Cancer Update / Current Issues / Health / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Social Commentary / Status

Friday Morning Update: 11/22/24

November 22, 2024

Rain washes away the snow, leaving only a hint of the momentary wonderland that existed across the yard. An old song suggests, “Forget your troubles, come on, get happy; You better chase all your cares away.” But there is no rain that washes away the pain of cancer or removes the struggle to breathe. No river removes the stain of poor decisions. We struggle to find words, any words, that might communicate the density of the cloud over our mind. None of the pictures I’ve ever taken portray such chaos as that which consumes my being. Temptation urges me to give up, go to bed, and sleep until the world is better, but the world only declines the invitation to improve.

Drama capped Tipper’s trip to Purdue. The bus driver was ready to leave at one time, the guides were expecting to leave later, and their final departure was too late to return to school on time. Waiting parents were upset. Students were frustrated by the apparent incompetency of adults. Who will tell them that too many of the issues they face in high school continue to plague them into adulthood? Is this all they will remember of the trip? No one was left behind. No child was endangered. Everyone returned home. The lesson is to acknowledge the mistakes and move forward.

Trouble makes for an interesting conversation. Anger pushes passion into our speech. We use our words to make trivial issues matter. In the blizzard of emotion, we lose sight of reality. I am not dying today. Control over tomorrow is still mine. Whatever complicates my life is but a nuisance to my existence. Politicians make imaginary threats to pique my fears, but can I choose not to be afraid?

Words fall empty when there is no genuine power behind them. I fuel my own life, such as it may be. Attempts to diminish my existence are folly. The feet in my boots are still mine; I control my path and the steps I take. If I need assistance I request it, but the denial of that request does not keep me from moving forward. When I cannot walk, I will crawl. The day I can no longer crawl, I will employ a mobility device. Frequent naps do not hinder my progress. I choose to move forward, and the world will adjust accordingly.

Warrants may be issued. Threats can be made. Weapons might be aimed. Still, when darkness falls at the end of the day, do we not ask ourselves what has changed? I might question whether I could make a difference, but when I cannot, I accept no blame for the outcome. I am not required to follow a leader I did not choose and do not trust. My loyalty lies not with those who do not know my name, but with those I love, those whose care and existence matter to my sense of humanity. I can protect what matters without ceding an ounce of power to any despot.

Sixty-one years ago, a president was assassinated. Who shot who matters little. The consequences of those actions cannot be changed. Lives taken, no matter where, are not returned. We cannot change what someone else chooses to do after the act is done. A moment that has passed immediately becomes part of a history from which we are obligated to learn. We must answer the questions of how we might stop the bombs from falling and the bullets from being fired. Yet, we cannot change the conscience of those whose minds are committed to evil.

Our choice is to follow paths that magnify our own power. M.I.T. offers free tuition to help a new generation stand on their feet. In California, a 17-year-old woman became the youngest person to pass that state’s bar exam. US overdose deaths have dropped, even though no one is exactly sure why. Better paths exist, though perhaps not lit by neon signs. We choose to find those paths. We choose to make our world better.

The fogginess that clouds my mind and leaves me staring at this page does not prevent me from refilling my coffee cup, giving belly rubs to a dog, or cuddling a cat. My bank account may be empty, but there is enough food to feed the family. Each step may be taken with trepidation, yet do I not still walk? I will eat the food that I prepare. I will take the medicines and endure the poison. My day will continue. Naps shall be my fortress of solitude.

Forward is the path I choose.

Venmo: @C_I_Letbetter Cash App: $ciletbetter

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 09/24/24

September 24, 2024

Monday had more rain than I was expecting, so we spent more time in bed than we might have. All the pets were more than happy to sleep the day away. I did try eating some oatmeal, but that didn’t stay down so I didn’t try anything else. That was followed by severe dizziness again, and that stuck around far longer than it should. I don’t know if that’s from dehydration (yes, I’m drinking water), COVID leftovers, or the Chemo. I’m glad I haven’t fallen.

The kids seemed to have had a good day. G went to the salon after school while Tipper went to robotics. Neither one was very talkative when they got home, though, and, hmmm… no one did their chores. That’ll be a fun conversation when they get in this afternoon.

I did manage to watch about three quarters of football. The Bengals may have gone into the game being a two-touchdown favorite, but the Commanders showed that their defense can make one hell of a stand in the red zone and that rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is the real thing. Washington won the game 38-33, and even that doesn’t capture how pitiful the Bengals looked. Of course, that was better than the other Monday night game, where the Bills ran all over the Jaguars, 47-10. The only time that game was close was before the Jags got on the field.

Kat fell asleep mid-scroll. I’m not kidding. Her phone is in one hand, the other is poised for scrolling, and she’s dead asleep. It’s so cute!

The death toll in Lebanon is now over 560 following two days of Israeli bombardment. Someone needs to intervene, but I don’t think anyone has the guts. We’re not going to see a cease-fire in the region until everyone is covered in blood. The sheer stupidity of it all is mind-boggling.

I’m not sure how this is possible, but the last full-sized K-Mart is just now closing. The discounter was failing long before Sears Holdings declared bankruptcy in 2019. This final store in Bridgehampton, NY, on Long Island, will close its doors forever on October 20. Those of you who are younger will never know the thrill of hearing a blue-light special announcement in the store.

Your diet isn’t working. Severe obesity is on the rise in the US. All 50 states and territories posted obesity rates higher than 20%. We’re committing a slow suicide, and paying for it with higher medical costs. Have we reached a point where we just don’t fucking care? That seems to be the consensus.

Stephen & Evie Colbert have a cookbook. The Late Night talk show’s host is getting pretty close to having his wife as a full-time sidekick. Audiences don’t seem to mind. Many even enjoy the romantic back and forth between the couple. This still isn’t likely to be enough for him to capture a coveted Emmy award.

Two Outer Banks Homes Collapse Into the Ocean in North Carolina. The article tells you that this is the ninth home to fall into the ocean in the past four years. What I find more disturbing is that this is the third home to collapse this year. I used to camp along the islands of the Outer Banks when the boys were little. This development is both sad and frightening as a special way of life on these islands is dissolving.

Tuesdays are often shit-hits-the-fan days. It’s still early, so who knows what could go down today. One thing’s for certain: I’ll most likely sleep through it.

Remember when I used to actually do things?

Current Issues / Long Read / Morning Update / Personal

Morning Update: 04/18/24

April 18, 2024

Dreaming Of A New Reality [2011 original with AI background]

Beware, before you invest your time in today’s update, that I’m emotional, have been awake since 2:00, haven’t had coffee yet, and probably shouldn’t be considered sane at this moment. Also, be aware that not everything yesterday went poorly. I did have a wonderful time sharing coffee with a friend. It was the first time I’d been outside the yard in a month, and I appreciated the company. There were plenty of opportunities for the day to go worse than it did.

The problem didn’t come until we were sitting down at dinner. Kat attempted to explain in reasonable terms that the situation here at the house would soon be untenable for me. There are a host of repairs that are going to start soon. There’s no question that the repairs are necessary; they have been for some time. But there is pressure for her to make those repairs now and that’s going to create an environment that is unhealthy for me.

Making matters more difficult is the fact that we can’t afford to pay contractors to do the work. She’s going to do it all herself with some help from friends. That includes replacing the bathroom plumbing that is literally crumbling in the walls. This means that for some span of time, there will have to be a portable toilet in the yard. There will be no shower until the work is done. Several walls, possibly including those in the Recovery Room, will have to be replaced. There will be dust and debris all over the place. This is definitely not the kind of environment where I can recuperate from all the chemo.

Do What I Say, Not What I Do [2011 original with AI background]

If contractors were handling the job with a full crew, it would probably take two-three months to complete. That’s not terribly long, but would still come with all the health challenges. It would be unreasonable to expect Kat to do the work herself anywhere nearly as quickly. Where this gets sticky, however, if that there are still projects started during the pandemic shutdown four years ago that haven’t been finished. Kat’s busy. It takes all her time just trying to make ends meet. She gets home and doesn’t have the energy to rip down drywall or replace the shower. I don’t doubt her ability to do the work, but can she even get the work done before it starts getting cold again next fall? There are reasons to be doubtful.

I’m not sure who is pushing her to get the work done now. I don’t know that it matters. Whoever it is has convinced her that the work has to be done. The condition the house currently is in could cause legal problems if the wrong people were called. That fear has been deeply instilled and the only way to address it is to fix the problems. Now. The momentary discomfort comes secondary to keeping her and the kids together.

But there are other issues. Zoning has to approve whatever is done. That means there have to be plans submitted and permits pulled. Who’s going to do that? How long is that approval going to take? The ultimate zoning hearing could open us up to criticism from the nosy neighbor who keeps reporting the status of our lawn each summer. Her contrarian voice could cause all manner of unforeseen trouble. Even putting building materials inside the fence could become a point of contention. There are troubles for even thinking about doing the work. Kat doesn’t need any more stress and that’s what this work is going to cause. A lot more stress than anyone needs.

Who wants a roommate? Me moving out resolves the problem of me surviving while the work is going on, not to mention the awkwardness of me taking yet another nap while everyone around me is working their ass off. There really is little choice but for me to be elsewhere. Of course, there are some big problems there are well, starting with the fact that I really can’t afford to go anywhere on my own.

I did a lot of looking at rental properties after dinner last night. At first, I thought that perhaps I could do a long-stay hotel somewhere nearby. HA! There’s nothing like that available for less than $1200 a month at the bottom end. Most come in around $3,500 to $4,800 a month. That’s more than four times the amount I get from Social Security. Definitely not an option.

The absolute cheapest amenities I could find come in between $400-$500 a month, which I might make work. However, their co-living arrangements in a house with roommates. While they offer my own bathroom and bedroom, everything is shared. That’s a problem while I’m on chemo. I don’t share anything because of the risk of toxins lingering on things such as plates and silverware. Not to mention the fact that one doesn’t get to choose their roommates in these situations. They could be not-so-very-nice people. They might even be Republicans. I’m too old to be living in a reboot of “Friends.” This isn’t going to work at all.

Meager Means [2011 original with AI background]

Kat would like for me to be in an assisted living facility. The upside would be a private room, cleaning services, prepared meals, planned activities, transportation to the doctor, and a 24/7 nursing staff in case something goes sideways. This sounds like a good idea until you start looking at all the details. We’ve actually been looking here for almost a year and the more I look, the more problems I find.

First is the cost. Oh my fucking god! We’re looking at $5,600 a month in the neighborhood and up for the median level of service. Again, way more than I make from social security. My current insurance won’t pay for it. They’ll pay for 100 in-home visits a year, which is realistically only a step away from not having any help at all. If I were on Medicaid, it would cover the costs at some facilities, but as of last week, even the nasty low-end facilities have a waiting list of 10+ people. I’m not going to get in before construction needs to start.

Then, let’s look at the reality of the social situation. I’d be the young person in the facility by 12-15 years. Several facilities won’t even consider anyone under 65. I’m accustomed to being around significantly younger people. I get my energy and ideas from young people. Younger people help me feel plugged into the world and everything happening. Assisted living facilities, no matter what they say, serve institutionalized food and we both know damn good and well that can barely be passable on many occasions. They rely on old people losing their sense of taste. Staff turnover is high because, despite the cost of a room, the workers don’t make enough money to live on, have to deal with the bad attitudes of people who don’t know where they are, and are often disregarded by management. Every few weeks you’re breaking in someone new. Public reports on some lower-end facilities, the ones most likely to take Medicaid, show high numbers of reports of abuse and a lack of appropriate care.

This is just barely a step above living in a tent outside. I’ll only go if the only other choice is homelessness.

Sleeping Alone [2012 with AI background]

The final option is a small studio or one-bedroom apartment with utilities included. I’ve spent a good bit of the night looking at these options since I wasn’t able to sleep. Prices run from right around $600 a month on up. The biggest difference in prices seems to have to do with the age of the facility and where it is located. Those with lower prices tend to be in more challenging neighborhoods where not only is crime more of an issue but the availability of amenities such as shopping, dining, and entertainment is likely to be further away.

On the plus side, these places offer a decent level of privacy, come with kitchen appliances, and avoid the issue of having to secure utilities and deal with their fluctuating prices. The typical size is between 650-750 square feet. Deposits on several are as low as $300. I could *possibly* have enough money to move in by the first of June or something close to that.

The downside is that my credit score requires a shovel to find it, which automatically makes the process difficult. Depending on the type of security and where the apartment is located, getting anything delivered can be challenging without the risk of it being stolen. Letting guests in can be challenging as well. I’ve seen some apartments where one has to physically let the guest through the locked door.

I’m not worried about going over the income caps that several places have. Even if my Social Security was increased to the allowable limit, I’d still be well under the income cap for a single person. In the year before I met Kat (2012), I stayed in some of these places and while their security measures might make some things a little inconvenient, they were pretty much decent places that were good for those on fixed incomes.

Considering an apartment comes with some unique concerns. One is having someone watch over me regularly. Here, we have to consider whether I can get back on Medicaid. That would provide a higher level of service than my current insurance. However, on my 65th birthday, I’d get dumped from Medicaid and put on Medicare which is a whole new mess of government red tape trying to make sure old people die and get out of the way.

One option worth considering is Amazon’s new emergency service through its Alexa system. The cost is only $6/month and renews automatically. In addition to calling 911, it can call other emergency contacts as well. Is this going to take longer than having someone in-house all the time? Depends on the size of the house. Nursing facilities typically have one nurse per 100 residents. If that nurse is already busy when you call, it can be several minutes before anyone gets to you. 911, on the other hand, does its best to get to you ASAP, preferably in under three minutes.

An apartment also comes with the challenge of not having furnishings. I have a bed. I had a recliner. I have a file cabinet. That’s it. The desk I’m using is Kat’s. The coffee pot and microwave are Kat’s. I have a couple of lamps and a turntable. I do have a bookshelf but it would depend on the apartment’s rules as to whether I could attach it to the wall. I’ve never been especially picky about things like sofas and coffee tables. As I get older, though, sitting on the floor or having to bend over constantly to use the computer becomes more of an issue. Of course, I have plenty of pictures for the walls.

Included among the list of things I need to do today is making a call to the Social Security office. They want to confirm my residence. What do I tell them? How much is it going to mess things up if I let them know I need to move within the next six weeks? The last thing I need is more paperwork on my desk or matters getting any more confusing than they already are. I could use help, but not the over-the-phone kind. I need someone who can be right next to me, making sure I’m filling things out correctly. I have a laptop. Come get me and we can do things over coffee.

By the way, the coffee shop has its spring drink menu out and it looks really good.

The final matter to worry about is the loneliness that is going to happen no matter how this plays out. There’s no taking the dogs anywhere they don’t have room to run. Cats come with pet fees and I don’t have money for that. What I am constantly reminded of is that loneliness is a worse killer than heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. While Kat’s promised that I’ll see her and the kids at least once a week, what about all the other times? If there’s nothing safe within walking distance, how will I pass the time I normally spend interacting with or watching over the kids? Will I just pathetically sit here and try to deal with the depression without blowing my brains out? I don’t have a lot of confidence in my ability to deal with the quiet and loneliness well. I need people in my life and I need them to be people that I like. I have no idea how to solve this problem anymore. It’s not like when I first moved here and could hit people up to take pictures. I have nothing that makes me attractive to anyone new. Nothing.

I’m open to reasonable suggestions. I’m also old and very set in my ways. I need to make a move within the next six weeks or things become difficult for all of us.

Morning Update / Personal

Morning Update: 04/01/24

April 1, 2024

I’m cured! I’m healthy! I’m rich!

April fool!

The weather threw us a curve last night, as well. All the fun stuff went right around us. There are still storms forecasted for later this morning, but it’s doubtful they’ll be too terribly strong. My biggest concern is the possibility of the kids getting wet when they get off the bus this afternoon. Other than that, the day should be reasonably quiet for the first of April.

As holidays go, yesterday had to be one of the most boring ever. The kids didn’t give a shit and stayed in their rooms most of the day either playing games or, in Tipper’s case, painting. While the afternoon cleared up and gave my aching bones a break, the only way I had to enjoy it was to join the dogs in lapping the house a few times. Am I really complaining? Not sincerely. As holidays go, Easter is toward the bottom of my list. I wouldn’t miss it if it went away. I would miss the chocolate bunnies, though.

What’s frustrating is that we needed milk by late yesterday afternoon and couldn’t get any. Almost all the major stores, including Target, were closed. The older I get, the more I resent this forced observation of a holiday that means nothing to me. I’ve been around long enough to know that no matter the holiday, including xmas, there are almost always enough people who would rather work than have to deal with family or religious nonsense. I can promise you that I was far from being the only person sitting around by themselves, and even among those who weren’t, many would just have soon been making money. Forcing people to observe a holiday that doesn’t affect them is wrong.

Consider that we’re smack in the middle of Ramadan. What if we were all forced to fast during the day? What if there were no restaurants open until after sundown? Worse yet, my dear heavily inked friends, what if there were pop-up shops outside your work so you could get those “sinful” tattoos removed from your body? That’s actually happening in India and other places around the world. If you wouldn’t want those celebrations forced on you, why the hell would you think it’s okay to force your celebrations on anyone else?

Now, if you want to celebrate, fine, go ahead! Businesses should allow you the space and means to do so without any penalty. I don’t have any objection to you celebrating anything you wish to celebrate. Some, such as dancing naked around a bonfire, I wish more people would celebrate. But there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to get the milk and butter we need because the stores are closed for a holiday I don’t observe.

Not that it matters. I’m just an old man shaking his cane at the clouds as they pass. Pay no attention. I’ll get over myself as soon as I’ve had enough coffee.

Be glad I have coffee.

Holidays / Morning Update / Personal

Morning Update: 03/31/24

March 31, 2024

Happy Easter & Trans Day of Visibility

Ready, Set, Spring [2007 original photo with AI background]

Yesterday was not a good brain day. I try to have one additional post every day so that you don’t look over at the list of recent posts and see a string of Morning Updates. That wasn’t possible yesterday. My brain could not complete something as simple as sharing a YouTube video. There was no solid cognition. I’d read something and the content would immediately be gone. I’d watch a video and have no idea what I’d just watched. I baked chicken drumsticks for dinner and forgot to add any seasoning (we still ate them). I forgot to put my phone on the charger before going to bed. The dogs did remind me to take them outside, so that was done, but I can’t claim any other completed objective for the day.

In fact, yesterday was such a bad-brain day that I almost considered running for president. 🤣

Today isn’t starting off much better, just in a different way. It’s raining. The arthritis pain kicked in a little after 4:00 this morning. My overall pain level is sitting at an eight. There are still meds I can’t take until after I’ve eaten breakfast, but it still doesn’t bode well for the day. My typing is slow. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have to play for anyone’s Easter service, not that I’ve been asked any time in the past 20 years. My fingers object to every move, the pressing of each key. I can only imagine what it would feel like if I had to use Poppa’s old manual typewriter to create this post!

I still find it incredible that there are people so fucking stupid that they think the President had anything to do with setting Trans Day of Visibility on the same day as Easter. I’ll say it again: Trans Day of Visibility is static: March 31 every year. Easter moves around: the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, because you need a little paganism in your religious holiday. No politics in any of it. Get off your fucking stupid hobby horse.

There are no Easter baskets in our house this year. The kids aren’t remotely interested. Kat did get them both a chocolate bunny, which they’ve already devoured, but it wasn’t out of any religious commemoration; the bunnies were on sale. Yes, they do make sugar-free Easter chocolate, but you have to order it directly from Russel Stover two weeks in advance and there’s no discount. Besides, Russel Stover’s sugar-free chocolate gives me the runs.

We also won’t be having any big Easter dinner. I’m not sure we ever have, though I can’t remember any past Easters with any level of detail. Kat’s with Brandon’s family and even if we had the money the kids aren’t interested in dining out. So, leftovers it is.

My hands want nothing more than to stay balled up into fists. We’ll see if I post anything else later. Thanks for reading.

Current Issues / Long Read

Put These In Your Pocket

June 30, 2017

charles i. letbetter - put this in your pocket

Many people are taking vacation time this weekend and we have some ideas on how to spend it.

The extended weekend holiday is a good time to catch up on some reading.

[dropcap]Whoever said summer was a time for relaxing didn’t have children running around, out of school, getting into every form of mischief they can imagine. Summer is grueling. I struggle to get in ten minutes of actual work each day, between preparing food, doing copious amounts of laundry, bandaging cuts and scrapes, and retrieving a hound dog whom I’m ready to rename Houdini for his unexplainable ability to escape the yard. [/dropcap]

I keep seeing different articles on summer reading lists and I’ve yet to actually read any of those lists to find out what I’m supposed to be reading because my summer isn’t nearly as leisurely meandering as everyone else’s. Why bother picking up a new book when I know I’m not going to get past the first paragraph before hearing, “Daaaaaaaaaaad!” from the one direction I hadn’t been looking? I love reading, but I have to wait until the kids are back in school.

The problem with this problem is that there are a lot of articles I would like to read and fear missing. Books will be there come September. Online articles, though, frequently disappear after a few weeks. One has to really search to find them, if you can remember what the article was about in the first place. Fortunately, there’s a solution for people like me; it’s called Pocket.

Note: This is an uncompensated and unrequested endorsement. Think of Pocket as an online file cabinet. Using a convenient browser extension, when one comes across an article or website they might want to explore but don’t have the time, one simply saves the article to their Pocket account. Pocket saves the links and even allows you to categorize them with tags if you wish. One can then go back later, on any device, and read once you’re not quite so horribly distracted. Think of it as bookmarking well organized and efficient.

What I really appreciate about Pocket, though, is the email I get every afternoon suggesting articles that I might not have found on my own. They cover a wide array of topics, including a lot of new research and trending issues, and are typically well-written, intelligent pieces with information that is either helpful or, at the very least, makes me feel just a tiny bit smarter.

Those emails are the source of my recommendations for the coming long weekend. You don’t even need a Pocket account, though I strongly suggest signing up for one. You’re going to have some downtime over the next four or five days. This is a good opportunity to catch up, maybe learn a thing or two, and enlighten your brain before returning to the madness. Take a look at these and see if they don’t leave you better than when you started.

The Wellness Epidemic by Amy Larocca. From Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop to the lady selling essential oils out of her home, America’s fascination with wellness is a billion dollar industry that is often not based in science and research and more on convincing yourself that you feel better, even if you don’t. Larocca attempts to take an objective look at the industry in this long read from The Cut.

What Jobs Will Still Be Around In 20 Years? by Arwa Mahdawi. Two of my three sons are finding it challenging to decide exactly what to do with the rest of their young lives. As a parent, that concerns me. I want them to have more than a job. I want them to have a career they can enjoy. The problem is, 47% of American workers could lose their jobs to automation within the next 20 years. This raises the question of what jobs are safe and what skills are necessary to survive in the future? Parents and young adults alike are going to find some value in what is said here, even if it dashes a few dreams.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Selects the Eight Books Every Intelligent Person on the Planet Should Read by Maria Popova. You know you’re going to eventually have time to read more books. The question is which books are going to actually provide you some benefit. There are plenty of lists running around for the summer, but if you really want to make the most of your reading time, Neil deGrasse Tyson has a list that is packed with must-reads. I have to warn you, though, reading these books may very well change your opinions about life on this planet.

Before The Internet by Emma Rathbone. Remember what life was like before the Internet? If you were born after 1990, you likely don’t have a clue how people survived without being plugged into some social-neural network 24/7. Ms. Rathbone takes just a few lines to remind us of what it was like when we didn’t have Google at our fingertips, or our entire life history in a searchable database. Remember, and then maybe reconsider a few things.

Meet the chef who’s debunking detox, diets, and wellness by Tim Lewis. Remember that article above about the wellness epidemic? Much of that has to do with diets and nutrition and a very large amount of that information is pure horse shit. But when your friend is posting about how wonderful her new diet is, where do you go to find evidence refuting her claims? Anthony Warner, aka the Angry Chef. Take a moment and see what he’s doing. As a diabetic and someone who is very concerned about the food I eat, this was helpful reading.

How to Cut Back On Playing Video Games by Patrick Allan. I’ve never been a fan of video games. I don’t like them. When I do try, just to stay relevant, I don’t do well. Yet, the most frequent complaint I hear about teenagers and young adults, mostly males, is that all they do is sit around playing video games and no one can get them to break the habit. Marriages and relationships have ended because someone can’t put down the fucking controller. This link is as much for my own sons as anyone. We’re not asking you to quit, just cut back and show a bit more responsibility.

Are you forgetful? That’s just your brain erasing useless memories by Angela Chen. My paternal grandfather died of complications due to Alzheimer’s disease. As my already addled brain sometimes leaves me confused, displaced, and forgetful, I tend to worry. Where did I set my sunglasses? Why don’t I remember that conversation you claim we had? Those things bother me. This article helps explain that our brains were never meant to remember everything. I still worry, though.

The Paradox of American Restaurants by Derek Thompson. Food in American restaurants is supposedly getting better. Yet, despite that fact, the restaurant industry continues to struggle. We see popular dining establishments closing less than a year after they open. Why? Derek Thompson takes a look at the causes (without blaming Millennials) and why the future may be one of take out.

That should be enough of a list to get you through the weekend or at least allow you to escape the pain of sitting with inlaws for a couple of hours. For more, check out Pocket and sign up for the daily emails. Stop missing the information that can make you smarter.

Current Issues / Long Read / News & Comment / video

What A Fool Believes

February 18, 2017

What he sees he don’t believe

The Short Version

While the president and those sympathetic to him rant on about fake news and lying reporters, the true onus is on citizens who are far too willing to believe anything they read or hear based on their existing biases. If the narrative of a story supports their belief system, a person is more likely to believe something at face value without checking for validation of the source.

The Dirty Details

I have been a fan of the rock group The Doobie Brothers since I was in high school, which as a very, very long time ago. One of the band’s biggest hits, penned by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, is What A Fool Believes. The song is about a guy who refuses to accept that the girl for whom he longs wasn’t into him back in the day and he still doesn’t stand a chance now. Yet, he keeps believing, despite all the evidence to the contrary. He, therefore, is a fool.

The song is catchy enough to make abject desperation sound attractive. Take a listen.

I’m going to guess that anyone over 30, maybe younger depending on one’s life experience, knows someone like this. You can’t tell them anything. They have their mind made up, whether it’s about a girl or the quality of food at a restaurant or how “dope” their first car was. We see them trying to get a girl they’ll never get, or still trying to relive 1979, and we just shake our heads. There’s nothing anyone can do to sway their course.

When a fool latches onto a belief, they don’t let go no matter how much evidence to the contrary one presents them with. Facts are irrelevant. Like the guy in the song, they keep replaying the fantasy in their mind and even as she stands up to walk away, he doesn’t realize his mistake. Fools never do. They’re blind to what is so obvious to everyone else.

Part of the problem with people like this is that we have always tolerated their foolishness. So he wants to pine for a girl that he can’t have. Okay, just let it go. What harm can it do to let him have that fantasy?

Yet, one fantasy leads to another. Fools surround themselves with the tales they want to hear, blocking out reality piece by piece until they are totally out of touch and disconnected. Eventually, they are no longer able to function within society. At that point, we often stop calling them fools and start calling them crazy, which is a bit insulting to people with real mental illness. With such a strong disconnect from reality, these people become a danger to themselves and others.

How bad can it get? Let me show you what happens when a fool is confronted with reality (with apologies should an ad run in front of the embedded video):

See what he did there? The deflection is first, “Well, that was just information that was given to me,” and then seconds later, “I saw it around somewhere.”

Let’s not be confused by the facts, is what the president means to say. He doesn’t even get the number of his own electoral college votes correct. For the record, that number is 304, not 306, and yes, it matters because it’s the difference between telling the truth and telling a lie. As for the claim that his victory was the biggest? Again, let’s not engage in any form of information other than the facts:

Obama, 2012: 332 electoral votes
Obama, 2008: 365 electoral votes
Clinton, 1996: 379 electoral votes
Clinton, 1992: 370 electoral votes
GHW Bush, 1988: 426 electoral votes

That last one, Bush Sr.’s 462 electoral votes, is especially important because the president attempts to head off the reporter’s facts by saying interrupting with “among Republicans.” No sir, not even among Republicans.

One has to wonder why the president continues to engage in this electoral college penis measuring contest when time after time he’s proven to lose. His victory is not the largest. Not even close.

Oh yeah, the song explains that, doesn’t it?

He came from somewhere back in here long ago
The sentimental fool don’t see
Tryin’ hard to recreate what had yet to be created

Repetition. That’s the name of the game. Building off the concept that if one repeats a lie often enough that it becomes truth, the president and those around him continue to claim their victory was large because they want the lie to become truth. Repeat. Rewind. Repeat. Rewind.

Fools believe some incredible things and we’ve tolerated them for years and years. Only now, with fools in charge of the government, what a fool believes can actually put the rest of us in danger.

Let’s take, for example, the whole concept that we need clean drinking water to live. Only a fool would believe anything different, right? The amount of evidence is overwhelming. I mean, all we have to do is point toward Flint, Michigan as an example, right?

But then, THIS happened just this week:

Because, you know, who needs clean water when it puts a few hundred (not thousands) of jobs at risk?

What a fool believes, he sees
No wise man has the power
To reason away

What it seems to be
Is always better than nothin’
And nothin’ at all

Foolishness isn’t limited only to certain heads of state, of course. There are fools all over the place saying all kinds of crazy things. Let’s consider this fool for a moment:

Exquisite design by @ArkEncounter artists for new Diorama depicting wicked population in the pre-Flood world to be installed @ArkEncounter pic.twitter.com/4JHQiTEWbG

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) February 16, 2017

Take a really good look at those pictures. I dare you. Try to not laugh too hard, I’d hate for you to hurt yourself. If you think you’re seeing a depiction of really burly humans fighting really small dinosaurs in gladiator-style combat, you’re not mistaken. That would be exactly what Ken Ham and the fools at Ark Encounter believe.

Never mind that dinosaurs were extinct more than 64 million years before homo sapiens ever began evolving, let alone learned how to work out and get all buff. Fools can’t be bothered with things like science because it gets in the way of their fantasy. In fact, fools like this do their best to demonize science so that they can believe whatever the hell they want without those nasty little facts spoiling their totally unrealistic story.

Now, it would be one thing if we were pulling stories from, say, twenty-five years ago. Something pre-Internet where there was no wealth of factual information not only at your fingertips but sufficiently indexed so that you can find it in a reasonable amount of time. AKA: the Dark Ages. We’re not going that far back, though. Everything I’ve mentioned so far has happened this week! And guess what? I’m not done! There’s still more!

This next one really pains me a bit because it involves someone whose work I’ve respected for a very long time. I’m going to post a video that is over an hour long. Watch as much of it as you wish. However, be very much aware that these are fools talking.

https://youtu.be/DqWhzKewILk

Please, allow me to fast forward through the horseshit for you. What is being claimed here is that vaccines, you know the shots we get starting at birth to prevent really horrible and deadly disease, are dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that famed actor Robert De Niro, and cousin that always pops up looking for free food Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., are offering a $100,000 reward for anyone who can “prove” that vaccines are safe.

Dear Mr. DeNiro, Here’s your proof: How many people do you know with polio? None, correct? There’s your proof that the vaccine works. Please give Dr. Jonas Salk the reward. Okay, since he’s not around, perhaps the Salk Legacy Foundation could use the funds. The science has endured over 60 years of continued research and still shows to be effective in defending us against disease.

Now, does every vaccine work with such a high rate of efficacy? Nope. We’re not silly enough to believe that, either. What we do believe, though, is that, among the general population, vaccines are the best way of preventing common forms of disease.

What’s scary about this particular set of fools is that they’ve been telling this same lie, perpetuating this same fantasy, for so very long now that people whose opinions we once respected are being taken in. If otherwise intelligent beings can be fooled, what does that do to the very large portion of the population for whom intelligence is a pipe dream? Those are the ones who fail to vaccinate their children, thereby putting all the other children around them at risk. These people aren’t just fools, these people are dangerous!

There are times when I am tempted to think that the Internet is nothing more than one giant tabloid. The kind of things that fools are willing to believe is extensive and, quite honestly, embarrassing to the human race. When we have mountains of evidence supporting the facts and we still refuse to believe them, can our own extinction be very far behind? I remember laughing at the people we would see picking up tabloids at the grocery. I can’t laugh at all the people reading the same kind of nonsense on the Internet because there’s too many of them! I’d crack a rib from laughing if it wasn’t so scary at the same time.

What gets me is that young people, people who have had the opportunity to be educated in such matters, are still believing in some of the same fairy tales that were common when I was a kid. Again, sticking with things that happened just this week.

No, I didn’t blur the names. Fools need to be called out on their foolishness. Part of what bothers me is that this is such an old myth and has been disproven so many times that it isn’t even funny. Yet, just as with everything else we’ve listed, people are still believing this nonsense. The whole issue of chemtrails goes back to 1958 when NASA started using lithium in the launch of certain rockets in order to better observe certain atmospheric conditions. Conspiracy theorists twisted the science and ran with it.

NASA is now and always has been very open about the vapor trails they use, what’s in them, the amounts used, and why the use is necessary. They have an entire section of their website devoted to this funny thing we keep mentioning called the facts.

What might be even more disturbing from Amee’s post, however, is the belief shared by many like her that the government is trying to kill us. Kill us all. Dead. I have some problems with this concept.

First, if jet vapor is the means of dispersal for whatever poison is being spread among us, it’s not working. We are, generally speaking, living longer and healthier than any generation before us. So much so, in fact, that the leading causes of death in the US are our own fault due to silly things such as overeating and lack of exercise. We are doing a much better job of killing ourselves than the government is.

I’ve been watching jet vapor trails since I was a small boy. If anyone was in a position to be poisoned at an early age, it would be me. Yet, here I am, perhaps not the healthiest person in the world, but what ails me is in no way the result of any kind of external poisoning, either by the government or that cook I accidentally insulted back in SoHo.

The nonsense surrounding ways in which the government is allegedly trying to poison us is nothing short of insane. Do a quick search and you see claims that the government is really heavily involved in this whole trying to kill us scheme. They’re allegedly using:

Flouride
Food additives
Women working
Homosexuality
Tax incentives
Recycled paper
Grocery receipts
Food packaging
Gum
Artificial sweeteners

On and on this list goes and it leaves the logical mind thinking that if the government really is trying to poison then, they’re really, really bad at it. Why would I say that? We’re all still alive. We have more centenarians living now than at any time in the past two thousand years. In fact, we’re so very good at staying alive that we have exceeded the planet’s level of sustainability for all of us. We passed that point back in 2009.

Oh, and let’s not bother thinking about the lack of logic in trying to solve the world’s overpopulation problems by killing off Americans. The population of the United States is largely insignificant on a global scale that encompasses some 7.5 BILLION people. Now, for those of you who are not stellar at math, the current US population is only around 375 million, so we don’t even take up the .5 in the global calculation. If one is going to perform a mass genocide in the name of sustainability, one needs to start on a different, more populous continent.

She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale
Never comin’ near what he wanted to say
Only to realize
It never really was

The frightening thing at this juncture is that the list of fools goes on and on. We’ve not even touched on those who still believe things such as trickle-down economics or that a “paleo” diet is healthy. There are hundreds of belief systems that are nothing more than pure foolishness and believed by pure fools. Trying to list them all would be exhausting and, quite honestly, I have better things to do.

People whose wisdom far surmounts mine have written of fools before. Perhaps we would do well to heed their advice:

It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere. -Voltaire

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. -Plato

The world is not fair, and often fools, cowards, liars and the selfish hide in high places. -Bryant H. McGill

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand Russell

Wise men don’t need advice. Fools won’t take it. -Benjamin Franklin

The wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite. -Arthur Schopenhauer

And then, there’s the Doobie Brothers, who know what a fool believes. And every time there’s a White House press conference now, I keep hearing that song in the back of my mind.

Immediately followed by this:

When will they ever learn?

Current Issues / News & Comment

Avoiding Old Age Problems

January 31, 2017

We all want to stay active and alert

The Short Version

As adults grow older, they face the risk of reduced mental acuity and even dementia. However, researched published Monday in the JAMA Neurology journal indicates that simple activities help avoid some of the worst aspects of mental deterioration without the use of expensive gadgets or treatment.

A Little More Detail

While I won’t speak for anyone else, my greatest fear of growing old stems from the possibility of losing my mental awareness to some form of dementia. My grandfather had Alzheimer’s and I remember far too well how devastating that was for everyone. I don’t want to put myself or my family in that situation. I don’t know anyone who wants their final days to be spent in such confusion.

Unfortunately, to date, many of the programs designed to ward off the mental health issues that accompany aging have been on the expensive side, some involving experimental appliances that insurance wouldn’t cover and medicines with some not-so-nice side effects. We haven’t had a lot of choices outside the woo-community’s herbal solutions, which are no solutions at all.

However, a study published Monday n the JAMA Neurology journal gives us some hope. Doing just normal things, the low-level type of activities that many of us are already doing, help to stave off some of the more devastating effects of dementia even past the age of 70, when those problems tend to start presenting themselves more heavily.

What kind of activities are we talking about here? Five areas were specifically studied: computer use; making crafts; playing games including chess or bridge; going to movies or other types of socializing, and reading books. 2,000 adults aged 70 to 93 without any memory problems participated. They were tested for the condition in mental exams at the beginning and every 15 months for about four years.

All of the activities listed worked in providing some level of protection except reading. Why not reading? Apparently, page turning doesn’t provide enough physical activity and promotes isolation. All the other studied areas provided 20-30 percent less likelihood of developing dementia.

What does that mean? Staying active, even if it seems minimal, is better than doing nothing at all. While they weren’t specifically studied, activities such as talking on the phone, going to church, or going shopping would likely have similar protections. The worst thing any of us can do is to stay in and let our brains melt. They need both physical and mental stimulation to survive.

We can’t keep ourselves from growing older, but we can slow down some of the effects.

Fashion / PotD

As Average Size Increases, What Do We Adjust?

November 18, 2016

The average woman is no longer size 14. Do we adjust the size tables or our diets?

I was scrolling through my newsfeed yesterday and there, in the middle of all the political turmoil, was a conversation concerning a study released this past spring about an increase in the size of the average American woman. The article in question was published online in September but referenced research published back in April. The article suggested that the charts used to determine women’s sizing need to be adjusted, that we should reconsider what it means to be “normal” in the US. However, the study cited, as well as a considerable amount of other research suggests that the adjustments need to come from elsewhere, particularly our diets.

We should probably note that the issue isn’t really just related to women. The average sizing for men has increased as well. The difference is that most men either don’t care; the size of their clothing does not contain the emotional element that women experience. Men put on a size 46 sports coat where once a size 42 fit, and most just chuckle at how their body changes as they get older. Women who are accustomed to wearing a size 12 suddenly find they can’t fit into anything smaller than a size 16 and all hell is likely to break loose right there in the middle of the store. Both men and women have increased in size, but each gender regards that change quite differently.

Also, we should take note of the fact that average is a mathematical statement achieved through the comparison of multiple pieces of numerical data. Normal, on the other hand, is merely a perception. There is no science or mathematics behind what constitutes normal. We each decide for ourselves what constitutes normal based on the data we give ourselves, such as the images we see in media, the friends with whom we most frequently associate, and our relationship with family members. To confuse average with normal, which is what the article appears to do, is a grave mistake.

Make no mistake, we have a problem

The actual research on which the article was allegedly based took average body measurements from the most recently published National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys and compared them to ASTM International industry clothing size standards. The source of those average body measurements is important. The National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey used make the following statement:

Despite the public health gains in recent years, more Americans are overweight than ever before. Today, more than half of the adults in the U.S. are overweight, and the number of overweight children and teens has doubled in the past decade. This has led public health experts to look for ways to improve both diet and fitness.

This is far from being new information. In fact, the information used for the study was from a 2010 survey. If anything, the problem has grown significantly. Obesity is defined by most in the medical community as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. BMI is calculated using height and weight. For example, a 5-foot, 9-inch adult who weighs 203 pounds would have a BMI of 30, thus putting this person into the obese category. The accuracy of using BMI is challenged by many in the fitness community since muscle weighs more than fat (a well-toned body can still have a BMI over 30). However, the majority of Americans can’t use the fitness excuse quite simply because they don’t exercise at all.

What concerns us in this particular conversation is that more women are obese than men. I know, that’s not what we expect, but that’s what the numbers show. A 2012 update to the 2010 study showed that 33.7% of men and 36.5% of women were obese. Prevalence was highest for non-Hispanic black women (56.7%). If you live in the South or the Midwest, you’re practically doomed. No wonder we don’t fit into the same clothes we wore five years ago, or maybe even last year! We have a problem!

Sizing charts don’t help matters

If the real issue here is a health matter, then why are we getting upset with the sizing charts? There really is no benefit to making adjustments so that what is now a size 20 suddenly becomes a size 16. We call that vanity sizing and it only serves to confuse an already impossible to understand the system. The ASTM International charts for women sizing look something like this (warning, the table may not display correctly on all mobile devices):

Catalog misses’ sizes: 5’5″-5’6″ (165–168 cm) tall, average bust, average back
Dimension/size	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
Closest standard size	10	12	14		16	18		20	22
Est. height	5’4″ (162.5 cm)	5’4″ (162.5 cm)	5’4.5″ (164 cm)	5’5″ (165 cm)	5’4″ (162.5 cm)	5’6.5″ (169 cm)	5’6″ (168 cm)	5’6″ (168 cm)	5’6.5″ (169 cm)
Est. weight lb (kg)	115 (52)	125 (57)	135 (61)	145 (66)	155 (70)	165 (75)	175 (79)	180 (81.5)	195 (88.5)
Bust	34	35	36	37	38.5	40	41.5	43	44.5
Waist	25	26	27	28	29.5	31	32.5	34	35.5
Hip	35.5	36.5	37.5	38.5	40	41.5	43	44.5	46

So, what if your body deviates from those numbers? What if your hips are larger but your bust is smaller? What if your waistline never recovered from having a couple of kids?

What’s important to realize is that this chart is an attempt to provide a standard so that the size 10 you buy in one store generally matches the size 10 one buys in a different store. Only, that doesn’t actually happen. There’s no law that says apparel manufacturers have to follow the standard. Making matters even more confusing, international clothing companies, including favorites such as Burberry, Chanel, and Dior, all use very different European charts when sizing their clothing.

Don’t think that no one is paying attention, either. Back in 2002 ASTM proposed “new labeling standards that include actual body measurements in addition to numerical values.” Even more, ANSI documents state that: “Studies conducted by ASTM in the 1980s indicated overwhelming consumer endorsement for the inclusion of body dimensions on clothing labels.” However, both retailers and fashion labels have fought such labeling for fear that women will shy away from clothing that reveals their actual measurements.

You control the change

If retailers and fashion labels are going to ignore recommended changes to sizing standards, then it is up to each of us to decide how we are going to respond when we no longer fit into the size clothing we think we should fit. Personally, I solve the problem for myself by buying suspenders. My weight fluctuates considerably by season according to the amount of exercise I get. So, my slacks range anywhere from a size 42 to 36, and quite honestly, even the 36 is a little large at the moment. With such fluctuations, I would have to buy new pants every couple of months if I were relying on a belt. Suspenders solves that problem. Sort of.

One has other options as well. Choosing clothing that only comes sized S, M, or L removes a bit o the stigma (or guilt) of not fitting into a size 6. Of course, those garments are not going to be tailored to fit the curves of one’s body, but in case you haven’t noticed, fashions have been getting looser and more flowing for a few seasons now. Most minimalist designs are especially good about leaving room for things such as seasonal weight fluctuations.

Of course, one might actually consider losing weight and exercising, but we both know that’s not always the answer we need. If you are already obese (don’t worry, we won’t tell), then you should consult your doctor before making any radical changes in diet and /or exercise. Many of the fad diets that you’ll find in magazines and online can actually be quite dangerous, especially if one has an undiagnosed health issue. Sure, we’d all like to not be obese, but we would still like to be among the living as well. Don’t let a dress size send you into a self-destructive diet that only makes matters worse.

We end here: changing the sizing charts doesn’t alter the fact that, as a nation, we’re overweight. Until we get our over-sized asses in gear and address that problem appropriately, then no, we’re not going to fit in the size clothing we want. Don’t blame fashion for the problem. Blame that fast food line you keep finding yourself sitting in. Blame the three cases of soda you consume in a week. Blame the holidays. Blame genetics. Blame whatever the problem really is and then fix it.

The power is totally yours.

PotD / science

Science Says: Eat Chocolate Cake For Breakfast

October 14, 2016

charles i. letbetter - science say: chocolate cake for breakfast is okay

Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me. —Audrey Hepburn

charles i. letbetter - science says: eat chocolate cake for breakfast

Recent studies show that the time of day one eats chocolate matters. So, chocolate cake for breakfast it is!

Whey my boys were small, we had a tradition of saving some of their birthday cake and having it for breakfast the next morning. The same rule applied to their mom and I, so five times a year we were having cake for breakfast and, yes, most of the time it was chocolate. Our reasoning was that the ingredients in chocolate cake (especially if it was homemade) wasn’t all that different from a bowl of cereal. Plenty of protein, grains, dairy, and actually less sugar than is in many kids’ cereals made having chocolate cake for breakfast a lot of fun.

What I never expected back then was for there to be any science supporting what we were doing. Now, there is. Multiple studies, in fact, having been looking at the effectiveness not only of what we eat but when we eat it. As it turns out, much of our weight issues have to do not merely with the content and quantity of our food, but when we are consuming it. If we alter when we eat certain foods, such as chocolate, they can actually help us to lose weight rather than contribute to gaining.

Wait, are we saying that eating chocolate cake for breakfast might help someone lose weight? Well, that could be stretching things just a tiny bit, but ultimately, yes, one piece of chocolate cake in the morning could help curb one’s appetite for sweets the rest of the day, leading to possible weight loss.

The Science Behind It All

Chocolate cake for breakfast. This is one of those pseudo-science things that is easily debunked by real science, right? Next thing I know they’ll be telling us that staring at the sun cures cancer. We can’t really believe this, can we?

Yes, you can believe. The 32-week study was done at Tel Aviv University. They took 193 non-diabetic clinically obese people and divided them into two groups. The first group was given a 300 calorie breakfast and that was it. Good luck, folks. The second group, however, was given a 600-calorie breakfast that included chocolate pudding. Okay, not quite the same as chocolate cake, but damn close. I’m guessing the pudding was a little easier to prepare.

The results? The group that had pudding for breakfast lost, on average, thirty-seven pounds more than those in the group that only had 300 calories. Amazing, isn’t it? Now, why do you suppose that happened?

Basic biology here, boys and girls. Our metabolism runs higher earlier in the day, when we first get up. Therefore, our bodies are better able to process all those complex proteins and carbohydrates. Bonus points: by getting our sugar fix in earlier, we’re less likely to crave additional snacks and sweets during the day. This means going ahead and having a couple of donuts with that cup of coffee in the morning isn’t doing you as much damage as you might have thought.

All Things In Moderation

This is not giving you permission to eat an entire chocolate cake in one setting. The type of chocolate being used makes a difference as well. Dark chocolate, with more than 80% cacao, not only helps squelch the cravings, but is shown to improve cognitive function and enhance reasoning, memory, and focus. Milk chocolate? Not so much. A lot more fat and sugars there. One has to be careful and apply a bit of those smarts that you picked up at school between naps.

Still, what these studies demonstrate is that we don’t necessarily have to starve ourselves in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. We don’t need to do all those crazy diets, take a bunch of questionable pills, or any of the other nonsense we submit ourselves to in the name of dieting. This goes right back to exactly the same thing you learned in second-grade health class: balance. What we’re learning now, though, is that in addition to that food pyramid, there’s also a time scale. Chocolate is best in the morning. Bananas, it turns out, are perfect for lunch, when they can really help you get through the rest of your day. Eat one after dinner, though, and it’s more likely to upset your stomach and cause digestive problems.

This whole time-of-day science is really just getting started. I’ve searched for similar studies and, so far, have only found the small-sample early studies used to justify larger studies. Eventually, though, we could end up with a much clearer picture of when we should be eating different foods.

For now, we’re very happy that we have scientific evidence that chocolate cake for breakfast is a good thing. With this news, and the fact that it’s really, really cold here in Indiana this morning, I might just have to bake a fresh cake tonight for breakfast tomorrow. Something tells me the family won’t object.

Nature / Personal / Status

Weathering Persistent Weather

August 16, 2016

Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself. —Annie Leibovitz

charles i. letbetter - weathering persistent weather

weather is taking its toll and the forecast is looking grim.

Holding the dog’s leash in my hand, I check the current weather conditions one more time before we walk out the door. “High chances for tornadoes and severe storms,” the app says. I look at the dog as I put on my hat. We’ve made these early morning walks in the rain the past two days. He doesn’t seem to mind all that much.

I open the back door and we step out. The dog instantly puts his nose to the air and takes a big sniff. A cat has taken shelter under the carport during the night and he looks to see if the poor creature is still there. It’s not. We step away from the house and are met be a stronger-than-usual wind. He stops and sniffs the air again then turns and looks at me as if to say, “One of us is fucking crazy.”

“Let’s get this over with,” I tell him. He turns around and heads for the sidewalk. He knows the routine. I hardly need to hold the leash. There’s nothing falling on us this morning, but that wind is eery and brings the fragrance of storms from across the horizon. I’d like to say this weather sucks, but that would just be stating the obvious. Besides, it’s going to get worse.

Weather Has A Hold On Me

The Old Farmer’s Almanac released its winter forecast last week. That forecast is a climatological event that makes the folks at NOAA jealous. According to the Almanac, which claims an 80% accuracy rate, we’re in for a colder and wetter winter than we’ve seen in quite a while. Buy an extra snowplow if you live in the Northeast. Here in the Midwest, ya’ might want to buy an extra shovel and a lot of salt. This one could get nasty.

Of course, the Almanac’s forecast is exactly the opposite from what NOAA is saying. According to the so-called professionals, we’re looking at drier and warmer conditions than normal. Whether that weather news is positive or negative depends on what one considers normal. If the baseline is 45°F, then a degree or two warmer isn’t bad at all. Rather nice. However, if the baseline is -10°F then a couple of degrees warmer doesn’t make a lick of difference.

Yeah, I pay an inordinate amount of attention to the weather. I always have. When yesterday’s storms hit, I sent the kids and animals into the bathroom for protection. Then, I went outside and watched. I’m told that’s an Okie thing. I learned it from my father. You can’t trust the sirens. You need to see the funnel for yourself, then you take cover. I didn’t see the funnel. The weather system stayed to our West and North. We barely got a sprinkle.

With Weather Comes Pain

With this morning’s rain, we have now had precipitation for the past seven days straight. Fortunately, we’re not flooding like Louisiana has. Our rains have been light for the most part. While walking across the lawn feels like stepping on a wet sponge, we’re not in danger of needing to be rescued. The situation could be a lot worse.

Yet, for me, we’re nearing a breaking point. Such weather is hard on my arthritis any time it occurs. Having endured it for seven days straight now, I’m ready to scream. There’s no way to describe the amount of pain that has built up across my body. Neither is there any amount of pain killer that addresses that problem without making me lethargic and unproductive. I can either stay awake and deal with a limited range of motion, or go to bed and get absolutely nothing done. I can tell you now, no editing is getting done today.

So, I look at the two competing long-range forecasts and wonder: do I bother trying to put together a photography project for the winter? I don’t want to get people excited about a concept and then not be able to follow through. If NOAA is correct, then there’s no problem. We can probably shoot all winter long. If the Old Farmer’s Almanac is correct, though, then I’ll hardly leave the house all winter. I know who has the better track record. This isn’t looking good.

Weather-Driven Planning

What I need is a creative art director who can grab hold of a concept and find ways to make sure we pull it off no matter what the weather. There’s no way I’m going to be successful on my own. I need help, but it has to be that kind of creative help that knows how to guard against Murphy’s Law. When the weather is in charge of the planning, there’s no doubt that things will go wrong. I need someone who can recruit models, find locations, handle styling, and create backups so that once we set a date we know something creative is going to happen.

I don’t have that person, though. Kat’s school schedule is too demanding for such activities. I’d offer to take applications but I’m not sure anyone’s actually interested in the position. After all, we’ve already determined I have anger issues. Bad weather doesn’t tend to put me in a good mood. Does anyone want to expose themselves to such a situation? Not likely.

What I do know is that I’ll likely have the spend much of today in bed. I’ll take what meds I can, but they won’t do much good. I’ll try to keep complaints to a minimum, but I reserve the right to curse like a sailor every time I fall or drop something.

Tomorrow’s another day. Maybe by Thursday we will be able to mow the lawn. Life goes on, right?

Stop looking at me like I’m crazy, dog. You’re the one who keeps eating cat poop.

Oh look, it’s raining again. Damn weather.

Current Issues / PotD

More Important Than Porn

July 14, 2016

People lose their capacity to walk, run, travel, think, and experience life. I realise how important it is to use the time I have. —Viggo Mortensen

The GOP thinks porn is a public health risk. There are other things so much more important

Priorities can get really fucked up and one can lose sight of the things that are important when one is trying to run for office. The GOP, however, has really jumped the shark with their presidential platform. In addition to wanting to screw the poor, violate the First Amendment by requiring religious instruction, and rolling back marriage rights, the GOP has also decided that porn is a public health crisis.

I’m not going to turn this into another diatribe in support of porn. I’ve already done that enough times and if you’re interested I’m sure you can search our archives and find all those entries. What is important in this conversation is that the GOP doesn’t seem to have a clue what is really important across our country. Nowhere in their platform do they address the most critical issues that face our country. Instead, they choose to pick on emotionally sensitive moral issues that tickle the ears of those sitting in church pews on Sunday morning, an audience that is in steep decline.

GOP also seems to be woefully ignorant of the fact that morality cannot be legislated. Let’s use the 1986 Meese Report as a perfect example. Millions of dollars were spent, attempts were made to change laws, but nothing could ever be implemented because it would violate the First Amendment. Even when they do manage to enact a law, such attempts are ultimately unenforceable. Write all the bedroom laws you want, porn still happens.

Maybe we should focus on more important things.

Gun Violence

This should be the number one priority of any Congress and/or state legislature. We know that mass shootings have surged. We know that more and more people are being killed. We know that the United States is the only industrialized country with such a severe problem. Yet, Congress made it illegal for the Centers For Disease Control to even study the matter, let alone make intelligent recommendations on how to address the issue.

Excuse me, but would you care to explain to me what could possibly be any more of a public health issue than our own people dying at the hands of our own people? With few exceptions, it is American citizens who have grown up here all their lives, buying guns legally, that are committing these horrible acts. While a few recently might have been influenced by foreign groups, no outside terrorist organization has had any direct part in US gun violence. We are killing ourselves.

When was the last time you heard of porn being directly responsible for mass numbers of deaths, hmm? Can porn even come close to killing the number of people who are killed in the US with gun violence? Of course, not. This is the kind of nonsense that gives the impression that Congress is doing something while still ignoring the more critical issues. Gun violence needs to be addressed and until that happens almost anything else is a waste of time.

Matters Of Race

Stop pretending that the United States is not a racist society. The few steps forward that we’ve made since the 1960s have been largely gutted by the GOP. However, they would much rather address issues of porn and sexuality, which really are of no legitimate interest to anyone on Capitol Hill, rather than actually address the issue that is right in front of their faces. The GOP has repeatedly denied that a race problem even exists, despite countless studies showing that blacks and hispanics are disproportionately poor, disproportionately under-educated, and disproportionately incarcerated.

Republican attempts to ignore racial issues are done at their own peril. With the recent events of last week, it seems obvious to me that the disenfranchised in this country have or are about to reach a tipping point. Those who feel put down and disserviced by the current system are increasingly ready to rise up and begin taking action. Some of those actions will be legal and appropriate. Some will not. Either way, the status quo is not sustainable. Talk all you want about which lives matter, until there is some concrete action taken at a federal level there is no truly safe place in the entire country.

At the beginning of last night’s ESPY awards, which are for outstanding achievement in sports, four NBA stars, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, started the show with a sobering statement regarding recent events and racial mistreatment. Their words are strong and important. I’ve not been able to find a copy I could easily embed here, but you can watch the video at The Wrap if you wish. I strongly encourage you to do that.

Crumbling Infrastructure

Many of the things that make this country run, such as highways and the power grid, were created in the 1950s and 60s. They are all woefully out of date and in desperate need of repair. Yet, Congress has continually ignored funding any updates and repairs, determined to focus their attentions on less important things like, oh, porn. One Republican senator was even caught watching porn on the Senate floor. Must have been some kind of undercover investigation.

The Wall Street Journal published a very frightening article yesterday (that is, unfortunately behind a paywall), documenting how severely at risk our nation’s power grid is. We don’t even think about the fact that most substations have no security other than a chain link fence. Sabotage a handful of those substations at the same time, and the chain reaction could cause the entire nation to go black. Are you afraid of the dark? We are so heavily reliant on electrical power, we would be sitting ducks. There would be no way to communicate with police or other emergency responders. Chaos and anarchy would be inevitable.

Congress has known for several years that the infrastructure was in desperate need of attention. Unfortunately, they would rather spend their time and our tax dollars on things like propagating war and tax cuts for the super-rich. They have woefully lost sight of what is genuinely important and making up false issues to please the ears of mindless voters who are incapable of seeing the wool pulled over their eyes.

Other Important Things

The complete list of things more important than porn is far too long for me to list here. Needless to say, there is nothing in the Republican platform that is genuinely critical. There is nothing in the Republican platform that manages to benefit society. There is nothing in the Republican platform that anyone with half a brain would want to support.

Meanwhile, issues such as child hunger, obesity, access and quality of education, preschool, poverty, water availability and quality, global warming, prescription drug abuse, abuse of the elderly, and dozens of other issues are totally ignored, many of them by both parties. Congress and state representatives seem to have no clue as to what is actually bringing harm to America. There are real health crises out there, but no one is paying any attention.

One final thing that is more important than porn: real sex. Might I suggest this article on How To Organize A Threeway. You know you’re curious. This could be just the thing to save you from ravages of porn. Be sure to read the sidebar addressing STD issues as well. This is a health issue, after all.

When one loses sight of what is important, one is no longer in any place to govern. For that matter, those who cannot determine what is a priority isn’t fit for employment for any kind of job. This GOP platform has no qualities that qualify for public debate. This is all nonsense that needs to be burned and put away forever.

Advertising / Fashion

Banning Photos Of Thin Models

June 27, 2016

charles i. letbetter - banning photos of skinny models

It is stupid on my part to think of banning the media. —Shah Rukh Khan

Banning a photograph because a model appears too skinny is making a dangerous judgement call

Banning photography for any reason is never a good idea. When we ban things such as art, photography, books, movies, and other means of expression, we are closing off an avenue of expression, a means of learning, and perhaps even a path to enlightenment and understanding for other people. Banning the arts in any form, even those distantly related such as advertising, is wrong.

So, in what seems to be a trend, the Brits have fucked it up again. This time, it’s specifically the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who has banned ads on public transit that might challenge a woman’s body image. The mayor’s action responds to an ad that ran earlier this year asking whether one’s body was “bikini ready.” Many people found the ad offensive, even foolishly started a petition on change.org, and as a result made the ad more famous and seen in more places than it ever would have on its own.

The UK is already a bit of an anomaly in the advertising world in that its Advertising Standards Board has the ability to order the removal of any ad it doesn’t like for pretty much any reason. The board has been challenged frequently for banning ads in Britain that wouldn’t have been a problem elsewhere.

Body Image As A Matter Of Perspective

Body shaming is unquestionably a problem and body image, especially among teenage girls, is a critical issue that affects other decisions that women make. Body image determines what one chooses to eat, what one chooses to wear, and even who one chooses to date. As a result, things we used to say often, such as, “Is your body bikini ready?” are no longer publicly acceptable. We find those statements offensive because we presume they promote an unsafe body image.

But what about the image accompanying that ad? While I’m not inclined to re-publish the ad again here (it’s had more press than it deserves), I can tell you that the hourglass figure of the model would not be considered too skinny by a lot of people. If the same image had run with different copy, would Mr. Khan still be so upset? Would people still be offended?

Consider the picture I chose to go with this article. Do you consider the model too thin? Does her body shape offend you? If so, why? I can promise you that the model involved is quite healthy. She certainly does not consider her body too thin and her physician would likely agree. In banning a picture of her body, are they not body shaming and affecting her body image as well?

Body Image As A Matter Of Health

Both advertising and the fashion industry have for several years been challenged with the body image they present. Paris and Milan passed laws protecting models from being forced to maintain unhealthy weights. Such laws are good and necessary. No one should be asked to do things that put them in danger simply for the sake of a photograph. I have no problems with that.

However, laws banning photographs, such as this one in London, fail to actually show concern for the health of the model. There’s no requirement for a doctor’s note, such as there is in the Paris law. There are no means in which the model’s health is even considered. Rather, a judgement call is being made by an autonomous board (the members of which have yet to be selected) without any specific guidelines for what is and isn’t acceptable.

If we’re going to be concerned about body image, shouldn’t the health, both physical and emotional, of the model be considered first? If one is banning an ad because the image is considered unhealthy, is that not also telling the model that she is unhealthy as well?

I can tell you that I’ve worked with hundreds of models who are quite frustrated at people telling them they look too thin or unhealthy. How is this type of action any different than fat shaming?

Body Image As A Form Of Judgement

Vaness Friedman, a fashion editor for the New York Times, wrote an opinion piece on the matter of photographs of skinny models yesterday. In the article, she states:

Though often conflated with the movement to protect models, which resulted in legislation in France in 2015 requiring models to produce a doctor’s note attesting to their health, and digital alteration of photographs to be disclosed, banning is a separate issue. It doesn’t involve working conditions (which can and should be legislated), but subjective, and ultimately regressive, assumptions about what constitutes a positive female image.

Banning pictures of skinny women unfairly judges them. What right does someone else have to say that a skinny body is wrong any more than an overweight body is wrong based merely upon a photograph? Can you look at a set of photographs and know, based on the model’s size and shape, which one just found out she has breast cancer, or Crone’s disease, or diabetes, or a thyroid condition? Of course you can’t! One might guess, but a large portion of the time that guess would be wrong. The judgement is unfair and unreasonable.

Banning isn’t the answer

There’s no question that body image is an important issue. Everyone should be encouraged to embrace the fullness of who and what they are without any judgement. There is no right body type for every person. We all get to be unique.

In embracing that point of view, however, we must include women who are thinner. Their body image counts just as much as that of the woman who can’t keep her weight below 350 pounds.

We also have to start trusting women to make their own decisions about their body and stop trying to do it for them. While some women may look at a Gucci ad and find the models too thin, someone else may look at the same ad and be encouraged to eat better, exercise, or consult their doctor about losing weight. We must allow room for a difference of opinion regarding any photograph.

Censorship, in any form, is wrong. Banning pictures of skinny women is a huge mistake. If Britons get a chance to re-vote on the Brexit, perhaps Mr. Khan should also consider shelving his new law. Neither do the good for which they are advertised.

PotD / Social Commentary

The Art Of Being Chill

March 22, 2016

I don’t want to sound like a grumpy old man, but nothing winds me up more than people saying, ‘Chill out’ to me when I’m irritated! —Martin Freeman

Being chill comes easily for many people, but there are some who have turned it into an art form

Like many people my age, I have to deal with high blood pressure. Medically, there are a lot of reasons for having blood-pumping issues: our lifestyles being hectic, our diets being too high in sodium, and a general fear that we might die without having accomplished enough. There are plenty of things that would probably solve all but the worst of blood pressure problems without medication, but that would require we actually alter how we live rather dramatically. We’re not likely to do that, being the stubborn folk that we are, so the doctor gives us pills that try to force our blood pressure back down to a manageable level that won’t kill us quite so quickly.

The pills don’t always work, though. The doctor has increased the strength of my medication twice before and I’m still generating systolic and diastolic readings that are far too high to be safe. Kat keeps telling me I need to chill. She makes it sound so easy. She makes it look so easy. Just “chill.” She drinks coffee and relaxes. I drink coffee and feel the need to take a thousand new pictures. She sees something stupid in her news feed and ignores it. I see something stupid in my news feed and am ready to rip someone’s head off their shoulders. I am so very much not chill.

About a month ago, Forbes magazine published a story Finding Chill in Valparaíso, Chile. The article contains beautiful photos full of the color and culture of this relatively small Chilean city. The author talks about his hotel with hammocks on the roof, the delicious yet inexpensive food, and stray dogs that will walk you home at night (not kidding). Everything in the article sounds so wonderful that I was almost ready to pack my bags and go, until the author discloses that, while there, he tripped on a seawall and broke his leg in two places. That’s a risk I can’t take. Scratch Chile off my travel list.

It seems obvious that I need to go somewhere to chill. Indianapolis is definitely not a chill type of city. We get uptight about almost everything around here. With the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 this year, the entire neighborhood around us is anything but chill. But with Valparaíso off the list, where should I go?

Back in 2010, Forbes also published a list of the most relaxed cities in America. The twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul topped the list. They won because they have short commute times, get plenty of exercise, and had good insurance. Note, this survey took place before the Affordable Care Act took affect so that last detail might have changed. Looking through the other cities on the list, Milwaukee, Portland, Seattle, Denver, San Jose, it seems to me that all those cities have experienced some significant change in the past six years. Political changes have ruined Wisconsin. Portland’s population of hipsters has exploded. Seattle has become one of the most expensive cities in the country. Denver won a Super Bowl. San Jose’s Silicon Valley has experienced a lot of employment upheaval while real estate prices soared. Not seeing a number of benefits there.

Music is supposed to help people chill, right? According to the British Academy of Sound Therapy, the song Weightless is the best choice to help people chill. In fact, the song is apparently so effective one some people that the scientists involved in the study recommend that one not drive while listening to the piece. The song, which was specifically composed for this study. starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows to 50. I tried listening. I made it about 30 seconds before wanting to shoot something. Weightless has no freaking melody! It’s just electronic noise with carefully constructed pulsing.

From what I can tell, if one is going to master the art of being chill, they need to successfully do the following:

Live somewhere inexpensive. Paying a lot of bills or not being able to afford food is stressful.
Exercise. Being able to get out and walk without getting killed seems to be a plus.
Have friendly neighbors. You know, the kind that don’t fire weapons indiscriminately in the middle of the night.
Consume fresh food that is easily accessible. Having stores within walking distance helps (hint, hint).
Enjoy live, non-sedentary entertainment. I’m not sure whether Netflix and chill counts or not.
Have something constructive to do that you enjoy and provides sufficient income. Stressful jobs are inherently chill killers.
Don’t over-commit your time. Saying “no” and not feeling guilty about staying home helps.
Avoid toxic people. That friend who is constantly inducing drama? Ditch ’em.
Sleep more. Not getting enough rest is one of the primary causes of stress.

Anyone who can successfully do those things can master the art of being chill.

I’m probably going to die.

PotD / Social Commentary

Food That Isn’t Fast

February 19, 2016

So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.—Franz Kafka

Our relationship with food is too extensive to let it pass without a thought

There are times when reading my email can be a dangerous thing. Consider, for example, the promotional piece for a local restaurant offering all-you-can-eat fried catfish today for only $5.09. Yes, you’re reading that correctly. All-you-can-eat for under ten bucks. I am really tempted to go, and there’s still yet the chance that I may. The challenge is I have to walk. Both directions. Three miles each way.

In some aspects, that long of a walk is a good thing. I can use the exercise anyway and the temperatures today are supposed to be warmer so the weather isn’t the hindrance it has been. Walking there builds up a decent appetite and if I’m going to spend five bucks on food I want to get my money’s worth. Walking back helps, at least in part, make up for the fact that I would almost certainly eat more than I should because that’s what tends to happen when one is told the meal is all-you-can-eat.

The problem with that long of a walk is that once I leave the restaurant there are no restrooms available between here and there. Walking after a meal does a wonderful job of aiding in digestion, but when one has overeaten, and especially when what one overate was fried, the need for a restroom is likely to arrive rather quickly. Walking that distance takes me about an hour. There is almost no scenario in which the last 30 minutes of that walk isn’t painful. I’ve done things like this before. Disaster has been oh so narrowly averted on more than one such occasion. Do I really dare take that risk today?

We all know that the food we eat is important. There are plenty of people who want to know every little detail about their food: where it was sourced, how it was grown, what it was fed, whether it had a good life and was happy when it was harvested. There are millions of people who have medical reasons to watch what they consume. The young woman on the right in the pictures above is either allergic or sensitive a large number of the most common foods. Her food requirements are so narrow that she’s had to create her own set of recipes so she can still enjoy eating without getting ill. Her website, bubblechild.com, is a fantastic resource for anyone who deals with a myriad of sometimes conflicting food allergies. I read through her articles and often feel rather ashamed of myself for not eating better.

I’m not alone, though. Americans have been the fattest people on the planet for some time now, and our relationship with food extends beyond a mere matter of sustenance; it affects who we are, how we relate to other people, and how well we do our jobs. There is a recent article in the New York Times wherein Charles Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger talks about how he invites job applicants to breakfast and has the restaurant intentionally mess up their order. He tells reporter Adam Bryant:

“I do that because I want to see how the person responds.That will help me understand how they deal with adversity. Are they upset, are they frustrated or are they understanding? Life is like that, and business is like that. It’s just another way to get a look inside their heart rather than their head.”

Bettinger doesn’t say whether he counts the applicant’s cholesterol or sugar intake at that meal, but he has a point. What we want to eat can affect our temperament and getting an order wrong isn’t the worst thing that can happen in a restaurant.

I can remember occasionally going to restaurants with my parents when I was small. Back then, few, if any, items on the menu were prepared in advance. One reason we seldom ate out was because there would inevitably be a twenty- to thirty-minute wait between the time we placed our order and food actually arrived. Salads were encouraged not because they were healthy (they weren’t by the time we ladled several ounces of dressing on them), but because they gave us something to do while waiting on our entrees. If salads weren’t available, my parents were challenged with trying to keep two young boys occupied. We were forbidden from ordering anything that might extend our wait, such as fried chicken. The fact that the food was not going to be fast forced us to think carefully not only about what we wanted to eat, but where we sat, how we dressed, and whether we invited guests.

Food is serious. When I’m planning our menus here at home I have to take into consideration matters such as the amount of fruit the kids have had that day, are they getting enough vegetables, are the textures so challenging that they override the taste? If I get it wrong, we not only have cranky little people on our hands, but I’m also impacting their future relationship with that particular food. They’re both at an age where their opinions of food now affect their dietary choices for most their adolescence. For the moment, they love steamed veggies, but if I don’t prepare those carefully they’ll stop eating them and won’t try them again for several years. Remember, I have three that are grown. We’ve been through this before.

Taking time to think about our food before we eat brings us closer to making healthier choices. After all this, will I still have the catfish? Maybe, but if I do I am less likely to go full-tilt on the all-you-can-eat and will adjust my other meals to compensate for any errors in judgement I may make. Not giving in to the fast food convenience allows all of us to enjoy our food more, to make meals more of an experience rather than an automatic habit. We may not always make the most healthy choices, but we are less likely to make really horrible ones.

You know, I could use the exercise. Maybe I’ll just have the veggie tray instead.

Current Issues / PotD

Matters Of Polite Conversation

February 6, 2016

A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. That’s why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet.—Truman Capote

“Let them eat cake” is a fine party philosophy until you run out of cake. Then what?

There is no predicting the future, no matter how hard we might try. There are prognosticators and statisticians working like crazy in an attempt to predict how Super Bowl 50 is going to play out tomorrow. Everyone wants a good game, and everyone wants their favorite team to win. However, there are times when that just doesn’t happen. In fact, there are five Super Bowls, three involving the Denver Broncos, there were nothing short of blowouts. They were, in order of severity:

Super Bowl XXII – Washington Redskins 42 – Denver Broncos 10
Super Bowl XXVII – Dallas Cowboys 52 – Buffalo Bills 17
Super Bowl XLVIII – Seattle Seahawks 43 – Denver Broncos 8
Super Bowl XX – Chicago Bears 46 – New England Patriots 10
Super Bowl XXIV – San Francisco 49ers 55 – Denver Broncos 10

Those scores are rather depressing if one is a Broncos fan. No matter how much one might want to see Peyton Manning go out on top, the very real numbers are not necessarily in his favor. There is a frightening chance that by the end of the halftime show there’s not much left to do besides eat hot wings and chat with whomever is left in the room. This could get awkward, especially if one happens to be at a Super Bowl party where one doesn’t know many people. Yeah, we’ve been there.

However, and you can thank me for this later, I have compiled a list of topics that are great conversation starters. You have some time between now and tomorrow to study up a little bit so that should there be an unforeseen lull in the game, you can break the silence and monotony with one of these gems. You may be the one who actually saves the party! Any of these can work, so take a good look and find a couple with which you can get comfortable.

Traffic fatalities took a huge jump last year. When one considers the increase as a percentage, 9.3 doesn’t sound like much. Yet, in terms of real numbers, we’re looking at an increase of 2,200 and those numbers are still preliminary; they could go up. Now, there’s no need for complete panic just yet. When one adjusts for the numbers of cars on the road, which also increased, the percentage falls to five percent, which isn’t nearly as alarming. What seems to be the difference? Two major contributors seem apparent. One is the decline in road conditions. We’ve heard about our crumbling infrastructure for a few years and now that lack of attention is costing real lives. The second is distracted driving, with cell phones being the primary culprit. That particular problem is 100 % preventable. Play this topic off one of the many new car ads running during tomorrow’s game.
A sale isn’t always as good as it looks. Everyone’s looking for a bargain, right? In fact, we all know someone who enjoys bragging about the deals they’ve scored. They never pay regular price for anything. However, many stores, especially department stores such as Nordstrom and Kohls, are facing an increased number of class-action lawsuits based on what consumers consider deceptive sale pricing. Shoppers see a 75% off sign, but fail to read the small print that qualifies how that 75% is actually calculated. There are other times when sale prices and regular prices appear to be the same. JC Penney set aside a whopping $50 million to settle a suit claiming their 40% off prices were actually their regular prices. Designer Michael Kors settled a suit claiming made-for-outlet goods were misrepresented as discounted regular clothing. Stores often settle these suits so they don’t have to admit any wrongdoing. Remember that when your favorite retailer’s ad pops up on the screen between downs.
Twitter is changing to be more like Facebook. This topic may only work if you’re watching the big game with people who are constantly looking at their smartphones. People who don’t use social media, and especially those who don’t use Twitter, won’t give a damn. Those who do, though, are likely to be furious. Switching the timeline feed over to an algorithm similar to the kind Facebook uses means that tweets will not necessarily appear in chronological order. Popular and trending topics would appear first. On one hand, it might help sort out what’s important from all the white noise that Twitter attracts. At the same time, though, those who don’t have 20 million followers might have difficulty getting their tweets seen at all. While Twitter has yet to officially respond to this Buzzfeed article, the lack of a denial has the hashtag #RIPTwitter trending. Use this when you see everyone at the party staring at their phone.
Beer is getting into the fashion business. In a way, this isn’t the biggest revelation in the world, but given the number of beer ads shown during the game, it’s an easy segue for conversation. What’s going on is that more beer companies, from small-label craft beers to mass-produced brands such as Heineken (which does have a new ad during the game) are doing collaborations with designers to work their logos into clothing designs. We’re talking about more than just the PBR fishing hat or the Bud Light t-shirt here. Brands are spending major cash to have their brands show up subtly on department store shelves attached to designer names. They’re also likely to show up in places like the comforter on the bed at your favorite B&B, or the shades your girlfriend is wearing. While the collaborations haven’t gotten too noisy yet, if those $5 million ads don’t work we may see Clydesdale imprints on the catwalk come fall.
The Zika virus has the UN asking countries to loosen abortion restrictions. Warning: only use this topic if the game is a complete blowout and you’re desperate for some aggressive action. You won’t find this in any US newspaper because, to date, Zika isn’t an American problem. By summer, though, when the mosquito population increases and people are out more, we could see the issue here as well. Zika is a devastating mosquito-born disease that primarily affects the brain size of newborns. There is no cure, and to date there is no sure means of prevention. Pregnant women are, of course, most at risk, but it is worth noting that the disease can also be spread through sexual activity. The Zika outbreak has been declared a global health concern and even insurance companies, who are not prone to wanting government interference, are asking for help in finding some way to slow this deadly disease. Ths one is certain to start a lively conversation, though, so don’t bring it up unless the game is just so far gone that you’re need something dramatic to prevent you from stabbing your eyes with a colored toothpick.

Sure, we all hope the game is close and that you never have any reason to take your eyes off the screen. We also hope you don’t get food poisoning for wings that have been left out too long. Still, it is better to be prepared than caught sitting in a quiet room where everyone can hear you fart.

And if all else fails, try stripping in front of the TV. If that doesn’t start a conversation, it’s time to leave.

PotD / Social Commentary

Sleeping Through Sunday

January 31, 2016

I have never taken any exercise, except sleeping and resting, and I never intend to take any.—Mark Twain

None of us are sleeping as much as we should. Going back to bed may be the healthiest thing you do

I would dearly love to be sleeping right now, truly I would. Unfortunately, my body has conditioned itself to wake up at this ungodly hour, while everyone else is still sleeping, so that I can actually get some work done before the world starts getting noisy. As a result, to sleep even past 6:00 AM is a luxury rarely afforded these days. I’m not the only one, though. For the past four years, doctors have been warning that we’re not sleeping enough. Cases of insomnia are on the rise. Sure, there are sleeping pills that help some, but those also bring the chance of abuse and, in some cases, addiction. The problem isn’t just limited to the US, either. The whole world is having trouble sleeping.

What causes us to have so much trouble falling asleep and staying that way? There are a number of issues, of course, but the three most common to our contemporary first-world lifestyles are:

Lack of proper diet and exercise
Worrying about events we cannot control
Looking at our smartphones in bed

That third one, of course, is new, and largely limited to people in industrialized nations. In places where 24-hour wifi isn’t quite so prevalent, concerns over personal/family safety take the third spot, which is certainly understandable. In the US, especially, we have a problem putting down our phones even to sleep. Whether it’s playing some silly game, browsing the latest cat memes, or actually reading something worthwhile, we rarely turn off our phones. Making matters worse, recent studies indicate that the light emitted by our phones is bright enough that our brains mistake it for daylight so that the little trigger telling us to go to sleep gets turned off.

Such insomnia is not totally new. Throughout the twentieth century, there were plenty of things keeping our parents and grandparents awake at night. In the early part of that century, we feared becoming involved in a European war, so much so that we were almost too late to help, Then came the Great Depression and I’m not sure anyone slept much. Homelessness, poverty, unemployment, and hunger all have a way of keeping a person up at night. Then, from 1936 on, the threat of a second European war became a worry and those who remembered the first one were especially sleepless. The 1940s were a decade of war and no one sleeps well through that. Troops were back home for most of the 1950s, but the Cold War set in hard and the Red Scare had Americans wondering whether their neighbors and co-workers might be communists. Air raid drills were common in schools, making sure children didn’t sleep well, either.

By the 1960s, parents worried about war in Southeast Asia, violence around the growing Civil Rights movement, and an exploding drug problem. 1972 crushed our faith in government. 1974 introduced us to the worries of inflation. By 1979, we looked at the Middle East as our newest enemy and worried how to keep them in check. Fear of nuclear annihilation reached its peak in the 80s and we responded to any and every threat by attempting to outlaw it, sending more people to jail than the prison system could handle, most for non-violent offenses. By the 90s economics were again a major fear and this thing called the Internet threatened to change the very fabric of our society.

Society is too complex for us to not find things to worry about. My current personal list of immediate concerns is about 20 items deep, and that’s with me trying to be positive. I refuse to be pollyannish and say everything’s going to be alright. The fact that we’re not sleeping like we should is itself a warning that no, everything may yet go to hell in a handbasket.

So, why are we not sleeping through Sundays, every Sunday? I challenged my father on the topic more than once. If one is going to actually believe Old Testament mythology regarding creation, then one has to deal with the notion that, after six days of work, God rested. Throughout the Old Testament, he seemed rather adamant about that whole resting thing and to this day devout Jews struggle with the juxtaposition of secular demands to do things and their religious commandment to not do things on the Sabbath. Spending all day at church seems to me, still, as just as much a violation of that command as if one were working. One does not rest at church, at least, you’re not supposed to actually sleep through the whole thing. My father was never amused, nor moved, by that argument, though.

To me, it just makes good sense. Our bodies, and our minds, need a break. We fill our lives with so very much the other six days, we need a respite to allow our bodies to catch up, re-energize, and recuperate. We need scheduled time to laugh, to read fiction, to have pleasant conversations, to enjoy non-stressed company of friends who don’t care if the house is clean, to ponder, to appreciate. More than anything, we need to be sleeping.

Go back to bed. Chores can wait. Ducktape kids to the wall if necessary. You should be sleeping. Get to it.

PotD

#MondayMotivation

January 25, 2016

The older you get, the more fragile you understand life to be. I think that’s good motivation for getting out of bed joyfully each day.—Julia Roberts

Does a positive attitude really increase our life span? Does it hurt to try?

Another week is starting and if ever there were a time the hashtag #MondayMotivation was necessary, this would be it. Getting out of bed was rough; there’s rain coming in today and my arthritis has my hands hurting to the point that every letter I type is painful. I can use a little encouragement to get through the next several hours. There’s too much to do to stay in bed.

More than just getting out of bed in a timely manner, though, I’m trying an experiment this morning. It may run a day, or a few hours, or all week. I went to the death clock yesterday for amusement (yeah, I’m that weird) and noticed something interesting. Of all the variants that might make a difference in my longevity, attitude played the biggest role. If I leave all the settings at their default, which is what I’m inclined to do, the death clock has me kicking the bucket at age 73, which is less than 20 years from now. I’m not especially happy with that outcome. However, if I change the “mode” or attitude to “optimistic” the calculator has me living to the ripe old age of 93. Twenty years difference in longevity simply based on attitude. Now there’s some #MondayMotivation for you.

Of course, the calculator is meant for entertainment purposes only and while there’s some lightweight science behind their use of the BMI index, it certainly shouldn’t be taken too terribly seriously. Things happen that we can’t predict. Still, it got me thinking that it probably would make everyone’s life a bit more pleasant if I made more of an effort to be just a touch more optimistic in my attitude, and that certainly applies to how I feel about Mondays. This is rarely my favorite days, and for me, Tuesdays are often worse.

However, none of that replaces the fact that the joints in my fingers are screaming at me this morning. So, rather than type a lot of motivational platitudes at you, I’m going to borrow some from Twitter, which conveniently stores all the #MondayMotivation things in one place. These are totally random, but hopefully they at least give you reason to smile a bit.

Morning all, hope everyone has a good day! #coffee #mondaymotivation pic.twitter.com/Zguu29SCN6

— The Lowry (@The_Lowry) January 25, 2016

@waitrose your delicious Mexican quinoa bowl with feta instead of cheddar! #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/qH4KNkj8Y0

— Izzy Kerr (@izzy__kerr) January 25, 2016

#mondaymotivation #mondaymorning… Eat all your breakfast, can’t work (or play ) on an empty stomach. pic.twitter.com/ZWxMZ9oBCL

— Anna McKann (@AuthorMcKann) January 25, 2016

Good Morning, welcome to the last week in January. Here’s our #MondayMotivation and do enjoy your week. pic.twitter.com/JKpNfGe686

— Investment One (@InvestmentOne) January 25, 2016

Let’s do this … #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/P4k73Js3bt

— Sarah Ellis (@SarahAspire) January 25, 2016

Anyone else daydreaming that Monday was looking like this? #mondaymotivation pic.twitter.com/4Auz8x7pFS

— EA Barbados (@elegantbarbados) January 25, 2016

What more could you want? #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/GhK1vPoRGP

— OPPO Headphones (@OPPOheadphones) January 25, 2016

What will your future self thank you for? #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/oJ1KRah5i4

— Intouch Accounting (@IntouchAcc) January 25, 2016

Our #mondaymotivation ? Pom pom twirling Bugs. #earlyyears pic.twitter.com/emudS3lILa

— Music Bugs HQ (@MusicBugs) January 25, 2016

Art / PotD

The Challenge To Create

November 5, 2015

The Challenge To Create (2011)

Why have I never been bored? For more than fifty years I have never ceased to work.—Henri Matisse

[one_half padding=”4px 10px 0 4px”]Creativity does not always come easily and throughout one’s life there are moments when it seems one is faced with challenge after challenge; distracting matters that inhibit or sometimes prohibit being able to work. I have known more than one artist who had little choice but to completely give up their life’s work because of one challenge or another. Life is not easy for anyone, but there are times when I wonder if the life of an artists, which is so keenly dependent upon the use of nearly all our faculties, does not somehow invite disaster more than others.

For Matisse, his greatest challenges all seemed to arrive one upon another. First came his divorce from his wife of 41 years, Amélie, due in part to the artist’s continued relationship with Lydia Delectorskaya, a young Serbian refugee who had been Amélie’s companion, but more due to Matisse’s own stubbornness and insistence upon being alone. Personal relationships never were exactly his strong point. Shortly thereafter, Matisse became ill with what was later discovered to be cancer. Surgery and severe treatments challenged not only his creativity, but his ability to work, to stand for long hours, to mix paints, and to hold a brush.

Then, in the midst of all the physical challenge, came World War II. Despite the encouragement of his children and American supporters, Matisse refused to leave France. He did move to a more secluded home on the outskirts of Vence, which at least removed him from the most severe activity. Matisse was intentionally unpolitical and deliberately worked to keep his paintings as removed from politics as well. Yet, he could not avoid the challenge of worrying about the fate of his paintings in occupied France and Russia. Another challenge came as his daughter, Marguerite, and younger son Jean were fiercely involved in the French resistance. Marguerite was captured and tortured by the Gestapo, but managed to escape from a cattle car on its way to an internment camp.[/one_half]

[one_half_last padding=”4px 4px 0 10px”]All this trouble and worry created one challenge after another for the artist. He spent most of the period from 1941 to 1946 in near solitude, often unable to get out of bed, and carefully avoiding any social contacts that might be suspect. Yet, during this most difficult period was when he began work on his cutouts. It was while he was confined to Vence that he completed all the cutouts that would appear in his book, Jazz, in 1947. Where socializing with people held unknown dangers, he turned his attention to nature, his two cats, and caring for an unknown number of doves, all of which influenced his cutouts. Through every challenge that was thrown at him, Matisse never stopped working.

Life is nothing without challenge and one never knows in advance how a challenge might affect an artist’s work. Matisse met challenge with a renewed energy that carried him through his later stages of life. His work in the face of both physical and personal adversity becomes inspirational when one realizes all that the artist had to overcome in creating those latter day works. Illness itself is a significant challenge, even with modern treatments that alone might be enough to sideline someone. Combine that with the complete crumbling of life’s other structures and most of us might just stop.

When I first get up of the morning, while making that first cup of coffee, I look at the weather forecast to see what challenge I may face in the coming day. Dry days are good, wet or cold days not so much. Schedules create a challenge that can be quite distracting. Family needs sometimes conflict with my ability to sit down and edit. Some days, just finding a sense of creative motivation is a challenge. Yet, we must go on. Challenge itself fuels our creativity. This is the reality of art.[/one_half_last]

pop culture / PotD

The Real Skinny

September 22, 2015

Doesn’t Matter (2014)

We were at a beach one summer, and I had a bathing suit on. My wife looked at me and said: ‘Boy, you are skinny, aren’t you?’ I said: ‘Honey, I’d like to remind you that it was minor defects like this that kept me from getting a better wife.’—Lou Holtz

[one_half padding=”4px 10px 0 4px”]For the first forty years of my life, I was thin, at times disturbingly so. It wasn’t that I wanted to be thin, nor that I was trying to be thin. Quite the opposite, actually. I would have loved to have had enough mass to actually develop muscles and such, but that never happened. I delighted in over-eating to excess at buffets but never could gain weight. At 30 I was still able to wear the same pair of Levi’s 501 jeans that I bought when I was 18. Now, for women, that kind of tale isn’t unusual, but for men it’s practically unheard of. I had no muscle mass. If I ate too much and was bloated, I looked like Bloom County’s Bill the Cat (well, maybe not as orange). There wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it, no matter how hard I tried, and believe me, I tried.

Then, I hit 40. Boom. Like flipping a switch, I started gaining weight and suddenly staying off the 200-pound mark became an issue. Actually, with my body frame and size, I didn’t need to be above 170, and even that was frighteningly larger than I’d ever been. I started having to buy larger clothes, replace suits, and spend money that I really hadn’t planned on spending. What, when, and how I ate suddenly became an issue, as did the amount of exercise and stress. My health changed. I was sick more often. I had to watch my blood sugar. High blood pressure, which runs in our family anyway, was suddenly a much more important issue. That skinny teenager is gone and is never going to come back. Instead, like almost every other American and a large number of people around the world, I have to fight with obesity.

Fuck. I like fried chicken, chicken fried steak smothered in pepper gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans cooked with bacon grease, cornbread dripping with butter and corn on the cob far too much to have a weight issue. And don’t even get me started on the importance of chocolate, especially this time of year when the fashion shows are one right after the other and I’m not getting nearly enough sleep. I’ve been able to eat as much as I want whenever I want my entire life. What the hell does my body think it’s doing gaining all this weight all of a sudden? I don’t have time for an interpersonal rebellion like this. Pass the pie. Not, not a piece of pie, give me the whole damn pie. And more coffee, damnit. I have work to do. This is just a temporary, thing.[/one_half]

[one_half_last padding=”4px 4px 0 10px”]No, it’s not. I’m well past 40 now and the problem isn’t going away. What I’ve come to realize, though, is that much of society’s view of what’s “skinny,” and our subsequent jealous loathing of that condition, is based almost entirely upon the skewed perspective born of one basic fact: we’re all too fucking fat. What’s more, is that we know we’re fat, we know it’s killing us, and we just don’t fucking care. We’ve thrown caution to the wind and ordered another triple burger with quadruple cheese, bacon, and onion rings. And should anyone actually challenge our obesity, we fight back with something stupid like, “You’re fat shaming me. I can’t help it, I was born large.”

Bullshit. Even if you were a ten-pound baby you were not born obese. Obesity, for the vast majority of Americans, is something we have chosen for ourselves and then proceeded to surround ourselves with a variety of excuses for our slovenliness. Let’s be clear: there’s a difference between being overweight and being obese. There can be many contributors to being overweight, including, but not limited to, water retention, bone mass, and muscle buildup. Being obese comes down to just one thing, though: FAT. The National Institues of Health calculate obesity according to Body Mass Index. If yours is over 30, you’re overweight. If it’s over 40, you’re obese. Want to see what yours is? Click here and don’t fucking lie. This morning, mine is 24.3, which is on the upper end of normal for my height. I need to be careful and exercise more.

Sure, there are people who are too skinny and that’s a problem, but shaming thin people just because they’re not so incredibly fucking fat like you just emphasises that your brain is as fat as your body. Well over two of three Americans are overweight or obese and Indiana is currently ranked number eight as one of the ten most obese states in the country. Try and justify it any way you want, we’re not healthy. Obesity is the third most common cause of death on this planet and it is totally preventable. Even our kids, our babies, are too fucking fat and it’s our fault. Put down the fucking fork. Park a few extra spaces from the door. Walk. Exercise. And stop making fucking excuses. You’re fat. You can either change or die. Your call.[/one_half_last]

PotD / Social Commentary

10 Reasons You Are Going To DIE!

May 26, 2015

When Dreams Die (2010)

“It is said that mourning, by its gradual labour, slowly erases pain; I could not, I cannot believe this; because for me, Time eliminates the emotion of loss (I do not weep), that is all. For the rest, everything has remained motionless. For what I have lost is not a Figure (the Mother), but a being; and not a being, but a quality (a soul): not the indispensable, but the irreplaceable.” ― Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography

[one_half padding=”4px 10px 0 4px”]You are not safe. You are going to die. If you don’t believe me, just check any of the clickbait lists on social media expounding upon the many ways in which that just might happen. Everything from e-cigs to orange juice has one problem or another if you ask the right person. The internet has made it possible for bad science, or often no science, to have a voice it really shouldn’t have and the result is fear mongering over issues that really shouldn’t exist. So, here’s a list of all the things that really, seriously, could result in your death.

There’s Someone In Your Life Who Needs The Insurance Money

Sure, you like to think that everyone loves you. Your spouse adores the ground on which you walk. Your parents think you do no wrong. Your siblings aren’t the least be jealous. Your co-workers are proud of your accomplishments. Right. Go ahead and think that. In reality, most murder victims are killed by someone they know, often a family member. The larger your insurance policy, the greater the risk. Be careful with that OJ this morning.

You’re Starving While Searching For Non-GMO Food

I’m still not sure how genetically modified food suddenly went from being the god-send that would end hunger around the planet to the horrible poison that is going to kill us all. There isn’t a substantial amount real science to back up all the fear mongering and political arm-twisting on the subject. Fact is, strawberries as we know and enjoy them wouldn’t even exist without some genetic modification. Same is true for a number of standard foods, which makes it absolutely laughable when one sees them in the organic section of the produce aisle. As the world becomes less hospitable to traditional farming, the choices are likely to be GMO or die. Your call.

When The Polar Ice Cap Melts, You’ll Drown

I recently heard one climate-change denier base his entire argument on the fact that property he owns in Key West isn’t yet under water. The key word there, pardon the pun, is yet. Climate change wasn’t an argument when I was in elementary school. Over 40 years ago we were being taught that as greenhouse gasses increased, the earth’s temperature would warm and the oceans would inevitably rise, eventually dramatically reshaping the continents as we know them now. What has changed is the timetable. Back then, most scientists were estimating that rise would take effect somewhere in the 22nd century. Now, most are saying it could happen in this one. I hope you know how to dog paddle.

You Drive Like A Moron

I no longer drive. What being a passenger the past few years has taught me is that those of you who do drive are nuts. Every day, we encounter so many near-misses that I’m amazed we’re not burying more drivers. The fact that people have actually become proficient at dodging each other should tell us just how bad our driving has become. Driving rules really aren’t that difficult. Stay in your lane. Use your damn turn signal. Slow the fuck down already! Keep your eyes on the road, not your phone. Perhaps most important, though, is that you actually plan your trip so you know where you’re going and know when you need to leave. Traffic is going to suck. Plan on it and maybe you won’t be the reason everyone else is late for work.

The Elevator Cable Broke

I have a habit when I get on elevators. I look for the weight limit and then check the people who are around me. If it appears we might be pushing that weight limit, I get off the damn elevator. I’m not taking that risk. Yes, I know modern elevators have emergency braking systems in case the cable breaks. I don’t trust them. Why? Americans are obese and one place where that creates a real strain is on elevator cables lifting our fat asses from the first floor to the second because we get winded taking the stairs. Breaking cables are inevitable. Go ahead and keep eating like a pig if you must. Just be careful going to your doctor. The cardiac specialist is on the fourteenth floor.

[/one_half] [one_half_last padding=”4px 4px 0 10px”]

You Share Needles

Southern Indiana has recently experienced a dramatic increase in HIV/AIDS cases due to one specific problem: needle sharing. Now, while a lot of the political rhetoric centers around the state cutting funding for public health sources, the reality is that if you’re sharing needles you’re just asking to die. Period. I’ll admit that I don’t really understand what drives a person to share needles in the first place; that’s not an addiction that has ever been remotely tempting. I do, however, realize that the problem is ultimately, politics aside, one of your own doing. So, let’s get this straight: if you share needles, you’re going to die and it’s not going to be pretty.

You Weren’t Immunized

Here’s another piece of bad science that has just gotten totally out of control. A recent measles outbreak is evidence of just how stupid some people can be when it comes to the health of their own children. Measles. Really. We had that disease all but licked until a few idiots decided to stop immunizing their kids. Next think you know, children everywhere, especially those who already had some form of immune deficiency, are breaking out with one of the most easily eradicated and totally unnecessary diseases possible. There is no real science behind anti-vaxing, just paranoid stupidity and the end results are lethal. Not immunizing your children is signing their death warrant. The risk is just that real. Stupid.

You Left The Oven On

Haven’t we all been there? We’re driving down the road, 30 minutes or so from home, when we suddenly wonder whether we actually remembered to turn off the oven. Okay, so millennials don’t have this problem because they don’t know how to cook, but older generations understand. There’s always that chance that you left on the oven, which means there could be gas building up inside your own right now, creating an inevitable powder keg. All it needs is the sudden rush of oxygen you’ll make available when you open the door, and boom! You, your house, and possibly even your neighbor’s houses are all going up in smoke. You know it could happen. You’re never really sure. Maybe you should turn around and check now.

Elves

I’m not kidding. They’re out there. We’re not talking about the little guys that help Santa deliver presents on Christmas Eve, either. Elves are evil, mean, and waiting to sabotage your every move, your every plan. You never see the little suckers until it’s too late. They tampered with your break lines. They put sleeping powder in the pilot’s coffee. Elves stretch electrical cords across the floor and then make them invisible until you’ve tripped over one. The water on the floor that cause you to slip and fall? Elves. I tell you, man, their everywhere and they’re out to get you. I swear it.

The Bible Tells Me So

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27 KJV

Sorry, I’m not making this one up. It’s really there. There’s no getting around it. Nothing you do is going to save your ass. You’re done for you’re going to die. The Bible says so. You’re toast.

Are you scared yet? Are you ready to crawl in a hole and hide? Can we get real for a moment? Sure, we’re all going to die, sooner or later, one way or another. I frequently tell the story of my Uncle Fred who died from smoking two and a half packs of cigarettes a day. He was 96. He didn’t stop smoking until he was 94. How, where and when one dies matters much less than how one lives. You have one life. Are you going to spend it worrying about what might kill you or are you going to spend your life actually living? You don’t have to listen to all the doomsayers on the Internet. You’ll probably live longer if you spend less time on the Internet completely. So go ahead. Defy death. Live. [/one_half_last]

health

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Many people are taking vacation time this weekend and we have some ideas on how to spend it.

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What he sees he don’t believe

The Short Version

The Dirty Details

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We all want to stay active and alert

The Short Version

A Little More Detail

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The average woman is no longer size 14. Do we adjust the size tables or our diets?

Make no mistake, we have a problem

Sizing charts don’t help matters

You control the change

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Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me. —Audrey Hepburn

The Science Behind It All

All Things In Moderation

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Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself. —Annie Leibovitz

Weather Has A Hold On Me

With Weather Comes Pain

Weather-Driven Planning

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People lose their capacity to walk, run, travel, think, and experience life. I realise how important it is to use the time I have. —Viggo Mortensen

Gun Violence

Matters Of Race

Crumbling Infrastructure

Other Important Things

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It is stupid on my part to think of banning the media. —Shah Rukh Khan

Body Image As A Matter Of Perspective

Body Image As A Matter Of Health

Body Image As A Form Of Judgement

Banning isn’t the answer

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I don’t want to sound like a grumpy old man, but nothing winds me up more than people saying, ‘Chill out’ to me when I’m irritated! —Martin Freeman

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So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.—Franz Kafka

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A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. That’s why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet.—Truman Capote

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I have never taken any exercise, except sleeping and resting, and I never intend to take any.—Mark Twain

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The older you get, the more fragile you understand life to be. I think that’s good motivation for getting out of bed joyfully each day.—Julia Roberts

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Why have I never been bored? For more than fifty years I have never ceased to work.—Henri Matisse

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We were at a beach one summer, and I had a bathing suit on. My wife looked at me and said: ‘Boy, you are skinny, aren’t you?’ I said: ‘Honey, I’d like to remind you that it was minor defects like this that kept me from getting a better wife.’—Lou Holtz

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There’s Someone In Your Life Who Needs The Insurance Money

You’re Starving While Searching For Non-GMO Food

When The Polar Ice Cap Melts, You’ll Drown

You Drive Like A Moron