April 2006

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TransGeneration - We got it easy!

April 30, 2006 | No comments

I just finished watching the amazing documentary “TransGeneration” produced by Sundance Channel in association with Logo. I am a perfectly straight male who is very comfortable with his sexuality. I believe everybody should have the right to live their life the way THEY want.

Most people complain about how difficult it is to gain muscle, loose fat - you name it… imagine what a person has to go through emotionally, physically and with family to decide to completely change their gender. It puts into perspective how “easy” our relatively small transformations are in comparison.

My informal education about alternative lifestyles

My education about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered community has all been through documentaries and great TV shows such as “Queer as Folk”. Growing up as a kid, I never knew such a thing existed until I was well into high school, this is where many of my unfounded negative stereotypes originated and luckily stayed.

I believe you are born the way you are, if you fear hanging around or hearing about people with alternative lifestyles “converting” you, then you aren’t sure about your own sexuality to begin with.

What is trans-gendered?

Trans-gendered is simply somebody who is of one sex but in their heart and mind feel trapped in the body of another sex. For instance, if you are a male stuck in a females body (and vice versa) - that has got to be extremely difficult to deal with. This is very different then somebody who is gay (male attracted to males), lesbian (female attracted to females), bisexual (attracted to both sexes) and straight (attracted to the opposite sex).

As one of the cast member poignantly explains, sex is to the body what gender is to the mind.

Gender - your badge in society

I personally thing that the reason why so many people have such bad stereotypes about trans-gendered people especially, even within the GLB community of the past is because they challenge our very perception of gender within our society.

So much of who we are is defined by our gender, the thought of being trapped in the “wrong” gender is something nobody can really understand unless they experience it.

I also believe there is incredible resistance to trans-gendered people due to the idea of how fragile our own gender really is (insecurity), if you give a female testosterone injections, she will develop male attributes. Simply look at female bodybuilders as an extreme and you will see females with not only big muscles but Adams Apples, strong jaw lines, body hair. For males taking testosterone they actually become more feminine, developing breasts, shrinking testes, becoming infertile and much more.

Their reasons are completely different but the end result is the same, you can easily within a few months by alternating your hormones begin to change your physical body from one gender to the other. This is why hormones are rightfully controlled substances, you can really screw your body up for the rest of your life even if you do know what you are doing.

Back to the documentary

Watching the documentary “TransGeneration” you actually have to remind yourself that you are looking at somebody that is not the sex you perceive them to be… especially Raci the Filipino man who is transforming into a woman. She turns heads everywhere she goes which is very apparent when they film her in public and on campus… I think most people would be astounded that the plumbing doesn’t match the body.

Another interesting moment in the documentary is when Gabbie is welcomed whole-heartedly by her grandparents to their home, her grandfather is a retired Presbyterian Minister - his stance about the whole situation is that “religion is about acceptance”. This is the kind of open mindedness we need in our religious institutions! You are going to have to watch the show for yourself to see more very interesting rocks uncovered by the transformation of the cast.

The Bottom Line

Being secure about yourself and your beliefs is all that should matter as you live out your life, no matter the lifestyle you choose but you have to admit, most of us have life pretty easy in comparison.

I sincerely believe that drug addicts are no longer people, they are simply walking shells of who they once where

April 25, 2006 | No comments

Drug addicts are but shells waiting to fade awayMy personal feelings about the events surrounding my sisters death. The 5th of May will mark my dead sisters birthday, she would have been 26 years old. I honestly cannot remember the last birthday of hers I attended, drugs seem to make family contact irrelevant to the user. Although the circumstances of her death on Christmas are still unknown thanks to the useless St. Catharines Police “Service”, I still find it hard to come to the realization that I will never see her again other then in photographs. I have no regrets of shunning her while she was hooked, I still believe that was the best thing for the both of us.


Christmas 2005

My parents being gone on a well deserved vacation, I was in charge of things until they got back. A few days after Christmas, the police drove to my parents house (nobody was there) and so they went to our neighbors to get our contact information. Later that night around 8 or 9pm, I got an e-mail and called my neighbor who told me to call my parents at their hotel… something was wrong in the family.

My biggest fear was that something happened to my nephew or my parents, I had long prepared myself for a call from the coroner regarding either of my sisters. When you are on drugs, it’s only a matter of time before they get you for good. I got a hold of my mom and she told me that Dominique had died and that I needed to make a few phone calls to take care of the arrangements. The news of her death hit me pretty hard but once I realized how she had decided to lead her life, I felt she was better off. Maybe this is selfish, but I don’t consider a drug addicted life one worth living - it’s simply a drain on love ones and is only a one way spiral to death. Am I happy that she is dead? Of course not - but she now has the peace she never had once drugs entered her life.

Useless St. Catharines Police Service

One of my first calls was to the police officer investigating the death, she was polite but completely indifferent. She told me very matter of fact way that they knew her boyfriend supplied her with the drugs, video taped his testimony at the scene and where essentially going to do NOTHING. The only difference between going out on the street and shooting somebody in the head vs getting somebody hooked on drugs leading to a slow death is only method. According to our justice system, only the shooting is considered a crime but in my mind, if the result is the same, so should the punishment.

The “boyfriend” drug dealer that killed my sister was given NO CHARGES, NO JAIL TIME OR EVEN ARRESTED… NOT EVEN A FINE! This is how screwed up our system is, if I don’t pay to park in St. Catharines, I get an immediate 15$ fine if I get caught. If I destroy somebodies life and help them to achieve their death, I get off without even a warning. What little respect I had for our justice system before my sisters death has long evaporated. Malaysia has an automatic swift death penalty for ANYBODY caught with drugs (be they foreign or locals), I am 100% behind this and think the western world should adopt the same approach.

Here is the ultimate irony. Her killer is well known as a drug pusher and user by the police, yet they do nothing to stop him as he destroys more lives and families. Me on the other hand, built myfoodcount.com out of my own pocket with a business partner, work every day to improve myself and other around me and guess what… I am the one getting arrested (just last week) for walking on a sidewalk. I think NWA was 100% correct with their attitudes towards authority.

Insult to Injury - the investigation is closed to the family!

After the St. Catharines Police did their blood tests, autopsy etc on my sister, we where told it would take 3 months to know what exactly lead to her death. Well, 3 months have past, they have all the paperwork finished up and guess what, my family would need a court order to simply review the material. My sister is dead and I have to go to court to find out what happened yet the guy who killed her never even sees the inside of a court room.

Cremation Hijinks - how low some people really are

My family decided that it would be best to cremate my sister and keep her ashes at home, we feel the best place for her is to be close to the family.

Well, her boyfriend/pusher got wind of the cremation and called the crematorium claiming that they got married and he wanted to take care of all the arrangements. When I heard this, I had no doubt how much of a loss cause her boyfriend was. Not only did he take away her life, cause her to loose her dog grooming business and tried to sell back her personal belongings to my parents after her death - but now even after her death, was trying to get a hold of any money she would get from the government. Thankfully the crematorium owner knew the circumstances of her death and told him that if they where married and he wanted to take care of everything, they should meet so he can pay for the service. To no surprise, after spending 15 minutes on the phone saying how much he loved my sister, he instantly backed off. What a great piece of work this “husband” was huh?

My other sisters reaction

My other sister, Melanie is also a drug addict, the first time she contacted me in several years was to confirm that I knew my sister Dominique had died. This was a few days after my family knew of her death. She was insulted that my sister was getting an autopsy and when I told her that Dominiques boyfriend supplied her with the drugs that killed her. She told me over the phone that it was Dominiques own fault for not knowing what she was doing - no sympathy whatsoever and she hung up the phone on me. Melanie wanted a big funeral for my sister (the works!) and my parents to come back immediately from their vacation to attend to things. I told her that Dominique chose to screw her own life up, that she was next to get a “call from God” and my parents where far better to stay on their vacation then to come back. I was more then happy to take care of things and save my parents the pain of dealing with all of these issues. I may have lost a sister (both actually) but the emotion is nothing compared to having lost a child.

My sisters “boyfriend”

I don’t remember his name nor do I care, don’t think anything of him and if I ever see him again, I will introduce him to a wheelchair. I take great solace in knowing how screwed up his life is and I hope he lives a very long, absolutely miserable life - full of pain, disappointment and loss. I was brought up a Christian where you are suppose to “turn the other cheek”… well, I hope there is an afterlife so I can be in charge of the button that sends him straight to hell for eternity. He was neither a man nor a friend to my sister. I would happily buy him a one way plane ticket straight to Malaysia if I could find him.

The Bottom Line

I hope my openness about the circumstances around my sisters death help addicts realize how cheap their lives are to their drug addicted friends, police and ultimately, the people they thought loved them. Lead a life of hurt and misery, and you will be forgotten as quickly as your last high.

Which body type are you?

April 23, 2006 | No comments

Body types in 3 major categoriesHumans have three distinct body types, they are ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. Before starting any exercise or diet regime, you should try to figure out what type you are, as different training methods will be required to reach your goals.

The definitions below are the extremes of each type, each has their advantages and disadvantages evolutionary speaking which is why we are usually composed of a mixture of the three.

Ectomorph - skinny

I have to admit, a big chunk of my composition is the classic ectomorph. My problem isn’t gaining weight, it’s keeping it on… if I do not workout, no matter what I eat or do, I begin to loose weight.

Ectomorphs are characterized with having a very delicate, fragile and lean build. They usually have small shoulders, are lightly muscled and it takes them a long period of time to gain muscle, which is easily lost. You can spot an ectomorph from a mile away with their slender and long twiggy body.

People who best represent the ectomorphs body are top model Kate Moss and actor Brad Pitt.

Mesomorph - muscled

Mesomorphs are characterized with a hard, athletic body with a muscular physique that responds very well to exercise. They gain fat and muscle far easier then ectomorphs due to their strong build.

Mesomorphs have broad shoulders and a narrow waist, giving them a triangular appearance for men and hourglass for woman. Their face is usually very angular with prominent features, unlike ectomorphs, mesomorphs also have well developed muscles even down to their fingers.

People who best represent the mesomorphs body are actor/bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger and actress Demi Moore.

Endomorphs - curvy

Endomorphs have bodies that are great fat storage machines. For them, loosing weight is difficult and sometimes say “I can gain weight just looking at food”. They have a soft, round body and need to watch what they eat.

While ectomorphs are long and slanky, endomorphs have short and stubby features. Their build tends to concentrate from the abdomen and up, their legs and general features are not very well defined.

Actor John Goodman and celebrity talk show host Oprah Winfrey are great examples of endomorphs in the media.

Changing your body type

Although there are extremes of each body type, most people are a combination of several builds, as a result, you can only “modify” your body type but it is heavily influenced by your diet, ethnic background and exercise routine. For example, people from Asian descent tend to have stronger ectomorphic characteristics while population from an African descent tend to be more endomorphic.

As for myself, I grew up very lean but with YEARS of exercise and eating a proper diet, I have been able to modify my body type from one being very ectomorphic to slightly mesomorphic. Will I ever be a true mesomorphic, not unless I start tweeking around with my endocrine system (ei: taking growth hormones, steroids etc.). Naturally speaking, you are stuck with what you where given. As I mentioned earlier, once I stop working out, my body begins to slide back into its natural ectomorphic mold.

No matter your body type, you are fighting your body all the way, it doesn’t want change, it wants things to stay put. Thankfully you have a brain and can decide to take actions that override temporarily your genetic predispositions.

The Bottom Line

Be happy with what you got but always strive for what you want.

I gets arrested!

April 21, 2006 | No comments

What I looked like last night, I forgot I was wearing my myfoodcount.com t-shirt, maybe that was the dead giveaway!

Just about every night, I go out for a one to three hour walk, I tend to prefer walking around industrial parks and factories - sticking to the sidewalk when there is one. I have an affinity for the industrial sector and I feel more at home on a shop floor then a shopping mall. Nobody goes for walks around there so I am guaranteed to be alone, it is also the time when new ideas pop into my head. I would also love to own my own manufacturing plant one day.

Be careful what you think… it may happen!

Last night was like every other night except for one thing, apparently somebody saw me breaking & entering into a building and promptly called the police who sent two squad cars to get me.

It’s funny because just a few minutes before, I walked right in front of the police station wondering what it’s like to be arrested.

Nice Police… but quick to judge

I cannot say anything bad about the police, they pulled over and said they wanted to talk to me. First question they asked me was my name, I told them why they wanted my name. They said somebody matching my description broke into a place, “interacted” with somebody and was scoping out other buildings. I was wearing a white t-shirt and a white/red flannel jacket… more importantly, I was the ONLY GUY walking around outside a few blocks around.

They again asked my name, I told them I am walking down the street and politely declined to give them any of my personal information beyond my first name - I told them my last name was irrelevant as I felt I had done nothing wrong. If their case against me was solely based off my personal information, they they are fishing in the wrong pond. That is when they called for backup and told me to stop walking. About a minute later, another police car pulled over and before I knew it, I had 4 police officers around me (one in front, behind, to the left, right). Apparently, traffic stopped at the local intersection to see what was happening too.

My guess was they where trying to intimidate me… again, they asked my last name and I told them I have spent the last 2 hours walking around the block and I didn’t see what my last name had to do with “somebody lodging a complaint”. A few minutes later, they told me I was being put under arrest for breaking & entering and resisting arrest. On go the handcuffs and into the back of the police car I go.

Game over

They continued to ask me what I was doing walking around the industrial part of town at night, I told them I wanted peace and quiet. They then told me this can go one of two ways, I give them my last name or we go right to the police station for booking - apparently not giving your full name to a police officer who has suspicions about you is an automatic “go to jail” card. So, knowing I have no records for anything, I told them my last name and answered other personal questions they had. I have a busy day tomorrow and telling my clients I was in jail for the night for refusing to give my last name didn’t make much sense.

I think the whole ordeal lasted about 20 minutes, 15 of which was not telling them my personal information (still none of their business in my opinion) but answering all their other questions.

Freedom Gained

After I told them who I was, address and other personal info, they let me out of the handcuffs and the back of the police car. They told me they had lots of break-ins and that I looked suspicious. The officer then told me that I shouldn’t be walking around on side streets at night, only sticking to main roads for my own safety. I didn’t bother telling him I had a black belt in karate and am very aware of my surroundings.

They told me there will now be a record of my arrest tonight, I don’t believe that is true as I was never formally charged with anything nor booked.

Very tricky tactics

If I was in Iraq, I probably would have giving them my life story without being asked but this is Canada… I got rights. I realized soon into the conversation they where trying to get me for something. Their whole line of questioning was geared around “somebody”, the officer questioned all my assertions, played “good cop, bad cop” etc.. I make a living negotiating with businesses day in and day out… I saw all their tactics a mile away. But I never played along, police officers have no sense of humor when they are on the job.

It was interesting how they would slowly stretch the truth to my answers, I always promptly interrupted and corrected them - time and again.. If you are on drugs, drunk or not “all there”, I can now see how easy it is to be arrested. For example, I kept telling them that of course I am the guy they are looking for, I am the only guy around… apparently they saw people all over the place on the streets I had just walked. I know better then to crack a joke to a police officer but in my head I was thinking “so, your the grown up kid in The Six Sense”. I know if I would have told that to them I would be in jail right now acquiring a new boyfriend.

Another example of laying foundations to get me to crack was their entire approach. They wouldn’t ask one question and move on, they would ask the same question in a different way, over and over… to see if I gave different answers. Fifteen minutes of questioning by 2 main police officers with two others staring at me actually wears you down, if you only deviate slightly from your story, they got you. Four minds against one that is new to this whole thing isn’t fair. They where essentially trying to put words in my mouth and confirming I said such things.

Trust is earned, not given - without exception

I live by this motto, I don’t care if you are a police officer or a homeless person asking for a dime on the street, I NEVER give my trust unless somebody has “proven” to me that they are worthy of earning it.

Maybe I was tough on the police officers who where simply asking innocent questions but there are a lot of people in this world who shouldn’t be dead or in jail because they simply gave their trust away. Life isn’t fair, especially when dealing with people who are in positions of authority over you - don’t give simply because of a title.

What do I think of being arrested?

I guess there is a first time for everything, not that big a deal actually, I don’t think it is right to be arrested for simply walking down a sidewalk in an industrial area of town, nor do I believe they had probable cause which is why they eventually had to let me go. I believe even now that they where abusing their power and I was in the right - I gave in to simply avoid a night in jail.

Again, if your entire case is based off “somebody” “saying” you broke into a place and your the only guy around and the final decision to arrest a person or not is based off their last name, there is something wrong with your case.

I told the police officers that if I was going to break into a place at night, I would wear all black, have something hard to allow me to “break into” a place and sure as hell wouldn’t be on foot ;-) Did he expect me to steal something after a break-in and carry it on my back for a few kilometers to my home? I don’t mind being questioned but I don’t appreciate being taken for a fool.

The Bottom Line

It’s not every night I get arrested for walking on the sidewalk, I will try to not turn it into a habit

Non-Prescription Xenical: Is 5lbs worth 1 200$/year?

April 16, 2006 | No comments

Pills aren't the solutionThis has to be an April Fools Joke or something… a “prescription weight-loss pill” exists and not only that, Xenical will most likely be approved by the FDA for over the counter use. Please tell me this is a joke!

How does Xenical work & what is the difference?

Xenical works by simply blocking fat absorption during the digestive process. Xenical blocks 50% of fat consumed while the prescribed version blocks only 25% - it’s not a huge leap of faith that many people will simply double (or more) the dose to get “more results”.

I have three fundamental problems with turning a Xenical derivative into an “over the counter” medicine:

1) Fat is our friend: Fat is essential for your body, without it… you die a slow, heavily constipated death! If you are eating too much, don’t take a pill, change your diet!

2) Doesn’t address root problems: Obesity is rarely a clinical disease, it’s mostly a self-imposed condition caused by lack of exercise, education and will power (in other words, laziness)… a pill does NOTHING to solve this - and I think it will actually make things worse!

3) Habit Forming: Just like cigarettes being used for weight loss, as soon as you STOP taking the pills the “extra 5lbs” you lost and paid 25$ a week to keep off return.

FAT IS OUR FRIEND

Fat is our friend but like all friends, it requires respect and understanding.
Fat is ESSENTIAL for our survival, people do not get “fat” because they are eating fat, they become “fat” because they are consuming more calories then they burn. FAT is not the reason for obesity, over consumption of calories is. Fat is so important that if you ask any nutritionist or doctor (who studied in nutrition) what makes up a good diet, they will say
“Carbohydrates, Protein and FAT with plenty of Fiber from a non-processed food diet is what your body needs to keep running properly.”

If you are suffering from self-imposed obesity, you need to make changes in your mental and physical attitudes about life, not blame “fat”,”carbs” or whatever else for your bulges. You created what you look like right now, change your habits or be happy the way you are, either way, don’t take it out on my friend Mr. Fat!

Pills don’t solve root problems: The Obesity Culture

A large segment of our society still believes in doing NOTHING to improve their health and expect science to develop a pill that will give them an Olympic physique. They are so sure of this will happen in their lifetime they eat a poor diet and believe exercise is a disease to be avoided at all costs… rationalizing once the pill comes out, the HEALTH and body that has alluded them will happen overnight. WAKE UP!

If you are obese, you are slowly killing yourself by choice. Nobody is forcing or brainwashing you to be/stay overweight. YOUR CHOICE.

Habit Forming: Expect to become FATTER & POORER!

GlaxoSmithKline recommends an individual take the “non-prescription” version of Xenical for 6 months - a 650$ investment - WITH A SENSIBLE DIET AND EXERCISE PLAN. If you are obese due to laziness, I doubt taking a pill will make you want to get your butt in the Gym or cause you to change your diet plans.

After 6 months you know what GlaxoSmithKline has achieved? They have turned your pill popping into a HABBIT. Stop taking the pill, the weight comes back with a vengeance, keep taking it and you stay “5lbs” leaner for ONLY 1 200$/year. This is insidious because they have you HOOKED!

At least when prescribed, there is “some” supervision by a medical practitioner but over the counter… I expect that caveat fall on deaf ears. How do you know if it’s not the exercise and diet causing you to loose the weight? This simply covers GlaxoSmithKline ass if you GAIN or loose no weight while medicated - didn’t exercise or change your diet… then IT’S YOUR FAULT! This is the same trick used by just about every “weight loss” scam out there… put the blame on the consumer for not meeting expectations.

Now, how do you become fatter taking a weight loss pill? Easy, eat more then you did before… people suffering from anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder will now have access to a powerful drug that will only make their conditions worse.

The Bottom Line

As a businessman, I think this product is genius but as a human being, this product is deplorable.

Buzvia

ABC News Article
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1819804

Taking action against global Tobacco use

April 9, 2006 | No comments

Tobacco = Early Death As the effects of tobacco use in North America are leading to a slow but steady decline in their use, the opposite is true throughout the rest of the world. The big tobacco companies really don’t care too much about all the lawsuits etc in a shrinking market, they are already well ahead of the game in places like China and India - although the profits are not as high, having a strangle hold over more then half of the worlds population without having to worry about regulations more then offsets this.

Prohibition doesn’t work

Prohibition leads to increased value of banned products so here are some of my ideas that I think would play a significant role in reducing tobacco (and their related products) by being used globally.

1) the United Nations should enforce a global policy outlining the fact that tobacco smoke and their related products are known carcinogens and ban their use in public areas such as offices, recreational areas and government institutions. The United States and a few other countries, mostly due to unfounded economic concerns, oppose this. I guess sick people are more profitable then healthy ones?

2) There should be a global price for cigarettes, meaning a pack of cigarettes in china costs the same amount as one bought in Arizona, this would be based off the cost of living. Each pack should have the country of origin right in the front so imported product would be easily confiscated.

3) Any advertising, branding or color schemes used by tobacco companies to promote their products should be allowed but ONLY to advertising the BAD effects of tobacco use, and they can only choose ads from that are produced by anti-smoking associations (the toughest one). In addition, a % of every sale would go towards an advertising pool for additional anti-tobacco campaigns.

4) Any tobacco product should be sold in a simple black and grey box, no color, no logo, the same goes with their contents, a black cigarette with no logo or color. There would be no way of knowing what type of cigarette you are buying, hence brand loyalty would cease to exist.

5) It should be forewarned to people that if they choose to smoke that they will be at the bottom of the list for any organ transplants or health services. If you decide to pay to make yourself sick, then you should pay to get yourself better, without any public subsidization.

6) Farmers should be given a specific timeline to phase out tobacco production and move to alternative crops, say over 10 years their crop yields must go down 10% per year. At the same time, the cost of cigarettes would go up 50% per year.

7) Institute exponential penalties for trafficking tobacco products to minors. What this would essentially mean is that infractions by companies or individuals found selling tobacco related products to minors would have their fines doubled each time. This would quickly lead to bad companies becoming insolvent and people seeking bankruptcy but like taxes, they follow you even if you go under.

Let us begin with tobacco

I also believe the above should also be adopted for beverages that contain over 30% alcohol to start as they also provide no benefit to society. If you govern a population where a moderate percentage needs to get drunk to get through another week - there is something wrong.

I would then follow up with the exact same policy outlined above but adapted for junk food, essentially food that provides no nutritional value should have no role in our society. If your kid is hungry, give an apple, not a bag of deep fried potatoes or artificially sugar spiked processed snacks which only lead to obesity, diabetes and many other health problems later in life.

Long term effects of a healthy population

Study have outlined how a healthy people becomes less of a burden on health care, are more productive and generally see things in a brighter light. Getting rid of products that are counter to improving health should be strictly regulated. I doubt very much this will happen in my lifetime, there is simply too much pressure to keep things at their current status quo - but I can share my dream of a healthier society.

The Bottom Line

I think if the above was implemented and enforced, the leading causes of preventable death in this world today could be stamped out in a generation.

In my family, it used to be a tradition that when a boy would turn 16, he was considered a man. So, on my 16th birthday, I received a pack of cigarettes and a lighter: I was a man now and I was allowed to smoke. My parents were proud of me (maybe for having survived all the hardships that had already presented to me) and they were proving it the best way they knew. One more thing: from now on my opinions were to be valued!

Knowing what I know now, I would say that my parents, without knowing it, were not really helping my cause for a bright future (at least healthwise). Do I blame them for such a gift (or for potentially exposing me to cancer)? Not at all because 40 years ago no one knew that cigarette smoke was unhealthy, even dangerous. Tobacco companies were flourishing and the governments were encouraging them as best as they could because they were creating a lot of jobs and opening lucrative markets.

Today, everyone knows about the dangerous direct and side effects of cigarette smoke, including second hand smoke. However, I am still surprised that the governements, bragging that they are there to protect us at all costs, do not take a stronger stand against smokers. Only raising taxes and advertizing the dangers of cigarette smoke through the media is not enough: I call it passive protection or involvement. If the governments were really serious about it, they would ban cigarettes completely from the market. Cigarettes would not be sold anywhere and could not be found anywhere! Governments would then take all the money that is spent in advertizing (and more) to monitor very closely any provision coming from the black market and punish severely those selling them or buying them.

I strongly agree with the seven points mentionned in this issue of the week and I would add one more (since cigarettes are still on the market):

Since the dangers of cigarette smoke are proven deadly beyond any reasonable doubts by all governments and research agencies, inside smoking should be totally illegal (private home, private vehicle, etc), specially those places where non smokers are living or breathing. This would mostly apply to children living with smoker(s) and who do not have a say in their stupid parents or older siblings bad habits. These children should be protected under governements’ acts. In my opinion, it is child abuse in its purest form and it should be dealt with at the same level as physical and mental abuses!

Pillars of Creation or Oblivion?

April 3, 2006 | No comments

Star-forming towers found in the Eagle Nebula by the Hubble Telescope in 1995. Each pillar is over a hundred light years high.If there ever was an afterlife or a God, this would be its form… absolutely beautiful! Maybe I fell off the wrong side of the fence when I was a kid but I tend to have some very pointed thoughts about God, the Afterlife and a few points in between. I cannot even consider myself spiritual, when I tell others my thoughts, it is so scary to them that they prefer to think of something else. I have great respect for religion as I stated before, when not distorted to serve an “evil” purpose - it provides solace and hope to those who have neither.


Do I believe in GOD?

Nope… it is my personal belief that man created God (s) in order to escape our mortality, look though any history book and you will see God (s) of all kinds, forms and flavors coming into existence then being forgotten with time. Knowing there is NO purpose to your life, no destiny and worst off, no reason other then absolute chance that you are where you are now is crazy - but that is what I believe.

Here are my personal top 5 reasons why God cannot exist:

1)we are a fluke: the human race is a byproduct of evolution (take a big gulp) - if the dinosaurs didn’t become extinct, humans never would have come into being… “humans” are only a few hundred thousand year old by the way… a blink in geological time. If there was a God, why bother with dinosaurs or 5 mass extinction periods on this planet - why not just jump to the chase and create us off the bat?

2)we live in a lifeless universe(s): think about it, you are God and you decide to create a universe to house your “people”, why bother creating a universe with up to 9 dimensions, trillions of light years in size, black holes and only use one infinitesimal small spot of it to house them? What is the point of doing all this extra work to simply hold rock, gas and radiation? Why not populate and experiment all over the universe with different forms of life instead of one spec and ignoring the rest?

3)The universe has a beginning and an end: the Big Bang theory shows that the universe we reside within has a definite beginning and thus an end over a timescale that is mind boggling (figure hundreds of billions of years). So if there was God, where where you before and where will you be after our universe ends? More to the point, why create such enormous time scales for a species whose existence will probably last but a fraction of a millisecond in cosmic time?

4)If God is all knowing and the master designer of everything within our lives, from choices we make to our birth order, why bother creating us in the first place? I get annoyed at watching the same movie more then once, it gets boring when you already know the outcomes of everything (past, present and future)… you would think an omni powerful being would quickly bore from watching mundane repeats day in and day out. Face it, most of our lives are quite remedial.

5)If there are no humans on earth, can a God still exist?

Do I believe in an afterlife?

If I don’t believe in God, then I believe any thoughts of an afterlife also quickly fade along with any hint of spirituality. When we die, I believe we simply go into oblivion. Put another way, any memory of our own existence in any shape is gone forever. Do you remember where you where before you where born? That is exactly where you are going back to.

Here are my personal top 5 reasons why an afterlife cannot exist:

1)the difference between us with our thinking brain and an insect is 0, they do not think (at least we don’t think they do) but they are made up of the same stuff that holds us together. So if humans are blessed with an afterlife, so should EVERY living thing on this earth (or universes for that matter) by extension as well, from bacteria that live only a few minutes to trees that stand for thousands of years. If you are a single celled organism, what is the purpose of an afterlife that is beyond your reasoning or comprehension?

2)Ghosts, I pray every night that I am in bed in the dark that a ghost come visit me - I have yet to see one or even a hint of anything. Ghosts stories are scary, but realistically if I was dead I would visit my relatives all the time to tell them about myself so I wouldn’t be forgotten or to help them out. A ghost or apparition of any type would make me a believer 100% and force me into believing in a lot of stuff I don’t (including the possibility of a God)

3)our universe has a beginning and an end, so where would you go after the universe ends, an even deeper question is where the hell where you before your species (or universe) even came into existence?

4)if life is so perfect after we die, what is the point of living? Why would anybody in their right mind ever decide to leave absolute paradise (full of meaning, pleasure, purpose, riches etc) to come to this screwed up planet is beyond me ;-)
5)everything we are, characteristics, memories, feelings are all housed within our brain which is basically a lump of fat. When we die, that lump of fat liquefies along with who we once where. An interesting thing my dad told me is that one way around this fact is to believe in a 4th dimension, think of our brain like a computer hooked up to the Internet - data is uploaded and downloaded but our very essence isn’t in our brain but in another dimension.

You have got to seek help, you have got to be depressed!

No, I am not depressed in the slightest. Quite the opposite, I feel an incredible sense of power and freedom knowing essentially anything I do during my life has really no meaning in the grand scheme of things. I believe I only have 1 life to live. Why did I build myfoodcount.com and legendarylife.com among many other systems to help others, because it gives me pleasure. I am trying to live my life without any worries (no I am not wealthy), cultural taboos, perceived emotion or any other binds 99.99% of people in our society live within. Imagine being able to go through life without any pressure other then what comes from within… this is my ultimate goal. Maybe to those too busy going through life instead of living their life may think I am insane - so be it… but I know I am perfectly sane ;-)
I read a long time ago that being powerful is not only believing in yourself but being able to let go of yourself. If I do nothing more in my one and only life then to try to make my personal mortal journey a fun and legendary one, I die with a big smile on my face.

Besides, there is nothing I can do about my mortality so I might as well enjoy it while I am capable. Life is an incredible gift, might as well make it legendary!

What do I believe in then?

I believe that everything within the universe, across all their dimensions are really all connected to 1 point, this isn’t as crazy as it seams, consider that before the Big Bang, all the matter and energy within our entire universe(s) where contained within an area smaller then an atom. Theoretical physics, as incredibly interesting as it is, proves to me that we are still living within that one small area, completely interconnected, yes, far larger yet still infinitely small. Consider this, the elements that make up concrete, water and even stars is the exact same elements that make up animals, that includes us. There is NO difference. None! Taken a little further, the energy within a strand of your hair may have once belonged to large tree, or even the comet that lead to the mass extinction of dinosaurs. Remember, energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only changed of form (First Law of Thermodynamics).

I do not remember the name of this theory but it goes like this (please send me the name if you know it). No matter where you go in the universe, there is a (+) and (-) charged ions and they are always in perfect balance, if a positively charged ion becomes negative, immediately another in our universe becomes positive instantaneously. Einstein taught us that the speed of light is the fastest speed anything can move within our universe using our current understanding of the fundamental laws of physics. Here is where it gets interesting.

Lets say there is only two ions in the universe, I give you a positively charged one and I keep the negatively charged one, we both travel at the speed of light for billions of years until we are both at the opposite farthest reaches of our universe. If I change my ion from a negative charge to a positive one, you, being billions upon billions of light years away will see your ion change from negative to positive in an instant. There are only two possible solutions to this, either we are all interconnected or there is something faster then the speed of light (which is impossible).

The Bottom Line

I deeply wish that there was a God and an afterlife, but it simply makes no logical sense to me. Believing in something out of fear or blindly is no better in my opinion. Hmmmm… our perception of our own existence only provides more questions then it answers.

Upon reading this article, I found many similarities with the author. I have to confess that, in my twenties, I considered myself an atheist. I did not believe in a Superior Being and I did not need One anyway. My hands were more than full with my present and future projects and life was promissing me a great career. I had no consideration for the afterlife either and I was totally concentrated on my present earthly life and tomorrow’s dreams. I was so convinced that there was no gods, God, afterlife and spiritual world thant I wanted to clear my conscience of this matter and prove to myself, and the world, that I was right. I was determined to prove it, by all means, and have peace of mind with all this nonsense. In order to do this, I started to read, with a very open mind (what’s the use of reading if I were going to reject new ideas from the start), serious books related to this subject. It did not take long before I started questionning myself even more. I was even more confused than at the start and I kept on reading to feed my obsession.

Today, I have no doubt whatsoever that there is an afterlife and that I am part of it and that you are part of it- willing or not. Over the last thirty years, I have read over five hundred serious books written by medical doctors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, gurus, mediums, etc- of all religions and no religion. I am still reading in this field today and every book still fascinates me. I have proven, at least to myself and beyond any doubt, that we are cut for a lot more than the physical world in which we live. I am totally satisfied in the fact that something beyon description awaits for us in other dimensions and that we will live for ever.

I could easily make a list of ten good reasons and more why I sincerely believe in life after life and Superior Being(s), but I think that the first reason only is proof enough of it. In the last decades, there has been an increase in NDEs (near death experiences). Fifty years ago, when people were dying, they were not coming back and since they could not tell us that they had visited another world, we had to rely on faith only to believe in the afterlife. In the last decade only, millions of people from all over the world and from all walks of life, died for 10, 20 even 30 minutes. However, the medical science is so advanced these days that these people were literally rescuscitated. They came back to tell us of the pleasant experiences they went through while they were being worked on by the medical staff and pronounced dead (some were even sent to the morgue where they surprised the coronor). They tell us that, somehow, their spirit or soul got out of their body and supervised the medical staff in the operating room, they visited the waiting room where their relatives were in distress, and then they rushed through a tunnel at a tremendous speed, they had this feeling of unconditionnal love and profond peace, they met with deseased loved ones (some who they had never met before or had never heard before because they were their great grandparents), they were in the presence of a Being of Light and had their life review, and then they were told that they had to go back to their body because their time had not come yet, they had not accomplished their mission yet. And at this very moment, they were literally thrown back in their body, feeling the pain and discomfort of their accident.

If these NDE were experienced by only a few people, it would be very easy to discard them as mere drug reactions and hallucinations. However, millions of people from all walks of life, from all professions, from all ages, from all races, from all over the world, from all religions (many with no religion and self professed atheists),and so on- cannot be wrong and be hallucinating. They all lived common experiences : they went through a tunnel at the speed of light, they met and talked with their deceased relatives, they visited another world beautiful beyond description in other dimensions, they were in the presence of a Being of Light and had their life review, they experienced peace and love like they never had before. I know all these common experiences that are lived after physical death because I read about them on numerous occasion. However, most of those who had NDE experiences did not read these books or had never heard about these experiences before. So, how could they tell us about them?

Many medical doctors nowadays accept the fact that NDEs are real and that their patients are not imagining things or hallucinating when they tell about the new world they have visited before they were revived. I am convinced now that we are spiritual beings who decided, of our own free will, to come to this world in order to fulfill a mission for our spiritual growth. When our mission will be accomplished, thank God, we will go back where we come from and where we belong- in this magnificient world that is described so often by people having near death experiences! Is it possible that our minuscule brains are too limited to even think of other dimensions above our tridimensionnal world and the fourth dimension which is time? Do not let this be the final virdict on the existence of other possibilities than our own. In order to consider these possibilities, we have to OPEN OUR MIND to OPEN NEW WORDS! For the non believers, I would suggest that you read a few serious books on NDEs if these are the only ones you will read on this topic and then- and only then- after you have sincerely open your mind and tackle some of your doubts, you should be more capable to decide if there is an afterlife. You would then be able to pat yourself on the shoulder and say that, in all truth, I have done my homeworks and I rest my case!

Here are a few good books to start with:
MORSE, Melvin. Closer to the Light.
EADLE, Betty J. Embraced by the Light.
BRINKLEY, Dannion. Saved by the Light.
PRAAGH, James Van. Reaching to Heaven.

Hybrid? Our bodies are Tribrid!

April 1, 2006 | No comments

We are a diverse engineA few years ago when I started myfoodcount.com, I thought to myself - lets create the best food counting system in the world- while accomplishing this goal I came to realize how naïve I was regarding our bodies for taking such a narrow view. Food counting for health is a noble cause but there is SOOO MUCH MORE!

Why do we eat?

To provide fuel required for creation, maintenance and destruction of our bodies.
Creation involves the formation of new tissues, liquids and cartilage to keep us all in good shape. It runs the gamut from creating life (pregnancy) to growing new fingernails. This occurs all day, everyday of our lives and many of these processes even continue months after our death.

Maintenance involves the repairing of everything within the body, this includes everything from strengthening ligaments after a good workout to rebuilding our bones. This also occurs all day and everyday.

Destruction, yes- your body is also in a perpetual in a constant state of demolition too! From dissolving bones and cancerous cells to breaking apart food nutrients to form needed compounds - everything the body creates and maintains usually ends up on the chopping block as well.

If any of these processes go out of wack, you are in trouble - BIG TIME- and FAST. For example, creation gone out of control leads to cancer, maintenance slacking off leads to osteoporosis and destruction can mean the loss of a limb.
Energy use during everyday events

Now that you know why we eat, here is how our body manages the energy we consume during everyday events - take for example a typical morning-

You wake up, get breakfast and your stuff in order then go for a light walk towards your bus stop, your maximum heart rate (MHR) is below 65% at this time. On the way to the bus stop, you realize you are a little behind schedule so you begin a light jog- your heart rate now moves up to 75% MHR. Then your worst fear becomes a reality, just as you turn the corner, you see the bus getting ready to go- in a mad dash fueled by adrenalin your heart rate jumps 400% of your maximum heart rate as you rush to catch your ride.

Energy use - more in depth review

Alright, that was pretty simple illustration, without getting too technical, here is what happened as far as your body is concerned.

Your body has 3 different “engines” at its disposal at any time, the first two require oxygen to function while the third can work without any oxygen. The first is put in use when your heart rate is working under 65% maximum - this is when your body uses fat as its primary energy source. The second kicks in when your MHR is between 65% and 85%, as its primary energy source, the body goes for the higher octane glucose stores right within your muscles. The third takes over when your MHR exceeds 85%, basically the body cannot supply enough oxygen to working muscles so it goes without - causing the lactic acid burn.
You can figure out your maximum heart rate by simply deducting 220 from your age- mine is 191.

Where do these engines come from?

Try to think of our bodies as a V8 engine, somebody didn’t just invent a V8 engine out of the blue, they started with simple moving parts and worked their way up to that level of complexity. Our bodies are NO DIFFERENT.

Each cell in our body contains a power plant called mitocandria, without it we wouldn’t be able to produce the energy we need to survive. An interesting fact is that the DNA in the mitocandria actually doesn’t match our bodies DNA, it is the result of a symbiotic relationship between two organisms billions of years ago that we are benefiting from today.

These three engines I described have been passed down generation to generation, organisms to organism all the way down the line to us. Every organism on earth, from fish and elephants to birds and insects, have these three identical engines at their disposal with very rare exceptions. So all I can tell you is it started way before humans ever came into being and will still be there long after our species is gone.

One thing we do know about age is that the “turbo boost” last engine I described is the oldest and comes from bacteria, it developed when the Earth did not have an oxygen rich atmosphere because it is able to work without the presence of oxygen.

The Bottom Line

I have been brought up to believe that humans are special, unique in nature… the more I study, the more I realize that it is simply not the case. Nature is a great teacher in HUMILITY.