Lessons From A Hurricane. The Role of Taxpayer Subsidies in the Obesity Epidemic.

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We just got power back from losing it during Hurricane Beryl!!

Lessons from A Hurricane

The most powerful and destructive storms on earth are called hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones, depending on where they occur. 

On Sept. 8, 1900, a very powerful hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, on the Gulf Coast of the United States.

The storm and the storm surge that followed destroyed more than 3,500 homes. The death toll from that storm was around 8,000, making it the worst and deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history—2.5 times deadlier than the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. 

Twenty-eight years later, on Sept. 12 and 13, the Okeechobee hurricane of 1928 plowed through the Caribbean before slamming into Florida, killing a total of 4,000 people, 2,500 of them in the U.S. In Puerto Rico alone, the storm left half a million people homeless.

In 2005, the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history hit the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts. Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge in places was 28 feet above the normal tide. In the end, Katrina was responsible for about 1,400 deaths, and caused $125 billion in damages.

To survive a hurricane or other natural disaster, it’s vital to be prepared. What should one do to be prepared? And, even more important, what spiritual lessons can you and I draw from this process?

Watch the news: Unlike a century ago, today weather satellites and radar can give warnings days in advance of the approach of a hurricane, typhoon or cyclone. Warnings go out several days before, encouraging people to prepare their properties and even evacuate if that is deemed necessary. 

Over a century ago, when the Galveston hurricane struck, it is probable that so many deaths occurred because they had so little warning. By the time they knew how big the storm was, it was too late.

How many times in Scripture are we given the admonition to watch and pray (Luke 21:36) or “take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand” (Mark 13:23) or “I have told you before it comes” (John 14:29)?

I’ve heard prophecy described as news written in advance. One of the primary purposes of prophecy is to show in advance what will happen, so God’s people can be prepared (Amos 3:7).

Just as we have news stations showing satellite images and tracking storms, so we have prophecies providing written “storm warnings” about the events that are soon to smash through the lives of people in the end time.

Are we watching the “news” of the Bible? Or will we be like the majority of mankind, who will be surprised by the storms at the end of this age (Luke 21:34)?

Stock up on emergency supplies: Emergency preparedness includes having a supply of food that doesn’t need refrigeration, as well as drinking water, protective clothing, flashlights and batteries and, if possible, fuel. 

These are all items a family might need to survive until clean-up crews make it to them and normal utilities and services resume.

Jesus Christ made a similar spiritual point through the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. In this parable, righteousness and God’s Holy Spirit are likened to the oil needed as fuel for lamps in that time. 

When I was a boy on the farm, we always had kerosene lamps and kept extra kerosene on hand for those times when a storm would knock out power. I did homework by kerosene lamp more than once—and we were glad to have them! 

My wife and I still have some of those same old lamps—and we have spare kerosene also! Because, without oil or kerosene, your lamps are of no help in a crisis.

We are told this is the condition of the Christian who is not diligently working to repent, grow and build righteous character. A Christian must work daily to make sure his or her life is filled with and guided by God’s Spirit. 

When a crisis of faith or a heavy trial comes—and we know it will—we cannot just instantly obtain righteous character out of thin air any more than a man stranded after a storm can just instantly obtain kerosene (or flashlight batteries or food or water) out of thin air. 

Take action—NOW: With the benefit of advanced warning, government officials will begin urging residents to prepare for a storm, board up windows and gather needed supplies. 

If a storm is expected to be severe enough, evacuation warnings and orders will go out. People living in the most vulnerable areas will be urged to get out. 

Sadly, with every powerful storm, there are many people who refuse to leave their homes. With Katrina, some refused to leave until it was too late. 

They thought they were strong enough or prepared enough that they could survive what was coming. In many sad cases, they were wrong. 

Over the years I’ve heard brethren state they will start praying and studying more “after I retire” or “when the kids start school” or “after my business takes off and I don’t have to put so much time into it” or so forth. 

Others feel they are already spiritually mature and strong enough to endure whatever life may throw at them, and they don’t need anything more. Revelation 3:17 indicates this will be a problem Christians must beware of at the end of this age. 

Don’t put off prayer, Bible study and working hard to strengthen your spiritual life. Take action NOW! When the most severe crisis ever to hit mankind comes, we don’t want to be unprepared and without the spiritual resources we need to weather the storm with our faith intact!

Study this further in our online article “How to Prepare for the End Times.”

Kind regards, and have a great rest of your week,

Tom Clark, for Life, Hope & Truth

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The Role of Taxpayer Subsidies in the Obesity Epidemic

Transcript of the video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-role-of-taxpayer-subsidies-in-the-obesity-epidemic/

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

“Why are U.S. taxpayers giving billions to support the likes of the sugar and livestock industries?

The rise in calorie surplus sufficient to explain the obesity epidemic was less a change in food quantity than in food quality, with an explosion in cheap, high-calorie, low-quality convenience foods. And the federal government very much played a role in making this happen. U.S. taxpayers give billions in subsidies to prop up the likes of the sugar industry; the corn industry and their high-fructose syrup, (HFCS); and soybean production, about half of which is processed into vegetable oil, and the other half used as cheap feed to help make dollar-menu meat. Why do taxpayers give nearly a quarter billion dollars a year to the sorghum industry? When was the last time you sat down to some sorghum? It’s almost all fed to livestock. We’ve created a pricing structure that favors the production of sugars, oil, and animal products.

The farm bill started out as an emergency measure during the Great Depression of the 1930s to protect small farmers, but was weaponized by Big Ag into a cash cow with pork barrel politics—including said producers of cows and pork. From 1970 to 1994, global beef prices dropped more than 60 percent. If it weren’t for taxpayers sweetening the pot with billions of dollars a year, high-fructose corn syrup would cost the soda industry about 12 percent more. (And then we hand them more billions through the “food stamp” program to give sugary drinks to the poor.)

Why is chicken so cheap? After one of the farm bills, corn and soy were subsidized below the cost of production for cheap animal fodder, effectively handing the poultry and pork industry about $10 billion each. That’s not chicken feed—or rather, it is!

This is changing what we eat. Thanks in part to subsidies, dairy, meats, sweets, eggs, oils, and soda were all getting relatively cheaper compared to the overall consumer food price index as the obesity epidemic took off, whereas the relative cost of fresh fruits and vegetables doubled. This may help explain why during about the same period, the percentage of Americans getting even five servings of fruits and vegetables a day dropped from 42 percent to 26 percent. Why not just subsidize produce instead? Because that’s not where the money is.

To understand what is shaping our foodscape today, it is important to understand the significance of differential profit. Whole foods, or minimally processed foods, such as canned beans or tomato paste, are what’s referred to in the food business as “commodities.” They have such slim profit margins. Sometimes they’re even sold at or below cost as “loss leaders” to attract customers in hopes they’ll also buy the “value-added” products. Some of the most profitable for producers and vendors alike are the ultra-processed fatty/sugary/salty concoctions of artificially flavored, artificially colored, and artificially cheap ingredients thanks to taxpayer subsidies.

Different foods reap different returns. Measured in profit per square foot of supermarket selling space, confectionaries like candy bars consistently rank among the most lucrative. The markups are the only healthy thing about them. Fried snacks like potato and corn chips are also highly profitable. PepsiCo’s subsidiary Frito-Lay brags that while their products represented only about 1 percent of total supermarket sales, they may account for more than 10 percent of operating profits for supermarkets, and 40 percent of profit growth.

It’s no surprise, then, that the entire system is geared towards garbage. The rise in the calorie supply wasn’t just more food, but a different kind of food. There’s a dumb dichotomy about the drivers of the obesity epidemic: is it the sugar or is it the fat? They’re both highly subsidized, and they both took off. Along with a significant rise in refined grain products that’s difficult to quantify, the rise in obesity was accompanied by about a 20 percent increase in per capita pounds of added sugars, and a 38 percent increase in added fats.

More than half of all calories consumed by most adults in the United States were found to originate from these subsidized foods, and they appear to be worse off for it. Those eating the most had significantly higher levels of chronic disease risk factors, including elevated cholesterol, inflammation, and body weight.” 

From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-role-of-taxpayer-subsidies-in-the-obesity-epidemic/

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Should You Keep Valentine’s Day? 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Valentine's Day. How Much Added Sugar Is Too Much?

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Should You Keep Valentine’s Day?

“On Feb. 14, couples around the world will express their love through Valentine’s Day gifts. But many deeply devoted Christian couples will not. Should you?

I recently returned from a pastoral trip visiting congregations of the Church of God in Ghana. Since I returned to the United States, it seems like every time I turn on a radio (mostly when I’m in the car) or see ads in the newspaper or on TV, I’m encouraged to buy flowers, candy, “unique gifts” or even a brand-new car for “someone special” for Valentine’s Day.

I have not observed Valentine’s Day for over 40 years. Why do my wife and I, as well as thousands of Christians around the world, choose not to observe this seemingly innocent, romantic holiday?

Pagan origins

The details surrounding the origins of Valentine’s Day can be a bit muddy, but without a doubt it originated in pagan festivals focused on fertility rites. Most authoritative historical sources will cite the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia as the genesis of the modern celebration. That three-day celebration was focused on purification, fertility and “love” (read that as sexual lust) among the young, single Roman population.

Most authoritative historical sources will cite the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia as the genesis of the modern celebration. After sacrifices had been made (apparently both goats and dogs figured prominently in these sacrifices), bachelors would draw the names of young single women from an urn, and then they would be paired together for a year. In some cases these pairings would result in marriage, but not always. As Clyde Kilough, editor of Discern magazine, states on a Life, Hope & Truth video commentary, “The pagans knew how to mix a lot of illicit sex into their religious celebrations.”

Sometime before A.D. 500, the Catholic Pope Gelasius I “Christianized” the celebration by transforming it from a celebration of pagan fertility into a focus on a “Christian” saint. Valentine was the one chosen to be so honored (apparently, there were multiple Catholic saints with that name).

However, the “Christianized” celebration retained its focus on “love” and sex, including images of Cupid, the Roman god of love. Cupid was originally depicted to have sharpened his arrows of love on a grindstone whetted with the blood of an infant. That repulsive imagery was gradually replaced with a more commercially suitable image of a cute, pudgy baby during the 1800s.

To learn more about the origins of Valentine’s Day, read “Valentine’s Day Is Pagan? So What?”

Should Christians keep Valentine’s Day today?

Fast-forward to today. While many people generally understand the pagan origins of this celebration, they really don’t see a problem with keeping it as a day to send romantic gifts to their significant other. After all, it is a “harmless” holiday all about love, romance and sweetness toward that someone special in your life; how could that possibly be wrong?

The answer comes from some rather straightforward warnings in the Scriptures:

“Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish” (Deuteronomy 8:19). To be clear, participating in Valentine’s Day is involving ourselves in the ancient worship practices of “other gods”—not the true God.

God doesn’t want His people adding pagan practices from other religions:

“Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way. … Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:30-32).

Some may want to argue that Valentine’s Day isn’t really that religious anymore, so these scriptures don’t apply. But that argument ignores the clear origins and the ancient focus on illicit sexual activity that was part of this practice. The fact that some may not consider it to be the same today does not remove the pagan origins that bring the practice down to us today. Nor does it change how the true God views these things.

Happy couples do not need to give gifts on Valentine’s Day to show their love for each other. Read our blog “3 Romantic Alternatives to Valentine’s Day” to learn more.”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/should-you-keep-valentines-day/

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5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Valentine's Day

Transcript of video at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/5-reasons-not-to-celebrate-valentines-day

“Here's five tongue-in-cheek reasons not to celebrate Valentine's Day. But can you find another?

[Steve Myers] “Here's a little tongue-in-cheek discussion on 5 reasons not to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Number one: Flowers make you sneeze and they don't last very long.

Number two: Pink does not make you look thinner.

In fact, number three: Pink's a girly color that makes men feel wimpy.

Number four: Chocolate makes you fat.

Number five: Valentine's Day is just commercialism by the greeting card companies to make millions of dollars.

Are those any reasons that you shouldn't celebrate Valentine's Day? There is a more important reason, but it comes back to realizing what is life all about. What is romance after all because Valentine's Day is supposed to focus on romance? And we often think of the flowers and the candy and the meals out and all those kinds of things.

But you know what? Romance is sometimes vacuuming the house.  Romance is sometimes, yeah, cleaning the toilet or maybe changing a diaper or two or maybe making his favorite dessert. That's what real romance comes down to so much of the time, real life. And sometimes we get fooled by taking one day and trying to make something huge out of it when in reality love is a daily thing. It's something that we show every single day of our life.

Christ Himself said that whatever we want men to do to us, we should do to them. And it should be something that's on going, not just a onetime thing.

It reminded me of a passage that's over in Ecclesiastes in Ecclesiastes 9:9. Ecclesiastes 9:9 says, "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life, which He's given you under the sun." So it's all our days not just one day.

And so you could probably come up with a longer list of reasons not to celebrate Valentine's Day, but you know they're not all humorous. There is another reason.

You know that many of the world's holidays are focused and come from roots of paganism. That's where they're rooted. Valentine's Day is no different, named after a Catholic saint. It's rooted in paganism. Maybe that's a question you could ask yourself. What does God think about Valentine's Day?

Check it out a little bit. Look at what Deuteronomy 12 has to say about it. Check it out. Do a little bit of research. You may be very surprised what you find. In fact, you'll probably add one more big reason not to celebrate Valentine's Day.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/5-reasons-not-to-celebrate-valentines-day

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How Much Added Sugar Is Too Much?

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-much-added-sugar-is-too-much/

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.

“Are table sugar and high fructose corn syrup just empty calories or can they be actively harmful?

In 1776—at the time of the American Revolution—Americans consumed about 4 lbs of sugar per person each year. By 1850, this had risen to 20 lbs, and by 1994, to 120 lbs, and now we’re closer to 160. Half of that is fructose, taking up about 10% of our diet. This is not from eating apples, but rather the fact that we’re each guzzling the equivalent of 16-oz soft drink every day; that’s about 50 gallons a year.

Even researchers paid by the likes of the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and The Coca- Cola Company, acknowledge that sugar is empty calories, containing no essential micronutrients, and therefore if we’re trying to reduce calorie intake, reducing sugar consumption is obviously the place to start.

Concern has been raised, though, that sugar calories may be worst than just empty. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the fructose added to foods and beverages in the form of table sugar and high fructose corn syrup in large enough amounts can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and other chronic diseases.

Fructose hones in like a laser beam on the liver, and like alcohol, fructose can increase the fat in the liver, increasing the risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is one of the most remarkable medical developments over the past 3 decades—the emergence of fatty liver inflammation as a public health problem here and around the globe.

These may not be messages that the sugar industry or beverage makers want to hear. In response, the director-general of the industry front group World Sugar Research Organization, replied “Overconsumption of anything is harmful, including of water and air.” Yes, the overconsumption of sugar compared to breathing too much.

As one author expressed, I suppose it is natural for the vast and powerful sugar interests to seek to protect themselves, since sugar takes up the single greater percentage of our daily caloric intake.

The American Heart Association is trying to change that. Under their new sugar guidelines, most American women should consume no more than 100 calories per day from added sugars, and most American men should eat or drink no more than 150. That means one can of soda could take us over the top for the day. The new draft guidelines from the World Health Organization suggests we could benefit from restricting added sugars to under 5% of calories. That’s about 6 spoonfuls of added sugar. I don’t know why they don’t just recommend zero as optimal, but you can get a sense of how radical their proposal is given that this is how many we consume right now.”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-much-added-sugar-is-too-much/

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Is Space the Final Frontier? Are We Alone in the Universe? The Role of Processed Foods in the Obesity Epidemic.

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Is Space the Final Frontier?

“The vastness and unexplored mystery of outer space has inspired many. But is it truly the final frontier? What other vistas await the human race?

As a boy in the 1960s, I think I learned to count down from 10 almost as early as I learned to count forward. The thrill of each rocket launch in the race to the moon began to make anything seem possible.

When the original Star Trek television series launched in 1966, it seemed that space truly was “the final frontier,” as Capt. James T. Kirk declared at the start of each episode. Our collective mission was “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

To boldly go

In the years since Star Trek’s short three seasons (1966-1969) and the brief period of human exploration of the moon (1969-1972), the excitement of space seems to have faded a little. But for many people it never lost its pull.

Now private companies have begun to take up the mission “to boldly go,” with space tourism serving as a stepping stone to the moon, Mars and beyond.

Feeling the overview effect

In October 2021, the actor who played Capt. Kirk finally got his chance to experience space in real life. William Shatner, then 90 years old, spent only three minutes in space with Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. But the effect was powerful.

The Atlantic reported that, with tears running down his cheeks, Shatner said, “What you have given me is the most profound experience I can imagine.”

What was it like touching the edge of his final frontier? “It’s extraordinary. Extraordinary. I hope I never recover from this.”

Shatner is not the only one who has felt powerful emotions upon looking down on our precious planet or out into the universe. The experience has even been given the name the overview effect.

• “No one could be briefed well enough to be completely prepared for the astonishing view that I got,” wrote astronaut Alan Shepherd in 1962.
• “If only everyone could relate to the beauty and the purposefulness of it,” said Gene Cernan, one of the 12 people who have walked on the moon. “It wouldn’t bring a utopia to this planet for people to understand it all, but it might make a difference.”

For more about this phenomena, see our blog post “The Overview Effect: Why We Need to See the Big Picture.”

Other frontiers

While outer space has gotten most of the headlines as the final frontier, others have suggested that inner space is where it’s at. Of course, this term has been defined in different ways. Merriam-Webster.com says the first known use of inner space was in 1958, in the sense of “space at or near the earth’s surface and especially under the sea.”

It has also been used to describe the microscopic world, as well as the inner self.

All of these frontiers, though closer to home, may be as mysterious and challenging as outer space.

The bottom of the sea

As man headed into space, undersea exploration was also taking off.

On Jan. 23, 1960, Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh descended for nearly five hours to reach the Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the ocean. It is 6.83 miles (10.99 kilometers) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean near Guam.

Ever since, oceanographers have made amazing discoveries in an unseen world every bit as fantastic as science fiction:

• “In the coastal waters of Shark Bay, Australia, scientists discovered that a seagrass bed of Poseidon’s ribbon weed (Posidonia australis) is actually one plant. The massive organism covers an area of 77 square miles” (Smithsonian).
• Off the coast of Antarctica, “scientists discovered 60 million icefish nests covering an area the size of a small city” (ibid.).
• “From 13m-long (43ft) voracious carnivorous squid, to scuttling Yeti crabs huddling near hydrothermal vents, to tusked whales dwelling thousands of feet down to avoid predatory orcas, sizeable marine animals new to science are still being documented every year” (BBC).
• The deep ocean seemed to be “a harsh, monotonous place of perpetual darkness, frigid temperatures, limited food and extreme pressure—conditions that should make complex forms of life impossible. But new tools . . . have demonstrated that biodiversity in the darkest depths may rival that of rain forests and tropical coral reefs” (Scientific American).

But even with all the exploration that has been done, only 5 percent of the ocean has been explored.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, “Humans know more about the physical and chemical properties of outer space than about planet Earth’s deep ocean regions.”

Inner space remains an exciting frontier for future generations. “The generation of kids in middle schools right now will explore more of Earth than all previous generations combined,” said National Geographic explorer-at-large Robert Ballard.

The microscopic world

Within the earth’s biosphere, the life-forms visible to the eye are outnumbered by the microscopic ones. This invisible world could also make a claim to the title final frontier.

Consider these amazing facts:

• “Right beneath your nose—on your face, in your gut, and everywhere in between—trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi are so abundant in your body, they outnumber your human cells” (NOVA).
• “Microalgae in the ocean produce half of all the oxygen in our atmosphere. Fungi and bacteria convert the organic material from dead animals into new raw materials. And intestinal bacteria help you digest your food. Without any of them, life on earth wouldn’t be possible” (Micropia.nl).
• “Microbes eat almost everything, including metals, acids, petroleum and natural gas” (ibid.).

The human mind

Lawrence Galton wrote in 1958: “Of all things known in the universe, the human brain is by far, the most complex. As a subject for scientific study it presents infinite intricacies and difficulties.”

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke said in 2023: “The brain is the most complex part of the human body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and controller of behavior. Lying in its bony shell and washed by protective fluid, the brain is the source of all the qualities that define our humanity. The brain is the crown jewel of the human body.”

Beyond the gray matter of the brain itself, deeper questions arise about the difference between animal brains and human minds. In this frontier we are still probing the mysteries of memory, creativity, consciousness and the subconscious. What gives us the ability to think, plan, calculate, design, enjoy, love and so many other things?

The human mind itself is a worthy frontier.

For more on this, see our article “The Miracle in the Mind.”

Our minds have allowed us to study and explore all of these frontiers. And beyond that, they have conceived of other frontiers of creativity and imagination, such as time travel, the metaverse and multiverse.  

Is there anything that all these frontiers have in common? Space, the oceans, the microscopic world, the human mind and the cyber world are all based on some combination of space, time, matter and energy.

In that sense, they are all physical.

In considering what our final frontier is, we should ask:

Is there anything beyond the physical?

Beyond space and time

While human beings enjoy imagining fictional multiple dimensions and universes, our minds can’t truly comprehend realms beyond dimensions and unlimited by time and space. 

As incredible as our imaginations are, they are shaped by what we know—matter, energy, space and time.

Yet there is a source that claims to be a message from beyond space and time. In fact, it claims to be from the Source of space and time. And it offers glimpses into that realm, translated into concepts humans can only begin to perceive.

Most amazing of all, it reveals directions that lead to a portal into that realm.

The Source—the Creator—had a reason for making us as finite beings who are always searching for new frontiers. In His unbounded love, He deeply desires for us to become like Him and to join Him in eternity!

This loving plan—this path leading to our transformation—is truly the final frontier that humanity has always sought.

A peek into eternity

The greatest library of inspirational literature ever written, which claims the Creator God as its Author, gives us tantalizing glimpses into our destiny.

God has big plans for His children, and they are never-ending plans (Isaiah 9:7). This final frontier will be an ever-increasing one, with fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). The Holy Bible reveals that from the beginning, we were actually created in the image and likeness of the Creator (Genesis 1:26). And though we are now mortal and corruptible, God plans to give us immortality and incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:53).

God is offering to share all things with us and to give us amazing glory (Hebrews 2:6-10).

What does this look like? The Bible hints that God’s plans for us are beyond what our senses can experience and beyond even our wildest dreams:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

God has given us “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these [we] may be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). He gives us divine power through His Holy Spirit to begin our metamorphosis.

God wants us to begin the transformation process from the inside:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Those living by the perfect will of God in this world will run into obstacles and enemies, but even these are just part of the training program God has for us.

In this world of dust, challenges abound. But God’s love for us is far more powerful than anything we face. The apostle Paul penned these words of encouragement:

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

The apostle John summed up God’s awesome plan in these immortal words:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! . . .

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).

God has big plans for His children, and they are never-ending plans (Isaiah 9:7). This final frontier will be an ever-increasing one, with fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

This is our ultimate purpose. It gives incalculable value to our lives. It provides profound meaning.

Whether this article has convinced you or not, you owe it to yourself to explore this further.

Study the inspiring human potential using our free booklet God’s Purpose for You: Discovering Why You Were Born. This booklet can enlighten and empower you to boldly go where your Creator is leading you!:  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/what-is-the-meaning-of-life/is-space-the-final-frontier/?

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Are We Alone in the Universe?

“The search for life in outer space is not just the stuff of science fiction. Scientists continue to look for evidence of life out there. Will they find it?

Is there anyone out there?

Do we share the universe with other life-forms? Is there anyone out in the vastness of space?

Many in the scientific community believe the answer is yes. According to astronomers, there are 70 sextillion (7 followed by 22 zeros!) stars in the cosmos. Deeply rooted in evolutionary theory, many scientists believe there is a great probability that life has evolved on other planets with conditions favorable for life.

Exploring exoplanets

Recently NASA has reported the discovery of an additional 65 exoplanets (planets that orbit a star outside our solar system) in our Milky Way galaxy, raising the total to more than 5,000. Yet despite these amazing discoveries in the field of astronomy, the search for life on other planets still eludes searchers.

Reporting on this, Marina Koren wrote in The Atlantic: “But no one has yet discovered evidence of life in another planet’s atmosphere, nor detected radio transmissions wafting from the direction of a distant world. Astronomers can predict how many planets are out there, but they can’t say how many we’d have to find to discover another Earth or a sign of extraterrestrial life. Even with more than 5,000 other worlds in the books, it’s still just us. In fact, scientists could find 5,000 more exoplanets and we might be exactly as alone as we are now” (March 22, 2022).

Others, such as Dr. Seth Shostak, a leading scientist at SETI Institute (in Mountain View, California), believe scientists will find intelligent life in space within the next few decades. SETI stands for Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, a research group with the stated mission “to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe.”  Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/what-is-the-meaning-of-life/are-we-alone-in-the-universe/

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The Role of Processed Foods in the Obesity Epidemic

Transcript of the video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-role-of-processed-foods-in-the-obesity-epidemic/

“The rise in the U.S. calorie supply responsible for the obesity epidemic wasn’t just about more food but a different kind of food.

The rise in the number of calories provided the U.S. food supply since the 1970s is more than sufficient to explain the entire obesity epidemic. Similar spikes in calorie surplus were noted in developed countries around the world in parallel with, and presumed primarily responsible for, the expanding waistlines of their populations. By the year 2000, the United States was producing, after taking exports into account, 3,900 calories for every man, woman, and child—nearly twice as much as many people need.

It wasn’t always this way. The number of calories in the food supply actually declined over the first half of the twentieth century, only starting its upward climb to unprecedented heights in the 1970s. The drop in the first half of the century was attributed to the reduction in hard manual labor. The population had decreased energy needs, so they ate decreased energy diets. They didn’t need all the extra calories. But then, the so-called energy balance flipping point occurred, when the “move less, stay lean” phase that existed throughout most of the century turned into the “eat more, gain weight” phase that plagues us to this day. So, what changed?

What happened in the 1970s was a revolution in the food industry. In the 1960s, most food was prepared and cooked in the home. The average “not working” wife spent hours a day cooking and cleaning up after meals. (The husband averaged nine minutes.) But then, a mixed blessing transformation took place. Technological advances in food preservation and packaging enabled manufacturers to mass-prepare and distribute food for ready consumption. The metamorphosis has been compared to what happened a century before in the industrial revolution, with the mass production and supply of manufactured goods. This time they were just mass-producing food. Using new preservatives, artificial flavors, and techniques such as deep freezing and vacuum packaging, food corporations could take advantage of economies of scale to mass produce ready-made, durable, palatable edibles that offer an enormous commercial advantage over fresh and perishable foods.

Think ye of the Twinkie. With enough time and effort, any ambitious cook could create a cream-filled cake, but now they are available around every corner for less than a dollar––or delivered straight to your door for 30 cents! If every time someone wanted a Twinkie, they had to bake it themselves, they’d probably eat a lot less Twinkies. The packaged food sector is now a multi-trillion dollar industry.

Or, consider the humble potato. We’ve long been a nation of potato-eaters, but they were largely baked or boiled. Anyone who’s made fries from scratch knows what a pain it is, with all the peeling, cutting, and splattering. But with sophisticated machinations of mechanization, french fry production became centralized, and could be shipped at -40^o to any fast food deep fat fryer or frozen food section in the country to become America’s favorite vegetable. Nearly all the increase in potato consumption in recent decades has been in the form of french fries and potato chips.

Cigarette production offers a compelling parallel. Up until automated rolling machines were invented, cigarettes had to be rolled by hand. It took 50 workers to produce the number of cigarettes a machine could make in a minute. The price plunged, and production leapt into the billions. Cigarette smoking went from relatively uncommon to almost everywhere. In the 20^th century, the average per capita cigarette consumption rose from 54 a year to 4,345 cigarettes a year by the time of the 1964 Surgeon General’s report. The average American went from smoking about one cigarette a week to a half-pack a day.

Tobacco itself was just as addictive before and after mass marketing. What changed was cheap, easy access. French fries have always been tasty, but they went from being rare, even in restaurants, to omnipresent access around every and each corner (likely next to the gas station where you can get your Twinkies and cigarettes).

The first Twinkie dates back to 1930, though, and Ore-Ida started selling frozen french fries in the 1950s. There has to be more to the story than just technological innovation…which we’ll explore, next.”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-role-of-processed-foods-in-the-obesity-epidemic/

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

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What Does the Bible Say About Gender Identity? 7 Characteristics of Healthy Families. A Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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What Does the Bible Say About Gender Identity?

“There was a time when sex and gender were synonymous. Things have changed—but have they changed for the better? What does the Designer say about gender?

In today’s society there is certainly no shortage of discussion about gender and what it means to be a man or a woman.

The two words sex and gender used to be synonymous. But many today no longer think that’s the case.

Activists and other cultural voices have succeeded in decoupling these two terms. This change in definition is due in part to the feminist theories of Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler and others and their impact on current progressivist thinking.

Thus, sex is now the term that refers to the biological classification of a person as male or female, and gender is now defined as an identity—a personal, internal perception of oneself that is based on socially constructed roles, behaviors and customs. In other words, gender is now based on how someone feels.

This feeling definition of gender has opened the door to increasing numbers of people (particularly young people) who are identifying as something other than their biological sex.

But what does God’s Word have to say about gender?

What does the Bible say about gender?

As the Creator, God is quite clear in the book of Genesis about His intent for His created order—particularly human beings.

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).

The account continues, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (verse 27).

It is significant that God created humanity in His image. He further states that He chose to express this most important part of His creation as male and female. It is clear from the Word of God that His purpose was to fashion mankind biologically and physiologically as male and female.  

In the next chapter of Genesis God comments on the relationship between male and female—between husband and wife:

“And the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him’” (Genesis 2:18).

The word comparable in verse 18 is translated from a Hebrew term that also means suitable, complementary and counterpart. This distinction is important, as it shows God’s intent to provide a partner, a mate of the opposite gender to help. Marriage was designed to be a complementary, supportive and interdependent relationship between two different genders of people to fulfill God’s purpose for humans.

“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

“And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:21-24).

As the designer of human life, God intended for a man and woman to commit to each other, come together in that commitment, have a complementary relationship (recognizing the unique strengths and abilities of each other), become one flesh and produce a family.

God’s design was straightforward and clear.

Contrary to God’s created order

Confusing genders is something God says is wrong and is contrary to His created order. Deuteronomy 22:5 says, “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.”

God knows the negative results of this path, and while He loves those caught up in this tangled web, He hates the results. This law was designed to maintain a clear distinction between the two genders God created.

Cross-dressing and other examples of gender fluidity and transgender transitioning today are evidence of growing confusion, but ultimately, they reflect society’s rejection of God and His instructions and plan.

God knows the negative results of this path, and while He loves those caught up in this tangled web, He hates the results. Twisting His pure creation and polluting His purpose (as humanity has done in so many ways) is simply wrong in the eyes of God. The Hebrew term translated as “abomination” is toebah—something that is disgusting or wrong. It is not what our loving Designer intended.

From God’s perspective, when men and women embrace other-gendered expressions of identity, it is a shame or dishonor (1 Corinthians 11:14-15). While God clearly has allowed humanity to choose its own morality since the Garden of Eden, His intention is that we should glorify Him with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), which includes the manner in which He created human beings in His image—as male and female.

The increasing confusion about human identity (and thus the identity of the only beings made in the Creator’s image) has led to God’s purpose for humanity being fundamentally deconstructed. The long-term consequences for society and the human family are far-reaching.

However, the real tragedy is the impact this chaos in defining sex, gender and the human family has on those individuals whose personal lives have been devastated in the process.

Human beings are complex. And without having the direction and guidance of the One who created them, they will remain in a state of turmoil and confusion, having departed from the traditional purpose and role that men and women were created to enjoy.

Transcending gender confusion

Andrew T. Walker’s book God and the Transgender Debate provides some helpful thoughts:

In this confused world, which has departed from God and His instructions, every human being experiences the results of sin. Because of this, sometimes Christians have “to say ‘no’ to what they think they want or how they feel” (2017, p. 136). Instead, they choose to believe God knows what He is talking about.

Mr. Walker’s comments hit at the core of the issue. Those who believe the Bible come to the realization that not everything we want or feel is necessarily right or good. And given the track record of humanity—it generally isn’t.

Though we should show compassion to those who are confused and have a distorted perspective on gender, discerning Christians should lean on the unchanging design of our Creator when it comes to these basic issues of life instead of relying on the ever-changing views and definitions of the world around us.”

For related reading, see “Questions About Sex Answered by the Bible” and “The Divine Design of Family.”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/family/bible-about-gender-identity/?

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7 Characteristics of Healthy Families

“The Bible has much to say about how to have a healthy family. Studying the common traits shared by successful families can help you strengthen your family.

Browse the self-help section of any bookstore or library, and you will likely find a sea of books about creating and maintaining a harmonious and healthy family life. Belonging to a loving, secure family unit is a basic human desire. Most of us can readily see the value of close family connections and healthy family dynamics.

Characteristics of a healthy family include: 

1. Having a deep commitment to one another.
2. Making family time a top priority.
3. Communicating in a way that’s constructive.
4. Showing sincere appreciation for one another.
5. Looking out for one another.
6. Resolving conflicts quickly and promptly.
7. Sharing a spiritual commitment.

A strong family can be a source of emotional support, love, security and protection, which makes the challenges and trials of day-to-day living easier to face. Children flourish when they feel loved, nurtured and supported by their parents and siblings. A good family life can even have positive effects on your physical and mental health, including improving blood pressure and increasing life expectancy. 

Healthy families are the building blocks of society

Certainly, God wants our families to succeed and prosper. He designed the family to be the basic building block of society; thus in order for our communities to be stable, the families that comprise them must be as well. And ultimately, God wants us to have spiritually healthy families so we can produce godly offspring (Malachi 2:15) and expand His family.

But while family relationships are important, we all know strong families don’t “just happen.” Sustaining a marriage and raising children are challenging things to do. If we want to have happy homes, we have to work hard to create them.

How to build a healthy family

Continued at: Characteristics of a Healthy Family (lifehopeandtruth.com)

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A Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Transcript of YouTube: 

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-treatment-for-chronic-fatigue-

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-treatment-for-chronic-fatigue-

“An industry-funded, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial study suggests chocolate may improve symptoms for those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome—a debilitating condition currently affecting as many as seven million Americans. But how do you get the cacao phytonutrients without the saturated fat and added sugar?

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating condition characterized by a minimum of six months of crushing mental and physical exhaustion, and we have no idea what causes it. We don’t even have a good idea of how many people even have it. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that as many as seven and a half million Americans currently suffer from it. And we as physicians have very little to offer patients in terms of relieving those symptoms. So, this is one of the conditions that I’m always keeping an eye out for in terms of new treatments.

And one of the latest they just discovered? Chocolate.

Evidently, Montezuma the Second, who reigned the Aztec empire 500 years ago, noted: “This divine drink, which builds up resistance, and fights fatigue. A cup of [cocoa] permits people to walk for a whole day without food.’’ Not willing to take the emperor’s word for it, it was put to the test.

I’m always skeptical of industry-supported research, but it was actually a pretty good study. At first glance, it looked like they were basically saying eat three chocolate bars a day for eight weeks, and call me in the morning. But it was actually a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, which is about as good as you can get.

The mad scientists over at Nestle took white chocolate, dyed it brown, and then added some sort of fake chocolate flavor, such that people couldn’t tell if they were eating the real chocolate or the fake. Comparable amounts of sugar and fat, but one had cocoa solids—phytonutrients—and the other basically didn’t.

So, they were able to put people on one, and then switch them over, without anyone knowing, to see if their chronic fatigue symptoms got better or worse. And there was a significant improvement in the real chocolate group, meaning it apparently wasn’t just the yummy taste of chocolate, but the action of the cacao phytonutrients.

Of course, no one should be eating three chocolate bars a day, but you can get the equivalent dose of cocoa solids, the equivalent dose of those wonderful cocoa phytonutrients, by consuming two and a half tablespoons of cocoa powder a day.

You can put it in coffee, you can make a chocolaty smoothie, or, my personal favorite, you can blend it in a high-speed blender with frozen cherries or strawberries, a touch of non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, and some dates, and you have instant, decadent chocolate ice cream; low-fat, low-calorie, no cholesterol, no added sugar chocolate ice cream. The more you eat, the healthier you are—whether or not you’re suffering from chronic fatigue.” From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-treatment-for-chronic-fatigue-

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.              syndrome/

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Ten Best and Worst Foods. Weight Watchers. Serving Size And Calories. Pine Nuts. "Sell By". United Nations. RIP Misty. Peekers.

 

For "Foodie Friday":

Ten Best and Ten Worst Foods.

"I am often asked for my list of the best foods to eat — the foods that contain the most micronutrients, phytochemicals and other health-promoting compounds. People want to know which high-nutrient foods provide the keys to optimum health and longevity. They are searching for a simple answer to the question, “What should I eat to reach my ideal weight, achieve immunity to disease and feel my best every day?”

It is difficult to squeeze all the nutrient dense, health promoting foods into a list of the ten best. The foods on my list however, are the foods that I believe everyone should include in their diet on a regular basis. They are strongly cancer-protective and longevity-favorable. They contain the most vitamins and minerals and powerful phytochemicals including allium compounds, glucosinolates, aromatase inhibitors, flavonoids and lignans. Of course not all of my favorites could make my top ten and the runners-up include many other vegetables and fruits.

Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Print out Dr. Fuhrman’s Ten Best and Worst Foods as a daily reminder of what to eat and what to stay away from: http://bit.ly/1edfxSy

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Frequent Hunger and Sweet Cravings? You May Be Making This Common Mistake

"David Kirchoff, president of Weight Watchers, the world's largest diet company, recently said on their website: "Calorie counting has become unhelpful.

When we have a 100-calorie apple in one hand and a 100-calorie pack of cookies in the other, and we view them as being 'the same' because the calories are the same, it says everything that needs to be said about the limitations of just using calories in guiding food choices."

Kirchoff and Weight Watchers have eliminated the company's popular "Points" system, which encouraged dieters to lose weight by eating any foods as long as they kept the portions small. The new system tries to encourage dieters to consume more natural, less processed food."  More at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/09/weight-watchers-finally-recognizes-calorie-counting-doesnt-work.aspx

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Serving size and calories

Tip: "Pay particular attention to the serving size and calories per serving listed on the nutrition label. A packaged muffin may contain 300 calories a serving, but if the serving size listed is one-half muffin, there are two servings per package and the actual muffin contains 600 calories." 

More at: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011/03/Grocery-shopping-mistakes-to-steer-clear-of-/44654276/1

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Pine Nuts

"Just one shot glass full of pine nuts every day can help suppress hunger. Pine nuts contain pinolenic acid, a naturally occurring fat that stimulates cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), both powerful hormones that alert the brain that the stomach is full. In one study, women who consumed pinolenic acid reported a decreased desire to eat and also reduced their food intake by 36%."

LEARN MORE WAYS YOU CAN EAT YOURSELF SKINNY

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Confusing sell-by dates on food may be costing you money

"Terms like "sell by," "use by" and "best before" are usually not good indicators of how safe the food is to eat. Rather than referring to when the food is safe to eat, these terms are simply suggestions from the manufacturer for when the food is at its peak quality. The "sell by" date tells grocery stores how long to offer the product for sale, and food is usually fresh for at least several days after that date.

"Best by" usually speaks to when the food has its best flavor and quality. "Use by" is the last date recommended for use of the product at its peak quality. Confusion over these dates prompts 9 out of 10 Americans to throw away food before they really need to – a waste of taste and money."  More at: http://www.today.com/news/confusing-sell-dates-food-may-be-costing-you-money-8C11339499

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On This Day:

First meeting of the United Nations, Jan 10, 1946:

"The first General Assembly of the United Nations, comprising 51 nations, convenes at Westminster Central Hall in London, England. One week later, the U.N. Security Council met for the first time and established its rules of procedure. Then, on January 24, the General Assembly adopted its first resolution, a measure calling for the peaceful uses of atomic energy and the elimination of atomic and other weapons of mass destruction.

In 1944, at the Dumbarton Oaks conference in Washington, D.C., the groundwork was laid by Allied delegates for an international postwar organization to maintain peace and security in the postwar world. The organization was to possess considerably more authority over its members than the defunct League of Nations, which had failed in its attempts to prevent the outbreak of World War II. In April 1945, with celebrations of victory in Europe about to commence, delegates from 51 nations convened in San Francisco to draft the United Nations Charter. On June 26, the document was signed by the delegates, and on October 24 it was formally ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of other signatories."

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Yesterday:

As they were going to the vet, I didn't feed Misty or Ava much breakfast.  Misty's appointment had been changed from 'blood work' to 'euthanasia'.  Ava was going for the vet to feel her thyroid.  I wanted to make sure she wasn't having trouble with that because she is always hungry.

Fortunately, I had loaded Misty first, and had her carrier strapped in, as Ava did not want to get in her carrier, and she turned into an octopus with eight sharp corners.   So I was leaking as I drove through the heavy rain with a tissue catching the blood.   I hadn't expected that from sweet old Ava, or I would have loaded her into the carrier a different way.  

As it was a mild day, I left Ava in the van while Misty and I went into the vet.  Misty sat on my lap in the lobby, listening to everything going on around her.  The vet said that he was glad that I was doing this before she got too bad.  She had lost two pounds since the last time she was there two months ago, but it didn't show.  Peacefully, she was PTS, being stroked and listening to my voice, and went to Rainbow Bridge.  First time I have left a vet without my animal.  She stayed there as she was being picked up by a crematorium.  Other pets were brought home to be buried here.

The vet said that as long as Ava is gaining weight she doesn't have thyroid disease, and to save an office visit. They will do blood tests on her later, if I am still concerned.  I could have taken her in there for a free weighing, but not with her aversion to being put back in a carrier. 

As Ava was quite comfy being in the van, I stopped at the lawyer, signed and picked up my will that they had ready for me. It was a freebie from AOL.  Then I went into Kroger's for a few groceries so that I wouldn't have to go out in the rain again.  Maybe Ava learned that carriers aren't that bad after all, as she seemed to like watching the scenery go by, and wasn't taken into a vet for shots or anything.

Once home, I emailed Kenya, my SPCA boss, and this is what she wrote back to me:

"Hi Penny,

I am so sorry about Misty.  I know you will miss her a lot but also hope you know that Misty knew she was loved and well cared for the last years of her life like no one else would have been able to do for her.  I will never forget the change in Misty after you got her all cleaned up and groomed that first time and how she not only looked like a different dog, but how I could also see in her eyes that she felt like a different dog - one that deserved to be loved again.  You made her feel that way and I know if was not easy for you and that it took many times on the grooming table to get her all done as she was in such bad shape. 

You Did Me a Kindness

When my legs grew too weak to carry me,
And my tired eyes could no longer see,
When it pained me to struggle for each new breath,
When my heart beat weaker, and I drew closer to death,
You did me the kindness of letting me go.
You didn't make me hang on when I was suffering so.
I promise I don't think that you loved me any less,
And I love you all the more for your selflessness.
You freed my spirit from its body so wracked with pain,
And let me run the fields of Heaven, where I'm sure we'll meet again.

Unfortunately for many pets not everyone has the strength you do to give that last act of kindness to their pets.  I am so thankful that you are such a kind and caring person and knew when it was time to let Misty go. 

We had her on our records as a forever foster since we did not feel we could adopt her out with the cancer, so you did not need to pay for it yourself as SPCA should have paid for it.  You had already been paying to feed and take care of her in your home all these years (many more years than I thought she had, due to the great care and love you gave her). 

I called Conroe Vet and asked them to transfer the payment to your account and told them to leave the expense on our bill and SPCA will pay for it.  That is the least SPCA can do for you after all you have done for Misty. 

Thank you for being Misty's Rescue Angel.

Kenya, SPCA PETS SNAP of Montgomery County

Website:  www.spcaofmc.com

**PEOPLE ELIMINATE THE SUFFERING - SPAY NEUTER ADOPT PLEASE**

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SPCAOFMC"

I thought that was so great of Kenya.

Ray called me from our SPCA Habitat to tell me that Peekers, my foster kitten, was back there, so I emailed Kenya again.  This was her reply:

"Hi Penny,

He was returned on Monday.  It was not his fault.  The lady did not do what she was told to do and keep him in a separate room for even the first day, so her cat got all stressed out and the two cats were not getting along which of course they would not get along the way she did it.

I did not offer for her to try another cat because I could tell she was not going to do what we asked her to do and keep any cat she got in a separate room for a week.  So let her go somewhere else and get one and see that it also will not work out, when she does not do what she should be doing.

Thanks,  Kenya."

I wish I had known before I left Conroe, I would have dropped in to visit him yesterday.

It’s National Mutt Day! Cold Weather Care. Best & Worst Foods. Dog Food: Is There A Cancer Risk? First Nuclear Chain Reaction.

 

For "Mammal Monday":

It’s National Mutt Day!

"Today is going to the dogs—and for good reason. It’s National Mutt Day! That’s right, a whole day dedicated to embracing, saving and celebrating mixed-breed dogs. We can’t think of a more deserving crew."

"There are actually two National Mutt Days, July 31st, and today, December 2nd. The purpose of National Mutt Day is to celebrate and save the lives of mixed breed dogs across the U.S. The goal is to save 10,000 mutts on both days.

Why should you adopt a mixed breed dog? There are lots of great reasons, including the ability to pick the right size and temperament dog for your family … cost considerations (breeder fees are much higher than shelter adoption fees) … the fact that mutts can participate in all the same sports and events purebred dogs do … and, you’re saving a life!

If you’re considering adopting a mixed breed dog, be sure to do your homework. Learn which breeds are best suited for your activity level and lifestyle. The dog's age will also be a factor – puppies and young dogs generally require more effort than older dogs."  Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/12/02/national-mutt-day.aspx

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Cold Weather Care For Your Pet

"It appears that winter has settled in. I was not, and am truly never, ready for it. It's easy for me to deal with it though: I dig my boots and mittens out of the drawers and pull my winter coats and scarves out of the closet. I am prepared as I will ever be.

If you have pets, how do you prepare them for the colder months ahead? I know blustery, snowy days mean that Henrietta will be donning her jacket before she heads out the door. She refuses to go out without her coat but she also refuses to wear booties so I carry her down the porch when we have salted it.

Here are my tips for pet health care in the cold winter months ahead:

• Don't use rock salt (to melt the ice and snow) in areas that your pet will walk on. I carry Henrietta down the porch steps because salt between tender paw pads is painful. 
• Use rock salt that is not harmful to pets. Become a label reader. 
• Do not leave your pet in a cold car. Just as a car in the summer heats up too quickly for your pet to be safely left in it, your car in winter is frigid and could lead to hypothermia, frost bite or even death. 
• Don't leave your pet tied out in the cold weather. If you have an "outdoor" dog make certain he has shelter and a warm place to escape from the cold. I don't honestly understand the "outdoor dog" concept as I couldn't imagine ever leaving my best friend out in the cold although our one dog, Spencer who is a husky-lab mix loves the cold weather. 
• Remember that antifreeze has a sweet taste to pets but is toxic. Keep it stored out of the reach of your pets. 
• Make certain if you have a pet that spends time out of doors that he always has access to fresh (not frozen) water and increase his food intake as he will be burning off more calories staying warm than he will during the summer months. 
• If your pet has arthritis navigating the stairs may be more tricky and painful for her than in the warm summer months when the pain of arthritis may not be so prevalent. You may need to either carry your pet outside or find an alternative to making him navigate the steps. 
• If you have "outdoor cats" let them indoors during the colder months. Don't let them succumb to the cold weather or risk their paws or other extremities getting frost bite. 
• If there are cats that roam your neighborhood, make sure you check in and under your vehicle before you start it. They may be drawn to the car when you pull in the driveway because of the heat of the engine and could be seriously injured if you start the car if they're under the hood. 
• Did you know that dogs can lose their sense of scent in the winter? If you typically let your dog run loose, be aware that he may have a hard time finding his way back home if he wanders too far. The best advice I can offer is to keep him on a leash. 
• Keep a towel by the door to wipe off any snow or ice that has fallen on your dog while he's outside. Make sure you wipe between his paw pads as well. 
• Be aware that if you get a puppy in the winter you may have a harder time housebreaking her than if you were trying in the summer months. Puppies simply do not tolerate cold well and this could impact their desire to relieve themselves out of doors. You may need to housebreak your puppy indoors using puppy pads when the cold winter winds are blowing. 
• Make certain your dog has a warm, cozy place to sleep in the house when you go to bed at night. Offer them a place that is free of drafts and where they can sleep without being chilled. In my house that means Henrietta is under the blankets taking advantage of the heat generated by the electric blanket but that may not work if you have a larger dog!

Common sense trumps all when it comes to cold weather. Put yourself in your pet's position and think, "Would I go outside without a jacket on in this weather?" If the answer is "no" for you, then it is likely "no" for your pet.

What steps do you take to keep your pet safe, healthy and protected during the winter months? "  From: http://www.blogpaws.com/2013/11/pet-health-awareness-cold-weather-care-for-your-pet.html

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Do you feed your pet to just survive, or really thrive?

Best and worst foods for your pet.

"An integrative wellness veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker discusses her best-to-worst recommendations for diets for dogs and cats and explains how to improve the quality of the food you feed your own pet."

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The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients (Part 1 of 2)

"Dr. Karen Becker visits an upscale pet boutique to evaluate the quality of the different types of pet food. (Part 1)  Here she discusses frozen raw, canned, dehydrated food, and a good dry food."

The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients (Part 2 of 2)

"Here Dr. Becker discusses some grocery store-bought dry kibble food, and the worst and best treats for your pet." 

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Most of this applies to human's food, too.

Dog Food: Is There A Cancer Risk?

"Naturally, when we talk about the  cause of cancer, diet is brought up.

Many will immediately poo-poo the notion that what is eaten can have an impact on cancer development.  It is amazing.  Watch the condemnation without investigation.

On the other hand, many feel there is a link, and there is evidence to support that view.

Why are we so reluctant to think about food contributing to cancer?  Likely because it becomes inconvenient.

Well, most of us would rather get information than be in the dark, so let’s do just that.What about a dog’s diet might contribute to cancer?  Here’s a look at a couple of things.

First,  high temperature cooking of meat or fish, or the creation of their extracts can produce nasties called heterocyclic amines. You can read a little more about this here and here.  These little guys have been shown to promote tumors in lab animals.  Do dogs eat food that has been exposed to high temperatures?  The truth is: yes.

Another carcinogen is polyacrylamide, again from high temperature cooking, this time of sugars in starch.  Oddly, different strains of potatoes will produce different amounts of acrylamide when it is cooked.  The bottom line though is that the different sugars influenced how much of the carcinogen is made. Here is some more on the topic.

Yet another is acylamide, related to polyacrylamide. Acrylamide levels go up when food is fried, and it is estimated in this paper that the levels of the acrylamide from fried food, in lab animals, might increase to risky levels contributing to possible cancer risk.

So what does this mean?  Well, we don’t want to go around saying that every dog who eats dog food in a bag (and pressed through an extruder at high temperatures) will get cancer.  That would be irrational and untrue.

However, there are genetic differences and lifestyle differences and carcinogen exposure differences, all from one dog to the next.

Since we know that cancer is created by many separate hits to the system, in certain dogs, diet might be the thing that tips the scale.

These carcinogens hit the DNA, and damage genes. If the damage occurs to genes that are controlling cell growth, and enough hits happen, cells can start getting deranged.  They divide and divide, instead of getting dismantled into their component parts by a process called apoptosis.

Deranged cells are supposed to be taken apart.  Apoptosis is the thing that does it in the body. When cells become unhealthy, the apoptosis genes should get turned on to subvert the badness.

When there are too many cells with their growth genes stuck in the “on’ position, avoiding apoptosis, cancer can develop.

The take home message is that the folks pushing for less cooking may have a point.  I am not advocating an entirely raw diet for dogs by the way, and especially not for cancer patients.  Raw from the grocery store is not raw out on the plains of Africa.  Germs grow on the surface of meat in the store and dogs with cancer usually have immune compromise.  That’s a bad mix.

But trimming the outside off and cooking red lean meats in low sodium broth at around 200 degrees while keeping the inside rare seems logical.

For more on diet and dog cancer, read The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.  Best,  Dr D."  by DEMIAN DRESSLER, DVM

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On This Day:

Fermi produces the first nuclear chain reaction, Dec 2, 1942:

"On this day, Enrico Fermi, the Italian-born Nobel Prize-winning physicist, directs and controls the first nuclear chain reaction in his laboratory beneath the bleachers of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago, ushering in the nuclear age. Upon successful completion of the experiment, a coded message was transmitted to President Roosevelt: "The Italian navigator has landed in the new world."

Following on England's Sir James Chadwick's discovery of the neutron and the Curies' production of artificial radioactivity, Fermi, a full-time professor of physics at the University of Florence, focused his work on producing radioactivity by manipulating the speed of neutrons derived from radioactive beryllium. Further similar experimentation with other elements, including uranium 92, produced new radioactive substances; Fermi's colleagues believed he had created a new "transuranic" element with an atomic number of 93, the result of uranium 92 capturing a neuron while under bombardment, thus increasing its atomic weight. Fermi remained skeptical about his discovery, despite the enthusiasm of his fellow physicists. He became a believer in 1938, when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for "his identification of new radioactive elements." Although travel was restricted for men whose work was deemed vital to national security, Fermi was given permission to leave Italy and go to Sweden to receive his prize. He and his wife, Laura, who was Jewish, never returned; both feared and despised Mussolini's fascist regime.

Fermi immigrated to New York City--Columbia University, specifically, where he recreated many of his experiments with Niels Bohr, the Danish-born physicist, who suggested the possibility of a nuclear chain reaction. Fermi and others saw the possible military applications of such an explosive power, and quickly composed a letter warning President Roosevelt of the perils of a German atomic bomb. The letter was signed and delivered to the president by Albert Einstein on October 11, 1939. The Manhattan Project, the American program to create its own atomic bomb, was the result.

It fell to Fermi to produce the first nuclear chain reaction, without which such a bomb was impossible. He created a jury-rigged laboratory with the necessary equipment, which he called an "atomic pile," in a squash court in the basement of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. With colleagues and other physicists looking on, Fermi produced the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction and the "new world" of nuclear power was born."

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Yesterday:

Ray came over wanting to help me around here, he said he had to get out of his house.  Shay and her sister were arguing again, and driving him nuts.  The sister is getting over another open heart surgery, and was milking the care-giving to the max.  I know how she is, as I have taken care of her in years gone by.  Shay was trying to get her out of there, and go to another sister's house.  They had had enough.

Ray and I carefully measured a triangle of screen wire to go up at the top of the screen porch.  After we had that stapled up, we were going to put some reinforcing wire over it, as that is a nice shelf for the cats to lay.  Prime always loved it up there.  We didn't want the cats to lean against it, push the staples out of the wire, and fall out of the screen porch. 

Then I came up with the idea of screwing white plastic lattice over it, instead.  I just thought that it would look better.  We found a piece that would make the two triangles for each end of the porch.  We made a cardboard template, just to make sure that it would fit right, and cut the lattice with a saw. We washed the lattice to remove the green algae, as it had been stored for a while, but didn't screw it in place yet.

By the time we had been interrupted by Shay several times, and her sister had driven off, it was enough for the day.