Category Archives: Food

How and what we feed humans, animals and the planet.

Un-Choking the Planet, Reading labels, and Ditching the Dryer Sheet!

Who the heck has time to know about this stuff? Right. Well, there are a few of us out there. If you are reading this, you’re probably someone who reads labels. However, If you’re like most, you’re cramming as much as you can into your day, don’t like shopping and do it as quickly as possible

Think about it for a minute. If 7.4 billion people, give or take a billion here or there, are using Dryer Sheets, what are those sweet smelling toxic chemicals doing to those we hold dear…and life as we know it?

This thought about dryer sheets came to mind after reading about Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change agreement. His decision angered me. Then, while I was separating clothes into what I could dry quickly outside and what I would throw in the dryer, I reached for a half a dryer sheet, which I seldom use. Bounce was on the shelf. Concerned sustainability advocate that I am, I wondered why I had Bounce, and what the heck is in it? I’m sure this would be the last thing Trump would ever think about!

Bounce label reads,

“Safe for all washables, but is not safe for use on children’s sleepwear or other garments labeled as flame resistant as it may reduce flame resistance. Keep out of the reach of toddlers and pets to avoid accidental ingestion.Bounce contains Cationic softeners and perfume.

A variety of toxic chemicals found in fabric softeners, including chloroform, benzyl acetate, and ethanol (currently on the EPA’s hazardous waste list). In a study performed by Anderson Laboratories, and published in PubMed, mice were exposed to air containing the fumes released by several types of fabric softener pads. The mice exposed to these fumes showed irritation of eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, and some developed severe asthma-like attacks. The results provide a toxicological basis to explain some of the human complaints of adverse reactions to fabric softener emissions.

How about this ‘science’ President Trump? Does it matter? What do you think? Is it okay? Do you need to have your own ‘study’? I’m still pissed off with you about your denial about the human race having anything to do with climate change. Do you even know what our climate is made up of?

As an asthmatic from childhood (I ran behind trucks spraying DDT through alleyways), this doesn’t sound good. Researching further, I found my way to Alex Scranton’s ‘Women’s Voices for the Earth’. Nice website. Alex is looking into lots of cleaning products and gives detailed reasons why using some dryer sheets is not a good idea. Thank you, Alex, for doing the research and putting such a great post and website together. Alex says,

“Ditch the Dryer Sheet. Some contain harmful chemicals – including hidden fragrance chemicals that lots of people are sensitive to – that vent off into the air we breath and rub off on our clothes and then onto our skin. Yikes! And the kicker is that dryer sheets aren’t even necessary to our laundry – so they’re just an extra source of exposure to toxic chemicals”

So, if you take the time to read the label you’ll find out most of those dryer sheets going into 7.4 billion peoples, give or take a billion here or there, dryers is poisoning all the air you suck in, the water quenching your thirst, and the land growing your food. Despite what Trump says, the planet is gasping! Isn’t this behavior like ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’?

Serious choices require slowing down long enough to read a label. Doing so is essential to changing the fate of life as we know it. It’s serious business. Despite what Trump says, the planet is gasping! Isn’t this behavior like ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’?

I’m fairly sure that slowing down is not what the government, industry and corporate power have in mind for us. But, slow down we must. I know, I know, many of you want the glitz and glimmer that all the magazines, radio and television ads say you need more and more of while going as fast as you can and that you like how soft those dryer sheets make your clothes.

Okay, I’m ranting. The problem being is that tiny dryer sheet used by 7.4 billion people, give or take a billion here or there, is choking me, you, your kids, your furry friends, and our home. We can no longer rely on government or industry to get rid of all the poisons in our food, water, air, and land? We have to do the work.

Vote with your dollar! If you must have a ‘dryer sheet’ buy an alternative one. They’re out there. They don’t contain noxious chemicals! They don’t poison you, me, kids, furry friends and they do not choke our planet! And let’s face it…industry only listens to the microchip in your debit or credit card and the cash in your wallet!

Happy ‘Ditch the Dryer Sheet’ trails!

 

 

Nurturing: It’s in Our DNA

Outrageous!  Women have had it. We are hitting the streets, the halls of government and are saying ‘no more’. We are changing the course of our nation and the world. We will no longer be a party to what Market Watch has defined as human nature. Using Economic Growth as the single measurement of Well-Being and success maybe men’s idea and nature but not mine or the majority of women I know.

“There really is only one answer: Deep inside we love war. We want war. Need it. Relish it. Thrive on war. War is in our genes, deep in our DNA. War excites our economic brain. War drives our entrepreneurial spirit. War thrills the American soul. Oh just admit it, we have a love affair with war. We love “America’s Outrageous War Economy.” – Paul B. Ferrell, Market Watch

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Yes, America’s economy is a war economy. Not a “manufacturing” economy. Not an “agricultural” economy. Nor a “service” economy. Not even a “consumer” economy.

Ask the so-called ‘ordinary’ human how they feel? What’s important? What they would like to change in their life. I guarantee it would have nothing to do with going to war. It would be much more personal; like not having to work two and three jobs just to break even, a home and food on the table.

I’m 73, I’ve worked all my life; still working. My fear comes from not getting a raise in my Social Security, from the fact that I will never stop working, from the homeless eyes I meet on the street, from the lines of people at the food bank, from the starving people of the world and from the violence and anger on the streets of our nation.

Did you know the United States as of September 2014 was in 134 wars around the globe? Do these wars help you meet your mortgage? Keep you well? Have anything to do with your daily life?

War has been our ‘go-to’ answer for centuries and men have been pulling the trigger. We need to look at the outcome and results. War is not working for the majority of us. War does not benefit the majority of our citizens. The main beneficiary:

“America may be a ticking time bomb, but we are threatened more by enemies within than external terrorists, by ideological fanatics on the left and the right. Most of all, we are under attack by our elected leaders who are motivated more by pure greed than ideology. They terrorize us, brainwashing us into passively letting them steal our money to finance “America’s Outrageous War Economy,” the ultimate “black hole” of corruption and trickle-up economics.” – Market Watch, 2008

Those who would do harm to life on this planet must be stopped. However, life on this planet takes many forms. We need to re-evaluate our priorities about whose life we are protecting and how we are protecting it.

Men have kept us in an ‘Age of Imitation’ long enough. Women are coming into their time and are bringing our world out of perpetual war and into nurturing life. It’s what women have always done. Nurture. It’s an innate part of our being. It’s our nature and in our DNA.

Happy Nurturing Trails

 

 

The Next Big Thing: The Most Fascinating and Fantastic Machine in Existence

Know Thyself“The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; and no single source can do justice to its many parts.” – World Education

The majority of the human race have little knowledge about how truly incredibly we may be. Our body is made up of millions of synchronized single-celled organisms.  Each cell doing a specific job, taking on every exposure.

Our body has the ability to heal itself, and, if given optimum maintenance; clean food, air, water and education about optimum maintenance of our body, who knows how incredible we may become. Everything we eat, breath and drink either benefits and works with our millions of organisms or our millions of organisms are at war with what we put into our body. Our societies wellness or dis-ease is a reflection of our industry, the products we’ve allowed into our world and our intellect or lack of.

Our body is of nature. Unfortunately, humans do not demand the time needed to understand what or how to be of nature. Some believe what they do is consequential only to themselves; that what they do is Insignificant and unknown to others. This belief is a symptom of an uneducated society.

The life-giving forces which are abundant in nature are our birth rite. We are the most logical choice to insure the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants. It’s not just an obligation and responsibility; it’s a matter of life, death, and everything in between! We are equipped with an innate memory of everything which came before us. We just have to access it. Sweep out the chimney so to speak.

Once the memory of ‘everything that came before’ is awoken, survival seems obsolete. A ‘flourishing’ planet seems more appropriate. It’s not just a choice, it’s who we are meant to be; flourishing. Demanding what is right and just in the world is not just an obligation or responsibility, it’s who we are… male adolescence is done. ‘Just getting by’ will no longer do. We are so much more than a workforce in industries hunger for competitiveness. We are significant with brilliant possibilities.

Somehow, I’ve awakened memories of who I am meant to be. The memories come rushing in and the never ending knowledge causes me to demand what is right and just in the world. What’s ‘right and just’ is clear. Do no harm. Respect all life. Be kind. Integrate those principals into development.

Women are taking our rightful place in world management. As we take the helm we navigate a more sustainable course. Not only pledging allegiance to our flag, but pledging allegiance to our land, water, air, and wildlife.

We are more than a workforce. We are significant with brilliant possibilities and like any olympian, we must have time to train. Each of us is significant and deserve greatness. As soon as the majority of humanity admit and subscribe to this belief; put on some breaks; slow down, the sooner we heal our planet and those who live here.

Education World says,

“The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; no single source can do justice to its many parts.”

What do you think? Look around. Departmentalization and standardization in education are choking every bit of creativity out of our children; giving focus to certain things, minimizing the importance of other things and leaving some things entirely out.

Education should mirror the human body and work in synchronization! I believe the Ancient Sages, from Greece. They were philosophers, statesmen, and law-givers. They laid the foundation for western culture and gathered in Delphi to inscribe in stone, “Know Thyself” at the entry to its sacred oracle and believed:

 “Self-knowledge is all-encompassing. What is learned on one scale of experience can be applied to all scales. It is the highest form of knowledge, surpassing all other knowledge. Self-knowledge is also timeless, which means that what is gained in one era, benefits all subsequent generations.”

What influenced these sages’ to chisel in stone? Why was Knowing Thyself so important? Why didn’t I hear about ‘knowing thyself’ in any of my curricula? Philosophers have been philosophizing about ‘Know Thyself’ for centuries. Is it too late for us to know ourselves?

Knowing the human body was not included in my studies until the eighth grade and avoided what was uncomfortable, the reproductive system was pretty much taboo. And, what about those millions of synchronized single-celled organisms with each cell doing a specific job, taking on every exposure? No one said anything about them being important!

Self-knowledge surrounds everything: All life. Having self-knowledge integrates all other knowledge; reading, writing, arithmetic, science, etc.. Self-knowledge is timeless. What we learn in one era, benefits all generations that follow. This was the message of our ancient sages. Just as our 21st Century educators admit,

“The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; and no single source can do justice to its many parts.” – World Education 2014

Is this our new norm in the 21st Century? I want to feel good. I want my family and friends to feel good. I want to find out what is possible. As much as I’ve tried to be kind to myself over some 40 years, I’ve been battling unseen forces and toxins we’ve been producing for decades. These toxins have manipulated my essence, your essence and taken much of our nature away.

Continual education about my body has set me on a new path. I want to change our education’s focus. I want to change much of our industry. Playing catch up is difficult and time-consuming. However, we are the logical and only choice for this journey. Shaping our future is a tough job.

A few sustainable steps each of us can take:

  • coordinate rides and errands with a friend.
  • ride the bus.
  • ride a bicycle.
  • buy organic products.
  • engage in governing.
  • run for water commissioner
  • run for city council
  • run for mayor, governor, senate, congress, president
  • learn as much as you can about how extraordinary you are

We can no longer afford to skip educating ourselves about what makes us extraordinary and how we get there. We owe it to our society to do ‘justice to our many parts’. We can no longer afford to be thought of as ‘ordinary’ when we each have the potential to be extraordinary!  We can no longer give so much control over our bodies to doctors, pharmaceuticals and much of industry.

Happy not so ordinary trails!

City of Colorado Springs: Homelessness and Poverty

Tree Guard in Stratton Open Space
Tree Guard

September 3, 2015

Honorable Mayor Suthers and City Council Members,

I understand your dilemma with regard to the issue of people displaying themselves in what you have deemed as inappropriate places and in inappropriate manner.

It saddens me to see our beautiful city streets filled with poverty and homelessness. No one in our nation or the world should be living in such a manner! We the people have been lazy. You only have to look at our voting records and the state of so much dis-ease in the world to see how little involvement citizens have taken in governing ourselves better.

It is everyone’s job, not just yours to find positive and long term solutions to homelessness and poverty.  We are not alone in this struggle. Our entire nation struggles with this scourge on our planet. Now, our city has an incredible opportunity. We can become a beacon in this endeavor; if we all put our heads together and take time.

I believe you could postpone acting on ORD 9.2.112 and give the citizens, businesses and organizations of Colorado Springs an opportunity and time to assist you in coming up with more positive and long term solutions.

I have a few idea:

  1. Lets get our community businesses (Home Depot for instance) and people who have graciously contributed to Habitat for Humanity to rise to this emergency by creating more housing for the homeless.
  2. Lets began a City of Colorado Springs Work program which many of the homeless could fill; With this creative effort our tax dollars would be spent to give people pride and encouragement. Good will goes a very long way to keeping peace and justice!  Much more so than jail and fines.

These kinds of ideas are what is needed. Ideas which bring positive and long term solutions. I want to live in a city that shines and is a beacon for other cities. Colorado Springs can be that city if our focus and attention address the root causes of poverty and homelessness.

Thank you,

Gail Black

The Power and Politics Behind What We Eat

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The more I read about pet food; the more I learn about human food and how the two are connected; which in turn brings me to the power and politics behind what we eat…and, more importantly three simple things you and I can do to make positive  changes! 

This story does not have a pretty beginning and is scary…however, I’ve fond that facing my fear does something amazing; I find myself feeling confident and strong. I love this kind of experience and keep coming back for more! So hang onto your hat and join me in facing some ugly and distasteful things that go on with our food. Think of it as ‘life and death’! And, we get be the hero of the story.

Ever wonder where dead animals go? Probably not. I didn’t until I started looking at why some pet foods were being recalled. I decided to be brave and go deep into the ‘why’. Don’t bury your head. We can get through this together and I promise there is a ray of hope at the end.

The classified ad read:

Help Wanted: person to operate bobcat mini-dozer; loading ‘raw material’ into a 10-foot-deep stainless-steel pit; operate giant auger-grinder.

Looking for work? Does this sound like your kind of job? You discover at the bottom of this ‘stainless-steel pit, a giant auger-grinder begins to turn and you hear popping bones and squeezing flesh. This is a gruesome nightmare! Who does this kind of job? I’ve been trying to find out the job title for the person who does this job. In one recent article I read these jobs are held by: Bandanna-masked men; undocumented workers from Mexico doing a dirty job that no one else wants to do. I wonder where these jobs are, what kind of pay …and where these ‘raw materials’ come from.

Continue reading The Power and Politics Behind What We Eat

Americans Just Wanta Have Fun!

“The American public does not want to be uplifted, ennobled–it wants to be amused.”

Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935). novelist. social worker. and teacher

Alice was a poet, journalist and political activist. And, some sort of visionary, from where I stand. She was among the first generation born free in the south after the Civil War, she was one of the prominent African Americans involved in the artistic flourishing of the Harlem Renaissance. Alice and I have much in common. She knew what many of us are aware of…I wonder what she would think if she were here today?

Who doesn’t want to escape? You work hard all day, at a job you’re not crazy about; for a boss who doesn’t appreciate how brilliant you are; then you come home too exhausted to cook; so you through an empty of anything nutritious excuse for food into a microwave; which kills any remaining nutrition; or you open up a carton of ice cream hoping to stop that ineffable hunger you just can’t seem to reach!

Even when you are aware of the diabolical account of how four Anglo-American agribusiness giants plan world domination by patenting life forms to gain worldwide control of our food supply and our lives; remnants of how we controlled the Indians’ comes to mind, ‘destroy their food and you control their destiny’! Dealing with all this reality is just too darn daunting! Isn’t it?

A recent New York Times article reports; “The average American spends more on entertainment than on gasoline, household furnishings and clothing and nearly the same amount as spent on dining out, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.” It’s been estimated by the Twentieth Century Fund that Americans spend 40 billion dollars per year for total recreation expenditures in the United States.  Personally, I believe that’s a conservative figure and agree with Alice; we’re on an ‘amusement ride and we don’t want to get off’‘. I also believe that keeping the population entertained is high on the list for those few men who control all our lives. Contemplating this, I tear myself away from a recorded segment of  ‘American Idol’!  Me, I’m just another would be victim. But I will not go quietly!

William Engdahl’s book ‘Seeds of Destruction’  is a diabolical account of how four Anglo-American agribusiness giants plan world domination by patenting life forms (GMOs) to gain worldwide control of our food supply and our lives. This review is in three in-depth parts. Part I was published and is available on this web site.

Today, government subsidies for agriculture in the industrialized nations of North America, Western Europe and East Asia (Japan and South Korea) is over a Billion Dollars a Day! Did I mention this is just the subsidies. Oh, and I’m pretty sure that the organic farmer is not the recipient of any of these dollars. You might ask why; inquiring minds want to know…including mine.

I’ve just ordered the ‘Seeds of Destruction’ and am excited to get it in my hands. It will be interesting to see if the book reveals some correlation between what I discovered during my 10 years in Washington.

I’m interested in what our great leaders and writers in the past thought about our country and the direction we took and are taking. President Woodrow Wilson made a disturbing statement; what’s more disturbing is knowing what to do with the knowledge that The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men”. President Woodrow Wilson said upon reflecting on the passage of the Federal Reserve Act.

“I am a most unhappy man, I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominate men”

And then President Thomas Jefferson said:

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks…will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered…The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”

Sometimes I feel like drowning myself in ‘fun’. I don’t want to face the realities I dig up. But then the fun gets to feel so shallow and empty. What should I be doing with my time? What do I have the energy to do with my time? The majority of us are under paid and work long hours just to barely get by. The majority of us are so under-nourished we don’t have the energy to complain, much less the fortitude to make a change. And then there’s this emptiness inside, and no entertainment and nothing we eat seems to satisfy it!

Entertainment sometimes gives a true picture of what is really going on in government and what some of our politicians think about those of us who voice our opinions and disagreements. For instance:

Francis steps onto the street and encounters an irate screaming citizen the police have handcuffed to a light pole and says; “Nobody can hear you, nobody cares about you, nothing will come of your screaming, why don’t you let these nice gentlemen take you home.” 

House of Cards, Season 1, Episode 2 at 4:29 minutes

The Universe Within: A Foundation for Education

“Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.” – Henry Kissinger,  1970

This is not a new strategy.

 “In 1870, some U.S. government officials  promoted the destruction of the bison herds as a way to defeat their Native American enemies, who were resisting the takeover of their lands by white settlers. Soon, military commanders were ordering their troops to kill buffalo — not for food, but to deny Native Americans their own source of food. One general believed that buffalo hunters did more to defeat the Indian nations in a few years than soldiers did in 50. By 1880, the slaughter was almost over. Where millions of buffalo once roamed, only a few thousand animals remained. 

– Nature, American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation

By now you may be asking, ‘what the heck does killing off the buffalo’ have to do with the universe within and a foundation for education’. I understand. It’s a huge leap. Although, the two are most relevant and have much in common.

We have put our trust in those individuals we have elected to govern our nation to safeguard our food. What kind of job is being done?

A recent article, February 2015, New Yorker article, A Bug in the System, gives gory details of how the trust we place is undeserving.

Each year, contaminated food sickens forty-eight million Americans, of whom a hundred and twenty-eight thousand are hospitalized, and three thousand die. – Wil S.

Perhaps we need to pay more attention to who we are electing? Be more engaged in governing ourselves? Oh, that means the 63% of us have to get off our tired butts and pay attention to why they are so tired…and do something about it. We have endorsed persons in power who are obsessed with producing  ‘cheap food’ for the masses.  Their excuse, doing so is necessary to feed an ever growing population. A population growth out of control. A population growth out of touch and with no consideration of the resources necessary to accommodate such growth. We are a nation obsessed with quantity over quality!

We are growing food in an abundance as fast as we can, using whatever science to fertilize this obsession in order to feed ourselves…and be damned the consequences!  Cheap food and cheap labor is the dream of the 1% controlling our world.  Encouraging population growth is essential to having a constant source of expendable and renewable energy…a type of slavery that President Polk’s administration could not have imagined when they sought to win the American West!

It is not too late. We can cease this ‘age of imitation’. Do as the ancient sages believed: Know Thyself. Know our bodies work best when we take guessing and placing trust in others out of the equation. I’m not a Christian…however, I do agree on many of their beliefs: our bodies are our temples and in order for us to reach our true optimal potential, should be treated as such.  The Blue Ray and High Definition  glossy and colorful ads enticing us into oblivion is an addiction; it is time to say ‘no’ more.

Placing biology at the forefront of education is a huge service to humanity, the planet and all its inhabitants!  Placin’g Biology as the foundation on which all else is built and integrated into increases our understanding of our place in the web of life. Start counting the bones in your feet as soon as you begin to speak! The well being of the Universe within and ewithout  is counting on it.

What is Biology? Merriam-Webster defines Biology as:

1 : a branch of knowledge that deals with living organisms and vital processes
: the plant and animal life of a region or environment
While in my eighth grade Biology class, I didn’t pay much attention to my teacher  Mr. Gentry. He was a very large man with one eye. He was scary and I don’t remember biology being taught before then. Talking about our bodies at home or at school was a ‘taboo’!
The knowledge I’ve acquired over the years about my body, makes this notion absurd. Curiosity moved me into uncharted territory…I questioned much of the curriculum being forced into my head and pursued knowledge outside the borders of traditional education. Nothing was ever mentioned about how we are connected to everything on our planet…and  I wanted to connect the dots.  I did not understand how my body worked, nor what was required for it to be the ‘super being‘ I believed it is capable of being.

Obstacles 

I believe our first responsibility, no matter what your faith, is to treat your body as your temple; Earth as our place of worship and all the inhabitants as our congregation. Those before us knew controling our food is the best way to control people. The ways in which our food is being controlled today is much less direct than for instance, ‘our war to win the American west. There are no Buffalo to target this time. Now the control is much more illusive. More scientific. The human population is approaching seven billion…and everyone has to be fed!  The World Bank puts the food and agriculture sector at 10% of global gross domestic product, which, taking the bank’s 2006 estimate of about $48 trillion, would make the sector worth about $4.8 trillion.

Who is responsible for undertaking the monitoring of  nuances going into our food?

“For most opponents, the war to win the west was a transparent attempt to extend slavery into new territories that would become new slave states, thus ensuring that the South would control Congress and the presidency into the foreseeable future.”

– Miller Center, University of Tennessee, An american President: A Reference Resource

Humankind’s health and well being is reflected in the condition of the planet’s congrigation. Look closely at the heart and soul of what life is about, not just what it looks and smells like; new doors to how we connect are opening and ‘What happens to the least of us, does happen to all of us’. The changes needed today will go beyond much of what we have loved and coveted. We have a couple of choices when it comes to changes;  we can choose to leave a bright and shiny world full of everything healthy and beautiful;  or, continue chomping away at the heals of our world, leaving a sick and fearful world.

 The happiness you seek comes from:
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole [of] nature in its beauty.
Albert Einstein 1950
This acceptance and understanding will dissolve any discord, fear and discontent you may have.  You have the power and responsibility to all that is apart of this web of life. You are obligated to insure the highest quality of life for all.

Happy trails within!

 

 


Ineffible Hunger II: Ted’s Grill For Lunch

Save me! Every time I  take a bite of anything these days, I wonder about the resources that went into it.

I normally don’t eat beef. I did recently. A burger and fries at Ted’s Grill. Did you know Ted Turner owns Ted’s Grill? Did you know Ted Turner owns 80% of all the Bison? As we walk into Ted’s Grill, I notice a huge Bison head mounted on the wall. It looked like a giant. There must have been 10 feet from one tip of it’s horns to the other. Impressive! It was huge! Needless to say, I set with my back to that wall and didn’t order bison from the menu…remembering the glass glare from the bison held on the wall.

When Ted Turner was asked what is it that you like about bison?

“I just, I really love them. I’m a naturalist and an environmentalist, and I was touched by the tragedy that occurred with the bison. There were 30 million of ’em on the Great Plains when the white man landed in North America. In the 1880s, there were only about 200 of ’em. I wanted to do everything I could during my life to bring them back. In order to do that you have to be able to monetize the surplus.”

What I didn’t know

about Ted Turner was that he is a huge experimentalist! In 1997 Ted Turner and his family established the Turner Endangered Species Fund as a response to the mass extinction of the world’s plants and animals. Thanks Ted.

Anyway, when the server brought my plate, I commented that the food on the plate could feed three people; and asked for a take-home-box at the beginning of my meal. I cut my burger in half and put half the burger and 3/4 of my fries in the box. Continue reading Ineffible Hunger II: Ted’s Grill For Lunch

Ineffable Hunger: Starving for Purpose

There is an ineffable hunger in each of us that food just doesn’t reach. Yet we keep stuffing ourselves: we live in a nation of obesity; 32% of United States children are overweight; 60% of the Australia population is overweight; making the Aussies the number one obese country and the U.S. a close second.

Starving for Purpose

Why do we eat and eat and never seem to fill our hunger? My answer may be a bit hard to swallow. I believe the human species, with our ability to think, has an inexplicable purpose. How can the unexplainable be explained? How can the indescribable be described? What does purpose have to do with starving?

Wolves On The Run

I believe we are ‘Starving for Purpose’; looking for any and all morsels of food to fill this emptiness. The answer to this ‘ineffable hunger’, came to me in the early morning hours. I lay unable to sleep; images of wolves running through the tundra of Alaska to escape aerial hunters kept filling my mind. How can I stop the images? The cruelty?How can a woman, the Governor of Alaska, condemn these angel beasts to die?

Then my mind is filled with images of wild horses being killed and slaughtered to make room for more beef cattle; the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) believes this is necessary; as if we need more burgers!

Continue reading Ineffable Hunger: Starving for Purpose

Open Letter: Obama-Biden Economic Team Members

Dear Obama-Biden Economic Team Members:

Much of our foundation for health as a nation lies with the food we consume?

It does not take a rocket scientist to see the connection between the cancer that is so prevalent in our society and the food we eat.

The health care industry is the largest industry in the United States. It has 14 million jobs, with about 13.6 million jobs for wage and salary workers. Is this a good thing? Well, it does tell a story. There’s job security. We have a nation of sick people. Certainly the industry provides a needed service; however, there is a huge difference in treatment and prevention of a disease.

An important question for the citizens of the United States to ask; Why is the health care industry our largest industry? What is it we do that we all have in common? The food we eat? The water we drink? The air we breath? Should we consider what’s in the air we breath, the food we eat and the water we drink? We’re not stupid. Lazy maybe, but not stupid. When I hear people say “well, somethings going to kill me, what difference does it make which poison I choose?” People have already accepted the fact that they are going to die and it doesn’t matter what they do. So, it’s okay if they choose to keep poisoning the air, water and food we consume. What they fail to do is understand the ‘pain, suffering and expense’ they may go through before they die!

  • Chronic pain is major epidemic. Approximately 48 million people (there’s a little over 308 million population in the US) in the United States suffer from some form of chronic pain, pain lasting longer than six months, and Americans spend literally billions on medication to combat it.
  • WASHINGTON, July 7, 2005 — The pharmaceutical and health products industry has spent more than $800 million in federal lobbying and campaign donations at the federal and state levels in the past seven years, a Center for Public Integrity investigation has found. Its lobbying operation, on which it reports spending more than $675 million, is the biggest in the nation. No other industry has spent more money to sway public policy in that period. Its combined political outlays on lobbying and campaign contributions is topped only by the insurance industry.

Take a look at what the pharmaceutical and health products industry GOT for the more than $800 million in federal lobbying and campaign donations. With money like that being thrown to our federal representatives, is it no wonder they do not want to pass legislation that would take away these dollars!

With this said, I urge the new Economic team to look at creating jobs within the rendering plant industry. Then create jobs that monitor jobs within rendering plants. Rendering plants manufacture protein and nutrients (food enhancers) fed to livestock and poultry industries and the ‘pet’ food industry.

What are ‘food enhancers’ made from? They start with ‘raw products’: thousands of dead dogs and cats (many still wearing flea collars); heads and hooves from cattle, sheep, pigs and horses; whole skunks; rats and raccoons –all waiting to be processed.

“Every day, hundreds of rendering plants across the United States truck millions of tons of this “food enhancer” to poultry ranches, cattle feed-lots, dairy and hog farms, fish-feed plants and pet-food manufacturers where it is mixed with other ingredients to feed the billions of animals that meat-eating humans, in turn, will eat.” Continue reading Open Letter: Obama-Biden Economic Team Members