Only 4 more days of working for the Man!
Melissa
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Christian Book Store
I have had little use for the Christian Book Store, their selection of Bibles is small, they have way too much Thomas Kinkaid stuff, to many wierd home stuff, a crappy music selection, and don't get me started on 'christian living.' Anyway, this isn't supposed to be a negative post, Melissa and I sifted through the used book section last week and *that* place is a gold mine. They have real Bible studies, books of J. Vernon McGee's 'Through the Bible,' books on practical discipleship, and all sorts of good stuff for between 25 cents and 2 dollars. We loaded up and it's been good reading so far, I highly recommend you check it out.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
My New Job
I have a new job! I start December 1st. I will work at a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) Firm called Friedman and Perry here in Fremont. I will give more details later but I'm so glad that I will be leaving the government soon. Once I have left the government I will give my opinion about what it meant for me to be working for the government and describe some truths and non-truths about the government. Overall, I'm glad and sad to be leaving, but I am mostly glad. Only 13 more working days here!
Melissa
Melissa
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sad
It's sad that a month has passed with nothing new going up here, so here you go. Melissa got a new job, right down the street. Hooray Melissa.
In bigger, better news, we spent a week down in Mexico from October 11th to the 20th in some training for doing mission work. That was outstanding. I doubt I'll be able to convey all that was impressed on us during the week, but I'll try.
The speakers we had were professors or staff from Azusa Pacific University, which got me thinking, if you can go to a christian university, do it. I never thought it mattered, education is education. The thing is Melissa had teachers in college who would spend their time telling her about how fruitflys have the gay gene, I had plenty of instructors who would go out of their way to bash Christ, how much better would it have been to have professors who loved the Lord and brought that to the lecture.
We learned about the global situation of the gospel, you can see for yourself at the Joshua Project. Namely where it isn't. This was the part of the week where we learned about different missionary movements in the past several hundred years and how we're stuck on the last one. Basically meaning that there aren't very many missionaries going out, and the ones that are going out are heading to places that have already been reached.
This fed into the discussion about Mexico in particular. Ensenada, where APU has been sending short term missions groups for some twenty years, has been reached, the gospel won there, the need for American Missionaries to go down and do VBS and do outreach events for kids, teenagers, and adults, is almost non-existant, the Mexican churches there can do that themselves, and are, without our help. Central Mexico on the other had is very Mexican Catholic, not to be confused with Roman Catholic, they're heavily into witchcraft, they burn books (Bibles), and see evangelical christians as cultists. The same situation they had in Baja not twenty years ago. So the need is not for Baja, but deeper, and the people who are best equipped to go in and set up beach heads down there aren't well meaning American Churches, but well equipped Mexican churches from esablished congregations in Baja, Mexicali, and other gospel saturated places. The need those Mexican churches have isn't for VBS, or for Americans to show them how it's done, but for partnership and help equipping their own missionary teams to go to those hostile locations, devolop contacts and then start funnelling down Americans (or more evangelical Mexicans).
That said, Melissa and I are starting to collect translators from across the great state of California. We're going to try to send them down with other teams that go to Ensenada and Mexicali to start building those partnerships with the Mexican churches and do a little more fellowship and help them understand the big picture.
Read this parable, I wouldn't exactly call it subtle, but I hope it helps you understand what we're talking about. If you are at all interested in coming with us on a mission trip to Ensensada we can take you (if you're a leader in church) for free. Let us know, your eyes will be opened to what God's doing out there.
In bigger, better news, we spent a week down in Mexico from October 11th to the 20th in some training for doing mission work. That was outstanding. I doubt I'll be able to convey all that was impressed on us during the week, but I'll try.
The speakers we had were professors or staff from Azusa Pacific University, which got me thinking, if you can go to a christian university, do it. I never thought it mattered, education is education. The thing is Melissa had teachers in college who would spend their time telling her about how fruitflys have the gay gene, I had plenty of instructors who would go out of their way to bash Christ, how much better would it have been to have professors who loved the Lord and brought that to the lecture.
We learned about the global situation of the gospel, you can see for yourself at the Joshua Project. Namely where it isn't. This was the part of the week where we learned about different missionary movements in the past several hundred years and how we're stuck on the last one. Basically meaning that there aren't very many missionaries going out, and the ones that are going out are heading to places that have already been reached.
This fed into the discussion about Mexico in particular. Ensenada, where APU has been sending short term missions groups for some twenty years, has been reached, the gospel won there, the need for American Missionaries to go down and do VBS and do outreach events for kids, teenagers, and adults, is almost non-existant, the Mexican churches there can do that themselves, and are, without our help. Central Mexico on the other had is very Mexican Catholic, not to be confused with Roman Catholic, they're heavily into witchcraft, they burn books (Bibles), and see evangelical christians as cultists. The same situation they had in Baja not twenty years ago. So the need is not for Baja, but deeper, and the people who are best equipped to go in and set up beach heads down there aren't well meaning American Churches, but well equipped Mexican churches from esablished congregations in Baja, Mexicali, and other gospel saturated places. The need those Mexican churches have isn't for VBS, or for Americans to show them how it's done, but for partnership and help equipping their own missionary teams to go to those hostile locations, devolop contacts and then start funnelling down Americans (or more evangelical Mexicans).
That said, Melissa and I are starting to collect translators from across the great state of California. We're going to try to send them down with other teams that go to Ensenada and Mexicali to start building those partnerships with the Mexican churches and do a little more fellowship and help them understand the big picture.
Read this parable, I wouldn't exactly call it subtle, but I hope it helps you understand what we're talking about. If you are at all interested in coming with us on a mission trip to Ensensada we can take you (if you're a leader in church) for free. Let us know, your eyes will be opened to what God's doing out there.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Barack Obama
*Warning* Political Post Ahead *Warning*
I like John McCain, I've liked John McCain ever since 2000, I'm going to vote for John McCain. That said, I feel bad for Barack Obama. Barack might have questionable associations (Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko), his shameless backers in the media may have behaved poorly thus far in the campaign (Kieth Olbermann, the attempted hit on Palin's daughter, the coverage of his trip to the Middle East and then Europe), you may strongly disagree with his policy preferences (tax and spend, pull out of Iraq, redistribute wealth, increase the size of the government), but Barack himself seems like a real stand up guy.
He's been beat up by the RNC, by John McCain's campaign, and particularly on right wing outlets for his 'lipstick on a pig' comment and his 'guns and religion' comment, among other things, which are all really stupid things to go after a guy on. I've never seen Barack do this on the other hand, he readily defended Palin's pregnant daughter, he put distance between himself and Rev. Wright, and I've never heard him sieze on something stupid another politician has said. He seems to have a genuine love for the USA, he seems legitimately interested in building bridges with his political opponents, he seems interested in repairing the image of the US abroad, he's fully behind the war on terror, even if not the current occupation in Iraq. With few exceptions in his campaign he's stayed on point with with his plans, and very seldom used pointless negativity when he speaks. So, yeah, Barack seems like an OK guy to me and here's hoping for a productive discussion of the issues that face America over the next couple of months.
I like John McCain, I've liked John McCain ever since 2000, I'm going to vote for John McCain. That said, I feel bad for Barack Obama. Barack might have questionable associations (Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko), his shameless backers in the media may have behaved poorly thus far in the campaign (Kieth Olbermann, the attempted hit on Palin's daughter, the coverage of his trip to the Middle East and then Europe), you may strongly disagree with his policy preferences (tax and spend, pull out of Iraq, redistribute wealth, increase the size of the government), but Barack himself seems like a real stand up guy.
He's been beat up by the RNC, by John McCain's campaign, and particularly on right wing outlets for his 'lipstick on a pig' comment and his 'guns and religion' comment, among other things, which are all really stupid things to go after a guy on. I've never seen Barack do this on the other hand, he readily defended Palin's pregnant daughter, he put distance between himself and Rev. Wright, and I've never heard him sieze on something stupid another politician has said. He seems to have a genuine love for the USA, he seems legitimately interested in building bridges with his political opponents, he seems interested in repairing the image of the US abroad, he's fully behind the war on terror, even if not the current occupation in Iraq. With few exceptions in his campaign he's stayed on point with with his plans, and very seldom used pointless negativity when he speaks. So, yeah, Barack seems like an OK guy to me and here's hoping for a productive discussion of the issues that face America over the next couple of months.
Deads
I got really excited when I came to the gym today because there was a kid at the rack next to me who had the bar loaded up to 450lbs and looked ready to pick it up. I've never seen anyone in real life lift that much weight, so I was pretty happy I'd get to see that kind of pull. So he bent down and grabbed the bar, then went and took a drink of water, then sat on the calf raise machine, then stretched his back, then took 45lbs off the bar, the stretched his back again, then took another drink of water, and then he looked at the bar again. Twenty minutes later he went and got a friend to unload the bar for him, I was kind of disappointed but he was acting like he might have hurt his back on a previous pull, so I'll try not to be too upset. Maybe next time.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Same As It Always Was
From Volume II, Book II, Chapter III of Les Miserables:
"Towards the end of October, in that same year, 1823, the inhabitants of Toulon beheld the entry into their port, after heavy weather, and for the purpose of repairing some damages, of the ship Orion, which was employed later at Brest as a school-ship, and which then formed a part of the Mediterranean squadron.
This vessel, battered as it was,--for the sea had handled it roughly,-- produced a fine effect as it entered the roads. It flew some colors which procured for it the regulation salute of eleven guns, which it returned, shot for shot; total, twenty-two. It has been calculated that what with salvos, royal and military politenesses, courteous exchanges of uproar, signals of etiquette, formalities of roadsteads and citadels, sunrises and sunsets, saluted every day by all fortresses and all ships of war, openings and closings of ports, etc., the civilized world, discharged all over the earth, in the course of four and twenty hours, one hundred and fifty thousand useless shots. At six francs the shot, that comes to nine hundred thousand francs a day, three hundred millions a year, which vanish in smoke. This is a mere detail. All this time the poor were dying of hunger."
I thought that was interesting. So much of what Hugo editorializes in this book are the same kinds of things people complain about now regarding the government.
"Towards the end of October, in that same year, 1823, the inhabitants of Toulon beheld the entry into their port, after heavy weather, and for the purpose of repairing some damages, of the ship Orion, which was employed later at Brest as a school-ship, and which then formed a part of the Mediterranean squadron.
This vessel, battered as it was,--for the sea had handled it roughly,-- produced a fine effect as it entered the roads. It flew some colors which procured for it the regulation salute of eleven guns, which it returned, shot for shot; total, twenty-two. It has been calculated that what with salvos, royal and military politenesses, courteous exchanges of uproar, signals of etiquette, formalities of roadsteads and citadels, sunrises and sunsets, saluted every day by all fortresses and all ships of war, openings and closings of ports, etc., the civilized world, discharged all over the earth, in the course of four and twenty hours, one hundred and fifty thousand useless shots. At six francs the shot, that comes to nine hundred thousand francs a day, three hundred millions a year, which vanish in smoke. This is a mere detail. All this time the poor were dying of hunger."
I thought that was interesting. So much of what Hugo editorializes in this book are the same kinds of things people complain about now regarding the government.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Fractured Ribs??!!
I went to the chiropractor today because of my constant back pain. It's not confirmed yet but my chiropractor thinks that my upper back ribs might have been fractured from my car accident from a year and a half ago. She has to take a closer look at my x-rays to make sure if they were fractured, but either way my spine is all out of wack from my accident. Of course Kaiser refused to take an x-ray of my back went it happened since "it's all muscular." Let just say I'm slightly pissed off and if my chiropractor tells me that in fact my ribs were fractured, someone is going to be writing a lot of angry letters and making angry phone calls to Kaiser. I hate Kaiser.
Melissa
Melissa
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Mexico Pictures
I haven't forgotten to post pictures from our Mexico Mission Trip from June. Hopefully Jesse and I are planning to go down to Mexico in October for some leaders training. Here you go!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Hand
I knew this would happen sooner or later - finishing my last set of deads today and one of my callus(es?) catches and rips a dime size chunk of skin off my hand:
I wasn't sure what gym protocol was for skin disposal, so I put it in my pocket. It hurt a little so I'll try this removal method from Jim over at Beast Skills before next time.
I wasn't sure what gym protocol was for skin disposal, so I put it in my pocket. It hurt a little so I'll try this removal method from Jim over at Beast Skills before next time.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Paranormal State
While getting ready for a wedding on saturday Melissa and I watched a show on A&E called Paranormal State. It's a reality show about paranormal investigators from Penn State. It was interesting, so we watched it. The episode we watched focused on a mom and daughter in Maine who were being haunted / harassed, by some animal-human spirit. They brought in some native american shamans and a psychic medium named Chip Coffee. Anyway, apparently some tree had been cut down on the property and a spiritual vortex was opened and that's where this thing was coming from (according to the shaman and his tribal elder). So they burned an eagle feather and did some chants to fix the problem, but it didn't work.
The episode ended when the psychic guy told the mom: "Here's what you have to do - say 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, get out of my house.'"
That's what the mom did and everything was made right, there was no more 'presence' felt by the psychic or the residents of the house.
I'll have to watch some more and see if Jesus is the answer to every problem or just some of them.
The episode ended when the psychic guy told the mom: "Here's what you have to do - say 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, get out of my house.'"
That's what the mom did and everything was made right, there was no more 'presence' felt by the psychic or the residents of the house.
I'll have to watch some more and see if Jesus is the answer to every problem or just some of them.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
It's Been a Couple of Weeks....
Sorry for no update in a long time. Here are a few things that have happened in the last couple of weeks:
1. Jesse and I took our church’s youth group down to Ensenada, Mexico the last week of June. We framed and put up drywall on the second story of a church (La Escalera de Jacob-Jacob’s Ladder), sanded and painted window bars and doors. We had a great time serving the people of Mexico. I’ll post some pictures up soon.
2. No updates on my crazy allergic reaction. The last time I got tested nothing happened. I have to setup another appointment and take stronger drugs to see if it causes anything.
3. Jesse and I are still house hunting, which is always fun.
4. We are going to my cousin’s wedding in about two weeks in Los Angeles. While we are down there we are going to go to Disneyland, which is always exciting but Jesse has never been there so that will be extra fun.
5. Our plans for Peru trip are on track, so the next step is to buy our plane tickets. If you want to come let us know!
6. Rocky got a haircut by a professional groomer so he looks funny and cute. I bought him a doggie couch which he looks really cute on. I post some pictures too.
Melissa
1. Jesse and I took our church’s youth group down to Ensenada, Mexico the last week of June. We framed and put up drywall on the second story of a church (La Escalera de Jacob-Jacob’s Ladder), sanded and painted window bars and doors. We had a great time serving the people of Mexico. I’ll post some pictures up soon.
2. No updates on my crazy allergic reaction. The last time I got tested nothing happened. I have to setup another appointment and take stronger drugs to see if it causes anything.
3. Jesse and I are still house hunting, which is always fun.
4. We are going to my cousin’s wedding in about two weeks in Los Angeles. While we are down there we are going to go to Disneyland, which is always exciting but Jesse has never been there so that will be extra fun.
5. Our plans for Peru trip are on track, so the next step is to buy our plane tickets. If you want to come let us know!
6. Rocky got a haircut by a professional groomer so he looks funny and cute. I bought him a doggie couch which he looks really cute on. I post some pictures too.
Melissa
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Once Again!!
Yesterday we put our deposits down for our trip to Peru in January 2009! We are actually going on the true Inca Trail and we are going to see more Inca sites. This year a couple of our friends and co-workers are going with us so it should be a fun group. We are really excited!!
Melissa
Melissa
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Gym
I think that a popular magazine must have published a new workout routine recently because there were three or four groups of young men at the gym doing bizarre variations of a plate curl at the gym today. At least none of them were frat curling, they were all doing their curls *next* to my beloved squat rack.
Jesse
Jesse
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A Little Scared
I'm a little scared that I'm actually going to try to go into anaphylaxis on Friday. It will be my fourth time that my body wants to die on me. Oh well, at least the doctors and nurses will be right there next to me to save me. It's not fun when you start losing your breathing ability and feel like your body is being burned.
Melissa
Melissa
Monday, May 26, 2008
News
Indiana Jones visits Cusco, Nazca, and Iquitos in the new 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.' We've been there! Awesome.
Melissa and I have also made offers on two houses we saw today, we'll see if either of the owners bite. Either one would be great, they're single family homes with lots of room to grow and plenty of yard space.
We have both been sick with some kind of stomach bug all week.
Speaking of sick, Melissa has another appointment with her allergist on Friday, where she's going to take some ibuprofen and run up and down stairs to see if that's what triggers her anaphylaxis. Good news is that if that what does it, she's in the clear, if not we get to keep try to get the reaction and staying away from activities and locations that previously caused said anaphylaxis.
That's all for now.
Melissa and I have also made offers on two houses we saw today, we'll see if either of the owners bite. Either one would be great, they're single family homes with lots of room to grow and plenty of yard space.
We have both been sick with some kind of stomach bug all week.
Speaking of sick, Melissa has another appointment with her allergist on Friday, where she's going to take some ibuprofen and run up and down stairs to see if that's what triggers her anaphylaxis. Good news is that if that what does it, she's in the clear, if not we get to keep try to get the reaction and staying away from activities and locations that previously caused said anaphylaxis.
That's all for now.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Let's Go Oakland!!!
Four days ago the Oakland A's were tied with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (lamest name ever, to go with that lame rally monkey...), so there was going to be this big four game showdown to close out April and all they can do is split, nothing solved. But for those who saw the first and last games, wasn't it great to see those no name A's beat the Angels that bad?
Also - for those who don't go to church sunday afternoon, the A's twenty hits yesterday means you can get plaza level seating for something like $5 on Sundays game v. the Rangers.
Here's hoping April wasn't the only good month for Oakland baseball.
Also - for those who don't go to church sunday afternoon, the A's twenty hits yesterday means you can get plaza level seating for something like $5 on Sundays game v. the Rangers.
Here's hoping April wasn't the only good month for Oakland baseball.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Vegas and a Desert Run
Last weekend, Jesse and I went to Las Vegas. We stayed at the Monte Carlo and had a great time! Too many things to say so I'll just make some points.
1. Flying to Vegas is much easier than driving to Vegas.
2. It's really funny that in the morning there are only senior citizens roaming around in restaurants and the casinos. Everyone else is still sleeping.
3. People can walk around Vegas almost naked and it's ok.
4. Jesse and I took a Gondola ride inside the Venetian, which is something I've always wanted to do.
5. I love pigging out in Vegas. We went to the Bellagio buffet and had so much food. I loved their Lemon Merengue Pie, it was delicious. Jesse liked there little cheesecake.
6. On Sunday, I ran 5.9 miles in 57 minutes and 32 seconds from the outskirts of Vegas to almost downtown. I started running the in darkness of the morning around 5:15 a.m. and ran as the sun rose over some far off mountains. It was really pretty.
7. I usually run with an MP3 player but I couldn't during with it on this run so I was trying to sing in my mind or I had randomn thoughts to keep myself busy. I had been up since 4 am on Saturday morning so I was running on adrenalin and Mountain Dew.
8. Jesse got to ride in the follow van with the Chief of the IRS.
9. We saw Joakim Noah, from the Chicago Bulls surrounded by seven hot girls at the Palms. He was really, really tall.
10. Vegas is its own little world. I like it and so does my hubby.
Will post some pictures soon.
Melissa
1. Flying to Vegas is much easier than driving to Vegas.
2. It's really funny that in the morning there are only senior citizens roaming around in restaurants and the casinos. Everyone else is still sleeping.
3. People can walk around Vegas almost naked and it's ok.
4. Jesse and I took a Gondola ride inside the Venetian, which is something I've always wanted to do.
5. I love pigging out in Vegas. We went to the Bellagio buffet and had so much food. I loved their Lemon Merengue Pie, it was delicious. Jesse liked there little cheesecake.
6. On Sunday, I ran 5.9 miles in 57 minutes and 32 seconds from the outskirts of Vegas to almost downtown. I started running the in darkness of the morning around 5:15 a.m. and ran as the sun rose over some far off mountains. It was really pretty.
7. I usually run with an MP3 player but I couldn't during with it on this run so I was trying to sing in my mind or I had randomn thoughts to keep myself busy. I had been up since 4 am on Saturday morning so I was running on adrenalin and Mountain Dew.
8. Jesse got to ride in the follow van with the Chief of the IRS.
9. We saw Joakim Noah, from the Chicago Bulls surrounded by seven hot girls at the Palms. He was really, really tall.
10. Vegas is its own little world. I like it and so does my hubby.
Will post some pictures soon.
Melissa
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The Omnivore's Dilemma
WARNING: LONG AND SEMI-POLITICAL POST AHEAD!!
I'm about halfway through a book called the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen. I was going to post my general thoughts on it when I was done, but it turns out that the book is far too interesting to leave it at that. The book is about food, what we eat, why we eat it and some of the potential consequences. I'm going to try to distill what I've learned so far into short, easy to understand thoughts.
Some time in the first world war a German scientist (Haber) trying to build bombs without the need from nitrates from Chile developed a way to artificially fix nitrogen, and make explosives artificially. Fixing nitrogen is something that has to happen for the nitrogen to be useful to plants growing in the soil. Usually animal feces or some kinds of plants do this in nature, which is why crops get cycled in tradiational agriculture. Anyway, this was a process by which a farmer could continuously grow the same thing on the same land.
Some time either just pre or just post cold war there was a depression and subsequent rise in the price of corn. As the effects of this rippled through the economy the government stepped in and began to stabilize, and then subsidize corn prices. The results of this led to the production of corn and nothing but corn (and some soybeans) by most farms in America's breadbasket, because you were guarenteed money by corn. The variety of corn produced by these Iowa cornfields isn't edible, it's just really starchy and provides the most calorie per square foot of any other grain or grass, that's why the grow it as opposed to other things.
So there's a big corn surplus that the food industry needed to find something to do with, so they started breaking it down and making high fructose corn syrup, glucose, ethanol, xanthan gum, corn starch, and animal feed.
This is where it gets a little wierd and nasty in my estimation. A steer's lifespan is 1200 lbs, slaughter weight. The natural diet of cattle is grass, they're rumen's, which means they can break down and digest the sugars in grass, corn is actually poisonous to them. Corn, as mentioned above in unparalleled in it's calorie density, so cows are brought up to weight with a diet of mostly corn and antibiotics as well as feed additives (inculding other cow bits). The idea being to get the cow fat enough to slaughter before it get's too sick.
What's the point and who cares you may ask fairly enough, if it's got protein, carbohydrates and fat, the macronutrients, then you're set. The thing is: you are what you eat, and you are what you eat eats too. Our meat eats corn, our soda is 100% corn, most preservatives we use in food come from corn. This leaves our diets remarkably lacking in most everything but corn, there's little to no 'biodiversity' in our diets.
Organic farming helps a little bit in this, since organic meats eat organic food (food not fetilized by Haber-ized nitrates, or with pesticides used on them). Pesticides and other ways we 'help' plants make them weak and low on all the vitamins and minerals that make plants good for us. Anyway, when an organically raised steer eats his food, he's getting a better deal in terms of nutrients than standarly raised steer. There's a lot more to say on this, but I don't want to go on too long.
The next bit is something that Al Gore spoke to a little while ago and was roundly ridiculed for, which is that eating meat contributes more to global warming than driving. Even if you don't believe in man-made global warming a reasonable person would certainly cede that America needs to get off foreign oil, or at least help the sky to be less brown. The reason I bring this up is 20% or the fuel used in the US is used to get food from one place to another, that's a lot. Certainly it takes a lot of fuel to get corn from silos in Iowa to feed-lots in Kansas, and meat from Kansas to most of the midwest, or California, where some of it ends up.
I don't want to fault people for what they eat, if the food is available and it tastes good to them and that's what they want to eat then that's their right. I'm certainly not going to start a new People's Park and stick it to the man, but the half of this book I've read so far has put a number of stones in my shoes in regards to how I eat. I curious now about buying local foods, and buying organic foods, not to mention trying some grass-fed beef. Anyway, buy the book and read the book, it's facinating.
I'm about halfway through a book called the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen. I was going to post my general thoughts on it when I was done, but it turns out that the book is far too interesting to leave it at that. The book is about food, what we eat, why we eat it and some of the potential consequences. I'm going to try to distill what I've learned so far into short, easy to understand thoughts.
Some time in the first world war a German scientist (Haber) trying to build bombs without the need from nitrates from Chile developed a way to artificially fix nitrogen, and make explosives artificially. Fixing nitrogen is something that has to happen for the nitrogen to be useful to plants growing in the soil. Usually animal feces or some kinds of plants do this in nature, which is why crops get cycled in tradiational agriculture. Anyway, this was a process by which a farmer could continuously grow the same thing on the same land.
Some time either just pre or just post cold war there was a depression and subsequent rise in the price of corn. As the effects of this rippled through the economy the government stepped in and began to stabilize, and then subsidize corn prices. The results of this led to the production of corn and nothing but corn (and some soybeans) by most farms in America's breadbasket, because you were guarenteed money by corn. The variety of corn produced by these Iowa cornfields isn't edible, it's just really starchy and provides the most calorie per square foot of any other grain or grass, that's why the grow it as opposed to other things.
So there's a big corn surplus that the food industry needed to find something to do with, so they started breaking it down and making high fructose corn syrup, glucose, ethanol, xanthan gum, corn starch, and animal feed.
This is where it gets a little wierd and nasty in my estimation. A steer's lifespan is 1200 lbs, slaughter weight. The natural diet of cattle is grass, they're rumen's, which means they can break down and digest the sugars in grass, corn is actually poisonous to them. Corn, as mentioned above in unparalleled in it's calorie density, so cows are brought up to weight with a diet of mostly corn and antibiotics as well as feed additives (inculding other cow bits). The idea being to get the cow fat enough to slaughter before it get's too sick.
What's the point and who cares you may ask fairly enough, if it's got protein, carbohydrates and fat, the macronutrients, then you're set. The thing is: you are what you eat, and you are what you eat eats too. Our meat eats corn, our soda is 100% corn, most preservatives we use in food come from corn. This leaves our diets remarkably lacking in most everything but corn, there's little to no 'biodiversity' in our diets.
Organic farming helps a little bit in this, since organic meats eat organic food (food not fetilized by Haber-ized nitrates, or with pesticides used on them). Pesticides and other ways we 'help' plants make them weak and low on all the vitamins and minerals that make plants good for us. Anyway, when an organically raised steer eats his food, he's getting a better deal in terms of nutrients than standarly raised steer. There's a lot more to say on this, but I don't want to go on too long.
The next bit is something that Al Gore spoke to a little while ago and was roundly ridiculed for, which is that eating meat contributes more to global warming than driving. Even if you don't believe in man-made global warming a reasonable person would certainly cede that America needs to get off foreign oil, or at least help the sky to be less brown. The reason I bring this up is 20% or the fuel used in the US is used to get food from one place to another, that's a lot. Certainly it takes a lot of fuel to get corn from silos in Iowa to feed-lots in Kansas, and meat from Kansas to most of the midwest, or California, where some of it ends up.
I don't want to fault people for what they eat, if the food is available and it tastes good to them and that's what they want to eat then that's their right. I'm certainly not going to start a new People's Park and stick it to the man, but the half of this book I've read so far has put a number of stones in my shoes in regards to how I eat. I curious now about buying local foods, and buying organic foods, not to mention trying some grass-fed beef. Anyway, buy the book and read the book, it's facinating.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Two Years!
Jesse and I celebrated our two year anniversary last week. I think we liked being married to each other. Nothing too exciting going on in our lives, just the daily surprises of our crazy dog Rocky. One thing I guess we both have learned about each other is that we are really violent when we are sleeping. Apparently Jesse can't stop elbowing me in my chest/back and head butting me in the night, and I can't stop punching him in the back and biting his shoulder. Violent dreamers...
Melissa
Monday, April 07, 2008
exercising
I almost met pukie today, second time in the last year, I don't know if that means I'm working too hard, or not hard enough.
In other news, if you're not doing pullups you should definitely start.
In other news, if you're not doing pullups you should definitely start.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Project 86
Project 86 is going to grace us with their presence again (or at least grace Sacramento), so we're driving up April 12th to Orangevale, Ca to see them. Let me know if you're interested.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Texas Gives Finger to the Hague!!
I don't know why this makes me so happy, but man it does. I love Texas.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
New
For those who truly have time to kill I started a blog to track my hiking, biking, trekking and general travel data from my awesome new garmin 60CSx. Link Here.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
War Protests
I don't give war protesters too much thought, but they were on the news last night as they made a ruckus over the fifth year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. I was just struck by a couple of things:
- In Berekley about 100 people came out to see Cindy Sheehan speak and 80 more marched on the Marine recruiter there in Berekley. I assume there were a few more people than that in SF, given about 150 were arrested, but they all made the news. I've seen more than 100 people at Hometown Buffet. More than 100 people go to Crossroads Church on sunday. Oh well.
- Channel 2 interviewed a conciencious objector from Iraq Vererans Against the War, he was a pretty young guy who said that the events of 9-11-01 had moved him to act, so he'd joined the marines. Good for him. He had to leave the marines however when, during training, he'd discovered that the marines were training him to fight and kill people. So not only was he a dufus (doofus?), but he wasn't even in fact a veteran of the Iraq War. Oh well.
- In Berekley about 100 people came out to see Cindy Sheehan speak and 80 more marched on the Marine recruiter there in Berekley. I assume there were a few more people than that in SF, given about 150 were arrested, but they all made the news. I've seen more than 100 people at Hometown Buffet. More than 100 people go to Crossroads Church on sunday. Oh well.
- Channel 2 interviewed a conciencious objector from Iraq Vererans Against the War, he was a pretty young guy who said that the events of 9-11-01 had moved him to act, so he'd joined the marines. Good for him. He had to leave the marines however when, during training, he'd discovered that the marines were training him to fight and kill people. So not only was he a dufus (doofus?), but he wasn't even in fact a veteran of the Iraq War. Oh well.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Update
I don't want my blog to get too dusty, so here's the updates:
- I've been with Fard for three years now, making it my longest employment engagement.
- Finally there's a good radio station again in the bay: KCNL 104.9 Sunnyvale.
- Lifelock, a provider of sevices I'm very intested in, doesn't really do anything you can't do yourself. We'll see how my efforts work out.
- It's almost summertime, which means that we have trips to Las Vegas, Yosemite, Monterey, and Mexico coming in the next three months.
- Melissa and I will be 90% debt free by 2009. Given how we started 2007 that makes me very very happy.
- Climbing Mission peak is a lot of fun this time of year. It's not too hot and it's actually green.
That's all the random information I can think of right now. Happy Easter everyone.
- I've been with Fard for three years now, making it my longest employment engagement.
- Finally there's a good radio station again in the bay: KCNL 104.9 Sunnyvale.
- Lifelock, a provider of sevices I'm very intested in, doesn't really do anything you can't do yourself. We'll see how my efforts work out.
- It's almost summertime, which means that we have trips to Las Vegas, Yosemite, Monterey, and Mexico coming in the next three months.
- Melissa and I will be 90% debt free by 2009. Given how we started 2007 that makes me very very happy.
- Climbing Mission peak is a lot of fun this time of year. It's not too hot and it's actually green.
That's all the random information I can think of right now. Happy Easter everyone.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Squats
When you do a squat you're supposed to go all the way down, then all the way back up. It's cool if you're squatting alone and you can't tell, I used to do that, but today I was on the rack right next to one of the personal trainers who was teaching a guy to squat. He loaded the guy up before the guy learned how to do the move so the squatter couldn't even go down past 45 degrees.
Personal training is kind of expensive, the guy should be be able to teach you how to squat. Even this kid knows how to do it. Perfect form.
Personal training is kind of expensive, the guy should be be able to teach you how to squat. Even this kid knows how to do it. Perfect form.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Sick Girl
Well I'm sick with strep throat. I've been sick since last Wednesday, but didn't really feel it until Friday. I suspected that I had strep because I went on WebMD and read all about it, but the doctor confirmed it on Monday and gave me some pain killers and antibiotics. Last night I finally slept since Saturday night and it was great. I would never wish this disease on anyone, because it has been SO painful on my throat and the rest of my body.
I have completely lost my voice, but when I try to speak I sound like the little black boy in the wheel chair from Malcolm in the Middle....Jesse laughs at me every time I talk. Oh well.
Melissa
I have completely lost my voice, but when I try to speak I sound like the little black boy in the wheel chair from Malcolm in the Middle....Jesse laughs at me every time I talk. Oh well.
Melissa
Sunday, February 10, 2008
pigs
I heard the funniest story on NPR's California Report on Friday. They were doing a piece on the annual gathering of chefs at the Ahwanee Lodge in Yosemite. This year's theme was the Whole Hog, where the chefs made food out of all the different bits of a pig. Anyway, they interviewed a woman who said that she'd been a vegetarian for 22 years, then from the insistance of a friend, had a pork shoulder one night for dinner. Her life was changed by that pork shoulder, she renounced vegetarianism and loves eating pork, so much so that she got a tattoo of a pig on her arm. That's a great story. That's the power of pork.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Ron Paul
Ron Paul appears to be the only candidate campaigning in California - at least he's the only guy running radio spots. I like his latest:
- Ron Paul favors a strong nationtal defense.
- Ron Paul would not close any domestic military bases.
- Ron Paul supports stealth warriors to hunt down terrorists dead or alive.
- Ron Paul would secure borders.
- Ron Paul would ban student visa for terrorist nations.
- Ron Paul would end government spending that continues to put us in debt to China and Saudi Arabia.
- Ron Paul has the highest donations among all candidates from active military members.
I really like that part about 'stealth warriors.'
- Ron Paul favors a strong nationtal defense.
- Ron Paul would not close any domestic military bases.
- Ron Paul supports stealth warriors to hunt down terrorists dead or alive.
- Ron Paul would secure borders.
- Ron Paul would ban student visa for terrorist nations.
- Ron Paul would end government spending that continues to put us in debt to China and Saudi Arabia.
- Ron Paul has the highest donations among all candidates from active military members.
I really like that part about 'stealth warriors.'
Friday, January 04, 2008
CNN Radio
CNN does the news updates for the talk station I listen to in the morning, yesterday they capped off a two minute hourly update with:
"...and Pat Robertson has weighed in on the new year, saying that God told him 2008 will be filled with global conflict, and there will be a recession."
...what? That's not news. Why not just say: "...and Bill, from Washburn, North Dakota, has said that his dog told him that the sun will rise in the east and set in the west."
"...and Pat Robertson has weighed in on the new year, saying that God told him 2008 will be filled with global conflict, and there will be a recession."
...what? That's not news. Why not just say: "...and Bill, from Washburn, North Dakota, has said that his dog told him that the sun will rise in the east and set in the west."
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
The Gym
This is by far the worst time of year to go to the gym, everyone in the world made their resolutions to get healthy and fit, and that's great. The problem is that the gym is just packed with those people right now, and I hate going. I go to the gym at least three times a week, I've done it long enough now so it's just habit. If it wasn't though, if I was just trying to start again right now, I think I'd quickly stop too, it's hard to get equipment and hard to find space to do your work. So if your new years resolution is to get fit, go running, or walking, or bike riding until March, then go to the gym, it will be a much better experience.
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