Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Whole Problems II

When I wrote my Whole Problems article, I left out something. Here it is:

John Mackey said on his blog:

"While all of us can empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have any more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have an intrinsic right to food, clothing, owning their own homes, a car or a personal computer?"

But,

  • You can get food at a soup kitchen or food pantry
  • There are homeless shelters
  • Libraries usually have some computers available
There also is a difference between things and your health.

M

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Whole Problems

Recently, Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal saying that we needed the more conservative style of health care reform. My quotes here are from the version he sent into the WSJ and posted on his blog.

"While we clearly need health care reform, the last thing our country needs is a massive new health care entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and moves us much closer to a complete governmental takeover of our health care system. Instead, we should be trying to achieve reforms by moving in the exact opposite direction-toward less governmental control and more individual empowerment."

"While all of us can empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have any more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have an intrinsic right to food, clothing, owning their own homes, a car or a personal computer?"

I personally disagree with him. But that's not what matters. What matters is, being the CEO of Whole Foods he is representing his company when saying this. And I don't think this is what Whole Foods stands for. And I am sure this is not what its customers stand for. So, I think we should all boycott Whole Foods, or write letters to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, or protest outside of our local Whole Foods until John Mackey apologizes for using the power of his company to influence others.

Also, Whole Foods is a monopoly. It drives local companies out of business and charges insane rates for foods that you could get from local health food stores for much less. Imagine, with Whole Foods gone, our local economy would be so much better off. So, really, you don't have to stop protesting when he apologizes.

M

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Visits are High

I thought it would be good to mention the following statistics:

Vistitors

Wednesday: 16

Thursday: 16

Friday: 2

I also wanted to say someone visited in Dublin, Ireland and someone else visited in London, England.

And our new goal is to get at least one visit in all 50 states!!!

M

Thursday, August 20, 2009

El Arbol Muerte Pictures

Here, as promised, are some pictures of the tree:

Or the link at least,

http://picasaweb.google.com/theamazingmichael/ElArbolDeMuerte02?feat=directlink

M

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

El Arbol de Muerte

I'm about to get into Pieter's car to go to the beach. I'm walking on the sidewalk, and I hear a crackling sound. Suddenly, a giant, like much taller than the length of our house giant, tree falls on me. I'm absolutely fine, and Pieter got into the car about a second before it hit, but that really freaked me out. The tree hit me, but I got out from under it. This happened approximately ten minutes ago. The thought that that tree could have been the last thing I'd ever see, the thought that I'd never talk to anyone again and the thought that I don't have a will really scares me. It's really hard to comprehend. And, I can say for certain, that this was a miracle. I looked at the tree again, and I saw that there was a very small chance that I would have survived. I got up, without a scratch. I don't know how I lived. But I do know that I have suddenly become a much more religious person.

Pictures + more info coming soon.

M

Friday, August 14, 2009

Did you notice the adds?

I thought it would be good to mention that I've put adds below the posts. I'm just trying this out, to see how much I like it.

M

Rain!!!

Sadly, It's my last day here in North Carolina. The days have really flown by. Annoyingly enough, it's raining. Take a look at today's forecast from Weatherbug.com:

"Now
Scattered showers and possible thunderstorms will continue through 1030 AM. The main activity will occur from Elizabethtown...east to Surf City...with showers and storms moving onshore from Myrtle Beach to Carolina Beach. Rainfall could be briefly heavy...with as much as a half inch of rainfall in 20 minutes. Motorists should be prepared for hazardous driving conditions.


Hi: 83°
Showers and thunderstorms late this morning...then showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds... Becoming west around 5 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Lo: 71°
Partly cloudy in the evening...then becoming mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 70s. South winds around 5 mph...becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of rain 50 percent."

There's gonna be a No On One (proposition one want's to ban marriage for same sex couples in Maine) rally-ish thing at the L.L. Bean concert tomorrow evening, so If my flight gets in before then, I might go.

I want to remind everybody to VOTE NO ON ONE TO PROTECT SAME SEX MARRIAGE.

And that we all ready have a law allowing same sex marriage, and proposition one wants to repeal it. It's gonna be a really close race.

M

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Sorry!!!

I'm doing some formatting edits currently, so I apologize if you are having trouble reading the blog. Things will be back to normal soon.

M

Food Facts

If I were to have 20 Reese's Peanut Butter cups, I'd have all the saturated fat that I'd want in one day.

If I were to have two Pop-Tarts, I would have the same amount of protein as 5 Reese's Peanut Butter cups, or 20 Frito's, or 1 1/2 cups of honey nut cheerios, or 108 grams of Froot Loops. (4 grams). Not much, but something.

Cheerwine Vs. A&W Root Beer

I've decided to start comparing foods. Let's Start.

Bold is the winner

Per Serving (same size)

Calories

A&W - 120
Cheerwine - 100

Sodium

A&W - 45mg
Cheerwine - 17mg

Total Carb

A&W - 32g
Cheerwine - 28g

Ingredients

A&W----------Cheerwine

1.Carbonated Water -------------------------- Carbonated Water
2.High Fructose Corn Syrup--------------------High Fructose Corn Syrup
3.Caramel Color--------------------------------Caramel Color
4.Sodium Benzoate-----------------------------Phosphoric Acid
5.Natural and Artificial Flavors-----------------Natural and Artificial Flavors
6.----------------------------------------------Artificial Cherry Flavor
7.----------------------------------------------Caffeine
8.----------------------------------------------Citric Acid
9.----------------------------------------------Sodium Benzoate
10.---------------------------------------------Red 40

There you have it.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Peanut M&Ms

I've been writing a lot about different drinks and their ingredients, so I decided to start writing about junk food. Now, I shall shine lite on the ingredients of Peanut M&Ms. The ingredients are:


1. Milk Chocolate

Which is:

1. Sugar
2. Chocolate
3. Coca Butter
4. Skim Milk
5. Lactose
6. Milk fat
7. Peanuts
8. Soy Lecithin
9. Salt
10. Artificial Flavors

2. Sugar
3. Peanuts
4. Cornstarch

There is less than one percent of:

  1. Corn Syrup
  2. Gum Acacia
  3. Coloring
  4. Dextrin
Now let's see what some of these are (using Wikipedia):

Lactose:

Lactose
(also referred to as milk sugar) is a sugar that is found most notably in milk. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by weight). It is extracted from sweet or sour whey.

Soy Lecithin:

Lecithin is any of a group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk, composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol). However, lecithin is sometimes used as a synonym for pure phosphatidylcholine, a phospholipid that is the major component of its phosphatide fraction. It may be isolated either from egg yolk (in Greek lekithos—λέκιθος) or from soy beans, from which it is extracted chemically (using hexane) or mechanically.

It has low solubility in water.

Lecithin is sold as a food supplement and for medical uses. In cooking, it is sometimes used as an emulsifier.

A proven benefit and suggested use is for those taking niacin to treat high cholesterol. Niacin treatment can deplete choline, necessitating an increased amount of lecithin or choline in the diet.

There is evidence to suggest that lecithin itself can lower cholesterol.

Egg-derived lecithin may be a concern for those following some specialized diets. Egg lecithin is not a concern for those on low-cholesterol diets (because the lecithin found in eggs markedly inhibits the absorption of the cholesterol contained in eggs).[7] There is no general agreement among vegetarians concerning egg-derived lecithin; since it is animal-derived, Jains and vegans choose not to consume it.

Gum Acacia:

Gum arabic, also known as gum acacia, chaar gund or char goond, is a natural gum made of hardened sap taken from two species of the acacia tree; Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal. The gum is harvested commercially from wild trees throughout the Sahel from Senegal and Sudan to Somalia, although it has been historically cultivated in Arabia and West Asia. Gum arabic is a complex mixture of polysaccharides and glycoproteins that is used primarily in the food industry as a stabilizer. It is perfectly edible and has E number E414. Gum arabic is a key ingredient in traditional lithography and is used in printing, paint production, glue, cosmetics and various industrial applications, including viscosity control in inks and in textile industries, although cheaper materials compete with it for many of these roles.It is an important ingredient in shoe polish, and can be used in making homemade incense cones. It is also used as a lickable adhesive, for example on postage stamps and cigarette papers. Printers employ it to stop oxidation of aluminium printing plates in the interval between processing of the plate and its use on a printing press
Gum arabic is also used as a water soluble binder in firework composition.

Dextrin:

Dextrins are a group of low-molecular-weight carbohydrates produced by the hydrolysis of starch. Dextrins are mixtures of linear α-(1,4)-linked D-glucose polymers starting with an α-(1,6) bond.

Digestion of starch starts in mouth by the salivary alpha amylase to maltose gives intermediate products as dextrins which, according their colour with iodine, can be called erythrodextrin (dextrin that colours red) and achrodextrin (giving no colour).

During malting and mashing process of the grain also dextrins are produced during the fermentation of starch. Dextrins are also formed on the surface of bread during the baking process and contribute to the flavour and colour and crispness.

Industrial production is roasting starch powder under more or less acidic conditions causing hydrolysis and rebranching of the starch molecule. These type of dextrins are also called pyrodextrins. White and yellow dextrins are partially or fully water-soluble low viscous powders that are optically active. Under analysis, dextrins can be detected with iodine solution, giving a red coloration. Starch roasted with little or no acid is called british gum.


M

Schweppes Tonic Water

Lately, I've been shining some light onto some bottled drinks' ingredients. Now, I'm doing Schweppes Tonic Water. The ingredients are as follows:

  1. Carbonated Water
  2. High Fructose Corn Syrup
  3. Citric Acid
  4. Natural Flavors
  5. Sodium Benzoate (Preservative)
  6. Quinine
Wow, that's worse for you then you would expect. Now here comes the fun part: were gonna go onto Wikipedia and actually find out what these are.

Citric Acid:

Citric acid is a weak organic acid, and it is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks. In biochemistry, it is important as an intermediate in the citric acid cycle and therefore occurs in the metabolism of virtually all living things. It can also be used as an environmentally benign cleaning agent.

Citric acid exists in greater than trace amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus fruits. Lemons and limes have particularly high concentrations of the acid; it can constitute as much as 8% of the dry weight of these fruits (1.44 and 1.38 grams per ounce of the juices, respectively[3]). The concentrations of citric acid in citrus fruits range from .005 mol/L for oranges and grapefruits to .030 mol/L in lemons and limes. These values vary depending on the circumstances in which the fruit was grown.


Sodium Benzoate:

Sodium benzoate (E211) has the chemical formula NaC6H5CO2. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid.

Sodium benzoate is a preservative. It is bacteriostatic and fungistatic under acidic conditions. It is used most prevalently in acidic foods such as salad dressings (vinegar), carbonated drinks (carbonic acid), jams and fruit juices (citric acid), pickles (vinegar), and condiments. It is also found in alcohol-based mouthwash and silver polish[citation needed]. It can also be found in cough syrups like Robitussin.[1] Sodium benzoate is declared on a product label as 'sodium benzoate' or E211.

It is also used in fireworks as a fuel in whistle mix, a powder which emits a whistling noise when compressed into a tube and ignited[citation needed].

It is found naturally in cranberries, prunes, greengage plums, cinnamon, ripe cloves, and apples[citation needed]. Concentration as a preservative is limited by the FDA in the U.S. to 0.1% by weight. The International Programme on Chemical Safety found no adverse effects in humans at doses of 647–825 mg/kg of body weight per day.[2][3]

Cats have a significantly lower tolerance against benzoic acid and its salts than rats and mice.[4] Sodium benzoate is, however, allowed as an animal food additive at up to 0.1%, according to AFCO's official publication.[5]

Professor Piper of the University of Sheffield claims that sodium benzoate by itself can damage and inactivate vital parts of DNA in a cell's mitochondria. Mitochondria consume oxygen to generate ATP, the body's energy currency. If they are damaged due to disease, the cell malfunctions and may enter apoptosis. There are many illnesses now tied to DNA damage, including Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, but above all, the aging process in general

Quinine:

Quinine (US: /ˈkwaɪnaɪn/, UK: /kwɪˈniːn, ˈkwɪniːn/) is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic (fever-reducing), antimalarial, analgesic (painkilling), and anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine.

Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, appearing in therapeutics in the 17th century. It remained the antimalarial drug of choice until the 1940s, when other drugs replaced it. Since then, many effective antimalarials have been introduced, although quinine is still used to treat the disease in certain critical situations. Quinine is available with a prescription in the United States and over-the-counter, in very small quantities, in tonic water. Quinine is also used to treat lupus, nocturnal leg cramps and arthritis, and there have been attempts (with limited success) to treat prion diseases.

Originally discovered by the Quechua Indians of Peru, the bark of the cinchona tree was first brought to Europe by the Jesuits.

It is usual for quinine in therapeutic doses to cause cinchonism; in rare cases, it may even cause death (usually by pulmonary edema). The development of mild cinchonism is not a reason for stopping or interrupting quinine therapy and the patient should be reassured. Blood glucose levels and electrolyte concentrations must be monitored when quinine is given by injection. The patient should ideally be in cardiac monitoring when the first quinine injection is given (these precautions are often unavailable in developing countries where malaria is endemic).

Cinchonism is much less common when quinine is given by mouth, but oral quinine is not well tolerated (quinine is exceedingly bitter and many patients will vomit after ingesting quinine tablets): Other drugs such as Fansidar (sulfadoxine (sulfonamide antibiotic) with pyrimethamine) or Malarone (proguanil with atovaquone) are often used when oral therapy is required. Blood glucose, electrolyte and cardiac monitoring are not necessary when quinine is given by mouth.

Quinine can cause paralysis if accidentally injected into a nerve. It is extremely toxic in overdose, and the advice of a poisons specialist should be sought immediately.

Quinine in some cases can lead to constipation[13], erectile dysfunction, and a loose stool or in rare cases many loose stools.[citation needed]

The New York Times Magazine described a case, presenting with fever, hypotension, and blood abnormalities mimicking septic shockFrom 1969 to 1992, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received 157 reports of health problems related to quinine use, including 23 which had resulted in death.[18] In 1994, the FDA banned the use of over-the-counter (OTC) quinine as a treatment for nocturnal leg cramps. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals had been selling the brand name Legatrin for this purpose. Doctors may still prescribe quinine, but the FDA has ordered firms to stop marketing unapproved drug products containing quinine. As of 2008, pharmacists will not sell quinine even if the patient has used a prescription for it in the past.[citation needed] The FDA is also cautioning consumers about off-label use of quinine to treat leg cramps. Quinine is approved for treatment of malaria, but is also commonly prescribed to treat leg cramps and similar conditions. Because malaria is life-threatening, the risks associated with quinine use are considered acceptable when used to treat that affliction

Quinine is a flavor component of tonic water and bitter lemon. According to tradition, the bitter taste of anti-malarial quinine tonic led British colonials in India to mix it with gin, thus creating the gin and tonic cocktail, which is still popular today in many parts of the world, especially the U.K., United States, southern Canada, parts of Australia and Lhasa, China.

Bark of Remijia contains 0.5 - 2 % of quinine. The bark is cheaper than bark of Cinchona and as it has an intense taste, it is used for making tonic water.[20]

In some areas, non-medical use of quinine is regulated. For example, in the United States and in Germany, quinine is limited to between 83-85 parts per million.[21]

In France, quinine is an ingredient of an apéritif known as Quinquina or "Cap Corse".

Because of its relatively constant and well-known fluorescence quantum yield, quinine is also used in photochemistry as a common fluorescence standard.

Quinine (and quinidine) are used as the chiral moiety for the ligands used in Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation.

Quinine is sometimes added to cocaine, heroin and others to "cut" the product and increase profits. Heroin dealers mostly those in Baltimore, Maryland have long known the benefit of mixing Quinine and heroin not only to increase profits but due to its synergistic effect's of intensifying the rush accompanied with injecting it. Heroin cut with quinine is referred to as Scramble; it has become attractive over the last decade or so among dealers and junkies alike as a cheaper alternative to raw heroin.[citation needed]

In Canada, quinine is an ingredient in the carbonated chinotto beverage called Brio.

In the United Kingdom, Scottish company A.G. Barr's uses quinine as an ingredient in the carbonated and caffeinated beverage Irn-Bru.

In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Egypt, quinine is an ingredient in Schweppes and other Indian tonic waters, at a concentration of 0.4 mg/l.[citation needed]

In Uruguay and Argentina, quinine is an ingredient of a Pepsico Inc. Tonic water named Paso de los Toros.

In South Africa, quinine is an ingredient of a Clifton Instant Drink named Chikree produced by Tiger Food Brands.

As a treatment for Cryptocaryon irritans (commonly referred to as white spot, crypto or marine ich) infection of marine aquarium fish.

I'm freaked out!!!!

M

Ocean Spray's Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail

I've been looking into quite a few drinks lately, shining some light on their ingredients. Ocean Spray's Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail contains 27% fruit juice and has the following ingredients:

  1. Water
  2. Cranberry Juice from Concentrate
  3. Fructose
  4. Natural Flavors
  5. Pectin
  6. Sodium Citrate
  7. Acesulfame Potassium
  8. Sucralose (splenda brand)
I'm pretty sure that Ocean Spray doesn't want to public to figure out what a lot of these things are. So, being me, I decided to figure out.

I found the following on Wikipedia:

Fructose:

Fructose (also levulose or laevulose) is a simple reducing sugar found in many foods and is one of the three important dietary monosaccharides along with glucose and galactose. Honey, tree fruits, berries, melons, and some root vegetables, such as beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and onions, contain fructose, usually in combination with glucose in the form of sucrose. Fructose is also derived from the digestion of granulated table sugar (sucrose), a disaccharide consisting of glucose and fructose.

Crystalline fructose and high-fructose corn syrup are often mistakenly confused as the same product. The former is produced from a fructose-enriched corn syrup which results in a finished product of at least 98% fructose. The latter is usually supplied as a mixture of nearly equal amounts of fructose and glucose.


Pectin:

Pectin (from Greek πηκτικός - pektikos, "congealed, curdled"[1]) is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot[2].

It is produced commercially as a white to light brown powder, mainly extracted from citrus fruits, and is used in food as a gelling agent particularly in jams and jellies. It is also used in fillings, sweets, as a stabilizer in fruit juices and milk drinks and as a source of dietary fiber.

Sodium Citrate:

Sodium citrate usually refers to trisodium citrate, though it can refer to any of the sodium salts of citric acid:

  • Monosodium citrate
  • Disodium citrate
  • Trisodium citrate
Trisodium Citrate:

Trisodium citrate has the chemical formula of Na3C3H5O(CO2)3. It possesses a saline, or mildly tart, flavor. Trisodium citrate is chiefly used as a food additive, usually for flavor or as a preservative.


Acesulfame Potassium:

Acesulfame potassium is a calorie-free artificial sweetener, also known as Acesulfame K or Ace K (K being the symbol for potassium), and marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One. In the European Union, it is known under the E number (additive code) E950. It was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss at Hoechst AG (now Nutrinova).[1] In chemical structure, acesulfame potassium is the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3- oxathiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide. It is a white crystalline powder with molecular formula C4H4KNO4S and a molecular weight of 201.24.[2]


Sucralose:

Sucralose is a zero-calorie sugar substitute artificial sweetener. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number (additive code) E955. Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose (table sugar),[2] twice as sweet as saccharin, and 3.3 times as sweet as aspartame. Unlike aspartame, it is stable under heat and over a broad range of pH conditions. Therefore, it can be used in baking or in products that require a longer shelf life. The commercial success of sucralose-based products stems from its favorable comparison to other low-calorie sweeteners in terms of taste, stability, and safety.[3]

Sucralose is typically added to foods in very small quantities. Sucralose products manufactured in the US for domestic consumption are commonly formulated by the addition of "bulking" ingredients (e.g. dextrose, maltodextrin) to give a degree of sweetness per unit weight comparable to sucrose, and to give some products an appearance similar to granular sugar. Some examples of these sweeteners are Splenda and SucraPlus.


Isn't that freaky???


M

Cheerwine

Ever heard of it? It's a cherry flavored soft drink, for those of you who haven't tried it. It's okay, but it basically tastes like maraschino cherry juice with sparkling water. In my last article, I talked about how Coca-Cola had more caramel coloring than flavoring. I decided to check out some more sodas.

The ingredients for Cheerwine are:

  1. Carbonated Water
  2. High Fructose Corn Syrup
  3. Caramel Color
  4. Phosphoric Acid
  5. Natural and Artificial Flavors
  6. Artificial Cherry Flavor
  7. Caffeine
  8. Citric Acid
  9. Sodium Benzoate (to protect flavor)
  10. Red 40
Again, this means there is more Caramel Color than flavoring!!!
And, umm... are there any cherries in there???

More to come soon

M

Coca-Cola

In my last article, I talked about how A&W root beer had more caramel coloring than flavoring. I decided to check out some more sodas. I decided to try Coke. Just to be clear, what I mean by trying Coke is looking at the ingredients, not drinking it.

The ingredients are as follows

  1. Carbonated Water
  2. High Fructose Corn Syrup
  3. Caramel Color
  4. Phosphoric Acid
  5. Natural Flavors
  6. Caffeine
Isn't this crazy??? For those of you who missed my last article, I decided to check the ingredients on various sodas, and I'm finding that so far they all have more Caramel Coloring than flavoring (not high fructose corn syrup), and they're really bad for you. I think there is something about how soda looks that I think effects how you taste it, but still, if I could choose between flavoring and coloring, I'd choose flavoring.

More coming soon.

M

A&W Root Beer

As I mentioned in a previous article, I like root beer a lot. It's a rare treat for me, so the following made me very unhappy:

As I was pouring my root beer (A&W) I noticed something: the ingredients. Here is all of the ingredients in the correct order:

  1. Carbonated Water
  2. High Fructose Corn Syrup
  3. Caramel Color
  4. Sodium Benzoate (preservative)
  5. Natural and Artificial flavors
These are all the ingredients. This means that there is more coloring that flavoring, and also that root beer is horrible for you, but that comes as no surprise.

I'll be posting more commentary on food ingredients soon.

M

Breakfast Nighmares

This morning, being on vacation, we (me and my mom) decided to go out to breakfast. It took forever to find an open restaurant, and when we finally found one, we walked in and saw a mildly gunky gift shop for this restaurant. When we got to the actual restaurant, there were about seven tables. It was a very ugly room. There was a fairly old TV, and, on top of it, this is true, there was a bust of Elvis Presley that kind of looked like it was made out of plastic. By the way, the TV looked a bit like this (I found this photo using Google Image search, and I should give credit to http://www.digitaltvinorge.no):
There was only one other person eating there. I ordered pancakes and bacon, mom ordered a veggie omelette with grits and toast. The prices were reasonable, but we were a little suspicious when the waitress didn't ask what kind of cheese mom wanted. When we got the food, my pancakes were pretty good, but my mom's omelette, she swears this is true, had cheeze whiz instead of cheese. Ick!!!

M

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Beach, finally

I wanted to inform you, the loyal readers of NCBM that about 1 1/2 hrs after I wrote my last article, I went to the beach. I didn't swim, still feeling that there was a possibility of getting stung, drowning, or getting minor limbs devoured by a shark. So, I walked about a foot in the water, with a pail, collecting shells. And there were a lot of really amazing ones, but it's really, really hot and really, really, really humid, so I'm not on the beach a whole lot. Right now, I'm sitting down typing away. About ten minutes ago, I was in an arm chair, with a bowl of chips, some root beer, and a Foxtrot comic. I plan to post a lot this week, but, having limited access to CNN (like about 10 minutes every 2 days) and no access to NPR, it might not be very political. But, I think I'll have quite a few interviews.

M

Sunday, August 9, 2009

North Carolina Vacation

Currently, I'm in North Carolina. My family is renting a beach house on Holden Beach. I've heard from some people that the water is perfectly safe for swimming in, I've heard from others (namely my mom) that it has jellyfish, sharks, and huge waves. I don't know who's right, but, as the saying goes, "better safe then sorry". And there's an outdoor swimming pool.
I'm pretty sure that when everybody else got here, they ran straight for the beach. I, personally, wasn't as excited about it. I've been here since 5:00 pm yesterday, and haven't been to the beach. Living in Maine, within a 2 minute walk to the ocean and a 15 minute drive to the beach, I'm not as excited. But, the house and the pool are great!!!

M

Sunday, July 26, 2009

New Comment on Hep B. Article

Nice point. But, can't they work on catching it after it's hit?
M

P.S. Readers: On my hep. b article, click the "1 comment" link at the bottom of the article. You can read the comment and comment there

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Hep B shot

Recently, I got a hepatitis B immunization. I want to point out two things:

  1. IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT SEEMS. I was worried about the shot for almost a week, had a nightmare about the shot, couldn't have fun because I was constantly thinking about the shot, and then I go to the doctor's office and prick, that didn't really hurt at all, I'm done. I could not begin to describe the feeling of relief I got when It was over, and it took under two seconds. So now, readers of NCBM, I hereby tell you, if you're going to get a shot soon, it's gonna be all right. And I am a huge wimp around needles.
  2. Why do I need it? Here's how Hep B is caused: According to http://www.dhpe.org "Hepatitis B infection is caused by the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B virus is present in the blood and body fluids of infected persons". Basically, according to this site, if I were to take illegal drugs, have a job that involves contact with human blood, live with somebody who has had Hep B for their entire life, or be in a couple of odd, rare situations that I don't want to discuss on a family blog then I might get Hep B. This shot is required by most schools, including mine. First, I want to tell you two things. One, I'm not a complete and total expert on my school, so in the following sentence I'm just guessing. Two, I can't speak for all schools in this statement. My school does not have a strong culture of drugs, we do not make contact with human blood, and to my knowledge, none of the teachers have Hep B.
By the way, If you want to read the article where I got some Hep B info., it's here: http://www.dhpe.org/infect/hepb.html

M

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Vacation!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, I was on vacation. I wanted to make a few notes about the blog.
  • Want to e-mail about it, maybe send in something for me to consider publishing, or just if you have anything to say that's not public? Then email news.commentary.by.m@gmail.com
  • Have something to say about the article? Like it? Hate it? Just feel like commenting? Then comment!!!
  • Forward this blog to as many people as you wish

Thanks,

M

Monday, July 13, 2009

Andrews Opinion: Non-Lethal Police Weapons

Portland Police Chief James Craig‛s controversy over buying Tasers brings up all kinds of memories I haven‛t had in years – and strong opinions I haven‛t felt either.
A dozen years since wearing a badge, I‛m not really entitled to those opinions, but boy do I hold them. Approximately no one thinks police should have new toys less than I do – officers almost inevitably find a way to misuse them – but I really feel Tasers are a great idea – or at lease one worth trying.
No one here in America doubts that officers should carry pistols, and pistols are both lethal when properly used and stunningly difficult to learn how to do so. Tasers sure seem like an improvement in both categories.
And that‛s all it comes down to.
A

New Commentator

We now have a new commentator who every two weeks will write a column called Andrew's Opinion. You'll see his post sometime today. By the way, he writes his column 2nd and 4th Mondays.

M

Friday, July 10, 2009

Interview with AM

I am about to interview a 40 year old, ex-police officer who has MS (Multiple Sclerosis). For privacy, I will only refer to him as AM (his initials), but, if you know me, I bet you can figure out who it is. Well, let's begin. M: What year did you retire?


AM: I left work in 1998


M: And what did you do as a police officer?

AM: I did a lot of things in the police business. I started out as a police planner before I became an officer, then became an officer in Portland, where I briefly worked the midnight shift and then worked a community policing beat for most of my time

M: Did you enjoy this?

AM: Very much. What I liked best was walking my beat instead of driving a patrol car.

M: Why was this?

AM: When I walked my beat I had an opportunity to spend more time getting to know the people and
organizations there, rather than just answering 911 calls

M: What did you do when you had to quit?

AM: I tried returning to my planning job in New Haven for a year, then I came to Portland to do the same thing,
and then finally go too sick

M: Now what do you do in your day?

AM: My number one priority is I have a very funky 11 year old kid

M: And what else?

AM: I also volunteer at the library which is something I did when I was a police officer, I even went to grad school in library work when I was in New Haven

M: What are your hours for the library?

AM: Typically Ten AM - Two PM Tuesday and Thursday.

M: Do you do anything else?

AM: It varies, for instance right now I'm taking a class taught by my temple.

M: Anything else?

AM: Nothing comes to mind at the moment

M: Do you have any hobbies or interests?

AM: I'm a big baseball fan.

M: Do you go to the games a lot?

AM: My dad gave me season tickets to the minor league baseball team in town

M: One final question. Would you ever consider guest writing for NCBM?


AM: Certainly, I used to write opinion columns for both the Yale daily news, and the Portland Press Herald.

M: AM, thank you so much for talking with us.

AM: My Pleasure


M

Government Agents Smuggle bombs into Federal Buildings

Investigators managed to get bomb-
making componets into 10 different, high security federal government buildings. They then assembled the bombs and carried them aound freely in their breifcases. Only one was stopped, but (s)he was allowed to go on.

M's opinion:
Good idea, but not so brilliant to release it. It gives American's less faith in our government and tells terrorists when to strike. Here's what I would do:

  1. Make it highly classified
  2. Do countless employee trainings, offer bonuses, but don't tell them about the study
  3. When the employees are done with their training tell them about the study
  4. Do the study again
  5. Tell them about both studies
  6. Tell the public about both studies
M

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Welcome

Welcome to NCBM. I hope you enjoy hearing about my take on the news.