courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
I imagine it's like addiction. Once you get past that initial 21 days, then you've developed the habit. It's no longer a conscious thought to NOT do it. But even though you are now in the routine of giving it up, there's always that temptation. And you know you can't just do one, you have to do several.
In my lenten fast, giving up Pepsi specifically, and HFCS in general, and also giving up night time snacking, I'm finding myself in that place. Last Saturday, I went to see the Theatre Three One Act festival - my friends Brian, Steve, and Steve were in it, and they performed one of Frank's plays, which was phenomenal. Traditionally, what one does after seeing friends in a show is to go hang out at a diner with them. For me, that means late night cheesy fries and "coke," no ice, with refills. We opted out that night, due to baby sitting, but still, I found myself wanting it. Looking forward to the snacks and the drinking. Now, one might think I should just drink some alcoholic beverage, and make it easy on myself.
Isn't that strange... I've usually been substituting water for Pepsi, but every now and then I want something more substantial, what I get instead is tea, coffee, an occasional Fribble, or wine. Now, tea and coffee MUST have sugar, or else why drink it. (The opinions expressed herein are Mr. Ferrara's opinions.) So, consider this.... drink Pepsi with every meal, or drink a shake, or a glass of wine, or a sweet tea with every meal. Because I don't see the real threat of HFCS, I don't really see a difference.
On a side note, I got sick twice in the past three weeks, and both times went to the doctor, where I was weighed. First time, three weeks ago, I weighed 240ish, and the second time this past week, I weighed 225. I feel fine, but I've been more tired than usual. I'm accumulating a serious sleep debt just like always, but it's effecting me more than usual. I think the dizziness I was so concerned about was due to speepiness and head congestion, not diabetes.
I'll be slowly bringing this stuff back after Easter. I'll try to limit myself to one Pepsi per day, and I'll use plenty of ice. I'll just say, "no" to refills. Also, inspired by this, but also by Jamie Oliver's new show "Food Revolution," which I WILL be blogging about; I vow, whenever possible, to choose making things from scratch rather than buying the premade stuff which often contains HFCS. For example, I found HFCS in one of my favorite quickie dinners, Manwich Sloppy Joes. I can make Super Sloppy Joes from scratch and use a bit of brown sugar instead of HFCS, and probably make it healthier, with tomatoes and peppers and good stuff.
For the record, I still see nothing wrong with HFCS. I see the problem as being too much overall sugar, not choosing HFCS over sugar. Even if I drank an overabundance of Pepsi Throwback, which contains cane sugar instead of corn syrup, I'd still get fat because of the ton of sugar I'm consuming. Moderation is the key, and yes, naysayers, you CAN moderate HFCS. AND I still oppose the proposed beverage tax, a) because it's stupid, and b) because it's meant to discourage HFCS consumption in favor of Aspartame and sucralose consumption, which I see as being worse.
As for snacking after 9pm, I'll probably satiate a craving or two, but I'll try to make it a low calorie snack like popcorn or nuts rather than the double decker grilled cheese sandwich I am craving.
Either way, I'm looking forward to Easter. I'll try not to binge. And once I re-introduce HFCS into my diet I'll see if there's a negative effect.
For the rest of my "journey":
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-1.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-15.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-2.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-3.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-4.html
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The Passion of the Teabaggers
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
One of my favorite episodes of South Park is "The Passion of the Jew." In it, Eric Cartman, the racists kid, becomes obsessed with the film "The Passion of the Christ." He sees the anti-semitism inherent in the story, mainly because of his own anti-semitism. Now, the town of South Park is enthralled by the movie, because of it's powerful imagery, and religious message. They begin talking about it, and discussing their faith. Cartman latches on to this, and starts organizing a "PotC" fan group. He organizes them and stages events like group meetings, and finally leads them in a march to the town's movie theatre.
Everyone joins up, and follows because they believe that this is a Christian group gathering to embrace the holiness of the movie; when in reality, Cartman is organizing a Neo-Nazi hate group. It isn't until he gets up to speak at the "parade" in full Nazi regalia, and begins spewing his anti-Jew rhetoric, that people wake up and realize what they have been a part of.
A similar event actually happened in the 1990s in Palo Alto, California. A teacher was confronted by a student during a discussion of Nazi Germany. The student stated that if he was in Germany in the 1930s and 40s, he wouldn't have gone along with it. The teacher wondered how to make the students aware of how easily Hitler swayed the public. So he created something called, "The Wave." Only certain students were allowed to be a part of it, and they were told that these students represented the best in the school. The project backfired, as students began bullying students who were not "wave" members. Some incidents even got violent. The teacher was fired, but before he left, according to the novelization and made for TV movie, he gathered wave members into the auditorium and announced that the national leader of the Wave would be speaking to them via satellite. He then played film footage of Adolph Hitler. This made everyone shockingly aware of what they were doing, and what they allowed themselves to become a part of.
I think of these things whenever I see or hear about the Teabaggers. I am told by my Republican friends, and by the radio, and Fox news, and others; that the Tea Party Movement are nothing more than patriotic citizens excercising their First Amendment right to speak their opinion in opposition to virtually everything Obama. But I'm afraid. Not that they are serious racists gathering to do something horrible, but even worse, they ARE patriotic citizens believing themselves to be innocently raising their voices in protest, but the information feeding their movement is coming from a racist, evil source.
Now that the healthcare bill has passed, several congressmen have been threatened, hate speech was yelled that them by protesters. I look forward to the day that something or someone slips up and reveals the real meaning behind this movement. And I hope that when people realize what they are caught up in, they will stop and regret their actions.
One of my favorite episodes of South Park is "The Passion of the Jew." In it, Eric Cartman, the racists kid, becomes obsessed with the film "The Passion of the Christ." He sees the anti-semitism inherent in the story, mainly because of his own anti-semitism. Now, the town of South Park is enthralled by the movie, because of it's powerful imagery, and religious message. They begin talking about it, and discussing their faith. Cartman latches on to this, and starts organizing a "PotC" fan group. He organizes them and stages events like group meetings, and finally leads them in a march to the town's movie theatre.
Everyone joins up, and follows because they believe that this is a Christian group gathering to embrace the holiness of the movie; when in reality, Cartman is organizing a Neo-Nazi hate group. It isn't until he gets up to speak at the "parade" in full Nazi regalia, and begins spewing his anti-Jew rhetoric, that people wake up and realize what they have been a part of.
A similar event actually happened in the 1990s in Palo Alto, California. A teacher was confronted by a student during a discussion of Nazi Germany. The student stated that if he was in Germany in the 1930s and 40s, he wouldn't have gone along with it. The teacher wondered how to make the students aware of how easily Hitler swayed the public. So he created something called, "The Wave." Only certain students were allowed to be a part of it, and they were told that these students represented the best in the school. The project backfired, as students began bullying students who were not "wave" members. Some incidents even got violent. The teacher was fired, but before he left, according to the novelization and made for TV movie, he gathered wave members into the auditorium and announced that the national leader of the Wave would be speaking to them via satellite. He then played film footage of Adolph Hitler. This made everyone shockingly aware of what they were doing, and what they allowed themselves to become a part of.
I think of these things whenever I see or hear about the Teabaggers. I am told by my Republican friends, and by the radio, and Fox news, and others; that the Tea Party Movement are nothing more than patriotic citizens excercising their First Amendment right to speak their opinion in opposition to virtually everything Obama. But I'm afraid. Not that they are serious racists gathering to do something horrible, but even worse, they ARE patriotic citizens believing themselves to be innocently raising their voices in protest, but the information feeding their movement is coming from a racist, evil source.
Now that the healthcare bill has passed, several congressmen have been threatened, hate speech was yelled that them by protesters. I look forward to the day that something or someone slips up and reveals the real meaning behind this movement. And I hope that when people realize what they are caught up in, they will stop and regret their actions.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Generic Prayer
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
I'm getting REALLY tired of politics. I know about myself that when I start getting into a political frame of mind, I start to feel crappy. So, I want to take a break from politics, and talk to you about the Lord.
At the very least, I want to talk secularly about a religious thought I had. The story goes like this. At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, a person asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to pray." This was followed by Jesus first uttering the words to what we now know as the Lord's Prayer, or the "Our Father." Every Sunday, heck, at every service, at some point we mention "Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying..." and then into the prayer.
This implies that Jesus' intent was that we were to recite His words verbatim in the exact wording he did. Which also, by the way, would mean in Aramaic. But I don't think that's what He meant. I think, as a teacher, Jesus was giving us an EXAMPLE of what to say, as an illustration of what types of things to include when you pray. I think the words should come from us, but it should follow the format He laid out. And I think, even if you are not a Christian, taking time to acknoweldge these ideas and thought can be beneficial to you.
I'm getting REALLY tired of politics. I know about myself that when I start getting into a political frame of mind, I start to feel crappy. So, I want to take a break from politics, and talk to you about the Lord.
At the very least, I want to talk secularly about a religious thought I had. The story goes like this. At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, a person asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to pray." This was followed by Jesus first uttering the words to what we now know as the Lord's Prayer, or the "Our Father." Every Sunday, heck, at every service, at some point we mention "Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying..." and then into the prayer.
This implies that Jesus' intent was that we were to recite His words verbatim in the exact wording he did. Which also, by the way, would mean in Aramaic. But I don't think that's what He meant. I think, as a teacher, Jesus was giving us an EXAMPLE of what to say, as an illustration of what types of things to include when you pray. I think the words should come from us, but it should follow the format He laid out. And I think, even if you are not a Christian, taking time to acknoweldge these ideas and thought can be beneficial to you.
- "Our Father, who art in heaven..." - Start by addressing the Lord, and acknowledging that there is a higher power governing the universe. Athiests can acknowledge the miracles of nature and science, which are not as random and chaotic as some may think. The natural laws that govern our universe at a subatomic level.
- "Hallowed be Thy name." - Acknowledge that these things are sacred. Blessed. Holy. The serious equivalent to the Monty Python Prayer, "Oh, God, Wow, you are so big, so incredibly huge, we're all really impressed down here, I can tell you." Mention who He is and what He is able to accomplish.
- "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven." God rules over heaven, His laws also govern the earth. Someday, the creatures in heaven are supposed to judge us here on Earth, but "Thy Kingdon Come" could mean every time God intervenes in our lives, and helps us along. People who believe in Angels, this is an acknowledgement of their help in the world. If you believe in Lady Luck, that's her.
- "Give us this day our daily bread." - Intro is over, now we get to the point. And we should start not by asking for things like winning the lottery, or that the Principal won't call me down to the office, but rather for the things we need to handle these issues. Our "Daily Bread" could be food, or it could be courage, wisdom, strength, a well held temper, etc. I try not to pray for God to interfere in our lives, just to give me and my family the things we need to navigate on our own.
- "And forgive us our Trespasses..." - I prefer "...Trespasses" to "forgive us our debts." To say that our sins are debts reminds us that we owe something to make up for what we did, but on the other hand, "Trespasses" reminds us that when we sin, we don't just do something to ourselves, our actions affect other people. For me, that reminds me that I have an ammends to make to someone. Acknoweldge things you did that you know you shouldn't have done.
- "As we forgive those who trespass against us." - I always love hearing the congregation say this part in church, because there's a lot of S's in there. My biggest personal religious struggle is probably from this. I have trouble forgiving others. For minor trespasses, I can deal, but there are a few individuals who have hurt me and my family so heinously and deeply, that to forgive them is a problem for me. But I try. Just saying the words, "I forgive you." can be therapeutic.
- "And lead us not into temptation." - Seriously, why would God do that? It's usually others who lead us into temptation. I can usually see ahead to the things that I need to be careful of. It's good to acknowledge these things, and pray for the will to avoid them.
- "But deliver us from evil." - Help protect us from harm. Help to keep those who wish to hurt us at bay. Help to keep those whose actions will have negative consequences to see the error of their ways, and to change. Again, seeing the possible outcomes and predicting what to be cautious of.
- "For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory Forever" - Kingdom... this earth is yours, not ours to manipulate. OR Ours to manipulate according to your plan, not our personal agenda. Power... God has the power to do everything we ask. Glory... and for that we praise you. Athiests? How about this.... I am but a speck on the face of a vast universe that I can't understand, I can change some small elements, but ultimately I am powerless agains the laws of science and nature. You HAVE to be impressed by that, don't you?
- "Amen" - I agree, So help me, yeah, what he said, ya know?, giggidy, and that's all I have to say about that.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Cheer Up, Republicans.
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
First, a disclaimer. Heretofore, those on the right who vocally opposed the healthcare bill and actually did the things mentioned herein will be referred to as "Republicans." Those in the so-called "Tea Party Movement" who actually did the things mentioned herein will be referred to as "Teabaggers." (Because it's funny.) This is not to include Republicans who had a realistic and logical reason to oppose the bill, nor will it refer to Tea Party members who are more than just lemmings mindlessly following messages from the telescreens. Please respond not by being offended, but rather by asking yourself if these comments really apply to you?
Wow, Republicans. Teabaggers. Wow. What a loss! Not only did President Obama accomplish this healthcare reform thing, a historic measure to be sure, but he insured his legacy and re-established that although you are a very vocal minority, you are just that - a minority. That must hurt. And after all that you did to try and stop this disaster. But hey, guys, cheer up! Although the outcome was not as you would have hoped, look at the things you accompished along the way....
First, a disclaimer. Heretofore, those on the right who vocally opposed the healthcare bill and actually did the things mentioned herein will be referred to as "Republicans." Those in the so-called "Tea Party Movement" who actually did the things mentioned herein will be referred to as "Teabaggers." (Because it's funny.) This is not to include Republicans who had a realistic and logical reason to oppose the bill, nor will it refer to Tea Party members who are more than just lemmings mindlessly following messages from the telescreens. Please respond not by being offended, but rather by asking yourself if these comments really apply to you?
Wow, Republicans. Teabaggers. Wow. What a loss! Not only did President Obama accomplish this healthcare reform thing, a historic measure to be sure, but he insured his legacy and re-established that although you are a very vocal minority, you are just that - a minority. That must hurt. And after all that you did to try and stop this disaster. But hey, guys, cheer up! Although the outcome was not as you would have hoped, look at the things you accompished along the way....
- You really developed a knack for creative fiction writing. I mean those news reports, stories, and lies you made up about the contents of the healthcare bill were sheer genius. I mean not even Seth Grahame-Smith, the author of "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter," could seamlessly weave science fiction and actual events like you guys did. I mean, Death Panels, Socialized takeover of the healthcare system, Glenn Beck comparing progressives to China, GENIUS. Even the House Republicans were "debating" Sunday night right up to the end that the bill involved Socialism, even though the Public Option has been long gone. You still complained that the bill was being shoved down America's throat even after a year and a half of debate, and the bill NOT being passed when Democrats had the ABILITY to shove something down our throats. Bravi!
- You showed that you've got BALLS. I mean, you whine and complain that Obama's not listening to you, and then when he holds a summit in order to let you have your say, and he takes your suggestions and incorporates them into the new bill, you STILL get away with opposing it. That's Gangsta! For John "Keating Five/Support President Bush Even Though You Hate Him So You Can Run In 2008" McCain to publicly accuse Obama of back room deals and corruption. That takes a brass set bigger than Alec Baldwin's in "Glengarry Glen Ross."
- The first step towards your society where dumb people mindlessly follow whatever you say is almost complete. You have the Teabaggers who will jump and protest whenever you call them out. And they are devoting themselves to their "Two Minutes Hate" otherwise known as Fox News and are spewing back the propaganda you report as if it's true, even when it makes no logical sense, or even if it negates the stories you just reported earlier. Right now, people are blogging and facebooking about how their private insurance is going to drop them now because of the healthcare bill, even though the healthcare bill makes that illegal. You've even got them complaining about how long the bill is, and how hard it is to read and make sense of, and yet speaking as if they know the complete contents from cover to cover. George Orwell would be proud.
- A few slip ups aside... you managed to stay consitent with your rhetoric, calling Obama a "Socialist" not what we all know you want to call him. You managed to replace the bad word with Terrorist, Liberal, Muslim, Socialist, and even Kenyan. Just as you use "Liberal" and "Democrat" when you mean "Hippie" or "Pussy." But there were those slip ups. You have to reel the protesters in, because their racism and classism is starting to show. Stay on message. Keep this about the policies and leadership abilities. Keep the prejudice for when you're off camera.
- And finally. Keep your chin up. I know you are all planning to make a comeback in 2010 to take back the majority of the congress. I know 34 Democratic seats that won't be getting much party support. Of course, 7 months from now, after the first phases of the reform bill take effect and people realize that the Nazi and KGB soldiers aren't raiding towns looking for Jews and dissidents, you may not get the logical free thinker vote. But hey, you still have the mindless drones. Who'll have better healthcare and possibly a job by then.... OK, don't think about that, just keep it positive.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Welcome to Oceania, circa 1984
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
People throw around the word Socialism like its a bad thing. I realize it has had a tarnished history, and Socialist countries have not always been the best of countries, but still....
When I think of Socialism, I think of George Orwell's novels 1984, and Animal Farm. Orwell wanted to drive home the point in these novels that the dangers of socialism are not limited to fascist regimes like those of Mussolini and Hitler, nor are they limited to places like Russia or China. This stuff could happen here in England, or even in America. He also showed that it really didn't have to do with socialism as a concept itself, but rather the political climate employed to bring it around.
In Animal Farm, the spiritual leader of the animals, Major, has a clear vision of where he wants the farm to go. He wants all animals to be equal, and to live in harmony. (This is reflective of Karl Marx, and his vision of Communism.) It's not until the evil pigs (Lenin, Stalin) gain power that they are corrupted and they start making oppressive changes that bring about the society we all fear.
So, what are these things? What is the real horror of these novels? I don't think anyone looks at 1984 and thinks, "How horrible, they have universal healthcare!" No, here's what they all fear:
Restricted Freedoms - In 1984, if you start thinking for yourself, you are arrested and thrown into room 101, where you are de-programmed. Winston and Julia, the main characters have to go into hiding in order to discuss their thoughts. This implies to me that Freedom of Speech and the Press are VITAL to preventing such a society from happening. Please notice, the "Party" doesn't disagree with what is being said, they rather take physical punitive action in order to prevent it from being said. That's not how a free speech society works. In a free speech society, the people at Fox News have a right to report in any way they like. I am also free to call them idiots and publicly state that they are inaccurate and misleading. I'm even free to encourage people not to watch. And they, in turn, are free to take my advice, or not. The scary day would be when Fox News' liscence to broadcast is revoked because of something they reported. Or when I am thrown in jail for saying Glenn Beck's a tool!
Manipulation of Information, otherwise known as re-writing history. The telescreens in 1984 are the people's primary source of information. Winston works for the ministry of truth, which is responsible for going back through the archives and "correcting" mistakes in history. In truth, they are changing the record to match the current political climate. In Animal Farm, Snowball is given a medal for his valor in a battle. He is applauded by the pigs as a hero to the farm. Until he publicly disagrees with them, then they start reporting how he was a coward and really didn't do much in the battle; and he's exiled. Kind of like what's going on with the history books in Texas right now, or how some reporters who shall remain nameless tell you the president said one thing, when those of us who watched the speech saw that he actually said something else.
De-education - Of course, logical, intelligent critical thinkers would never fall for this. So, the Inner Party's first order of business? Make everyone dumber. In 1984, they encourage everyone to speak a new language called Newspeak. It's a dumbed down language meant to discourage creative thought and poetic expression. They also might do something like downplay people who are intellectual or creative, in favor of what they might call "common sense."
Next, they create a climate where everyone is dependent on a single source for information. And whatever that source says, they discourage questioning it. Anyone who opposes them, suggest that they are somehow evil or someone not to be trusted. This happens in a completely different novel, "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire. The Witch isn't really evil, rather she is an activist who opposes the Wizard. So, to discourage others from joining her, they use propaganda to label her as a wicked witch and a terrorist. Please note, the powers that be aren't indicating that the "Wicked" are wrong or questioning the motives of this counter information. Rather, it's a label placed on the person himself in order to discredit his entire point of view. 1984's Emmanuel Goldstien was simply a scholar who exposed the goings on in the government. He was reported to be the leader of the enemy country, kind of like an Osama bin Laden type. I think about this every time Fox or Limbaugh or Hannity mention once again that "This is the only place you'll hear this information. Those other media outlets won't report it!" Or when a fan of Fox news tells me they watch it exclusively because "they're the only accurate source of information."
For the record, I watch various sources of information. Nightly News, internet, MSNBC, CNN, Fox. I run them ALL through my intelligence filter, and delve from all of the above what's really going on. As long as people are encouraged to do that, politicians can get away with very little.
Perpetual State of War - Both Orwellian societies have the people willing to give up their own freedoms, or resources because they are led to believe that they are in constant danger. 1984 is basically World War II never ending. The enemy is altered and changed throughout the novel, (sometimes in mid-speech) but there's always someone threatening our way of life. A common enemy we need to fear. And in order to protect ourselves, we need to give up our freedoms a little, and make sacrifices for the common good. In Animal Farm, the pigs constantly silence opposition with, "Do you want the humans to come back?" And this ends their questioning of their policies. This also keeps them in a constant state of FEAR, and a feeling of needing to be informed; which keeps them turning to the telescreens for the latest news update, which keeps them dependent on that source for information, which lead to... see above.
I hope that as you read this, you suddenly were reminded of something that is going on RIGHT NOW. And it doesn't necessarily need to be someone in control, it could be the opposition, attempting to gain power. It's the tactics I question.
So, when the word "Socialist" is thrown around, remember that socialism in and of itself has nothing to do with why you should be afraid of it. In fact, when someone uses the word "socialist" they are trying to evoke an emotional response to memories of our percieved enemies, Hitler, Stalin, Russia, China, Cuba, Al Quaeda, etc; not the economic system whereby the government provides certain services to its citizens equally. Socialism has its flaws that have historically led to the system not working, or worse; but our fears of those societies come from POLITICAL practices, not economic ones.
So, who is it that is silencing opposition, manipulating information, de-educating the people, keeping us in a state of combatting a perceived enemy? Is it the so-called "socialists?"
People throw around the word Socialism like its a bad thing. I realize it has had a tarnished history, and Socialist countries have not always been the best of countries, but still....
When I think of Socialism, I think of George Orwell's novels 1984, and Animal Farm. Orwell wanted to drive home the point in these novels that the dangers of socialism are not limited to fascist regimes like those of Mussolini and Hitler, nor are they limited to places like Russia or China. This stuff could happen here in England, or even in America. He also showed that it really didn't have to do with socialism as a concept itself, but rather the political climate employed to bring it around.
In Animal Farm, the spiritual leader of the animals, Major, has a clear vision of where he wants the farm to go. He wants all animals to be equal, and to live in harmony. (This is reflective of Karl Marx, and his vision of Communism.) It's not until the evil pigs (Lenin, Stalin) gain power that they are corrupted and they start making oppressive changes that bring about the society we all fear.
So, what are these things? What is the real horror of these novels? I don't think anyone looks at 1984 and thinks, "How horrible, they have universal healthcare!" No, here's what they all fear:
Restricted Freedoms - In 1984, if you start thinking for yourself, you are arrested and thrown into room 101, where you are de-programmed. Winston and Julia, the main characters have to go into hiding in order to discuss their thoughts. This implies to me that Freedom of Speech and the Press are VITAL to preventing such a society from happening. Please notice, the "Party" doesn't disagree with what is being said, they rather take physical punitive action in order to prevent it from being said. That's not how a free speech society works. In a free speech society, the people at Fox News have a right to report in any way they like. I am also free to call them idiots and publicly state that they are inaccurate and misleading. I'm even free to encourage people not to watch. And they, in turn, are free to take my advice, or not. The scary day would be when Fox News' liscence to broadcast is revoked because of something they reported. Or when I am thrown in jail for saying Glenn Beck's a tool!
Manipulation of Information, otherwise known as re-writing history. The telescreens in 1984 are the people's primary source of information. Winston works for the ministry of truth, which is responsible for going back through the archives and "correcting" mistakes in history. In truth, they are changing the record to match the current political climate. In Animal Farm, Snowball is given a medal for his valor in a battle. He is applauded by the pigs as a hero to the farm. Until he publicly disagrees with them, then they start reporting how he was a coward and really didn't do much in the battle; and he's exiled. Kind of like what's going on with the history books in Texas right now, or how some reporters who shall remain nameless tell you the president said one thing, when those of us who watched the speech saw that he actually said something else.
De-education - Of course, logical, intelligent critical thinkers would never fall for this. So, the Inner Party's first order of business? Make everyone dumber. In 1984, they encourage everyone to speak a new language called Newspeak. It's a dumbed down language meant to discourage creative thought and poetic expression. They also might do something like downplay people who are intellectual or creative, in favor of what they might call "common sense."
Next, they create a climate where everyone is dependent on a single source for information. And whatever that source says, they discourage questioning it. Anyone who opposes them, suggest that they are somehow evil or someone not to be trusted. This happens in a completely different novel, "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire. The Witch isn't really evil, rather she is an activist who opposes the Wizard. So, to discourage others from joining her, they use propaganda to label her as a wicked witch and a terrorist. Please note, the powers that be aren't indicating that the "Wicked" are wrong or questioning the motives of this counter information. Rather, it's a label placed on the person himself in order to discredit his entire point of view. 1984's Emmanuel Goldstien was simply a scholar who exposed the goings on in the government. He was reported to be the leader of the enemy country, kind of like an Osama bin Laden type. I think about this every time Fox or Limbaugh or Hannity mention once again that "This is the only place you'll hear this information. Those other media outlets won't report it!" Or when a fan of Fox news tells me they watch it exclusively because "they're the only accurate source of information."
For the record, I watch various sources of information. Nightly News, internet, MSNBC, CNN, Fox. I run them ALL through my intelligence filter, and delve from all of the above what's really going on. As long as people are encouraged to do that, politicians can get away with very little.
Perpetual State of War - Both Orwellian societies have the people willing to give up their own freedoms, or resources because they are led to believe that they are in constant danger. 1984 is basically World War II never ending. The enemy is altered and changed throughout the novel, (sometimes in mid-speech) but there's always someone threatening our way of life. A common enemy we need to fear. And in order to protect ourselves, we need to give up our freedoms a little, and make sacrifices for the common good. In Animal Farm, the pigs constantly silence opposition with, "Do you want the humans to come back?" And this ends their questioning of their policies. This also keeps them in a constant state of FEAR, and a feeling of needing to be informed; which keeps them turning to the telescreens for the latest news update, which keeps them dependent on that source for information, which lead to... see above.
I hope that as you read this, you suddenly were reminded of something that is going on RIGHT NOW. And it doesn't necessarily need to be someone in control, it could be the opposition, attempting to gain power. It's the tactics I question.
So, when the word "Socialist" is thrown around, remember that socialism in and of itself has nothing to do with why you should be afraid of it. In fact, when someone uses the word "socialist" they are trying to evoke an emotional response to memories of our percieved enemies, Hitler, Stalin, Russia, China, Cuba, Al Quaeda, etc; not the economic system whereby the government provides certain services to its citizens equally. Socialism has its flaws that have historically led to the system not working, or worse; but our fears of those societies come from POLITICAL practices, not economic ones.
So, who is it that is silencing opposition, manipulating information, de-educating the people, keeping us in a state of combatting a perceived enemy? Is it the so-called "socialists?"
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Pepsi Free : Week 4
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
I'm finding that the hardest time to NOT order soda is at the drive thru. The soda just COMES with the meal. And to order the meal with a bottle of water is MORE money. I need to specify, just hit the water button on the soda fountain, and give me a cup filled with ice and tap water. Which makes me look like a douche.
What I'm trying to say is the Anti-HFCSers have a point that HFCS is hard to moderate. The food service biz is teeming with them pushing the syrup upon you. It's sort of like Idiot Governor's proposed soda tax. He wants it to cost MORE to drink HFCS, in order to encourage you to drink other poisons in your beverages. McDonalds makes it cost effective to drink your daily sugar. I need to watch "Supersize Me" again, and get off the fast food.
I went to dinner at Chili's a few nights ago, and sat at the bar and experienced the awkwardness of just ordering water at a bar. I went to a reception after the SCMEA all-county concert, and was at a party with an open bar, ordering waters. This is the part of the Lenten Fast where you start looking forward to Easter when you can have these things again. I'm also very close to the 30 day mark. Here's where I surpass Morgan Spurlock, and go those extra 10 days.
I'm experiencing light headedness from time to time. I'm noticing that it seems to happen after eating. And I tend to eat carbs. Last physical, my bloodwork came back that I have high Triglycerides, and a high fasting blood sugar level. They warned me that this could be pre-diabetes. That concerns me. Mainly because I love carbs, and don't want to give them up. But also for personal reasons.
Long story short, a teacher here uses her Diabetes as an excuse not to work. When assigned a special project, or a deadline, she "forgets" to eat, and then crashes. Other very disgusting food related incidents have happened. I have been critical of her. I know several diabetics who easily monitor their blood sugar and my wife had gestational diabetes during both pregnancies. I refuse to believe that she has the one type of diabetes that is completely unmanagable.
I keep having the thought that if I develop diabetes, it's like God asking me to put my money where my mouth is. Kind of like all those myths and folk tales where the Gods give you a taste of your own medicine in order to teach you a valuable lesson. Or that segment of Twilight Zone: the Movie where the racist has to live as all the races of people he's bigoted against.
I'm finding that the hardest time to NOT order soda is at the drive thru. The soda just COMES with the meal. And to order the meal with a bottle of water is MORE money. I need to specify, just hit the water button on the soda fountain, and give me a cup filled with ice and tap water. Which makes me look like a douche.
What I'm trying to say is the Anti-HFCSers have a point that HFCS is hard to moderate. The food service biz is teeming with them pushing the syrup upon you. It's sort of like Idiot Governor's proposed soda tax. He wants it to cost MORE to drink HFCS, in order to encourage you to drink other poisons in your beverages. McDonalds makes it cost effective to drink your daily sugar. I need to watch "Supersize Me" again, and get off the fast food.
I went to dinner at Chili's a few nights ago, and sat at the bar and experienced the awkwardness of just ordering water at a bar. I went to a reception after the SCMEA all-county concert, and was at a party with an open bar, ordering waters. This is the part of the Lenten Fast where you start looking forward to Easter when you can have these things again. I'm also very close to the 30 day mark. Here's where I surpass Morgan Spurlock, and go those extra 10 days.
I'm experiencing light headedness from time to time. I'm noticing that it seems to happen after eating. And I tend to eat carbs. Last physical, my bloodwork came back that I have high Triglycerides, and a high fasting blood sugar level. They warned me that this could be pre-diabetes. That concerns me. Mainly because I love carbs, and don't want to give them up. But also for personal reasons.
Long story short, a teacher here uses her Diabetes as an excuse not to work. When assigned a special project, or a deadline, she "forgets" to eat, and then crashes. Other very disgusting food related incidents have happened. I have been critical of her. I know several diabetics who easily monitor their blood sugar and my wife had gestational diabetes during both pregnancies. I refuse to believe that she has the one type of diabetes that is completely unmanagable.
I keep having the thought that if I develop diabetes, it's like God asking me to put my money where my mouth is. Kind of like all those myths and folk tales where the Gods give you a taste of your own medicine in order to teach you a valuable lesson. Or that segment of Twilight Zone: the Movie where the racist has to live as all the races of people he's bigoted against.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Corpsman
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
OK... I have somethings to clear up regarding President Obama's accidental and unfortunate mispronunciation of the word "Corpsman". Hannity and many Republican, Conservative and otherwise oppositional people have been going around mocking him about this. They continually bring up that he reads his speeches from a teleprompter, as if he's being "fed" his answers, and doesn't truly understand what he's saying. Or, is it to suggest that somehow he's not as intelligent as he comes off. Like the teachers on the Simpsons, take away their Teacher's Edition, and they're lost?
First of all, before you click on the video, read the word. How would YOU pronounce it? If you were in the Navy or any branch of the armed forces, you might pronounce it /core'-muhn/; but if not, one might improperly pronounce it just like the President did, /corpse-muhn/. Unfortunate? Yes. Funny? Not especially. Something for the commander in chief of the Armed Forces to learn to pronounce? Absolutely. BUT...
A) Every president since the invention of the teleprompter has read his speeches from a teleprompter. Before then, they wrote the speeches down on paper, and constantly looked down at them throughout the speeches. Reagan did it. Bush sr. did it. Clinton did it. And Bush jr. ABSOLUTELY did it. The key here, is when they're taking questions, do they sound just as eloquent and intelligent as they do when on prompter? Yes, yes, yes, Obama, yes, Bush jr... uh... not so much.
B) a little perspective. During a declaration of war against Iraq, G.W.Bush mispronounced "Nuclear" as "Nucular." Four Times. He reminded me of Biff from "Back to the Future," trying to be threatening but ending off with, "make like a tree and get outta here." This wasn't the first time, either. Bush had been publicly mocked in the past on SNL, and regular news. One would think that someone would take him aside and correct him, so that it wouldn't happen again. I'll bet real money that the next time Obama reads the word Corpsman, he'll pronounce it correctly.
C) Corpsman, as stated before, is an easily mispronouncable word. And the error in question was simply pronouncing it as it was spelled. Unlike "Nucular" or "Subliminable" or "misunderestimate." (Which isn't even a word.)
So, Bush had, like, 5. (Hundred) Obama's got 1. We'll see how many more Obama gets. Will he match the former president's record? Only time will tell.
OK... I have somethings to clear up regarding President Obama's accidental and unfortunate mispronunciation of the word "Corpsman". Hannity and many Republican, Conservative and otherwise oppositional people have been going around mocking him about this. They continually bring up that he reads his speeches from a teleprompter, as if he's being "fed" his answers, and doesn't truly understand what he's saying. Or, is it to suggest that somehow he's not as intelligent as he comes off. Like the teachers on the Simpsons, take away their Teacher's Edition, and they're lost?
First of all, before you click on the video, read the word. How would YOU pronounce it? If you were in the Navy or any branch of the armed forces, you might pronounce it /core'-muhn/; but if not, one might improperly pronounce it just like the President did, /corpse-muhn/. Unfortunate? Yes. Funny? Not especially. Something for the commander in chief of the Armed Forces to learn to pronounce? Absolutely. BUT...
A) Every president since the invention of the teleprompter has read his speeches from a teleprompter. Before then, they wrote the speeches down on paper, and constantly looked down at them throughout the speeches. Reagan did it. Bush sr. did it. Clinton did it. And Bush jr. ABSOLUTELY did it. The key here, is when they're taking questions, do they sound just as eloquent and intelligent as they do when on prompter? Yes, yes, yes, Obama, yes, Bush jr... uh... not so much.
B) a little perspective. During a declaration of war against Iraq, G.W.Bush mispronounced "Nuclear" as "Nucular." Four Times. He reminded me of Biff from "Back to the Future," trying to be threatening but ending off with, "make like a tree and get outta here." This wasn't the first time, either. Bush had been publicly mocked in the past on SNL, and regular news. One would think that someone would take him aside and correct him, so that it wouldn't happen again. I'll bet real money that the next time Obama reads the word Corpsman, he'll pronounce it correctly.
C) Corpsman, as stated before, is an easily mispronouncable word. And the error in question was simply pronouncing it as it was spelled. Unlike "Nucular" or "Subliminable" or "misunderestimate." (Which isn't even a word.)
So, Bush had, like, 5. (Hundred) Obama's got 1. We'll see how many more Obama gets. Will he match the former president's record? Only time will tell.
Pepsi Free - Week 3
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
Week Three. Officially 21 days of no soft drinks, and no eating past 9PM. They say when you do something consistently for 21 days, it becomes a habit. I don't know. At any given moment, I still automatically reach for a Pepsi, then have to remind myself to go for Snapple or water instead.
Also, my research has got me looking at labels. Whenever I crave an iced tea, I have to check. Most iced teas on the market use HFCS, except Snapple, and I believe, Gold Peak. I'm also noticing it in juice concentrates, and Hershey Syrup, and even Karo Corn Syrup.
Now, I'm thinking many opposers of High Fructose Corn Syrup are under the impression that it is somehow different from regular corn syrup. Not so. The explanation comes from my idol, Alton Brown.
In his Marshmallow episode of Good Eats, he briefly talks about HFCS, which he adds to the marshmallows to prevent the sugar from crystalizing. The starch found in corn tastes bland, so they cook it to break it down into glucose. Glucose is sweet, but not sweet enough for our taste buds. It needs the addition of Fructose to make it palatable. Adding an enzyme, a naturally occuring enzyme, to Glucose converts some of it into Fructose, and then they mix it in with more glucose to get the 55/45 ratio of Fructose to Glucose. (Table sugar is 50/50) This solution results in corn syrup. Because it can be mixed 55/45 or 25/75, which isn't as sweet, the former is referred to as High Fructose Corn Syrup. And again... nothing about this process scares me in the least.
It's been compared, in coversations I've had, to Trans-fats. Trans-fats are unsaturated fats to which Hydrogen is added, in a very natural way, I'm sure, to make it saturated. This Hydrogenated oil is now solid at room temperature, to that it can substitute for butter or lard. But it's basically oil, which before it's hydrogenated, is liquid and can't be spread on toast.
I believe that the difference here is that hydrogenated fats or trans-fats are unnatural. You're taking a molecule and messing with its natural state, which is why it reacts to the body differently than butter does. Butter is supposed to be saturated, oil is not. (Which is why I never use margarine or even smart balance.) If you were to turn Sucrose (table sugar) into a syrup by melting it in water, then somehow add a little fructose, perhaps from apple juice, you'd have a product very similar to HFCS. You're cooking the sugar, you're molecularly altering the oil. See the difference?
Anyway, as for health, I notice no difference. I'm hungry in the morning because I hadn't snacked the night before. I still have that annoying gut. I haven't weighed myself, but my pants don't seem as tight as before. I sense no more or less energy than before the fast, in fact I feel very low on energy. After all, I'm consuming less sugar than before.
For more on my Lenten Fast :
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-1.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-15.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-2.html
Week Three. Officially 21 days of no soft drinks, and no eating past 9PM. They say when you do something consistently for 21 days, it becomes a habit. I don't know. At any given moment, I still automatically reach for a Pepsi, then have to remind myself to go for Snapple or water instead.
Also, my research has got me looking at labels. Whenever I crave an iced tea, I have to check. Most iced teas on the market use HFCS, except Snapple, and I believe, Gold Peak. I'm also noticing it in juice concentrates, and Hershey Syrup, and even Karo Corn Syrup.
Now, I'm thinking many opposers of High Fructose Corn Syrup are under the impression that it is somehow different from regular corn syrup. Not so. The explanation comes from my idol, Alton Brown.
In his Marshmallow episode of Good Eats, he briefly talks about HFCS, which he adds to the marshmallows to prevent the sugar from crystalizing. The starch found in corn tastes bland, so they cook it to break it down into glucose. Glucose is sweet, but not sweet enough for our taste buds. It needs the addition of Fructose to make it palatable. Adding an enzyme, a naturally occuring enzyme, to Glucose converts some of it into Fructose, and then they mix it in with more glucose to get the 55/45 ratio of Fructose to Glucose. (Table sugar is 50/50) This solution results in corn syrup. Because it can be mixed 55/45 or 25/75, which isn't as sweet, the former is referred to as High Fructose Corn Syrup. And again... nothing about this process scares me in the least.
It's been compared, in coversations I've had, to Trans-fats. Trans-fats are unsaturated fats to which Hydrogen is added, in a very natural way, I'm sure, to make it saturated. This Hydrogenated oil is now solid at room temperature, to that it can substitute for butter or lard. But it's basically oil, which before it's hydrogenated, is liquid and can't be spread on toast.
I believe that the difference here is that hydrogenated fats or trans-fats are unnatural. You're taking a molecule and messing with its natural state, which is why it reacts to the body differently than butter does. Butter is supposed to be saturated, oil is not. (Which is why I never use margarine or even smart balance.) If you were to turn Sucrose (table sugar) into a syrup by melting it in water, then somehow add a little fructose, perhaps from apple juice, you'd have a product very similar to HFCS. You're cooking the sugar, you're molecularly altering the oil. See the difference?
Anyway, as for health, I notice no difference. I'm hungry in the morning because I hadn't snacked the night before. I still have that annoying gut. I haven't weighed myself, but my pants don't seem as tight as before. I sense no more or less energy than before the fast, in fact I feel very low on energy. After all, I'm consuming less sugar than before.
For more on my Lenten Fast :
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-1.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-15.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-2.html
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Rachel's Adventures in Healthcare
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
Two Fridays ago, during the big snowstorm, our youngest, Leah, developed a very high fever. 104 to be exact. When we consulted her doctor via telephone, she advised us that it may be "that virus that's going around" and told us how to proceed.
The new trend in general medicine is towards not prescribing antibiotics unless there is an actual infection. In the past, a fever was evidence of an infection. Now they want to see swelling, redness, or something else; because in the era of swine flu, viruses cause fevers also. Best course of action is to treat the fever with Tylenol and force fluids and get as much sleep as possible, so that the virus can run its course.
So we did, eventually, we got some prescriptions from the doctor, and it was a terrible couple of days, but Leah got through it. Until Tuesday. That's when Rachel got it. Now, Leah hated taking the medicine, but we made her and she did pretty well. Rachel, on the other hand, threw up every Tylenol, Motrin, Antibiotic and steriod. And she kept getting worse. When we finally switched to Tylenol suppositories (Rachel's now embarassed. Or at least she will be later in life.) the fever went down for the few hours that it lasted, but then, spiked back up. Finally, Saturday, we had had enough. We took her one more time to the doctor, and he recommended the hospital.
We took her to Good Samaritin Hospital in West Islip, and they were AMAZING there. They took her right in, IV'd some antibiotics, and started bringing her fever down, and finally admitted her. As soon as the fever went down, we got our little Rachel back, For the four days prior, she was more like Reagan in the Excorcist; puking up weird stuff, nasty, saying our mother does things in Hell; you know, typical sick child stuff. She mellowed out, while the doctors and nurses drained her lungs with a nebulizer, gave her medicine both intravenously and orally. And finally yesterday, they released her. We're still treating her at home, but she's happier. Thank God.
As I sat with her, watching WAY too much Disney channel - I mean, how much Hannah Montana can you take? It got to the point where Rachel and I were watching the same TV shows, and I'm LIKING 'EM! I'm Losin' it! (NAME THAT MOVIE) - I thought about the healthcare debate, the bill, and the whole situation going on right now. Maybe it was because it was all over the news and C-Span, or maybe because I had had an arguement... I mean discussion... I mean lecture... I mean summarization of everything Fox news ever reported, with my father the day before.
Leah had 2 doctor visits, Rachel had 3, and Paula and I each had one. Each visit resulted in 1 or 2 prescription medications plus a home nebulizer and two more medications after the hospital. Then the ER treatment, IV anitbiotics and saline with Dextrose to rehydrate my daughter, and the 3 day, 3 night hospital stay including rounds of albeuterol, rounds of anitbiotics, and steriods. How much is that bill do you think?
I imagined what would have happened if I wasn't working, or if I was working in several part time jobs, like for churches, or self employed, like the music god I wish to be. If for whatever reason, I didn't have, or couldn't get medical insurance. Making too much money for Medicare, but not enough to realistically afford Blue Cross. I imagined being one of my student's families who can't afford to take a day off work to stay home and care for a sick child. Who can't go to a hospital, because the bill for the stay would financially destroy their family. My daughter had trouble taking the medicine we got her. Imagine your circumstances forbidding you from even getting that first dose of steriods that clears her lungs, or that first doctor visit where they tell you HOW to care for her, let alone the IV antibiotics in the hospital.
So, anyway, I'm not ranting about healthcare again. At least not in THIS entry. Rachel's home, she's well, and she's happy. Life is slowly returning to normal. Paula and I were sick, too, but we're treating with Augmentin. (Zithromax didn't work for me.) Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, and prayers. Thanks to Marie, and all my teaching colleagues for picking up the slack at work. And thanks to our doctors and the entire staff at Good Sam for being awesome. Best healthcare system in the world? At Good Sam, yes, probably, IF you can afford it.
Two Fridays ago, during the big snowstorm, our youngest, Leah, developed a very high fever. 104 to be exact. When we consulted her doctor via telephone, she advised us that it may be "that virus that's going around" and told us how to proceed.
The new trend in general medicine is towards not prescribing antibiotics unless there is an actual infection. In the past, a fever was evidence of an infection. Now they want to see swelling, redness, or something else; because in the era of swine flu, viruses cause fevers also. Best course of action is to treat the fever with Tylenol and force fluids and get as much sleep as possible, so that the virus can run its course.
So we did, eventually, we got some prescriptions from the doctor, and it was a terrible couple of days, but Leah got through it. Until Tuesday. That's when Rachel got it. Now, Leah hated taking the medicine, but we made her and she did pretty well. Rachel, on the other hand, threw up every Tylenol, Motrin, Antibiotic and steriod. And she kept getting worse. When we finally switched to Tylenol suppositories (Rachel's now embarassed. Or at least she will be later in life.) the fever went down for the few hours that it lasted, but then, spiked back up. Finally, Saturday, we had had enough. We took her one more time to the doctor, and he recommended the hospital.
We took her to Good Samaritin Hospital in West Islip, and they were AMAZING there. They took her right in, IV'd some antibiotics, and started bringing her fever down, and finally admitted her. As soon as the fever went down, we got our little Rachel back, For the four days prior, she was more like Reagan in the Excorcist; puking up weird stuff, nasty, saying our mother does things in Hell; you know, typical sick child stuff. She mellowed out, while the doctors and nurses drained her lungs with a nebulizer, gave her medicine both intravenously and orally. And finally yesterday, they released her. We're still treating her at home, but she's happier. Thank God.
As I sat with her, watching WAY too much Disney channel - I mean, how much Hannah Montana can you take? It got to the point where Rachel and I were watching the same TV shows, and I'm LIKING 'EM! I'm Losin' it! (NAME THAT MOVIE) - I thought about the healthcare debate, the bill, and the whole situation going on right now. Maybe it was because it was all over the news and C-Span, or maybe because I had had an arguement... I mean discussion... I mean lecture... I mean summarization of everything Fox news ever reported, with my father the day before.
Leah had 2 doctor visits, Rachel had 3, and Paula and I each had one. Each visit resulted in 1 or 2 prescription medications plus a home nebulizer and two more medications after the hospital. Then the ER treatment, IV anitbiotics and saline with Dextrose to rehydrate my daughter, and the 3 day, 3 night hospital stay including rounds of albeuterol, rounds of anitbiotics, and steriods. How much is that bill do you think?
I imagined what would have happened if I wasn't working, or if I was working in several part time jobs, like for churches, or self employed, like the music god I wish to be. If for whatever reason, I didn't have, or couldn't get medical insurance. Making too much money for Medicare, but not enough to realistically afford Blue Cross. I imagined being one of my student's families who can't afford to take a day off work to stay home and care for a sick child. Who can't go to a hospital, because the bill for the stay would financially destroy their family. My daughter had trouble taking the medicine we got her. Imagine your circumstances forbidding you from even getting that first dose of steriods that clears her lungs, or that first doctor visit where they tell you HOW to care for her, let alone the IV antibiotics in the hospital.
So, anyway, I'm not ranting about healthcare again. At least not in THIS entry. Rachel's home, she's well, and she's happy. Life is slowly returning to normal. Paula and I were sick, too, but we're treating with Augmentin. (Zithromax didn't work for me.) Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, and prayers. Thanks to Marie, and all my teaching colleagues for picking up the slack at work. And thanks to our doctors and the entire staff at Good Sam for being awesome. Best healthcare system in the world? At Good Sam, yes, probably, IF you can afford it.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Pepsi Free - Week 2
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
Get it? Pepsi Free? Second week has past of my Lenten Fast; giving up Pepsi specifically, and High Fructose Corn Syrup in general. In my other posts (http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-1.html ) I explain the purpose of this experiment, but please understand, gentle reader, that mainly, it's for Lent. I actually, in reality, don't buy any of the propaganda surrounding HFCS and the supposed dangers of it. From what I have found in research, HFCS is basically, a slightly sweeter, more soluble, tastier form of simple table sugar, and any health risks from HFCS are IDENTICAL to that of sugar. "In large quantities, it can lead to diabedes." Yeah, same with sugar.
I'm personally infuriated with our idiot Governor, David Paterson, and his proposed Soda tax, for which I recently caught the tail end of an advertisement. He proposes a tax on "sugared" sodas like Pepsi, Coke, Mountain Dew, etc, but not on diet sodas. His cockamamie plan is to use this just like the tax on cigarettes: to generate revenue for the state, and to discourage "unhealthy behavior."
I really don't support using a tax of any kind in order to manipulate behavior. This includes tax CUTS, credits, and breaks for favorable behavior. To me it's a bit Orwellian. Politicians can't physically manipulate my behavior, all they can do is make it worth my while to do what they say.
First of all, I have never, in considering whether to smoke or not, or to get married or not, or to have children or not, or any of the hundreds of things that are taxed or credited; thought about the fact that there would be a tax involved. "Hey, why don't we get married, we'll get a break on our taxes." "Gee, I'd like to take up smoking, but why pay all that tax." I honestly feel very, very sorry for people who do.
Second, If the tax is meant to generate much needed revenue for the state, (it is!) and this particular tax is meant to discourage the behavior that is going to be taxed, then the goal here is to NOT collect that tax. If Paterson's dream comes true, and people stop drinking soda, and they, in turn, stop paying that tax, and then New York makes no more money than before.
Don't get me wrong. I don't really mind paying taxes. I believe that in order for government to do the things they need to do, they need money. If I can help by paying my FAIR share of taxes, then so be it. And I expect everyone else to do the same. EVERYONE else. You hear that Wesley Snipes?
My other main problem with this particular tax, and my thesis for this collection of blog entries, is that Diet sodas are actually WORSE for you than sugared sodas. To prove it, here's my next investigation...
For lunch today, I wanted more than just a water, which I've been drinking instead of Pepsi. I chose an Iced Tea. I looked at Lipton Brisk, and what are the first two ingredients? Water and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I then looked at Snapple... Water, sugar, Citric Acid (or lemon), Tea and natural flavors. Just for hugs and chuckles, I checked out DIET Snapple. Same list of ingredients except for the sugar being replaced with Aspartame, and the addition of Potassium Citrate, and Malic Acid. What I want to know is... What are these two mystery ingredients? And why do they need to be added to diet beverages. Are they in diet sodas? and do THEY affect the body in any way?
More to come. If you know the answers off hand, or have more time to research, then please feel free to comment!
Get it? Pepsi Free? Second week has past of my Lenten Fast; giving up Pepsi specifically, and High Fructose Corn Syrup in general. In my other posts (http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-1.html ) I explain the purpose of this experiment, but please understand, gentle reader, that mainly, it's for Lent. I actually, in reality, don't buy any of the propaganda surrounding HFCS and the supposed dangers of it. From what I have found in research, HFCS is basically, a slightly sweeter, more soluble, tastier form of simple table sugar, and any health risks from HFCS are IDENTICAL to that of sugar. "In large quantities, it can lead to diabedes." Yeah, same with sugar.
I'm personally infuriated with our idiot Governor, David Paterson, and his proposed Soda tax, for which I recently caught the tail end of an advertisement. He proposes a tax on "sugared" sodas like Pepsi, Coke, Mountain Dew, etc, but not on diet sodas. His cockamamie plan is to use this just like the tax on cigarettes: to generate revenue for the state, and to discourage "unhealthy behavior."
I really don't support using a tax of any kind in order to manipulate behavior. This includes tax CUTS, credits, and breaks for favorable behavior. To me it's a bit Orwellian. Politicians can't physically manipulate my behavior, all they can do is make it worth my while to do what they say.
First of all, I have never, in considering whether to smoke or not, or to get married or not, or to have children or not, or any of the hundreds of things that are taxed or credited; thought about the fact that there would be a tax involved. "Hey, why don't we get married, we'll get a break on our taxes." "Gee, I'd like to take up smoking, but why pay all that tax." I honestly feel very, very sorry for people who do.
Second, If the tax is meant to generate much needed revenue for the state, (it is!) and this particular tax is meant to discourage the behavior that is going to be taxed, then the goal here is to NOT collect that tax. If Paterson's dream comes true, and people stop drinking soda, and they, in turn, stop paying that tax, and then New York makes no more money than before.
Don't get me wrong. I don't really mind paying taxes. I believe that in order for government to do the things they need to do, they need money. If I can help by paying my FAIR share of taxes, then so be it. And I expect everyone else to do the same. EVERYONE else. You hear that Wesley Snipes?
My other main problem with this particular tax, and my thesis for this collection of blog entries, is that Diet sodas are actually WORSE for you than sugared sodas. To prove it, here's my next investigation...
For lunch today, I wanted more than just a water, which I've been drinking instead of Pepsi. I chose an Iced Tea. I looked at Lipton Brisk, and what are the first two ingredients? Water and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I then looked at Snapple... Water, sugar, Citric Acid (or lemon), Tea and natural flavors. Just for hugs and chuckles, I checked out DIET Snapple. Same list of ingredients except for the sugar being replaced with Aspartame, and the addition of Potassium Citrate, and Malic Acid. What I want to know is... What are these two mystery ingredients? And why do they need to be added to diet beverages. Are they in diet sodas? and do THEY affect the body in any way?
More to come. If you know the answers off hand, or have more time to research, then please feel free to comment!
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