You Are What You Eat — So Eat Something

Posted by zoboxrox in health, malfunction, not news, tragedy on February 18th, 2010

My brilliant, charming, lady-killer of a friend has begun his own blogging adventure, Lunch Poems, and, while my bitter cynicism is in stark contrast to his levity, he has inspired me in terms of the direction of my new post.

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I’m having a hard time with women lately — as a group.  I should specify that statement — I am finding it difficult to sympathize with first world women who have chosen the desire to be thin as a main goal in life.  And I’m not talking about the estimated 7 million American women who actually have an eating disorder.   I’m not talking about the 4%of these women who will die every year.  I’m not even talking about the 50% of 10 year olds who “want to lose weight.”  I’m simply referring to your average women who battles everyday with her food intake and exercise routine, and the unnecessary stress it causes on her already overworked frame.

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Yesterday, standing in line for lunch, the thin woman behind me asked to taste one of the soup options, I believe it was a delicious looking cream of corn and chicken option.  “I can tell this is fattening,” she told the server, before walking off to the salad bar.  And while I should learn to mind my own business, a little part of me cried for her, and for every other woman out there counting calories every day of their lives.  First of all lady, do you really think the soup guy gives a shit?  Secondly, LIVE YOU LIFE.  If the soup is delicious, EAT IT.

My adorable friend Sumer has a category of issues she refers to as “First World Problems.”  Examples of these are as such: “I ordered a dress online last week and it still hasn’t gotten here — ugh!” or “I love driving my (shiny, new) car to work, but parking is such a pain in the ass, I’ve had to start taking the subway.”  And if I’m being preachy its only because its in my nature, I have my fair share of FWPs (the fan on my computer is malfunctioning, I am finding full-time steady employment to be less fulfilling than I expected, I haven’t been on a nice date in months).  None, however, seem as callous as denying myself food, when there are millions of people who dont know when they’re next meal will be.  Additionally, it strikes me as a huge blow to the advancement of women — are we really going to let something as petty as weight dictate our self-worth.

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I’m all for looking good and feeling good.  I think excersise and nutrition are both extremely important and I could certainly afford to lose a few pounds myself.  I will never, however, let food and weight consume my life.  I think that anyone who plans on being happy should consider that advice, because, and I know there are those out there who make a lot of money disagreeing with me, but a lot of things actually taste better than being thin feels!  Besides, she may look great, but is this really someone you want to take advice from:

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Dear Prudence

Posted by zoboxrox in charity, economy, health, human rights, international, science, tragedy on January 18th, 2010

clip_image006_0000Haiti, 2008

While the images coming out of Haiti since the January 12th earthquake are heartbreaking, images of Haiti before the massive devastation are nearly as appalling.  For many, just one week ago, it was simply easier not to look.

farmerHaiti has long been the pariah of the Western Hemisphere, deemed the poorest country, many Americans don’t even realize it shares an island, Hispaniola, with popular hot spot the Dominican Republic.  With HIV rates unheard of on this side of the world, not to mention Malaria and a killer strain of drug resistant Tuberculosis,  and levels of poverty we have only seen in Hollywood films, Americans have found it surprisingly easy to overlook Haiti’s hellish existence in the past, despite its close proximity and dire need for aide.  And while there are those who have dedicated their lives to moving mountains in this forgotten place (Paul Farmer and his Partners in Health comes to mind most immediately, but there are certainly others as well, many with little to no recognition at all), there is no question that Haiti has been more or less abandoned by the rest of the world.

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While the media provides us with day to day body counts and relays gruesome details of injuries and loss, forcing us to see what we’ve ignored for so long, racking up donations from the college student text messager to the saintly celebrity givers, I can only wonder, if this Disaster Relief had poured in years ago, would we be facing the situation we are facing today?

Jian Lin, a WHOI senior scientist in geology and geophysics, said that there were three factors that made the quake particularly devastating: First, it was centered just 10 miles southwest of the capital city, Port au Prince; second, the quake was shallow—only about 10-15 kilometers below the land’s surface; third, and more importantly, many homes and buildings in the economically poor country were not built to withstand such a force and collapsed or crumbled.

When there are no roads, no hospitals, no doctors, no reliable government, no one to really trust, how far can the money go?  Perhaps the lesson here is of prudent giving — spending money earlier, before its too late.


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A Twinkie in California

Posted by zoboxrox in human rights, justice, politics on January 11th, 2010

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Oh god no.  Why this man? Eyebrows over here, Paul Katami, and his partner, Jeffrey Zarrillo, are among a group of plaintiffs going to court over the recent ban on gay marriage in the state of California, Proposition 8. Somehow, out of all the homosexuals in San Francisco, this is the one who got to do the talking when the time came.  And here is what he had to say:

“[It's] like putting a Twinkie at the end of a treadmill and saying, ‘You can only have a bite,’ ” testified Paul Katami, one of the plaintiffs. “And you want the whole thing. … All I want is to be married.”

Hey Paul — are you fucking kidding me?  That’s the best you could come up with?  First of all, Paul here obviously knows N-O-T-H-I-N-G about the history of his state, most notably, the late great Harvey Milk, who fought so vigorously for gay rights in the very same city  Paul and Jeffrey call home.  If Paul had studied up a little more, he’d know not to bring Twinkies into the fight (unless Paul is brilliant, and is purposefully evoking the painful memories of Milk’s tragic ending, thereby arousing some deeply closeted heterosexual guilt).

Complete and total mental lapse aside, this is simply not the right argument to be making.  While how you feel is always very important to yourself, this will not sway a judge in a court of law, nor will it make all those evangelicals in California suddenly feel bad enough to change their minds.  You must evoke the sensation of being denied a basic right by your government — you must shine light on the absurdity of this situation, which is clearly the most prominent case of persecution so far this century.

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Happy Veterans Day

Posted by zoboxrox in military, politics, tragedy on November 11th, 2009

Obama’s speech at Fort Hood on Tuesday was one of the best he’s given so far as President.  While its not his Veteran’s Day speech, I find it appropriate for today as well. 

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Every single soldier in our volunteer military, is a veteran, whether thay have fought on foreign soils, protected those at home, or died tragically while preparing for deployment.  It is not about the struggles they will face, it is about the sacrifice they have already made before they ever learn to shoot a gun or run a drill.  This is a sacrifice that too often goes unnoticed – forgotten — even as we are engaged in two militarized conflicts. 

Here is a list of the names of the fallen.  Please take a moment to read at least one name.  Remember that this is someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, etc.  And whether or not you believe in the wars we are fighting, honor the sacrifice that so many have made.  As Obama said:

Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life’s work is our security, and the freedom that we all too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — that is their legacy.

If you are feeling very humbled, consider donating to this charitable operation: Clearwater Initiative. 

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Founded in 2007 by Army Capt. Ben Sklaver while stationed in Uganda, Clearwater provides clean water ”to populations effected by natural or man-made humanitarian emergencies.” 

Ben was killed on October 2 of this year in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan.  This post is dedicated to him, and to the thousands of others like him, who sacrifice so much so that we may be free.

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Maybe it’s all a big hoax!

Posted by zoboxrox in malfunction on October 19th, 2009

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People seem surprised by the recent news that “balloon boy,” aka six-year-old Falcon Heene, was simply the pawn in a ridiculous publicity stunt set forth by his clearly unstable parents with ambitions of reality-stardom (an oxymoron if there ever was one).

Now, while I’m shocked (ok, not really) that CNN covered the whole charade for the better part of an afternoon, including “CNN BREAKING NEWS UPDATES” which I mistakenly have programmed my phone to alert me of whenever they occur (my afternoon was filled with text messages like: “Balloon boy found in attic”…. seriously), and then continued to work the Heene family into their front-page coverage, including today’s, and yesterday’s, etc, etc., its hardly surprising at all to see a parent, in this case both, willing to take advantage of their children for financial gain and public attention.

Its not to hard to see where this is going:

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Perhaps, collectively, we have to learn to take better care of our children.

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When History Calls, a love story

Posted by zoboxrox in health, politics, powerful women on October 15th, 2009

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I would like to just start off here by giving my girl Olympia Snowe [seriously great name] a big one up for growing a pair.  I’m pretty sure she and I live by the same motto, which, though basic and commercialized, I’ve found tends to work out in the long run: DO THE RIGHT THING. 

Inevitably, we will not remember this moment as fondly as we do today, if she changes her mind in the next few months, but I’d like to point out that, unlike, I’d say, the majority of her colleagues, she made a lot of sense when she finally opened her mouth:

When history calls, history calls. And I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress to take every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time

artsnowegiI want one of those little tape recorders!!

In other words: how will we face our children and our children’s children if we don’t do this now, when things have gotten so bad, that if we do nothing, we will always be remembered for our failure to act? You know what Olympia, I happen to agree with you.

Secondly, I’d like to offer one piece of truth I imagine would be recognized if it was pondered by anyone with the capacity for understanding: the health care system, in its entirety — from insurance companies to pharmaceutical companies to private hospitals to ERs, ORs, ICUs, OBGYNs, etc.– should be a NON-FOR-PROFIT enterprise.  And let me tell you why… (you knew I was going to):

1. There will never not be doctors

There have always been doctors.  And, I can say from my own experience with them, both the doctors who have treated me and those I know personally, they’re really not in it for the money.  Part of the Hippocratic oath reads: “Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption.”

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While they can look scary, they tend to be pretty decent, unselfish people.  That which is driving doctors to leave their profession is not their pay, but instead their inability to treat their patients the way they would like to if they were free of the restrictions brought on by insurance companies.  Ex. “No, we won’t cover that life-saving medication.” Which brings me to point two.

2. Medicine, as a science, will never advance without large scale access, in both directions

I was reading about the phony “insurance industry report” recently released by, lets face it, the bad guys, which stated something along the lines of “premiums to reach $4000/month under Bacaus plan.”  While we’re obviously not the most empathetic country in the world, I’m not sure we’re ready to reach a point when less than a quarter of our population has health care.  Not only is wrong, but it is also against the natural progression of medicine, which requires new patients with unique cases in order to grow.

And guess who gets irritated when they don’t have a massive population to sell their overpriced drugs to?

3. We all need each other in order to make this work in the end

The truth is, while they currently have all the say in the relationship, without access to professional health care and FDA approved medications, people will find another way — it is in our nature to do so; it is, perhaps, the greatest genius of our species — and Big Pharma will lose control of the court.  And pharmaceutical companies need a large population of people on their medications in order to sustain themselves.  Why do you think they advertise so aggressively?

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You don’t have to talk to your doctor about these drugs, they already know about them! And they know if you should be on them or not.  But Pharma continues to advertise because Pharma needs us to keep buying their drugs, and they need scientists to keep producing them.  Likewise, the insurance industry needs doctors to accept their plans, which many have stopped doing, and in turn, needs us to buy into them.  If anyone stopped for a second and realized how well this could work if it ran the way it ought to… maybe instead of changing the practices, we just have to remove the people currently practicing them.

ELIMINATE GREED FROM HEALTH CARE: THERE IS NO ROOM FOR IT IN TRUE MEDICINE

“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity”

Hippocrates, c. 400 BC

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Equality Across America

Posted by zoboxrox in Uncategorized on October 11th, 2009

To my fellow Americans in Washington DC today, MARCH ON!

Equality Across America

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As Julian Bond, Chairman of the NAACP, said on CNN earlier today: “There are no such thing as Gay Rights or Black Rights, there are only Civil Rights, and every American has a right to Civil Rights.”

This is not a Gay Rights Issue: this is an American Issue.  Anyone, EVERYONE, should be offended and disgusted that the government has the power to discriminate.  If its not you today, it’ll be you tomorrow.

Recall Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.  Recall Defense of Marriage Act.  These are archaic practices that keep us from progressing towards the future we were promised when we voted in November.

Obama, stop thinking about 2012 and DO THE RIGHT THING!

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Too Good to Be True; Too Crazy to Make Up

Posted by zoboxrox in malfunction, not news on September 30th, 2009

I’m trying to be more fun… now that the political atmosphere has gotten completely morbid and depressing, while there’s still a lot going on, more than ever before in fact, no one seems all that interested.  Including, and probably most apparently, myself.  So I thought I’d try to….(gasp)…. broaden my horizon.

Here’s my Top 5 Headlines (a la Leno) from this week, that I just had to share because they’re too good not to:

5. Spencer Pratt ‘barely having sex’ with Heidi Montag

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Number Five comes to us from CNN.  Believe it.  I don’t know what the hell is going on in the world, but here is direct a quote from the article, which many different people from CNN had to write, edit, copy, approve, and publish:

Speaking to the New York Post’s PopWrap on Tuesday, Pratt, 26, said that he’s tried to prevent Montag, 23, from realizing her dreams of becoming a young mother — by refusing her sex.

“I’m not even kidding, my wife — OK, I’m gonna get crass here — but we’re barely having sex because I’m scared that she’s gonna have a baby,” he said. “That’s the level our marriage is on right now. I’m not even kidding — my wife has me debating cutting off my nuts.”

Spencer, I’m pretty sure you can find someone to cut your balls off for you.  CNN — what the fuck were you thinking?

4. Why Women Have Sex (again, CNN) or Why Women Have Sex (Newsweek…. really Newsweek, really?)

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What makes a woman want to have sex? Is it physical attraction? Love? Loneliness? Jealousy? Boredom? Painful menstrual cramps?

I’m not going to say I’ve never heard that one before, cause I’d be lying, but come on!  How many people out there right now are really having sex to sooth cramps?! What kind of question is this anyway?  Why not ask the same of men…. because its obvious?  Well, I find this to be fairly obvious too.  Newsweek, what do you think?

Researchers have historically theorized that women’s motives lie in love and commitment, while newer studies have shown they do it for pleasure, just like men. But women are complicated creatures: their sexual health is determined as much by their emotions as by their physical state

Wow, that is truly impressive journalism.  What you’re telling me is women are effected by how they feel physically AND emotionally?  This is groundbreaking.  Is there a book?  Of course there’s a book, called, guess what, Why Women Have Sex. The sad thing is, I bet half the people who buy this will be female.

3. Fugitive Stripper Zaps Coworker (Thank you Fox)

Not much substance here, just a great headline.

2. Porn Surfing Rampant At U.S. Government Agency (Huffington Post from The Washington Times)

This story, however, is incredible.

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Its long, but YOU HAVE TO READ THIS:

An investigative report by The Washington Times reveals porn surfing by employees has been rampant at the National Science Foundation, a government agency that received $6 billion in taxpayer funding in 2008.

Out of 10 misconduct cases at the NSF, at least seven involved workers viewing online pornography.

A senior executive at the foundation was found to have spent at least 331 days looking at porn and chatting with naked or scantily-clad women on his work computer. When confronted, he tried to justify it as a charitable act:

When finally caught, the NSF official retired. He even offered, among other explanations, a humanitarian defense, suggesting that he frequented the porn sites to provide a living to the poor overseas women. Investigators put the cost to taxpayers of the senior official’s porn surfing at between $13,800 and about $58,000.  “He explained that these young women are from poor countries and need to make money to help their parents and this site helps them do that,” investigators wrote in a memo.

1. Judge weighs whether cows enjoyed ’suckling’ cop’s member (appropriately, this is from The Raw Story)

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I went ahead and saved the best for last, so you’re welcome.

A Pennsylvania judge pondered a very unusual question during a ruling issued Monday: When a former police officer stuck his male member in the mouths of five baby cows, did they enjoy “suckling” it, or were they merely “puzzled”?robertmelialikescows-1

“During a bizarre hearing there yesterday, a Superior Court judge dismissed animal-cruelty charges against a Moorestown police officer accused of sticking his penis into the mouths of five calves in rural Southampton in 2006…

Weighing the case, Judge James J. Morley reportedly asked: “If the cow had the cognitive ability to form thought and speak, would it say, ‘Where’s the milk? I’m not getting any milk’?”

Equating the act of putting a penis in the mouth of a cow with a human baby suckling on a pacifier, the judge reportedly added: “They [children] enjoy the act of suckling. Cows may be of a different disposition.”…

Because bestiality is not illegal where the officer committed the acts, Melia was only charged with animal cruelty, leading the judge to determine what exactly constitutes cruelty in this case….

“I’m not saying it’s OK,” the judge said, according to the New York Daily News. “This is a legal question for me. It’s not a questions of morals. It’s not a question of hygiene. It’s not a question of how people should conduct themselves.”

The owner of the cows, the Daily News added, was very upset at the ruling.

I bet the cows weren’t too happy either.  How would you feel if this guy stuck his male member in your mouth without asking?

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Smashion Week

Posted by zoboxrox in environment, international, politics, science on September 23rd, 2009

So I guess last week was Fashion Week.  People all over the city buzzed about it, including 75% of the men I know (look for future blog: what is happening to the heterosexual male?), but to be honest I could care less.  All I see when I look at the pictures from a fashion show are incredibely sick-looking models who could use a hug and a hamburger.  THIS WEEK, however, the President is in town for his first UN appearance, and I find that MUCH MORE EXCITING!

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Here’s why: For the first time in over eight years, we have a representative in the International Community who isn’t retarded (no offense to retarded people, but yeah, Bush is one of you [by the way, the definition of retarded is slow or stupid, not handicapped.... please dont come back at me with a whole bunch of pc nonsense.  If Bush were handicapped, at least he would have an excuse]).  The Times:

The United States is ready to begin a new era of engagement with the world, President Obama said Wednesday in a sweeping address to the United Nations General Assembly in which he sought to clearly delineate differences between his administration and that of former President George W. Bush.

People are eager to judge Obama: he hasn’t done enough, he’s breaking his promises, he’s more moderate than he allowed, nothing has changed.  Tell that to the rest of the world. 

“We have re-engaged the United Nations,” Mr. Obama said, to cheers from world leaders and delegates in the cavernous hall of the General Assembly….

An array of world leaders sat in the hall for Mr. Obama’s speech, which was often interrupted by applause…

….For Mr. Obama personally [Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi] had only warm words, calling on the collected nations to welcome “our son” on his first United Nations appearance.

Even Qaddafi, who’s not really that nice a guy (apparently no one cares about Lockerbie these days), can’t get enough.  And its not because Obama is a celebrity, despite what you may have heard.

 

For one, there’s climate change, an issue that sat on the sidelines for eight years while our former administration pretended there was nothing wrong (how can man change the climate, when god controls the universe…?).  Again, from the Times:

The United States — the world’s largest emitter in historical terms — is acknowledging its responsibility to help the poorest and most vulnerable nations reduce emissions without sacrificing growth….shark-global-warming1

Mr. Obama recognizes the urgency of the problem. He will have to work hard to persuade a Democratic-controlled Senate (the House has acted) to see it as well and to pass strong legislation committing the United States to binding cuts in greenhouse gases….

Since we’re all breathing the same air, drinking the same water (ok, not really), and living under the same sun, people around the world are relieved that we finally have a President who is not basing his evnironmental policy on the End Times.

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Now that’s what I call fashion.

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Who Deserves the Best?

Posted by zoboxrox in health, human rights, malfunction, politics on September 10th, 2009

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First of all, South Carolina should probably just go ahead and secede all over again.  They’re track record so far this year is about as impressive as Lindsay Lohan’s.  This latest incident is hardly even surprising.  In fact, I would say they were due for another serious embarrassment.  South Carolina, I hear you’re trying to fire your governor — while you’re at it, why don’t you just get rid of your whole legislative body and start over again.  Or better yet, merge with North Carolina and let them do all your voting for you.

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Watch Joe Biden after Joe Wilson shouts out “You Lie” to the President.  It looks like someone just ran over his German Shepard puppy Champ.  I’ve never seen a grown man look so sad.  And I get it.  He’s thinking, “the times they are a changing,”  because, before last night, nobody ever really shouted at the President (besides this guy).

One thing that I don’t understand about the Health Care debate, and maybe I’m being insensitive now, but why do senior citizens automatically deserve better (and freer) medical care than the rest of us?  Its not that I don’t think they should be insured, but why them and no one else?  Why not children?  Why not students?  I like the way this guy puts it:

The President [gave] a great speech last night and outlined his points for why we need universal health coverage in America. In case you missed it, here it is in a nutshell: you cannot call yourself the greatest country in the world if you don’t have it.

True that!

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