Burglary

Jen and Eli went to Wisconsin on Friday. I went to dinner and out with some friends. When I came home, I thought it odd that a light was home. I then opened the front door and found it was chained shut. Through the three inch gap, I looked into our bedroom and saw drawers opened and clothes strewn about. Though I didn't hear anything, I decided to call the police.

The office entered with drawn gun; nobody was there. I had been praying that the external hard drives were still there, figuring that both laptops, the iPod, the Wii and the digital camera would all be gone. The thief must love all things Apple as only the iPod and the MacBook were missing. Everything else was sitting out in plain sight. Must have been looking for things that will sell quickly and are easy to transport as it appeared they were looking for cash, jewelry and firearms from where stuff was thrown out of drawers.

The thief came in through the front window, looked through Jen's desk, both out nightstands, the dressers, and both closets. It wasn't a very smart thief as all the cash from baby showers was in my desk! The thief left through the back door, leaving it a few feet open.

We figure someone scoped out the place and knew we weren't home. I'm feeling mostly thankful as no one was home, we have insurance, and I expected to have lost a lot more. I don't feel someone violated our space, but I do feel vulnerable in that someone can see all 8,000 of our photos that were on the Mac. My friends keep reassuring me that the drive has already been wiped and the computer's been sold. (And yes, I have been checking Craigslist just to see if it appears!)

In my ethics class this semester, we've talked a fair bit about memory and remembering rightly. I am trying to hold the perpetrator in my memory justly - neither demonizing him/her nor letting him/her off the hook. An injustice was committed against me. I would like to meet with the thief, though I realize it's unlikely. I would like to hear the story of the circumstances and offer forgiveness to him/her.

The "good neighbors" at State Farm are pretty helpful, so I should be getting a new iPod and MacBook later this week. Needless to say, Eli's photos are going to be posted late!

Kids on Human Trafficking in South Africa for World Cup

While this video is political (because it's about people and their/our life together), it's not about particular legislation, candidates or parties. Simply about the abuse and injustice that will happen in the country hosting this year's World Cup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VxD3RmRUf0

Eli's Weight Gain

Birth: 6-15

3 days: 6-9 (lost 6 oz)

1 week: 7-1 (birth weight regained)

2 weeks: 7-11

3 weeks: 8-10 (almost a pound in a week!)

4 weeks: 9-6

1 mo checkup: 10-0

5 weeks: 10-1 (today)

That's three pounds net gain in five weeks. If this rate continues, he'll weigh just over 38 pounds at one year. I doubt that will happen though. Just a fun mathematical exercise (for me).

Bath Time Follies

Eli loves his baths. I mean this kid has not cried at all during all the baths we have given him. He tenses up when his feet or butt make first contact with the water, but that's it. I'm already looking forward to baby "swimming lessons" with him once he turns 6 mo.

Today, we put his little tub on the kitchen counter beside the sink so I wouldn't break my back bending over the tub. I don't know how many of you have ever given a baby a bath, but once the No More Tears shampoo/soap gets all over them, they are slippery! So it became painful to be balancing myself kneeling beside the tub and worrying about Eli slipping out of my hands and hitting his head or something.

Tonight's bath was going along great. It's fun that Eli can hold his head up for the most part and that his eyes are tracking us more and more. I'm more comfortable with how to give a bath, including cleaning the hard to reach folds of skin on his neck.

But I made the mistake of washing his face with a washcloth that was too full of water! He sputtered and clenched his whole body as he coughed and cried for a minute. It's amazing that his little body knows where water is not supposed to go: in the lungs. I was freaking out, realizing that I nearly drowned my son! Thankfully Jen was there to calm me down and reassure me that it was not that bad. I felt terrible.

We toweled him off in his hooded towels. I was putting a diaper on him when I noticed his face was wet. He had peed on himself. What an end to the bath time adventure. I told Jen that if he cries during the next bath, it's because I've traumatized him!

First Road Trip

We took our first road trip up to Green Bay this weekend so Eli met Grandpa Jim and his side of the family. Here they are in their first moments together.

Eli was a champ both on the road and in the hotel. Everything takes longer with a baby.

Where did we have lunch? Curly's Pub at Lambeau field. We will continue rooting Packers and secretly hoping the Lions break 500 one of these seasons...

Ellis Week 4 Photos

Today marks one month for Ellis!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28794320@N05/sets/72157623892900728/

Habituation

Here is one of the first experiments that Ellis participated in. I was following the book Touchpoints by T. Berry Brazelton. Watch how quickly he habituates to the light...

Diaper Growth

Ellis has transitioned from the "N" (newborn) to the "1" in diaper sizing. In case anyone cares, we use Pampers Swaddlers. There's a big difference - he went from filling out the N to the drowning in the 1.

First Restaurant

Last night, Jen, Kristi and I took Ellis to dinner with us at Red Robin. Ellis slept through the whole outing, despite the loud music, the kids at the table next to us, or it being in the evening. We enjoyed the hamburgers (especially the Santa Fe), unlimited fries and malts. The first restaurant outing was almost flawless until we heard the manager whistling at us after we left the restaurant. We had forgotten the diaper bag at the table. At least we had the baby with us.

A different baby

When I got home after work today and played with Ellis for about an hour, he was completely calm, just as how I remember his first week in the world. He was alert, moving, making soft sounds - very pleasant to be around! I was about at my limit last night when I posted last. I'm amazed at the change in temperament from day to day. I suppose it will serve me well to remember this when the next fussy day comes. And, before falling asleep, I realized that it was I who was fussy more than it was Ellis.

Fussy, Fussy

Ellis was fussy today. Jen said he wanted to be picked up almost all day. I was gone most of the day studying and at class. When I came home, we walked to a Thai restaurant for take out dinner and ate at home. Ellis fell asleep on the walk but woke up when we got home. After dinner, we took a long walk and put him in the stroller. Despite all the bumps on the sidewalk, Ellis was fast asleep. I fed him a bottle when we got home and he woke up (5 minutes after we arrived). And then he fussed and squirmed while watching LOST. I gave in and handed him over to Jen. I get it Ellis: I am not a patient person!

Ellis Week 3 Photos

All caught up!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28794320@N05/sets/72157623725636885/

Ellis Week 2 Photos

Only 1 week behind now...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28794320@N05/sets/72157623718589123/

Eye Contact

I came home today at 6 and found Ellis sound asleep on Jen's chest. I held him while we watched the news and then gave him a bottle. Through the whole 3.5 oz, he kept his eyes on me and I talked to him just about the whole while. It was a magical 20 min.

Ellis Week 1 Photos

I'm two weeks behind, but catching up...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28794320@N05/sets/72157623710816641/

Hiccups

This is Ellis at 9 days. Note the neck muscles. Sorry about the odd background noise. I have opened a case with Nikon (L110) to try to figure out what's going on...or I'm returning it.

Night 9

Last night was the most challenging one yet, and that's saying a lot as most of the 9 nights of our lives with Ellis have been quite pleasant. He fussed more than usual, he had the hiccups 3 times, he woke up to feed sooner than usual, and once he stayed awake the whole 2.5 hours between feedings. We kept him up as much as possible today and after the next feeding, we're off to bed.

Day 1 & 2 Photos

We've started a Flickr page for photos of Ellis. We've also made a permanent link to the photostream "Ellis Photos" under the "Links" section of this blog:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28794320@N05/sets/72157623599412053/

Hospital Photos

You can see the professional photographer's work (and order prints) here:

http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=bfc743c7-a17c-4ff2-aaeb-dd95858d1e43

Day 1

Jen's family was the first to arrive.

The first skin to skin, approximately one hour after birth.

The first poop.

Eli loves looking at whomever is holding him!

Bath time

This is one of our favorite pictures of Eli. He's getting his first bath at the hospital. He didn't cry too much during the bath, but we may have shed a tear laughing at how he looked during it!!

Night 5

Following a terrific 4.5 hours of sleep, Eli refused to fall back asleep between 3-6 am. Mom fed him twice in there, and Dad tried to lull him by watching Kung Fu Panda. We're feeling good at the moment, but we'll be tired this afternoon. We're going to keep the little guy more awake today.

Baby Ellis

Jen gave birth to our son, Ellis Isaac, on Friday around noon. He also goes by Eli. He wass 6 lbs 15 oz and 20.5 in long. He is a wonder to behold! It was a natural birth involving a fast 4 hours of intense labor after Jen's water broke. The pregnancy was considered term, though he came 2 weeks earlier than his due date. Baby, Mom and Dad are all healthy and doing great. We came home Saturday evening and have since figured out breastfeeding, diaper changes, and we made a few field trips to the pediatrician, Babies R Us and a neighborhood walk.

Andrew caught Ellis as he was born and gave him to Jen!

The closest I'm coming to getting a tattoo.

Proud and tired.

Long and lean!

Carseat installation

LATCH system is operational. Now to have it checked by a professional (police officer).

OnLive - the future of gaming

http://www.onlive.com/

Two minute video. Wow.

Cradle

A kind and generous coworker has loaned us this cradle that her father made for her to use with her own children. There is a metal nameplate for each child that has used this crib over the years - I think our child will be about the fifteenth - as other friends of this woman have also been blessed with it for the first months of their children's lives. It fits nicely in our bedroom along one wall, a foot's reach from the bed to give the little one a gentle rocking in the night if s/he is fussy. That means neither of us has to get out of bed!

Diapers

Here you can see our cloth diapers are washed, air dried, and ready to go.

Diapers Ready

30 weeks

Crib

We received the crib at the shower over the weekend. We set it up tonight. 48 minutes flat. Check out the clocks if you doubt it. This baby thing isn't going to be that hard, is it?!?!

Starting at 5:21p

In the middle of it

Finished

Ready and waiting...

Obama speaks with Republicans

This is a long video (slightly over an hour) but it gives us an idea of the interaction happening between the president and house Republicans.

No GM Alfalfa!

From the Organic Consumers Association:

Barack Obama, despite promising us "change we can believe in," is unfortunately turning out to be just as pro-GMO as the preceding Bush and Clinton administrations, packing the USDA and other government bureaucracies with Monsanto men and biotech cheerleaders such as former Iowa Governor, Tom Vilsack, named "Biotech Governor of the Year" in 2001, now serving as USDA Secretary. Vilsack, notorious for flying around in a Monsanto company jet during one of his previous election campaigns, is now busy trying to get the court-ordered ban on Roundup Ready alfalfa lifted by issuing a new draft environmental impact statement (EIS) that denies or downplays the obvious environmental (genetic pollution and creation of herbicide-resistant superweeds) and human health hazards of GM alfalfa.

Alfalfa is the fourth most widely grown crop in the U.S. and a key source of dairy forage and hay. The first perennial crop to be genetically engineered, GM alfalfa can regenerate itself from its root-stock. It is open-pollinated by bees, which can cross-pollinate at distances of several miles, spreading Monsanto's patented, foreign DNA to non-GMO and organic crops. Widespread GMO-contamination of organic alfalfa is inevitable if the Obama Administration successfully distorts science and ignores public opinion and allows Monsanto's GM Roundup Ready alfalfa to be planted across the U.S.

Take action!

http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=14469696

Why's everyone wearing glasses?

I have thought for a long time that as our worlds become smaller and smaller, our eyesight is getting worse and worse. Now there's a little something to it. Solution: have your kids play outside for 2+ hrs/day! So we can avoid both Nature Deficit Disorder and near-sightedness.

Read the article here.

Pistons Plays of the Decade

When your team is on a 13 game losing streak, you need to remember the good times. Go Pistons!!!

Relationships and Rightness

I read this morning and thought it aptly described some of my own thinking and feeling:

The question is how to relate to these individuals when a controversial topic—abortion, say, or Afghanistan—is broached. We have a stock of options for response: retreat, limited resistance (arguing only until someone gets upset), a strategic diversion (speaking of Afghan affairs, did I tell you I’ve learned to crochet?), or full-scale engagement.

Hmm … Interestingly, these are all military metaphors. There’s something about political dialogue more than any other topic that flips us into combat mode. There’s ground we feel compelled to protect, or to gain. For the duration of the argument, the other person stops being my sister or my uncle or my friend: They are my opponent, and I can either convince them of my rightness, or lose.

But lose what? I’ve been mulling that over. Why do I feel so threatened when people I care about take a different political path—and are vocal about it? It’s not the same as reading a columnist I disagree with, or exchanging political punch lines with Facebook acquaintances, or getting into a discussion over healthcare with a colleague at work. Such cases may generate hot air, but they don’t leave me feeling as heated up and vulnerable inside. There’s no personal relationship. When we care about someone, we let them have a stake in our well-being. And part of our well-being, we believe, is staked on being right. The relationships and the rightness get all tangled up.

Read the full article.

Google Wave

Anybody interested in the future of online communication? Here it is in less than 8 minutes!



Here is the complete guide, if you want more: http://completewaveguide.com/

Takraw

This is the favorite sport of one of our sponsored children in Thailand, Peerawat. This 5 minute video gives an overview of the sport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15asVgf66KI

Squirrel Problem No Longer a Problem

Who'd have known that the answer to all the squirrel attacks against the plants, pots and chairs on the porch were just a click away?? Thank you YOU TUBE!!!

Put Poor People on the Climate Change Agenda

I liked this response from Jim Wallis to a group of senators who asked for feedback from a small group of religious leaders on a Senate bill on climate change.

Thanks for the invitation. You have, I am sure, heard us speak about creation care as the commitment we have to the environment. Most of us believe that human-caused climate change is a threat to God’s creation. Religious leaders actually do listen to scientists, and they are telling us that the pace of climate change is all happening even faster than expected. A good climate bill could signal a whole new direction and could even be a “three-for.”

1. It could protect the environment and begin to slow and eventually even reverse the dangerous and deadly impact of climate change.
2. It could create important and meaningful green energy jobs, many of which could be an opportunity for low-income and undereducated people, and also be good paying work.
3. It could change our foreign policy, which has been dominated by successive wars over oil. This could begin to decrease our dependency on foreign oil.

Read the rest of the article on the God's Politics blog.

A Joyful Surprise!

This morning, we had our routine first trimester ultrasound! Yes, that's right, I'm pregnant! So much has happened since I last wrote, and we've decided it's time to make it public with everyone online.

In mid-July, we went camping with my cousins as we do every year. A week and a half later on a Friday, I got a call that everything was finally ready to go for me to make an appointment at the fertility center. I decided to wait to call on Monday morning so Andrew and I could look at our schedules to be sure we could go together.

Then a strange thing happened. Over the weekend, I didn't get my period. Remember, I've been charting my cycles for years, so when I was one day later than I'd ever been, I knew it immediately. My temperatures remained high, and even had gone to a higher level. A tri-phasic pattern is one sign of pregnancy. So, on Tuesday morning I took a home pregnancy test, but at that point it was really just a formality. Of course, it was positive!

I've been very tired. That's the biggest thing I've noticed. I also am craving Kraft mac'n'cheese and anything with Velveeta. NOT NORMAL! :) But, I can definitely handle this!

Washington Post Reports Meat Eating is 'Huge Contributor' to Climate Change

Last week, the Washington Post summarized a number of recent reports indicating that one of the best things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint or greenhouse gas pollution is to reduce your meat consumption. Here are some quick highlights:

-A Carnegie Melon study found that the average American would benefit the planet more by being vegetarian one day per week than by switching to a totally local diet (heck, why not do both?).

-A University of Chicago study found that switching to a vegan diet would have a bigger impact than trading your gas guzzler for a Prius.

-The head of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, recommended that people give up meat one day a week to take pressure off the atmosphere.

-According to a 2006 United Nations report, livestock accounts for 18 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

Although we've reported similar studies in Organic Bytes over the years, it's refreshing to see a mainstream media outlet finally bring attention to the topic. Americans seem okay being told they should recycle, drive less, and weatherize their homes, but something short-circuits when you ask them to reduce their meat consumption.

The OCA article

The Washington Post article

It's Affecting me Deeply

Just a quickie here... 2 issues I'm thinking about this week. One is that last week Andrew and I went camping with my cousins. He and I haven't spent large quantities of time together this summer, it's been busy. So for us to be together (and sleeping in a tent) for 5 days was the first chance we've had to be together like that in a while. While we were driving home, Andrew told me that he started to see during this week that infertility really is changing me and affecting my whole life. Immediately my shoulders dropped and I wanted to cry out of relief. I am NOT making this up.

It is NOT in my head.

Someone else sees it too.

As much as I'd like to pretend I'm fine, I'm not. I want to be the image I have in my head of a strong, independent woman who can do it all and doesn't sweat the small stuff and won't be shaken in the big stuff. The word "steadfast" comes to mind. But, I live in a place called reality and this women in my head is just not me. I'm sensitive. I'm like a vase that cracks easily and may eventually break. I am not invincible.

So, I'm changing. My face, at rest, no longer resembles a smile, and the smiles flow out less freely. I am becoming cynical. I am judgmental. I am bitter. I don't like any of these things, but hopefully admitting it is some kind of first step toward healing.

The second thing going on is that it is taking forever to be able to make an appointment to see the fertility specialist. Every time I call, they tell me they are waiting on this or that. So I call whoever they are waiting on, and give it a few days. Then I call the specialists office again, and they got what they needed, but they also need this other thing.... so I'm on the phone again. I'll get more lab work done tomorrow, and hopefully that will be the final requirement so I can finally make an appointment, which will be 2-4 weeks from when I schedule it.

I'd like to say that I've learned some more deep, philosophical or spiritual truths since I last wrote, but the only thing I've learned since then..... I don't have chlamydia. Phrewf! There is some good news in all of this.

Infertility at the End of the Month

It's about that time... the end of the month. My period is due in the next 7 or so days, and I have all the usual symptoms. I feel weak, and tired. I'm not quite weepy yet, but I know that's coming too. So today I thought about it a bit, and I'm trying to think of ways to prepare for the first few drops of red that show me again that we have not conceived this month.

You'd think that knowing its coming and being prepared would be half the battle, but how do you prepare for this emotional tidal wave? I've been down this road. I feel weak and tired, but isn't that how I'd feel if I were pregnant too? Month after month I've played these games with myself. No matter how much I tell myself that, rationally, this is PMS not early pregnancy, my heart is still battling with my mind. I know that if I were pregnant there would also be other signs, but somewhere deep inside I cannot let go of hope. People always talk about hope as a positive thing, it's the thing that keeps you going. Why do I feel like hope is destroying me? If I could only let go of this hope, I would be more emotionally stable, which would help me feel physically stronger. But no, hope has it's grip on me, and I can't shake it, even if I desperately want to. Logic will not win the battle against emotion, especially with the current hormone cocktail I've got brewing.

In nursing school, you learn about the "feeling of impending doom". If a patient describes anything like this, you listen, because it truly means something big and bad is about to happen. You notify everyone who needs to know. You get help.

What do I do with that feeling now? I know my period is coming, and I know that when I does I will cry for a day and be depressed with no energy or drive for about 3 days. I know it's coming, and I don't want it to rule my life. What can I do to prepare?? It feels so helpless and again, the lesson of this whole thing....... out of control. I get it God, I'm not the one in control here. Help me get through the next week and a half....

Adventures in Infertility

We haven't posted in a long time, so I have no idea who, if anyone, will be reading this. I (Jen) am just kind of looking at it as a public journal for now. It's going to be personal, and not nearly as riveting as Andrew's conspiracies or ways to get involved to save the earth. It's just me, and what's been going on... looking for anyone who can relate or has constructive ideas.

Since December 07, just after we ran the Chicago and Grand Rapids Marathons, we've been trying to conceive. If that's too personal, stop reading now. We've tried everything. We are educated folks, and I'm a nurse in labor and delivery, so we have a lot more information than the average 20-something who wants to have a baby. I planned to be pregnant in the first 2-3 months of trying. Why not? We are healthy, young, not overweight, not eating an abundance of junk food, get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, drink a lot of water, eat some organic foods, and have no family history of fertility issues. I've been taking prenatal vitamins since before we started trying, so we have covered all the major bases. Needless to say, 3 months came and went.

I didn't start getting anxious until about 6 months. Many of our friends who started trying at the same time as us were announcing their pregnancies, and every month when I got my period again it felt like failure. Andrew and I are both first born control freaks, but we are aware of this so it's fair game to talk about. We are white, middle class, educated. We recognize that we are privileged. For our entire lives so far, if we wanted something, we were able to work harder or smarter and get it. We've never encountered anything (at least not anything important) that we absolutely could not get. But we cannot control this one. We can't work a little harder and end up with a baby. We can't get more educated to learn what steps to take to have a baby.

By 10 months we stopped charting our cycles. We'd been charting for over 3 years by then, first to avoid pregnancy, then to try to achieve it. We just needed to stop thinking about it for a while. After one year, I knew that we had officially inherited the title "Infertile". This was my biggest emotional breakdown. At work women of all kinds were coming in to have babies... fat women, smokers, women who had been on the pill or had an IUD to prevent pregnancy, and even women on cocaine. They gave birth to healthy babies, both wanted and unwanted. And here am I. Young, healthy, and wanting.

Being infertile made me question myself as a woman. Being tall and athletic, I have always been teased. People have called me names: Jolly Green Giant when I wore my favorite green dress, Ogre throughout middle and high school, and yes, of course, lesbian. Now, this one thing that makes me distinctly woman, the ability to carry and give birth to a baby, is being withheld from me. Why?

Also, it's been a time of deepening faith for me. I have yelled at God and asked "Why?". I have cried, and begged, and probably tried to strike deals with Him, but still, here I am. Barren. Maybe He's not saying No, maybe He is saying Not Yet. On my good days I know that I still trust Him and love Him, and on my bad days I eventually come to that conclusion after I rage at Him for a while. Glad He is all loving and full of grace. He can take it.

Marriage. I truly think that a thing like this can tear it apart or make it more solid than it ever would have been without these trials. Praise God; Andrew and I are closer than ever. We can talk about all these things, and usually our bad days don't come on the same day.

At about 15 months of "trying" we got some basic testing done. We check out okay. That's great! And horrible. As control freaks we want to know what's wrong so we can fix it. Instead we fit into the category of "Unexplained Infertility", which applies to about 20% of infertile couples.

Meanwhile, our friends are now having babies. And more friends continue to get pregnant. We are truly happy for them. It does, also, remind us of our great saddness.

We are now at 18 months and met with the doctor yesterday. She is great. I am not thrilled at the idea of pumping my body full of synthetic hormones, and she understands that. Here are the options. Do nothing and continue to wait. Start treatments with drugs to try to treat a problem that doesn't seem to be there. See a fertility specialist and find out more options. We'll see.

We've also gone to informational meetings about adoption, which is something we both wanted to do before we got married. We always pictured it as more of a choice, not as our only option. We were told that if we conceive during the adoption process, we have to wait until the baby is about 8 months old and start the process over from the beginning. Does anyone have anything to say to that? Did this happen to you? What did you do? What are you doing now?

Friends and family. No one knows how to respond to this, and it makes them uncomfortable. When you run into someone and they say "Hey, how's it going?" or "What's up?" or "What have you been up to lately?" I can feel it bottle up inside of me and I want to regurgitate this entire blog for them, but how many people really want to stop and listen to that? The more polite response is that not much is up, and you're doing well, so I stick to that for the most part. When I do tell people, they either look like they would like to close their eyes and wish themselves out of the situation because they are so uncomfortable, or they offer some cheery advice to "help". Like this:

Just stop caring/trying/worrying about it and it will happen.

Look into adoption and it will happen.

Um, not helpful. I want to punch them in the face and run away crying, but I know they are only saying this because they have heard it said before or they just don't know how to respond. No worries, I'm going to tell you how to respond right now...

If someone tells you anything that is difficult for them, infertility included, respond something like this: "I'm so sorry, that must be really hard for you guys. " Then, encourage them to open up about it as much as they would like to. It really shows that you care and is way better than any cliche you have to offer.

So, like I said, for now we have a decision to make. I think we'll probably see the specialist, but as much as we'd like to have a baby we seem to be dragging our toes a bit. I just keep thinking that maybe this month will be different. Maybe if we are just patient this one more time it will pay off....

Setting myself up for another disappointment. About the 19th or 20th one, actually.

Signing Off

I haven't posted in two months, and I don't plan to post for a long while. Blogging takes more time than I want to give to it. If we do pick it up again, we'll probably return to the personal stuff. That just might be worth the time. A&J

McCain's Buddhist Faith

Don't believe everything you read. Barack Obama is not a Muslim. John McCain is not a Buddhist. Both are Christians. Let us not come to evaluate candidates by trying to determine which is more "Christian". So with that preface, I thought that you might be interested in this crazy email I received at work. I couldn't find anything about it online elsewhere.

as a member of a small Christian church here in Germany and interested in US and world politics I am watching the events in the United States very closely.

In this context I want to give you my honest assessment about John McCain. I have read that almost all the Evangelical congregations in the US have endorsed him. That's hard to understand.

Frankly: After I listened to John McCain several times, heard his statements and watched his encounter with the Dalai Lama on July 25 in Denver, Colorado, I have very strong reservations about any endorsement of an Atheist or Buddhist candidate who left his wife when she was disabled. There is nothing Christian in John McCain's biography.

I do not see anything in his words and deeds which is in concordance with the words of the Gospel. Absolutely nothing! I only see in John McCain hatred and Buddhist spirituality at the same time.

Look at the pictures of Denver: how the Dalai Lama took McCain's right hand and patted it repeatedly while he spoke and McCain smiled like a Buddhist acolyte. Finally John McCain removed his hand, put it to his heart and said to the Dalai Lama: THANK YOU YOUR HOLINESS.

Buddhism is surely a peaceful religion, so you may wonder why John McCain is exuding so much hatred, infirmity and confusion.

To understand this you have to know very briefly two of the most important constituents of Buddhism, metempsychosis and the concept of Vices:

first there is the idea of a transmigration of souls, metempsychosis (the current Dalai Lama is still worshipped by his followers as a semi-god, because he incarnates the souls of his predecessors) and

second there is the conception of three Buddhist 'Vices', who are driving the life of human beings on their earthly circle (this earthly circle is called 'Samsara' = 'Wheel of Life' in Buddhist religion).

As an acolyte John McCain has often gone to see the Dalai Lama for spiritual guidance.

The last time John McCain visited the Dalai Lama was on Friday, July 25. Of course McCain sought in these visitations an answer how to contain his 'Vices' who are - as he believes it - the 'Vices' of - Greed - (symbolized as a cock) - Ignorance - (symbolized as a pig) and - Hatred - (symbolized as a snake) (all according to the Buddhist religion).

If you look at John McCain's hatred, infirmity and confusion you can easily find these so called 'Vices' of Buddhism as the driving forces behind his 'Samsara' (wheel of life). But McCain's Buddhist spirituality, his aggressiveness and his hatred have absolutely NOTHING to do with Christianity.

Yours sincerely

name witheld (München, Germany)

Video (Washington Post) of the encounter of the Dalai Lama and John McCain in Denver, July 25:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2008/07/25/VI2008072502539.html?sid=ST2008072503003

Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans

February 27, 2007


Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1)
acknowledges that slavery is incompatible with the basic founding
principles recognized in the Declaration of Independence that all men
are created equal;

(2) acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow;

(3)
apologizes to African Americans on behalf of the people of the United
States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who
suffered under slavery and Jim Crow; and

(4) expresses its
commitment to rectify the lingering consequences of the misdeeds
committed against African Americans under slavery and Jim Crow and to
stop the occurrence of human rights violations in the future.

Full text of bill - it's short.

Why many Americans perfer their Sundays segregated

I found this fascinating and disheartening. CNN article.

Our First Kiva Loan is Repaid

Last December, we lent $25 as part of a collective $1,200 loan to an Ukrainian woman for her shoe selling business in Kharkiv. Now, we just reloaned the money again! What a beautiful cycle possible in capitalism. If you haven't heard about Kiva.org, check it out!

100% Clean, Renewable Energy in 10 years

Olympics on Google

The Summer Games Google Maps lets you view medal and event information based on your favorite regions and sports, and there's a 3D video of the various Games venues you can tour:

Anthrax - Government coverup?

I know I'm behind the times with this. Here's an 8 minute video and a NYTimes article link.

USDA Organic Fraud

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program (NOP)
announced on August 5th that 15 of the 30 accredited organic certifiers
they recently inspected failed the USDA audit and will have 12 months
to make corrections or lose their accreditation with the NOP. It is
clear that there are numerous violations of organic standards taking
place in the U.S. and across the world. (Read the August 5 NOP Audit
Report here)

Rest of the OCA article here.

Free CFL Recycling at Home Depot

It's about time! More.

Organic Foods Priority

From ConsumerReports' Greener Choices: Go for produce first on your organic shopping budget. Then for meats, eggs and dairy. Not surprisingly, Jen and I had come to this conclusion on our own. Nevertheless, it's nice to feel validated! More.

McCain's Funny Alright

This just in from McCain's campaign - the prize that can be yours for a $25 donation! Arguments are confusing to most of us. I think McCain's campaign has a better sense of humor. I suppose that goes with the territory of being a senator for the past 22 years - you can play defense when you know the ropes a little more and have less dramatic solutions for the country. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily. Seriously. This is a purely humorous post. Too bad I already have a stainless steel tire gauge.

American Life Drops $1 M

This American life - what's it worth? About $6.9 M according to the EPA. That's down one million from five years ago. What about inflation?!?! More.

Instead, economists calculate the value based on what people are
willing to pay to avoid certain risks, and on how much extra employers
pay their workers to take on additional risks. Most of the data is
drawn from payroll statistics; some comes from opinion surveys.
According to the EPA, people shouldn't think of the number as a price
tag on a life.

Email A to Z

This 20 question quiz tests your email aptitude. I scored 14 and passed. I thought I did a lot better than that! Post your score if you take it.

Email Test

Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World

I stopped drinking diet sodas years ago. It didn't taste as good or seem very natural. Considering NutraSweet and Equal are about as old as I am, I'm left wondering why the public didn't know about these health risks? Further, why are many people "dieting" by drinking these scary substances??? It's the most food product studied in the world!!!

Now this is not a great documentary. It's low-tech. I wish there were a filtered version that included the 30-45 minutes most valuable of the 90 minute total production.

Does anybody know anything about Stevia? Apparently the FDA won't look at it...

If you're still eating foods containing the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, diet drinks, etc.), you need to watch this documentary. Aspartame was approved for widespread use in the U.S. in July of 1983. Within six months, brain tumor rates climbed 10%, diabetes went up 30% and brain lymphoma tumors skyrocketed 60%. Learn how this toxic chemical was scandalously approved by the FDA and is now one of the most widespread food additives in the U.S.
Watch it now: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9978.cfm

Habitat for Humanity Investment

I'm not sure how many will take this investment option offering "up to 2%" over 3, 5, 7, or 10 years. It reminds me of Kiva - with a small, added margin.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL OFFERS INVESTMENT-BASED INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT HOUSE-BUILDING PROJECTS

Investment Program with Calvert Foundation creates an additional way to help finance Habitat’s Work

ATLANTA and BETHESDA, Md. (July 24, 2008) —Habitat for Humanity International and Calvert Social Investment Foundation today announced the launch of the Habitat for Humanity Investment Program, which will enable people to support Habitat for Humanity as they make affordable housing part of their investment portfolio.

Facilitated through Calvert Foundation’s Community Investment Note, the program provides a means for individuals and other nonprofits to invest their money into a fund that directly benefits Habitat for Humanity. The notes start at a $1,000 minimum (when purchased directly from Calvert Foundation – www.calvertfoundation.org/habitat – or through a financial adviser) and $100 when purchased online at MicroPlace (www.microplace.com/habitat ), an eBay company.

The notes may be invested for one, three, five, seven or 10 years, and investors choose to earn an interest rate up to 2 percent. The full value of the principal is then loaned to Habitat for Humanity, enabling Habitat to obtain access to low-cost, flexible capital, which then will be used to serve more families and build houses at a faster rate.

At maturity, investors may collect the principal and interest accrued, or they may reinvest to support Habitat and help provide a sustainable solution to fighting poverty. Investors also have the option of making a tax-deductible donation of their interest to Habitat for Humanity.

“The vast need for decent, affordable housing in our world means that we have to be creative in our response to it, while staying true to Habitat’s mission,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “This exciting opportunity with Calvert Foundation will generate more capital to help further that mission. As supporters invest in the Habitat Investment Program, we will be able to strengthen our capacity, which, in turn, will allow us to invest in more families as together we build simple, decent homes worldwide.”

Calvert Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that raises investment capital through individuals and institutions and uses the funds to provide affordable loans to nonprofit organizations, issues the Community Investment Notes. Calvert Foundation has raised more than $140 million over the last 12 years through similar Community Investment Note programs and has helped build more than 12,500 affordable homes.

“We are so pleased to work with Habitat for Humanity on this investment initiative,” said Shari Berenbach, president and CEO of Calvert Foundation. “For over a decade, Calvert Foundation has worked hard to show the world how powerful investment can be for helping nonprofits thrive and grow. The Habitat Investment Program will make a meaningful impact for

Maybe Bush is not Batman

I'm behind the times in hearing just today about the Wall Street Journal's article comparing Bush to Batman. Here's a response to that opinion piece. This is the final paragraph:

But ultimately this film is about society's desire for a
scapegoat. "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself
become the villain," say at least two of the characters, and it
climaxes with Batman on the run from the authorities because people
have started to blame him for what is wrong with their lives. In this
regard, the film ends on a note that either satirizes or endorses the
view that George W. Bush has been a shining hero, defending the free
world from masked evil. I tend to think that the film comes down on the
side of the angels rather than the hawks, in the way it raises the
prospect that violence meeting violence produces only more violence.
Indeed, the most hopeful and heroic act in the whole story comes from
one of the men in an orange jumpsuit. But these things can be read a
number of ways, and I could be wrong. In fact, I'm pretty sure that in
spite of the film's extraordinary quality, the politics of The Dark Knight are so subtle that this movie will be a great comfort to President Bush in his retirement.

National Housing Trust Fund

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, a national housing trust fund was created. I'm proud to say I helped encourage my elected officials to create such a program. Here's the news straight from the HFH International CEO:

We did it!

Months ago, we began fighting for vulnerable families and communities hardest hit by the housing crisis in America.

Today, we can celebrate.

After the Senate and House passed a sweeping housing relief bill, President Bush signed the bill into law earlier this week. This is a major victory, particularly given that the new law contains 100 percent of the provisions we have been fighting for - including $4 billion in neighborhood stabilization funding and the national housing trust fund.

The compassion and dedication of Habitat for Humanity supporters like you helped make this possible. Congress made this legislation a top priority because, together, we stood up for this important bill and the families it will serve.

This is a huge victory for families and communities across America caught up in one of the worst housing crises in our country's history. Your support is truly making a difference.

Thank you again for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Reckford
Chief Executive Officer
Habitat for Humanity International

Obama on Faith Based and Community Initiatives

Straight from Barack Obama in an exclusive phone call with Relevant
Media Group's president and founder, Cameron Strang on July 1. Full
text available here.

Strang: For a variety of reasons,
Congress wouldn’t support President Bush’s Office of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives. Why do you feel they’ll support your plan?



Obama: Based on the assessment of those who actually worked on
this in the Bush White House, part of the problem was that the Bush
Administration had a tendency to maybe politicize the office
unnecessarily. And I think that’s a mistake. I think you really have to
have an attitude that this is a program designed to help all comers,
not just those who supported you politically.



The second thing is that there has to be some very clear criteria and
accountability in these programs. I don’t think taxpayers want their
money wasted, whether it’s a faith-based or a secular program, so we’ve
got to be able to document success in whatever programs are funded.



We also want to train more sophisticated groups—the big megachurch or
Catholic Charities—to work with the small storefronts, or the synagogue
or mosque that doesn’t have as much know-how, in applying for federal
funds to be able to participate. So I think that if we make it broad,
if we have clear standards and clear principles governing the program,
if it’s not perceived as being an extension of politics but rather a
way to ensure services get to the people who need them, then I think we
can generate support from Congress.



Strang: Your plan specifically prohibits discriminatory hiring
policies based on religion. Don't you think faith-based organizations
that would otherwise want to join this program would bristle at the
limitation that they can’t hire a staff that reflects their
organization’s values?



Obama: I think it’s important to distinguish between people who
are hired as part of a church to carry out that church’s mission or
ministries, or administer the church. There’s always a religious
exemption there from Title VII. It’s important for us to make sure that
a Christian church can hire Christians or a Jewish church can hire
people of the Jewish faith. That’s different from programs that are
specifically funded by the federal government and offered to the public.



I’m going to have my Council on Faith-Based Partnerships review all our
policies, review relevant law and regulations, executive orders and
court cases. But the simple principle is that we should not
discriminate against faith-based organizations in being able to carry
out terrific programs [funded] by the federal government, but we want
to make sure that those programs are run in a nondiscriminatory manner.




And that’s not going to encroach on the ability of those faith-based
organizations to do what they need to do when it comes to their core
religious mission. They are going to be able to hire and carry out
those functions of a church, or synagogue, mosque or temple, but they
can also participate in federal programs as long as those are done in a
way that is not encroaching on a separation of church and state, is
open to the public and is not involved in proselytizing.



Strang: Not being able to proselytize through a program that receives funding—how would that be enforced?



Obama: You know, the truth of the matter is, a lot of
faith-based organizations currently are doing a great job on this
issue, and they recognize that when they are administering federal
funds, their priority has to be to provide high-quality services and
they are not interested in discriminating or proselytizing. Obviously,
there may be some who try to use these funds in inappropriate ways, but
I think that’s the tiny minority of those who really just want to serve
their communities and do the right thing.

Obama on Abortion

Straight from Barack Obama in an exclusive phone call with Relevant Media Group's president and founder, Cameron Strang on July 1. Full text available here.

Strang: Based on emails we
received, another issue of deep importance to our readers is a
candidate’s stance on abortion. We largely know your platform,
but there seems to be some real confusion about your position on
third-trimester and partial-birth abortions. Can you clarify your
stance for us?



Obama: I absolutely can, so please don’t believe the emails. I
have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states
to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a
strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I
don’t think that “mental distress” qualifies as the health of the
mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in
pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother
carrying that child to term. Otherwise, as long as there is such a
medical exception in place, I think we can prohibit late-term
abortions.



The other email rumor that’s been floating around is that somehow I’m
unwilling to see doctors offer life-saving care to children who were
born as a result of an induced abortion. That’s just false. There was a
bill that came up in Illinois that was called the “Born Alive” bill
that purported to require life-saving treatment to such infants. And I
did vote against that bill. The reason was that there was already a law
in place in Illinois that said that you always have to supply
life-saving treatment to any infant under any circumstances, and this
bill actually was designed to overturn Roe v. Wade, so I didn’t think
it was going to pass constitutional muster.



Ever since that time, emails have been sent out suggesting that,
somehow, I would be in favor of letting an infant die in a hospital
because of this particular vote. That’s not a fair characterization,
and that’s not an honest characterization. It defies common sense to
think that a hospital wouldn't provide life-saving treatment to an
infant that was alive and had a chance of survival.



Strang: You’ve said you’re personally against abortion and would
like to see a reduction in the number of abortions under your
administration. So, as president, how would do you propose
accomplishing that?



Obama: I think we know that abortions rise when unwanted
pregnancies rise. So, if we are continuing what has been a promising
trend in the reduction of teen pregnancies, through education and
abstinence education giving good information to teenagers. That is
important—emphasizing the sacredness of sexual behavior to our
children. I think that’s something that we can encourage. I think
encouraging adoptions in a significant way. I think the proper role of
government. So there are ways that we can make a difference, and those
are going to be things I focus on when I am president.

Al Gore's Latest Speech

Renewable energy in 10 years - 100% 0-carbon electricity for everyone. That's bold and probably not going to happen, even if we all wanted it and were willing to spend for it. Nevertheless, it's the right direction.

McCain "Documentary" on Obama's Iraq Policy

Here's a link to a 7 minute video put out by McCain. I still have to give his campaign credit for having better multimedia than Obama's, to my surprise. The point of the video is to show that Obama has flip-flopped on the issue of Iraq. I noted a few irregularities:

1. Obama initially claims additional troops will not solve things and probably will make things worse. I can take "worse" to mean that Iraqi's will continue to be dependent on American military might while advancing their own military and politics more slowly. The video then shows him one year later saying that additional troops would result in increased security and lower violence. I don't hear a flip-flop; I hear apples (long-term results) and oranges (short-term results).
2. Our troops are doing a good job of their assigned task. That is difficult to question considering few, if any, other countries have militaries that could or would do something similar. Applauding the troops' work does not equate with opposing a troop surge.
3. The war in Iraq has gone on for at least 5 years now. To show clips from various years of Obama speaking about the war should be expected to change because the situation in Iraq is changing. I consider it illogical and foolish to hold the same position through 5 years of such a situation. One formulates a response and a plan to what transpires. This is poor politics on McCain's behalf.
4. It's not as simple as voting for or against additional funding for the war. This may reflect a broken political system that makes it difficult to vote about items individually.
   
5. The "translation" pages are bogus, appealing to Americans that don't, or won't, think critically about such weighty issues. Worst of all, it's called a "documentary". Please, callit political propaganda or something else accurately reflecting its true nature. This is, again, dirty politics from McCain.
   

Argument for Christians Voting

Brian McLaren writes several good points for still engaging the politics of this world as an argument against not voting or writing in "Jesus". I agree with him.

Obama's June Gift Average: $68

Source: email from BarackObama.com

Obama ad: America's Leadership

Promoting Obama's foreign policy and an example of his bi-partisan record of changing things together. 30 seconds.

Water Footprint Quiz

This isn't a great inventory. It is something. I read on Earth Day that 1/3 of our water usage is in flushing toilets. I've been going with the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" philosophy since.

Computer vision syndrome

I have thought for years that all our time in front of screens cannot be good for our eyes. Here's a bit more about the potential problem and what you can do for your eyes' health.

Nearly 150 million people in the United States work on a computer every day, and it is estimated that close to 90 percent of them experience computer eyestrain. While mass computer expansion at home and in the office has provided a big boost to global communications, computers have and will continue to take a toll on our eyesight. In fact, occupational health experts agree that the source of today’s top vision complaint in the workplace is the computer monitor.

The following suggestions may help:

1. Greater hertz or frequency of the monitor’s screen will reduce the flicker in the screen. In addition, the higher the pixel count of the monitor’s screen, the better the resolution, resulting in enhanced reliability. Resolutions of at least 110 pixels per inch are recommended.
2. Glare from lights reflecting off the screen will lower the contrast, thus forcing the eyes to work harder. A glare-reduction filter can reduce this potential problem significantly. One bearing an American Optometric Association seal of approval is recommended.
3. Adjustable work stations allowing for appropriate placement of the computer screen at angles 10 degrees to 20 degrees (slightly below eye level) are most comfortable. Also, a monitor on a base that swivels will reduce unnecessary head and eye movements.
4. Ergonomically designed chairs and keyboards, and proper ambient illumination, can provide additional relief. The keyboard, screen and copy should all be as close to equal distances from the eyes as possible. Workstation lighting should be shaded to avoid reflections on the monitor. Typical office lighting was designed for working on paper on a flat desk surface, and is actually twice as bright as the optimal lighting conditions for computer work.

From Highmark. Full article here.

Budget Hero

So Americans are a bit obsessed with heroes right now - Heroes the TV show, Guitar Hero, and now Budget Hero. It lets you call the shots and make the decisions for the federal budget. Check it out and post the following (all shown in the final summary)

1. Your 3 chosen badges and if you achieved them - mine were Health & Wellness, Green, Economic Stimulus (3 for 3 achieved)
   
2. What % of GDP the debt is in 2018 - mine was 17%
   
3. Year of the budget bust - mine was 2057
4. What % of GDP the federal government is in 2018 - mine was 18.7%

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/budget_hero/

Candidates on Social Security

Here's a brief summary of the candidates' positions about Social Security in two (and a half) paragraphs. Maybe it's helpful for you.

John McCain hasn't yet made a full-bodied Social Security proposal during the presidential campaign. However, it seems that 1) he welcomes a bipartisan compromise to ensure a politically feasible reform, and 2) he would prefer giving younger workers the option of diverting some of their FICA tax to individual retirement accounts. This will give payroll taxpayers more freedom to choose how they want to fund their payroll tax-based retirement. However, it will also reduce the Social Security funding the 3.3 workers would normally provide for the one retiree. This will make it even more difficult to avoid Social Security bankruptcy (which is why many on the left believe McCain wants to kill Social Security).

Senator Barack Obama, on the other hand, opposes any privatization of Social Security. He believes, in contradiction to Senator Hillary Clinton, that Social Security is in crisis. His primary fix is to increase the payroll tax cap from $102,000. All workers contribute 6.2% and employers contribute 6.2% of payroll to Social Security, except those whose annual payroll exceeds $102,000. They pay nothing on their payroll over that cap, which means the highest income workers are taxed proportionately less than their lower income worker counterparts. Obama wants to tax more of the income of upper-middle-income and high-income workers, but presumably still at the 6.2% FICA tax rate every other worker pays. He also wants to establish automatic workplace pension plans for those workers working for employers who do not provide a pension plan, which is about half the workforce. "Under this plan, employers automatically enroll their employees in a direct deposit IRA account. Employees may opt-out by signing a written waiver. Even after enrollment, employees will retain the right to change their savings levels, reallocate investment portfolios or end contributions to the account." Employers will not finance the plan, would merely be a forwarding agent for employee contributions, and they would be eligible for tax credits to defray any cost to the employer. Of course, these contributions would be in addition to the standard FICA tax, not part of it.

From Evangelicals for Social Action, written by Bret Kincaid - whole article here

Yahoo! acronym

Somebody told me Yahoo was an acronym. Looks like she/he was right!

The Web site started out as "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web" but eventually received a new moniker with the help of a dictionary. The name Yahoo! is an acronym for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle," but Filo and Yang insist they selected the name because they liked the general definition of a yahoo: "rude, unsophisticated, uncouth." Yahoo! itself first resided on Yang's student workstation, "Akebono," while the software was lodged on Filo's computer, "Konishiki" - both named after legendary sumo wrestlers.

From Yahoo! Media Relations.

Candidate Emails and Videos

Well, this is a disappointing post for both presidential candidates.

Obama's campaign director finally launched a video with some graphics, about a month after McCain's campaign released a longer, more interesting, and far more detailed video. At least Obama's into the video arena now. I hope it improves.

McCain's email on June 27 included links to 2 negative ads. The mud slinging continues. I don't doubt that both candidates will air them on television. I'm disappointed they are being promoted online as well. I hope it stops.

His July 11 Love video is nicer. I did notice that there's a shot of him and Regan but none of him and Bush Sr. or Bush W. Still trying to get that conservative vote - while mentioning that he's been a "maverick." I'll be curious to see how it turns out.

McCain's latest briefing video (July 10) is visually appealing. A balanced budget by 2013 doesn't make sense to me - why that long??? I don't think he has the facts right about Regan being part of deficit reduction in the 80's like Clinton was in the 90's. Here's a chart of national debt. I'm not saying Clinton did anything great - it's the economy and the president's influence on that is highly arguable. You can see the video here:
http://www.johnmccain.com/economicbriefing/

Farm Bill

I hadn't heard much about the U.S. farm bill lately until reading this from Bread for the World. Looks like we have legislation until 2012 that was partial success and partial failure.


The U.S. farm bill was finally enacted into law on June 18, 2008. After a long process that included passage by both the House and Senate, delay due to a clerical error, vetoes by President Bush, and votes to override the vetoes, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 is now law. It expires in FY2012.

Bread for the World members worked long and hard to make the new farm bill more fair to struggling U.S. rural and farm families, people in the United States who are hungry or at risk of hunger, and poor farmers around the world. The final law includes a significant increase – approximately $10.3 billion over 10 years – in U.S. nutrition assistance. Bread for the World members helped increase mandatory funding for the McGovern-Dole international school meals program from $60 million to $84 million. The Hunger-Free Communities Act, which was a focus of our Offering of Letters in 2005, was included in the final version.

Unfortunately, the bill maintains the status quo on commodity payments for generally wealthy farmers. It does not set the new direction for agriculture we need, especially in light of the global hunger crisis. However, our efforts changed the public and congressional debate about the farm bill, made nutrition the most critical component of the bill, and highlighted the unfairness of our commodity policies, which had previously passed with little input from anyone outside the Agriculture Committee.

Deet-free insect repellents

Consumer Reports Greener Choices recently reviewed insect repellents, finding the chemical Picaridin to be as effective as DEET. Wish I knew this a week ago before camping for 5 days straight with cousins in Wisconsin!

Picaridin is a chemical repellent that’s considered as effective as deet at the same concentration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When used properly, it’s also considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Our tests found that Cutter Advanced Sport with 15 percent picaridin scored better than two repellents with 7 percent deet. It protected against both mosquito species for an average of almost 3 hours and against ticks for 11 to 12 hours.

Whole Article

Obama's Faith-Based Initiative

I don't like Obama's decision with this one. Here's the best paragraph I recently read about it.

Perhaps the most controversial component, at least from the perspective of those who have generally supported federally funded faith-based initiatives, is the issue of discrimination in hiring. Most everyone agrees that these federally-funded programs must have a secular purpose and that they cannot discriminate on the basis of religion against those who are served. But what about those who are hired to serve in the programs? Obama said his program will not permit hiring discrimination on the basis of religion, which means faith-based organizations cannot consider religion as a factor in hiring people to deliver federally funded services in a religious organization. Harvard Law Professor Martha Minow, who has advised the Obama campaign on this issue, reportedly said that “Mr. Obama would move to ‘return the law to what it was before the current administration.’” It was President Bush who issued executive orders to allow religious organizations receiving federal funds to consider religion a factor in hiring. Obama’s reversal of this policy has sparked criticism from the Christian Right but also from moderates like Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals, who said this part of the CFNP was “extremely disappointing.”

This paragraph was taken from the full article found here.

US Finally Issues Health Warning over Mercury Fllings

Amalgam dental fillings - which contain the highly toxic metal mercury - pose a health risk, the world's top medical regulatory agency has conceded.
After years of insisting the fillings are safe, the US government's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a health warning about them. It represents a landmark victory for campaigners, who say the fillings are responsible for a range of ailments, including heart conditions and Alzheimer's disease.
Earlier this month, in an unprecedented U-turn, the FDA dropped much of its reassuring language on the fillings from its website, substituting: "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and foetuses." It adds that when amalgam fillings are "placed in teeth or removed they release mercury vapour", and that the same thing happens when chewing.
The FDA is now reviewing its rules and may end up restricting or banning the use of the metal.

Straight to the Source.

White House Lies to the World about Biofuels

A new report from the International Monetary Fund estimates that biofuels are responsible for as much as 30% of the global food shortage. Despite this fact, at the United Nation's emergency food summit in Rome, USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Edward Schafer, defended the U.S. government's decision to spend billions of dollars subsidizing corn and soybean-based ethanol and biofuel, falsely claiming that biofuels contributed only 2% to 3% of the overall increase in global food prices over the past year. According to USDA spokesman, Jim Brownlee, Mr. Schafer was unaware that his statistics were off by nearly 90%.

Myths and Facts about Biofuels