfortable, line after line. Daniel and Jen have spent untold hours reading to the girls since they were little, and it shows -- books that are way beyond their "grade level." (They're currently starting The Chronicles of Narnia series for the second time, having just finished a couple volumes of the fairy tales of George MacDonald.) Their "ears" have become so accustomed to hearing what words sound like that they can repeat the sounds effortlessly in their own reading. Good job, girls! (And Dad and Mom.)



A great party! I failed to get a shot of Daniel on his new (pre-owned) Honda Shadow cycle that he got to replace the stolen scooter. It's a great looking bike -- black and shiny!

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GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness)

I mentioned John Robbin's latest book, Healthy at 100 (2006), in a previous post, predicting I'd probably reference it again. This is going to be long -- a lengthy quote from Robbins' book -- but I hope you'll read it and perhaps offer some feedback (comments) in response.

More than just a book on food and nutrition, Healthy at 100 touches on all aspects of life that characterize the world's longest-lived peoples. In the quote below, he describes the nation of Bhutan with which I (like most Americans) was relatively unfamiliar. But see what you think:

"The gross domestic product (GDP) is now routinely used throughout the industrialized world as a fundamental measure of a nation's level of success. It is taken for granted that the higher the GDP, the better a country is doing. This use of the GDP has become so ubiquitous that people often don't realize there are alternatives. Unbeknownst to many of us, the small Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has been taking a very different path, with remarkable results.

"Roughly the size of Switzerland, Bhutan is the only independent Buddhist monarchy in the world, and the only country in the world that practices the Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism as its official religion. In April 1987, Bhutan's young monarch, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, was interviewed by the Financial Times. Asked about his nation's economic development, which was among the world's lowest, he replied, 'Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.'

"Though Bhutan has its problems, King Wangchuck's statement was not an idle remark. Under his leadrship, Bhutan has made Gross National Happiness its official index for evaluating development. As a result, the guiding principles of all Bhutanese policies have been to ensure that prosperity is shared across society, that cultural traditions are honored, the environment is protected, and the government is kept responsive to the real needs of the people. While economists in the West have scoffed at the king's ideas, calling them naive idealism, the results speak for themselves.

"Though household incomes remain among the world's lowest, the people of Bhutan have created one of the world's most intriguing societies. The nation has more monks than soldiers, not a single traffic light or mall, and a profound commitment to education. Forty years ago, Bhutan had no public education system, now there are schools at all levels throughout the country. The literacy rate, which was less than 10 percent as recently as the early [1990's], now tops 50 percent and continues to increase rapidly.

"When the current king took the throne in 1972, there was not a single sanitary hospital in the country. Now, all Bhutanese subjects have access to free healthcare. People entering hospitals with non-acute problems can choose Western or traditional medicine. Government policies ensure that people have a great deal of free time with their families, including maternity leaves. The elderly are provided for both by their extended families and by pension programs provided by the government. In 2005, Bhutan became the first nation in the world to impose a national ban on the sale of tobacco and on smoking in public places.

"As Buddhists, the Bhutanese don't kill animals for food. (If a cow dies naturally, though, they will eat it.) Most of their meals are centered on red rice, accompanied by chili peppers and other vegetables, all home-grown, with occasional cheese from local cows. There is not a single McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, or Pizza Hut in the entire country.

"Perhaps the most remarkable part of Bhutan's commitment to Gross National Happiness is a stunning dedication to preserving the country's natural resources. While the forests of all its neighboring countries have been decimated in recent years, Bhutan retains the highest original forest cover of any nation on earth. The hunting of animals is prohibited, as is fishing in the rivers. Livestock grazing, logging, and mining are strictly controlled and limited. Plastic bags are banned, as are two-stroke engines. There are stringent fuel-quality laws. The nation has an annual holiday to honor the king, but instead of pomp and parades, he has declared the holiday Social Forestry Day, and the people now spend the day planting trees. Consistent with the Buddhist doctrine of respect for all life, a constitution is currently being written which gives inalienable rights to wildlife and trees as well as to people.

"How has all this affected the health of the people? In a stunningly short time, the nation has experienced one of the most dramatic increases in life expectancy in world history. In 1984, life expectancy in Bhutan was 47 years. Only fourteen years later, in 1998, it had leaped to 66 years." (pp. 270-271)

Now -- the down side. Ever the balanced researcher, Robbins notes this in the chapter's endnotes regarding Bhutan's "problems:"

"To protect from being inundated by Nepalese refugees, Bhutan has cultivated an obsessive nationalism. Even Nepalese refugees whose families have lived in Bhutan for generations are not considered to be Bhutanese citizens, and have far fewer rights and privileges. Indeed, many were forced to leave Bhutan in the late 1980s, after census figures showed they would eventually overtake the country. Some of these former residents of Bhutan now live in dingy camps in southern Nepal. And even for Bhutanese subjects, the traditional way of life may not long survive. Television arrived in Bhutan in 2002. Children in this devoutly Buddhist country are now watching Baywatch and Worldwide Wrestling and beginning to clamor for Western consumer products."

So, Bhutan is no Eden.

Here are some things that struck me about this country and about which I would enjoy your comments if you are so inclined:

1. The idea of Gross National Happiness as a national goal. If happiness = contentment, what's right or wrong with this idea?

2. The idea of a national religion. (Americans are used to "freedom of religion." I don't know if non-Bhuddists are allowed to live in Bhutan.)

3. The idea of national policies like a total ban on tobacco sales and smoking in public places.

4. The apparent "benefits" of such a culture: steady rises in literacy and longevity.

5. A national priority ensuring "free time" and "time with families."

6. National prohibitions on hunting and finishing.

7. Inalienable rights for trees and wildlife.

Most of the above is culturally-contrary to our American way of life, though I found myself resonating with much of it. If you're interested in more on Bhutan, there is the Bhutan national web site and the Wikipedia article.

P.S. for any who read this far. I ended up with an extra copy of Robbins book and would be happy to send it to anyone who would like it.

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