The Dog Delusion

I was probably watching a football game the other day, when a commercial for the local news shows a bus with an advertisement on the side of it which reads, "50 Million Americans are good without God". Of course that is something that is likely to cause a stir in the buckle of the Bible belt. I never actually saw what the news spot was about, but it was easy to surmise it's general content. Well, there have been more commercials about this same topic. I guess it was popular.
I never watched any of the local news pieces on atheism marketing efforts, but it did peak my interest to look into the world wide web to examine this. So I went to Google and put in the search term: "atheist billboards". In typical Google fashion, 90,600 links were found containing some form of this topic. Here is one links that I found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YHbSx7NE2U

Now, I don't have any issues with any individual group marketing their beliefs (I truly believe that most all marketing is devious in it's own way - but that is an opinion for another time), but it seems to me that their marketing angle is a bit harsh. Most of the times I here something from atheists about religion, I get this sense that they believe they are intellectually superior to the religious populous. Anyway, who made this the paragon of humanity. To make such a generalization is much like making other generalizations, worthless - because they cannot apply to everyone. Many of the greatest scientists believed in some form of a God. Perhaps their marketing efforts should focus on the benefits of atheism rather than bullying others. If they are marketing to the religious group, then they are simply creating a gap. For those in the gray area between, their marketing may be effective. When you see a good commercial, it is not generally because one company belittles another that you decide to buy a product. Effective marketing taps into a person's basic needs and shows how 'this product' can help meet those needs.
While some religions can help provide a sense of purpose, I don't know how atheism will market that. "Have you been feeling empty...searching for that sense of purpose? The answer is atheism. Take an anti-depressant, there is no purpose." But really, why not tell of what atheism has to offer me as an individual. "Being free from oppressive control" is not something I think too many people really care about. That angle places the 'religious' in the position of being the ineffective dolt who follows others blindly, and is unable to make rational decisions. And it has already been mentioned that this generalization is hollow. While many may follow what their parents taught them, many have come from various walks of life and labored long and hard on making purposeful decisions about choosing to follow a 'religion'. That is what I think many atheists have done as well. The world does not make sense with a God for some. To others it doesn't make sense without one.

Planet - fail

I found this site by searching for "slow food" - this doesn't really have anything to say about slow food, but then again in a round about way it does.

So, here is something that might seem a bit "hippy", but why not listen to it and try to do your part to make the place we live a little better. Cause if you really think about it - we are slowly contaminating ourselves and the planet. Just like a fat person gets fat - it happens slowly and insidiously... then one day, wow, how did this happen.

http://www.storyofstuff.com

Another Way

Many people who have seen The Story of Stuff have asked what they can do to address the problems identified in the film.

Each of us can promote sustainability and justice at multiple levels: as an individual, as a teacher or parent, a community member, a national citizen, and as a global citizen. As Annie says in the film, “the good thing about such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many points of intervention.” That means that there are lots and lots of places to plug in, to get involved, and to make a difference. There is no single simple thing to do, because the set of problems we’re addressing just isn’t simple. But everyone can make a difference, but the bigger your action the bigger the difference you’ll make. Here are some ideas:

10 Little and Big Things You Can Do

1. Power down! A great deal of the resources we use and the waste we create is in the energy we consume. Look for opportunities in your life to significantly reduce energy use: drive less, fly less, turn off lights, buy local seasonal food (food takes energy to grow, package, store and transport), wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat, use a clothesline instead of a dryer, vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow things before buying new, recycle. All these things save energy and save you money. And, if you can switch to alternative energy by supporting a company that sells green energy to the grid or by installing solar panels on your home, bravo!
2. Waste less. Per capita waste production in the U.S. just keeps growing. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a Zero Waste culture in your home, school, workplace, church, community. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over packaged products, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace….the list is endless! The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one!
3. Talk to everyone about these issues. At school, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus…A student once asked Cesar Chavez how he organized. He said, “First, I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” “No,” said the student, “how do you organize?” Chavez answered, “First I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” You get the point. Talking about these issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action.
4. Make Your Voice Heard. Write letters to the editor and submit articles to local press. In the last two years, and especially with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the media has been forced to write about Climate Change. As individuals, we can influence the media to better represent other important issues as well. Letters to the editor are a great way to help newspaper readers make connections they might not make without your help. Also local papers are often willing to print book and film reviews, interviews and articles by community members. Let’s get the issues we care about in the news.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy. Many of today’s consumer products – from children’s pajamas to lipstick – contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren’t necessary. Research online (for example, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) before you buy to be sure you’re not inadvertently introducing toxics into your home and body. Then tell your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they’re using toxic chemicals without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. The European Union has adopted strong policies that require toxics to be removed from many products. So, while our electronic gadgets and cosmetics have toxics in them, people in Europe can buy the same things toxics-free. Let’s demand the same thing here. Getting the toxics out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don’t get into any home and body.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community). The average person in the U.S. watches T.V. over 4 hours a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day that could be spent with family, friends and in our community. On-line activism is a good start, but spending time in face-to-face civic or community activities strengthens the community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support, greater security and happiness. A strong community is also critical to having a strong, active democracy.
7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH! Car-centric land use policies and life styles lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and parking lots. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don’t have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non-violent marches have played a powerful role in raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers.
8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm. Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That's a no-brainer. But changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs, and values that together make up a community’s way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community.
9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials. Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems in place. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book to start recycling while you’re pressuring your local government to support recycling city-wide. Also, many products – for example, most electronics - are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to prohibit toxics in consumer products and to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, as is happening in Europe. EPR is a policy which holds producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, so that electronics company who use toxics in their products, have to take them back. That is a great incentive for them to get the toxics out!
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less. Shopping is not the solution to the environmental problems we currently face because the real changes we need just aren’t for sale in even the greenest shop. But, when we do shop, we should ensure our dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages like “all natural” to find hard facts. Is it organic? Is it free of super-toxic PVC plastic? When you can, buy local products from local stores, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production. But, buying less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes, less really is more.

MaxGXL

Everyone - I want to tell you about a product I have been taking for ~ 4 months. It is called MaxGXL.
I will let the video go into the details about what it does, but I can tell you what it has done for me - I have had a marked increase in energy, my mood has improved, and I have been sleeping more soundly. Rather than waking up and being restless when I am in bed - I am asleep. As anyone knows sleep or lack there of can make or break your day. Another benefit I have noticed is that my allergies have gone away.
Now this is not a product that you can take and then in 5 minutes you have energy spewing out of every pour in your body. It is not like that, it is not like caffeine or any other artificial stimulant. These false sources of energy set you flying for a bit and then let you down with a crash. What MaxGXL does is that it goes to the cellular (in your body, not in your phone) level and begins to repair what has gone awry with time, poor nutrition, stress, pollutants, alcohol, and just general inflammatory processes of the body. It acts by promoting Glutathione production.
And this is where the questions begin. What is glutathione? Do I want that stuff to be in my body? And so on...
As I mentioned, the video will go into some of the details about glutathione and what it does. Let me preface that with a cliffs notes version of what is known as glutathione or in the medical world GSH. Glutathione is an anti-oxidant. If you know anything about nutrition or health or have heard anything about disease processes you then know that anti-oxidants are good things and they are important to your body. What they do essentially is they protect your body from the negative by products of cellular reactions. As you know the body is an elaborate chemistry set. There are billions of reactions that will happen today before you go back to bed. Many of these reactions utilize oxygen. And when this is done there is an opportunity for oxidative stress to occur. Oxidative stress can be fast forwarded by poor diet, stress, smoking, lack of sleep, toxins, poor air quality, diseases, and from other sources as well. Essentially when oxidative stress occurs in the body it can cause damage to cells. And since cells make up tissues - tissues are eventually damaged --> then damaged tissues can lead to disease --> disease can lead to premature death. Of course this all takes place over many years. An example of oxidative damage that everyone can relate to is rust. Rust is oxidized iron.
Back to what MaxGXL does - it promotes glutathione production in each of the billions of cells in your body thus reducing the damages done by oxidative stress. Examples of oxidative stress of the body include signs of aging (since our levels of glutathione production go down as we age): wrinkled skin, decreased energy, memory loss; inflammatory problems - this is huge, since almost every disease (cancer, diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease which is America's #1 killer, and pretty much any other disease you can think of) begins with inflammation and continues with inflammation. By increasing your levels of intracellular glutathione you can turn the tide on the inflammatory process. What does that mean for you? I have mentioned a few of the benefits I've experienced, and that is just after 4 months. I first began to see benefits about 2 - 3 weeks after starting, some begin to see benefits after 2 months and some after 4 days. It all depends upon how much oxidative stress your body is under. Glutathione will first be utilized by the most urgent area of need. If that is to reduce inflammation on the internal wall of a major artery thus slowing or stopping the formation of plaque and the eventual cascade to a potential cardiovascular occlusion or if it allows your body to utilize ATP (the body's currency of energy) more efficiently thus proving you with more energy - either is great, but your energy level might not jump up for 60 to 90 days if the glutathione is 'putting out' more important fires in your body.

So you see how glutathione works to improve your energy and body in a natural way. It is nothing like caffeine or a quick, unhealthy, boost to get you through the day. It is an approach to assist your body in it's natural function. As a person reaches their lower 20's their production of glutathione naturally begins to decrease. That is why this is generally when people begin to notice their 'metabolism' decreasing and their energy level dropping.
I am not trying to tell you this is a wonder drug (actually it is not a drug at all) cure all. But what I can tell you is that this product increases glutathione levels in 100% of the people 100% of the time. Do you see the benefit to that?

There are many factors that play a role in disease processes (genetics, diet, environment, lifestyle choices), but you can play a proactive role in reducing your chances of many maladies by making wise lifestyle (exercise, good nutrition, stress management and relaxation,...) and health choices.
For each man is appointed to live and then die, so why not make your time here full of vitality and enjoy it to the max.
If you are interested in learning more about the product - contact me, go to my website, or watch the video.

Romo

A fine Sunday indeed for Tony RomoBy RANDY GALLOWAYrgalloway@star-telegram.comTony Romo had been somewhat of an NFL opening-week quarterbacking exception, enjoying a great Sunday in Cleveland, except, of course, for that bloody chin thing.The weekend had also gone very well for Bill and Sharon White of Irving, who were returning late in the evening after an out-of-town trip.The national news was about a day of QB disasters around the league, even at the elite level. Tom Brady, down and out for the season. Peyton Manning, looking feeble and lost. Carson Palmer, his once stellar reputation taking another plunge.And for pure weirdness, there's Vince Young, a young man in obvious need of either a good shrink or a good butt-kicking.Meanwhile, even as devout football fans, the Whites had been on the road and out of touch with the NFL events. They particularly didn't want to know the Dallas Cowboys' outcome. The TiVo at home was waiting. Bill planned to watch the Cleveland game immediately, with suspense attached.But a couple of miles from the house, while driving on MacArthur Boulevard, the Whites had their own mini-disaster. A tire blew on the Mercury. Bill, luckily, managed to nurse his wounded ride off the street and into the lighted parking lot of a strip mall.For troubling news on a Sunday, it didn't rank up there with taking a direct hit to the chin from the helmet of linebacker Willie McGinest, but Bill became a bit woozy himself when he discovered his jack was malfunctioning. Never a good thing at midnight.Plan B kicked in, however. One of those cigarette-lighter-plug-in air compressors was available. Except it was leaking more air than it was pumping."I don't know, a hundred cars, probably more, had to go by. Nobody was stopping," said Bill. "That's just kind of the way it is in today's world."And then ..."Bill was fooling with that tire, and I was standing beside the car watching him," Sharon said."The next thing I know, a nice-looking young man, very well-dressed, but with something strange on his chin, he walked up, smiled, and said, 'Hey, you need some help?' " Sharon hadn't even noticed a car pull up.So now it's Bill and the well-dressed young man both bent over a flat tire at midnight on a Sunday, trying to figure out why a faulty air compressor plugged into the cigarette lighter was leaking more than pumping."I didn't get a good look at him at that point," Bill said. "We were both trying to get the tire pumped up."Sharon, however, took a second look. "You are Tony Romo," she said. No reply, just a smile, and then it was back to work on the compressor.Finally, they got the tire aired up. Enough, anyway, to make a slow drive home."I didn't want to bother him," Sharon said, "but I asked again, 'You're Tony Romo, right?' " I knew it was him by then. But he smiled and said, 'Yes, ma'am.' "Sharon: "I did something no 50-year-old woman should be doing, but I screamed real loud, and then jumped up and hugged him."Bill's immediate response was "Don't tell me how you guys did. I'm going home to watch it."By the next day, after seeing what the "something strange on his chin" was about, that made the Whites appreciate Romo's gesture even more."He gets almost knocked cold in that game, and I read it took 13 stitches to close the cut, and then there's a long flight home [the Cowboys charter arrived at around 11 p.m.] and Tony's got to be dog tired, but he still was a good enough person to stop and help us," Bill said."Look, we're driving a 10-year old car that is sitting in a parking lot with a flat tire in the dead of night. He could tell by that we're nothing special.But here's a young man making millions of dollars, and he's got all this fame and glory, and he does this?"The Whites couldn't thank Romo enough. "But if I ever had the opportunity, I'd also like to thank two other people. His mom and dad," Bill said. "They obviously raised him right. We've got kids about his age. We know how difficult it can sometimes be in this day and age."(An e-mail from Sharon alerted me to Tony's good deed. No Cowboys official knew about it even by Wednesday.)Not that the Whites weren't already Romo fans, but ..."After all this, what I realized is the athletic thing is Tony's gift, yet it goes beyond that," Bill said. "This was a good person we met. A good person with small-town values despite all the big-city fame and fortune."Shrug off a blow to the chin. Win a game. Help strangers fix a flat. It was a fine Sunday for the kid.Randy Galloway can be heard 3-6 p.m. weekdays on Galloway & Co. on ESPN/103.3 FMRandy Galloway, 817-390-7760

Indian Guy

I met this guy from India last night. He called himself Dave. I don't know if that was his real name or not. I went to a place called the Christian Community Center, it is a place that young adults hang out and socialize, eat, and the sort. After about an hour there Dave walks in and starts hitting the food and after a few people said a hello or two to him I decided to go introduce myself to this guy. At the watering hole in the joint I said hi, told him who I was, and asked his name and if he was in school. This guy was full of information. About an hour later I had learned so much about him and India and that within 25 years that Texas will have a Governor who will not speak a lick of English. One of his business professors was telling him this and that within 15 years that all the bill boards along the tollway and other major highways will all be in Spanish. After he finishes his undergrad he is going to learn to speak Spanish fluently then open a health care company that deals with natruopathy in either L.A. or Dallas. They will primarily cater to the Hispanic population.
After telling him that I was interested in going to India he really began to talk. He said, "lets sits down, tell me what you like about India?" He told me about the people, the religions, history, how Indian people originated. You all know of the people we see walking around that we might call 'towel heads'? I mean no disrespect by that. But they are a sect of Hindu called seek, I am sure that is the incorrect spelling but that is what his was calling the religion. He told me why they wear those and about the history of how it happened.
Apparently long ago India was a conglomeration of many different states that lived peacefully among each other. They each spoke their own language with multiple dialects. When Britain assumed occupancy of the area they introduced common laws, English, electricity, and much more. Upon Britain leaving, the Indian states were given the option to be independent or unite under a common government. Most all of the states chose to become part of India, but Kashmir remained independent. Over time Muslim influence from Pakistan, on its western border I believe, began to try to force Islam on the people of Kashmir against their will. Today tensions between India and Pakistan still boil over concerning this area. Kashmir eventually decided they wanted to be annexed into India.
We talked about why Islam appears violent and radical at times. He says because in Islam that they are taught that the world should only have Islamic people. Therefore they should do away with the infidels.
He told me so much more as well. We talked about how the Caste system was started and how there are more Indians who speak English in India than in the United States. There are 1.15 Billion people in India and some around 360 million speak English. That is more than the population of the U.S.

Interesting fellow.

Check it out Free Books`

A really cool site that has free books online. CDs are also available.

Free Books

Turning the page

For those of you who do not know yet - I am going to graduate school this fall.
After a few years of working hard and not really falling in love with any particular 'job' I have had... I am chasing after what I really enjoy and have a passion for - nutrition and wellness. I am getting my Masters in Sports Nutrtition. It just feels like it fits. I initially went in to talk to TWU about their graduate program in Nutrition and when I did the advisor mentioned that I should look into Sports Nutrition, So of course I jumped on that. It will open up more opportunities as well. I can now work in the sports arena and that would just be fun.
I start classes on August 25th at no other place than Texas Women's University in Denton, Texas. And yes, they do accept men.
The whole thing is exciting and scary at the same time. Taking the step to follow my dreams is exciting and motivating. The whole stepping in to the unknown element of 'going back to school' brings about the "whatsgonnahappennext" factor. But hey, I guess I have dealt with a few of those this year already...
Today I can say that this is what I am supposed to be doing. There was a little risk with stepping out to do this, but I feel there was more of a risk not taking this chance. I am not getting any younger, right now is a good time to take this chance. Also when I come out the other end I will have a very marketable skill . With awareness on the rise and billions of dollars being spent on "nutrition" each year I feel confidient that I will have many opportunities available. Through the whole decision making process I kept telling myself that if for some reason this doesn't work out or I don't feel like it is my bag, then I can always go back a get a job that I don't like and go work some where only for the money. I am tired of doing that, going to work just for money. I am ready to do something I enjoy. So... here it goes.

And now I live over here in Denton with 4 other guys... I am diving right back in to the whole college experiece. Yeah, gonna have to find a part time job, start studying again... dating college chicks, syllaby, Student ID, full time = 12 hours.
Exciting and scary at the same time.

If any body knows of a great place to work around Denton let me know. Otherwise I will be selling my platelettes. And I hate needles!