I'll Be "Back"

Posting has been slow this past week due to lower-back problems and my resulting inability to sit at the computer for extended periods. Like a huge proportion of Americans, I wrestle with occasional belt-level (lower back) pain. My father wore a back brace during and after his Air Force days as a pilot. I must have inherited his structural imperfections given my history, and my son Daniel has suffered occasional bouts (though he has become religious in his attention to proper lifting -- i.e., squat-to-lift -- techniques and remains mostly pain-free).

I recall like it was yesterday jogging with my friend, Joey Falkner, in his quiet, hilly Birmingham neighborhood, somewhere around 1970 -- and the pain I felt shoot through my lower-left-back -- right where I feel it today -- while running up a steep hill (trying to keep up with my fleet-of-foot friend). Uncle Sam paid for surgery at Walter Reed Hospital while I was in the Army (1973) which cleaned out the deteriorated pieces of the disc between the L5 and S1 vertebrae, which relieved the horrific sciatic nerve pain with which all low-back folks are familiar. Surprisingly, the Army also awarded me a 20% service-related disability and has sent me a small check each month since 1974. (I once calculated what I would have accumulated, with interest, had I saved that check every month from then 'til now -- it's more painful to think about than my back pain -- but I digress.)

Since the surgery, I've managed pretty well with only occasional bouts of weakness. I usually don't know what brings them on, but they almost always account for a week of inactivity -- off my feet, spending the day on the floor reading while doing some exercises, etc. I'm at the end of one of those weeks now, and feeling better. (It hasn't been all bad -- I've lost 7-8 pounds from not eating much -- subsisting just on miso soup and juices from my Jack LaLanne juicer -- a great product I have written about before.)

I am anticipating the arrival today of this product -- the Holy Grail for back pain sufferers: a Teeter Hang-Ups EP-950 Inversion Table. I've had one of these before and it worked wonders, but I sold it after I went a few years without any significant back trouble. Bad move. I will likely keep this one for the rest of my life -- for now and for the future, just in case.

The table allows you to lock your feet into the bottom stirrups, lay back on the mesh "table," and assume a position from horizontal (pressure off the back) to 180 degrees inverted -- hanging free, upside down. It's this latter position that is so therapeutic as it allows your spinal column to decompress, taking pressure off discs and nerves. (One is usually a quarter to a half-inch taller after a session, but gravity quickly restores you to normal height.)

This table (and other competing products, I suppose -- but this one seems to command the largest following) really works. I ordered this from Amazon where 70 reviewers have given it a solid 5-star rating. With Amazon Prime the shipping was free, and two-day shipping was only $3.99. Having used one successfully for a couple of years, I didn't think twice about ordering it -- I've got to get back to work.

Have you not joined Amazon Prime yet? I recall Jon Stewart harassing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos about Amazon Prime on his TV show:

Bezos: "Join Amazon Prime for $78 and you get free shipping for a year!"

Stewart: "$78 for free shipping? That's not free!"

Bezos: "HA HA HA HA HA!!"

But A.P. is worth it when you order lots of stuff from Amazon, especially these kinds of large, heavy items. Two-day shipping for $3.99? Come on!

Seriously, if you or a loved one needs back relief, consider a Hang-Ups table. (And a shout out to Ben Bradford for my introduction about six years ago.)

P.S. I am also committing to a new resolve yoga-Pilates type exercises to strengthen my core (as well as converting to Daniel's squat-to-lift religion), something biking and rowing don't do very well. I even bought a yet-as-unopened "Yoga for Back Pain" DVD a couple years ago during my last bout. I suppose it's time to open it, right?

Update: The Hang-Ups arrived at 10:00 a.m. this morning. Ordered Thursday night, received it Saturday morning -- a 50" x 30" x 8" box weighing 79 pounds -- for $3.99 shipping (Amazon Prime price). The FedEx lady couldn't believe it. I became a devoted Amazon.com fan not long after they opened for business in 1994 and haven't strayed since -- for reasons like this.

Plant-based School Lunches

Wow -- this is an IMPRESSIVE young lady -- Nina Gonzalez -- a vegan high school student in Virginia who campaigned for her school district to offer plant-based options for school lunches. She was successful, and has testified before Congress about her efforts. This ABC News interview is with her and Dr. Jay Gordon, a plant-based pediatrician in California who has served as a health consultant to ABC News (he is not as well-known as some of the other plant-based M.D.'s, but should be). How could they have not zoomed in and shown the impact of a plant-based diet on the saturated fat in the test tubes Dr. Gordon presented?

North Carolina, Amazon, Taxes, and Personal Privacy

My home state of North Carolina, never a state to allow a penny of potential tax revenue to go uncollected, is one of a dozen or so states that requires citizens to disclose the total dollar amount of out-of-state purchases made each year (e.g., catalog and Internet purchases) and pay sales tax on those purchases via the annual state tax return. While it's the law in NC, it's a voluntary disclosure since the state has no way of tracking one's purchases. The lady who does my income taxes every year says I'm one of the few (maybe the only one) of her clients who ever discloses their out-of-state purchases; most NC residents ignore the requirement and don't pay the taxes.

The trend identified by my CPA must be irritating the NC authorities and they are taking steps to find out exactly what NC residents purchase. Recently, NC tax officials journeyed to the headquarters of Amazon.com in Seattle and demanded that Amazon provide full details on nearly 50 million purchases made from Amazon.com by NC residents between 2003 and 2010.

To their credit, Amazon told 'em to stick it -- and filed a lawsuit this past Monday to block the NC demand on the grounds that it violates the privacy and First Amendment rights of Amazon's customers.

As most people have discovered, if an online retailer has a presence in a state (e.g., Wal-Mart, Target, and many, many others) the retailer is required to collect sales tax when a purchase is made online at the company's web site, just as tax is collected when you make a purchase in the local store. But Amazon has no such presence in NC. Amazon's referral program, which allows people with web sites or blogs to collect a small referral fee for purchases made via a referral from a web site, was discontinued by Amazon in NC in 2009 when the NC State Legislature passed a law forcing Amazon to collect sales tax on referrals coming from within the state. Again, Amazon told 'em to stick it -- and discontinued the referral program in this state. (Thanks, NC -- way to promote commerce.)

Time will tell who will win the current battle between Amazon and NC. But it is a sign of the times. Cash-strapped states are going to do whatever it takes to dig deeper into citizens' pockets for their loose change. NC is not alone in this -- Colorado has already enacted a law requiring online retailers to disclose the total dollar amount of purchases made by its citizens (but not the details of the purchases).

You can read the details of this developing trend here at CNET.com.

[So as not to appear naive, I'm the first to acknowledge that the Internet has provided a free lunch for consumers for the last decade by allowing purchases to be made without paying local and state sales taxes. States have lost hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue they would otherwise have received. The Internet has been a disruptive innovation (to paraphrase Harvard's Clayton Christensen) which demands a solution in terms of the sales tax revenue gap. But the heavy-handed approach of North Carolina to Amazon -- "We demand to know who has purchased what from your company!" -- is unlikely to be the solution. Colorado's approach -- total purchase figures without details -- seems more reasonable. The bottom line is that the decade-long free lunch for consumers is coming to a close. If you live in a state that does not currently require your online purchase information, I would start stocking up now. The days of tax-free purchases are numbered.]

"Food, Inc" Movie on PBS Wednesday Night

If you haven't seen the documentary Food, Inc. you can watch it for free Wednesday night (April 21). It airs on most PBS stations nationwide at 9:00 p.m. "Check your local listings." It thoroughly exposes how the American food system is now dominated by corporations and politics.

Signs the Apocalypse Is Upon Us

I don't really think the Apocalypse is upon us -- yet -- but I always liked that title line. The source escapes me for the moment (perhaps one of you will jog my memory). It appeared regularly in a publication I read to highlight bizarre things going on in our culture and world.

Things are getting a bit more scary rather than bizarre -- the impact of the Icelandic volcano, I mean. I subscribe to a view of the future based in Scripture that predicts a seven-year period of upheaval on earth called the Tribulation, described mainly in the book of Revelation. Painful and cataclysmic events will destroy much of planet earth and a large part of the population. I've always wondered what news headlines in that day will look like. When I saw this set of headlines on the Drudge Report this morning it provided a glimpse into the future:

Volcanic ash relentless as tremors rock Iceland...
Europe hopes half of flights will operate Monday...
New wind pattern: April 22...
Fears of Second Blast From Eyjafjallajökull...
Economy impact to rise sharply if cloud lingers...
Volcano from space: 'Nightmarish face' seen from above...
Networking sites help rescue those stranded...
EU transport ministers to hold video meeting...
'I saw the earth explode'...
DAY TURNS TO NIGHT...
SCENARIOS...
Airlines press for end to no-fly bans...

"I saw the earth explode" could have been written by the apostle John himself as he recorded the revelation he had of the future. Thankfully, I also subscribe to the view that Christ's true followers will have been removed from planet earth before said chaos ensues, a view which grows more comforting with each passing headline (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Rain Barrels Full of City Water

My two rain barrels, being relatively translucent, allow sunlight to feed the growth of algae over time. Both barrels were coated with green algae on the inside and needed cleaning, which I accomplished this morning. Checking the 10-day forecast, we're not due for any rain in the near future, and I need chemical-free water for my plants, so I filled the barrels with Union County's best, then set my aerators to work to bubble out the chlorine and other gases in the city water so I can use it tomorrow. Would the gas have evaporated out on its own? In due course, yes. But it's way more fun to hook up the pump and create 110 gallons of roiling turbulence. All I need to go in these modern brew-pots is some . . .

Eye of newt, and toe of frog,

Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,

Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,

Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing . . .

(Macbeth)

to make the Bard proud.

Clean barrels, clean water! I was so hot after this exercise that I felt like stripping down and sitting neck deep in one of the barrels. You have to admit it looks inviting.

Spinach coming up in the planter:

I had a great idea today for a new outdoor container growing system that I hope to debut in a couple of weeks -- stay tuned!

Backyard Bad Boy

Looked out my back window and discovered a posse of grackles having their way with all things edible in the grass.

Looks like this guy found a nice worm, right?

Wrong. Turned out to be a baby snake of some sort. Grackles are fearless, taking what they want. He piece-mealed the snake for a good 10 minutes, a chunk at a time:

I went outside to see if I could get a closer shot, but the grackle flew off. There wasn't much left of his lunch:

I'm always amazed at what is crawling through the grass in our yards that we never see, but which birds find without a problem. The balance of nature at work.

What I Want for Christmas

Someday when I'm rich and famous I'll buy a piece of furniture made by the Thos Moser furniture company—for the pure pleasure of owning a piece of art crafted from wood. In the interim, I unashamedlly submit my request for the following piece to be delivered to me next Christmas : the six-foot tall Thos Moser vertical double display case. (The price isn't even listed on their web site. I guess if you have to ask . . . .)

I run no risk of offense in my request since I have no friends (that I know of) well-heeled enough to bestow such a gift. But it's a pleasure just to consider. I would remove the glass shelves and use it as a dust-proof instrument case: fiddles, banjos, and uke hanging on the back wall, guitars on stands in the foreground, optional down lights installed to illuminate the beauty of wood inside and out. I would pretend I am proficient enough on the instruments to invest in their protection and preservation with something as beautiful as this case.

The Restoration of Masculinity

I knew a guy years ago (yes, you, Jerry Leachman) who enjoyed telling young boys, "A man's not a man, son, without a hat!"

I'm proud to say that a weakness of several years in my own masculine force field was remedied today, not by the purchase of a hat, but a new wheelbarrow. I've been 'barrow-less for several years, my previous well-worn model having gone the way of a garage sale when I closed down my large backyard garden a few years ago in anticipation of a move that never happened. I didn't know the unsettledness in my soul since then was due to the 'barrow-shaped spot in my garage that was ultimately filled with other less masculine clutter. But no more! The 'barrow is back!

I can't wear my new wheelbarrow, but I'm hoping Leachman will allow the substitution. Besides, I'm thinking the wheelbarrow (which caused the invention of the wheel) predates the hat by a mastodon or two. How do you think our ancestors got the fur, which became hats and coats, home—except in a wheelbarrow?

Why Am I Not Surprised?

Vegan.com today posted a couple of amazing facts: American health insurance companies own $1.9 billion worth of stock in fast-food companies. And last year it was reported that health insurance companies owned at least $4.4 billion worth of stock in tobacco companies.

So the people who theoretically care about peoples' health are part owners in two industries that contribute to peoples' ill health and death. Why are we not surprised?

This Is How It Begins

The following quote is from a very talented financial analyst named Dan Ferris. I'm citing it without permission, so if I get yelled at I'll take it down. But I thought it so succinctly pictured the tiny drops that are beginning to fall which are going to become an economic toad-choker (a Southern colloquialism) in the years ahead in our economy:

Today, news came out that China held 1.3% fewer Treasuries in February than in January – the fourth consecutive monthly decline. I guess China is allowing Treasury bonds to mature without replacing them, rather than actively selling, but I don't know how to tell for sure. It hardly matters. When your No. 1 customer stops buying, you have a problem. Japan is the No. 2 foreign Treasury holder in the world, and it too held fewer Treasuries in February.

The following is my explanation, not Mr. Ferris', but I think he would agree:

This means the number one and two nations who keep the United States afloat financially by lending us money through the purchase of U.S. bonds (debt instruments), China and Japan, are pulling back. They're tired of buying U.S. bonds that pay practically nothing in interest. In order to open their checkbooks again, the U.S. will have to raise the interest rate it pays higher and higher. Rising interest rates mean inflation. Inflation means a devalued U.S. dollar. And that means a serious hit to the lifestyle (spending power) of every American.

And because the U.S. has no cash with which to pay off those bonds to our lenders when they come due, we'll borrow and print even more money, going further into debt and increasing the devaluation of the dollar.

The saddest reflection on the quote above is that most Americans would not know what it portends for the future—for China and Japan to begin buying fewer bonds from America. But we are about to find out.

Better ≠ Best

Vegan.com linked to an April 15 Washington Post article about New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman. The author of the Post article recounts Bittman's decision to "go vegan before 6:00 p.m.", then eat anything he wanted thereafter.

Huh?

This kind of thinking amazes me when it comes from people like Bittman who is one of the most informed people about food in America. He has written good cookbooks and good books on food in general (e.g., Food Matters) and written positively about the need to incorporate more plants in one's diet. But like the other classic example of an unwillingness to commit to what he knows is best, Michael Pollan ("Eat food, mostly plants, not too much"), Bittman settles for better instead of best. And this in spite of his doctor telling him, "I think you should become a vegan." (Three cheers for that doctor, whoever s/he is.)

Pollan and Bittman know more about food and health than 99.9% of the people in America, but still insist on holding out a few hours or meals during the week in which the unhealthiest foods on the planet—animal products—play a part on their plates. Doing better (vegan for most of the day) is fine for a neophyte who is trying to "cut back" or gradually move towards a healthier diet. But people like Pollan and Bittman are high priests, not acolytes, who should be setting a higher standard. This is the equivalent of Pope Benedict announcing he's only going to sin "a little."

"Better" as the enemy of "best" has been fully exposed by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn in his book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. In his controversial chapter on oils, in which he says that extra virgin olive oil is not a heart-healthy oil, he explains why better is not the same as best. EVOO is healthier, not healthy. And the difference is important.

EVOO gained heart-healthy status in studies on the "Mediterranean diet" in which people in the Mediterranean countries were found to have a lower than average incidence of heart disease. Because of their inclusion of lots of EVOO in their diets, suddenly this oil gained "heart healthy" status. But the problem is that EVOO only lowered heart disease—it didn't eliminate it. Yes, it probably contributed to the lowering of heart disease compared to other oils, but that only meant it was "better," not "best." Esselstyn demonstrates how the Brachial Artery Tourniquet Test—a test that measures the elasticity of arteries based on the presence of nitric oxide in the artery—shows extreme impairment in the presence of any processed oil (oil separated from its whole food carrier)—even extra virgin olive oil.

So, EVOO is better than lard or corn oil or canola. But it illustrates the fallacy in thinking that because something is better it is also the best.

There is a danger in my arguing this way, since Pollan and Bittman may be simply trying to encourage people to "do better," thinking that raising the bar to the "best" nutritional level—a 100% plant-based diet—might be too much for most people; if people are faced with "all or nothing," they might choose nothing and make no efforts to eat for the better.

Maybe so. But I would like to see people like them use their bully pulpits to encourage people, on the basis of science and reason, to strive for what's best and not settle for less. This is a battle even vegans fight, of course: vegan processed foods vs. whole foods? Alcohol or not? Raw vs. cooked? etc. But those decisions are sub-chapters on the overall theme of what's best: a 100% plant-based diet.

Addendum: This post wasn't about oil -- it was just an illustration. But if you want an excellent summary of what plant-based docs say about oils in the diet, read this post by a medical librarian who collated their findings. I was pleased to see that Dr. Dean Ornish uses the same "better vs. best" argument as I used above.

The Great Con

MSNBC is not known for publishing meaningful analysis, but this seems helpful when it comes to understanding what's happened to our money:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Meet Bruiser

Daughter Anna and her friend, Tyler, came over for late lunch this afternoon so I could meet Anna's new Yorkie puppy, Bruiser. That's right—Bruiser. He's friendly and cute, definitely a keeper.

I fixed mixed veggie pasta that turned out pretty well:

Tyler has a yellow lab that has proven to be a patient big brother and mentor to Bruiser in the ways of the dog world, though Tanner didn't make the trip over this afternoon:

Late-breaking photo from hooligan Dave in Philly. Philadelphia's major league soccer team (Philadelphia Union) played its opening home game last night and won, defeating Washington D.C. United 3-2. Dave and some friends have season tickets in the supporters section of the stadium where you are REQUIRED TO STAND AND CHANT FOR THE ENTIRE GAME. The lad is half Irish, I'm convinced: (David on the left.)

Swallowtail Laying Eggs on Parsley

Saw the first swallowtail butterfly this morning flying around my parsley plant which survived the winter. I have noticed in years past that swallowtails seem to prefer parsley for laying their eggs over any other plant. I stood a full five minutes, watching this swallowtail leave the parsley after depositing an egg and make a full reconnaissance of two of my neighbors' yards, disappearing behind one house and then reappearing, before coming back to this same parsley plant in my front garden. I suppose it is to their advantage to deposit their eggs in as wide a range as possible, hoping for the best chances of survival of some. But she found no other suitable hosts for the eggs, so returned to mine. The eggs will hatch in due course and become beautiful black, green, and yellow caterpillars which will feed and strip the parsley plant bare (as they did this same plant last year), before becoming cocoons to start the whole process over.

Here's one of the eggs this swallowtail laid (round white dot at the tip of the pink arrow):

A few other herbs bursting forth in the warm sun:

Mint:

Oregano, and chives in the corner:

Chive flowers about to bloom:

Spring has definitely sprung in the Carolinas.

The Hell of the North

The most important bicycle race in the world is the Tour de France, held every year in July. The second most important will be held this Sunday: Paris-Roubaix (say pair-eé roo-báy). To understand just how difficult this one-day race is, all one needs to know is its long-standing monickers: The Hell of the North and A Sunday in Hell.

First run in 1896, Paris-Roubaix averages around 260 kilometers (depending on slight annual variations in the course), or about 161 miles. Paris and Roubaix, France, indicated the original start and end points of the race from 1896 to 1967. Since 1968 the race has started in various French cities but has always ended in the velodrome in Robaix. Regardless of where it starts, the race keeps the traditional name, Paris-Roubaix.

Why "Hell of the North?" Because Roubaix, France, where the race ends, is on the northernmost border of France, right against the France-Belgium border. Belgium is the most fanatical cycling country in Europe and thousands upon thousands of alcohol-fueled Belgians and French line the final miles of the narrow roads making it akin to a gauntlet at a fraternity hazing (all in the historic European spirit of good clean cycling fun, of course). But that's the least of the problems.

Riding 161 miles on a bike under the best of circumstances is bad enough. But 150 riders racing that far on narrow French roads only adds to the danger. The weather is almost always miserable—very cold and very wet. But that's not the worst part of Paris-Roubaix. The worst part are the cobbles.

The race route alternates between tarmac (smooth, paved roads) and very old rural roads still covered with pavé—the traditional, thick paving stones which were originally used to surface the roads. But the pavé are not like smooth, brick-paved streets we might see in America. Many of the cobbles have gaps between them of 1-2 inches on all four sides—not a problem for a car or tractor tire, but absolutely brutal for a very-thin-wheeled racing bike to ride over. Filling the gaps between the cobbles is dirt, not mortar. So when it rains, the dirt turns to mud and the cobbles become extremely slick, resulting in countless crashes and pile-ups during the race. Plus, the bikes have no fenders, so the wheels of every bike flip muddy water into the air with every revolution, soaking every rider with freezing mud in the years it rains. In the coldest wettest years, a large percentage of the riders who begin Paris-Roubaix never make it to the finish line.

Is "Hell of the North" sounding a little more reasonable?

In 2008 there were 28 cobble sections that varied in difficulty and accounted for about one-quarter of the total distance. The cobbled sections are graded according to difficulty, meaning their condition, the following pictures attesting to the variability of the pavé. (Note how narrow the roads are, making for pure bedlam when you combine the bike riders, motorcycle escorts, team support vehicles, official referee vehicles, and the loopy French and Belgian fans crowding in from both sides.)

Following are some views of various conditions of the cobbles along the course:

This is what happens all day long, along with repetitive punctured tires and broken stems and handlebars from the constant pounding:

Here's what the riders can look like (or worse) in the years when it rains:

The winner's trophy is an actual traditional pavé—you can see how deep they are set into the road bed:

The race will be almost over by the time we are well into Sunday, but the Versus network will carry the re-broadcast of the race Sunday evening from 6:00-9:00 pm. Live streaming of the race Sunday morning can be found on numerous Internet sites in your choice of European languages. It is something to behold.

Michael Barry, one of the most experienced riders on the pro circuit, captured the feel of Paris-Roubaix with a helmet cam when his British Sky Team took a training run on the last 100k of the route just yesterday. Here's how he described it on his blog, Le Métier:

Three days prior to the start of Paris Roubaix the team drove to the Arenberg forest to ride the course. From Arenberg it is roughly 100 km to the finish. Each of the 17 remaining cobbled sectors is separated by less than 10 km of tarmac. In Arenberg the race becomes relentlessly difficult—the 100 km that follow the forest are perhaps the hardest 100 km in professional cycling. The vibrations beat the cyclist’s body, his muscles are torn from the effort and his eyes burn from the dust.

The cobbles were relatively dry when we rode them although there were a few muddy sections where puddles had formed or tractors muddied the road. In the video, you can see the riders slipping and sliding on the slick sections. The crowds were already gathering in anticipation for Sunday’s race and the media was out to photograph the protagonists testing their legs and their equipment on the cobbles.

And here's what it looked (and felt) like (the worst part being in the last minute of the video):

Pinarello, the Italian builder who furnishes Team Sky's bikes (seen in the above video), created a version of their new carbon Dogma 60.1 bike, the KOBH (say "cob," short for cobblestone) just for Paris-Roubaix with some tweaks to make it a bit more comfortable in light of the constant pounding the riders take. (For roadies: note the small black "box" beneath the bottle cages—the battery pack for the Shimano Di2 electronic shifter system which several of the pro teams began using in 2009 and which has gotten excellent reviews for reliability—and also expense. The Pinarello KOBH below with the Di2 system sells for $10,380 in a basic configuration at Competitive Cyclist in Little Rock, AR.) Italian wheels—nice:

Good luck, boys!

What's Wrong with This Picture?

This April 15, a family of four with an income of $50,000, with two children younger than 17, will owe no federal income tax. They are part of the 47 percent of Americans who pay no income tax each year. Half the country is paying for the other half to get something (lots) for nothing.

The top 10 percent of earners in America pay about 73 percent of the taxes collected by the federal government. The bottom 40 percent of earners actually make a profit from the government via tax credits. The government actually sends them money.

Read the whole amazing story here.

Is This a Great Country or What?

The current offerings from five different American eating establishments—three fast-food and two baseball park concessions—are telling. They are so unbelievably unhealthy and artery clogging that they are hopefully being presented as novelty items. (But believe it—novelty or not, these companies wouldn't be offering these items if they didn't fully expect Americans to line up and lay their money down.) (You can see pictures of the five and read about them here. Please look at the pictures and read the captions which detail the calorie counts, etc.)

The very idea that these kinds of foodstuffs are being created, purchased, and eaten says a lot about the health culture in America. It's well established that cultures which traditionally enjoyed very low rates of chronic diseases, based on their traditional diets (mostly plant-based, non-processed) and lifestyles, are now suffering the same health declines as we see in America as a result of our food culture being exported around the world. It's also well-documented that when healthy peoples from these cultures emigrate to America, within one generation their health begins to decline.

Foods like the ones in the article linked to above would not even have been imaginable in these cultures just a few years ago. The fact that they are produced and sold, and laughed at, in America is an indication of just how immune we have become to the causes of ill-health. And in the midst of our decline, our government has just told us that we are free to live and eat any way we please since they (we) will pay for the debilitating results. Indeed, it will be cheaper to pay the fine for not having health insurance than the premiums on health insurance. So, many will choose not to purchase health insurance, which leaves more money to purchase the kinds of foods America has become famous for. And since pre-existing conditions no longer apply, we can eat at the five outlets mentioned above until we get sick, then sign on for healthcare on the public's dime.

On Monday have a Monster Thickburger at Hardee's or a Double Down at KFC, have a heart attack on Tuesday, and sign up for health insurance on Wednesday.

Is this a great country or what?

This Has to Stop

Another undercover operation in Jan-Feb of this year has documented horrific abuse of egg-laying hens at the second and third-largest egg producers in the nation. A HSUS (Humane Society of the U.S.) worker hired on for three weeks to work in the battery-cage factories where egg-laying hens are kept and shot the undercover video footage. Battery cage operations have only one motive: the maximization of profits at the expense of "workers"—the hens who lay the eggs. Three to five hens are crammed into small cages where they lay their eggs until they die or become too sick or too spent, at which point they are shipped off to slaughter houses. California and Michigan have passed laws banning battery cage hen operations, and all states should. I keep showing these videos, unsettling as they may be, so that more and more people will become aware of where the eggs come from that fill their grocery store's coolers. If you eat eggs (as I once did), your demand creates the supply that these systems meet. I stopped eating all animal products (including eggs) 10 years ago for more than animal abuse reasons, but said reasons would have been enough.