Monday, September 9, 2013

A No Corn Syrup Eating Challenge

Its been a week since I challenged you to avoid eating corn syrup for a week. 

How have you done?

Was it harder than expected?

Will you continue?

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Reason.com Comments


-The most telling thing about the government, John, is that the country has managed to continue to operate and people have an overall pretty good standard of living, despite the government and the criminal goons who staff it. It tells you how utterly meaningless having a government is, and how much of a relentless parasite it is, and how much it hinders otherwise "normal" life and commerce.

- "Still Going Despite the Government" should be our country's fucking slogan. Maybe in Latin.

-Illstay Oinggay Espiteday ethay Overnmentgay

American Wars

With news of war in Syria, I wonder how many wars have been good for America?

The Revolutionary War was legitimate and good.  No arguments with overthrowing tyranny.

The War of 1812 was legitimate.  No argument with keeping the aforementioned tyranny away.

The Civil War wasn't a "civil war" because the South did not want to control the Union.  The country was made up of voluntary members of a Union, when the South no longer wished to belong they should have been allowed to leave.

The Spanish American war seems silly in hindsight; had Cuba become a state we would, at least, have gotten something out of it.

As far as I know the Mexican-American War seemed legitimate in trying to prevent Pancho Villa's raids into America.

There are some who think that if America had not entered WWI it would have ended in a draw, no harsh conditions would have been placed on losing Germany, and Germans would not have voted for the political party that gave us WWII.

Defeating Japan in WWII was certainly legitimate, but what did we gain from fighting Germany?

What has been gained in every war since?  I begin to wonder.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Grocery Shopping

Why is it whenever I return from grocery shopping, I'm surprised with a number of my purchases?

Monday, September 2, 2013

A Healthier(-ish) Food Challenge

Most of the food we eat is highly processed, and full of artificial ingredients.  Thanks largely to the government's sugar tariffs many companies have realized that corn syrup, or high fructose corn syrup, is a much less expensive sweetener than real (and better for you) sugar.  (So called, "Mexican" Coke and Pepsi supposedly taste better than American made soda because Mexico does not have high sugar tariffs, and soda made in Mexico is made with the less expensive, and better, real sugar.)

High fructose corn syrup is in a huge number of products, and while its not awful itself (though its not good) the things it is in are not the sorts of things that you should be eating.

My challenge for you is to avoid eating anything with: "corn syrup," "fructose," high fructose corn syrup," and any other variation of it for a whole week.

This is a small step towards eating healthier, and only requires you to read the "ingredients" list on every package that you buy and avoid the corn syrup.

We shouldn't be eating any packaged stuff at all, but this is just a small challenge to get started.

I actually tried this challenge starting last Monday, but had a 15 hour work day on Tuesday and drank an energy drink.  I suppose coffee, which I don't drink, might have been better.  So, I'm trying it again.  Hopefully, I'll continue indefinitely. 

Join me, and let me know how you've done.