I'm a news junkie, always have been, but lately the press seems to confuse news with junk. As a sometimes-journalist myself and a member in good standing of the National Press Club, I am embarrassed by what passes for news these days. For instance, enough already about birthers! Donald plays his Trump card and ignites a feeding frenzy to give him air time, news headlines and countless interviews. Let's face it, he's never going to run for president, but who can blame him for stoking up publicity to benefit his reality TV show and black hole of an ego. He is smart enough to know that no one cares about his opinions on the federal deficit or the Middle East, but if he caters to the birther 'movement'? Duh...Winning!
What does that say about us? The decision makers behind major media know that whether we love or despise birthers, we will watch anything to do with them. Unlike the other 'major' news story of the day, William and Kate's wedding, birther news attracts women AND men (as Jay Leno pointed out, two billion people were expected to watch the wedding, of which 175 would be men).
The purpose of television news, of course, is to sell products and for the past two years we haven't been buying as much. Hence, birthers 'Trump' real news. Let's face it, no one is going to watch people being slaughtered in Libya and go out to buy a car. And if you think the controversy is over because Obama produced yet another document to prove he was born in this country, Trump is demanding to see his college grades. I think that's a mistake though since many of us cringe at the thought of revealing our own college grades.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Three cups of controversy
Craig Mortensen, who wrote the best selling book, THREE CUPS OF TEA, is finding himself steeping in controversy these days. He visited Vero Beach on one of his book tours and created a lasting impression of his efforts in Afghanistan to bring education to the country's impoverished children, especially girls.The only reason I am writing about this now is that back when he visited our area, he insisted that no one else could duplicate what he has done because of his special relationship with the people of Afghanistan. That was a red flag to me.
Although I have never visited Afghanistan, I have spent plenty of time in Africa and the Middle East, especially with tribal people, to know that they are just like people anywhere. They are suspicious at first of people who come to 'help' them, but once they get to know you are sincere, you are welcome like family. I have two friends here locally who served in Afghanistan, one a medic, the other a soldier, who could not say enough about the friendliness of Afghanis, especially when they feel you are sincere in your efforts on their behalf.
So as to Craig Mortensen's alleged position that only he could develop this relationship, I can only surmise he was doing something he didn't want widely known. This past week we found out the possible explanation. A segment on last Sunday's SIXTY MINUTES news program presented numerous conflicting accounts of Mortensen's accomplishments, including questions about the finances of his charity, the Central Asia Institute as well as the claim he was kidnapped by the Taliban back in the 90s. These allegations and Mortensen's defense of them can be found by googling his name and/or THREE CUPS OF TEA, so I won't repeat them here.
The point is that in today's shrinking world, people can travel just about anywhere and see for themselves how people live. If they don't travel, they can still find out anything they want to know by clicking on to the internet. There are a billion cell phones in the world, all capable of filming life as it really happens and uploading it to YouTube, Facebook or even blogs like this one.
So my advice to Mr. Mortensen and others who achieve fame and fortune: be careful because we are watching you.
Although I have never visited Afghanistan, I have spent plenty of time in Africa and the Middle East, especially with tribal people, to know that they are just like people anywhere. They are suspicious at first of people who come to 'help' them, but once they get to know you are sincere, you are welcome like family. I have two friends here locally who served in Afghanistan, one a medic, the other a soldier, who could not say enough about the friendliness of Afghanis, especially when they feel you are sincere in your efforts on their behalf.
So as to Craig Mortensen's alleged position that only he could develop this relationship, I can only surmise he was doing something he didn't want widely known. This past week we found out the possible explanation. A segment on last Sunday's SIXTY MINUTES news program presented numerous conflicting accounts of Mortensen's accomplishments, including questions about the finances of his charity, the Central Asia Institute as well as the claim he was kidnapped by the Taliban back in the 90s. These allegations and Mortensen's defense of them can be found by googling his name and/or THREE CUPS OF TEA, so I won't repeat them here.
The point is that in today's shrinking world, people can travel just about anywhere and see for themselves how people live. If they don't travel, they can still find out anything they want to know by clicking on to the internet. There are a billion cell phones in the world, all capable of filming life as it really happens and uploading it to YouTube, Facebook or even blogs like this one.
So my advice to Mr. Mortensen and others who achieve fame and fortune: be careful because we are watching you.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Burn Baby Burn
If there's no such thing as bad publicity, proof lies in the actions of a small town Florida pastor who decided to burn a Koran, the Islamic holy book. If you recall, this same 'man of the cloth' threatened to burn a Koran last September on the anniversary of 9-11. He withdrew his threat when practically the entire world pleaded with him not to do it, adding that he would never again consider burning the Koran.
"Never" lasted about six months. We don't know for certain why he did it, but when word of the action reached Afghanistan, it set off rioting and killing (primarily of western aid workers) that is still continuing today, three weeks after the incident.
He apparently did not do it in retaliation for Afghanis burning the Holy Bible, because Muslims consider the Bible holy to them as well. I don't think he read the Koran and was so shaken by what he read that he decided it must be burned, like when the Nazis burned books in 1930s Germany. Chances are he never opened a Koran and if he did, I doubt he actually read it.
So we are left with the most obvious reason for burning the holy book of one billion people -- publicity. The first time he threatened to burn it, he became world infamous. Possibly he gained some new church members. So, if it worked before it would probably work again.
I want to believe that this small town pastor (I refuse to dignify him by repeating his name) suffered through a moral dilemma before deciding to go ahead and burn the Koran. Clearly, this action would hurt and inflame the people who consider it holy, in an area of the world where many US soldiers are currently risking their lives to befriend the locals. That would have to be balanced against the benefit to his congregation and Christian principles.
On second thought, I do not believe a moral dilemma was involved. It was more likely a case of old-fashioned bigotry with the side benefit of free publicity.
"Never" lasted about six months. We don't know for certain why he did it, but when word of the action reached Afghanistan, it set off rioting and killing (primarily of western aid workers) that is still continuing today, three weeks after the incident.
He apparently did not do it in retaliation for Afghanis burning the Holy Bible, because Muslims consider the Bible holy to them as well. I don't think he read the Koran and was so shaken by what he read that he decided it must be burned, like when the Nazis burned books in 1930s Germany. Chances are he never opened a Koran and if he did, I doubt he actually read it.
So we are left with the most obvious reason for burning the holy book of one billion people -- publicity. The first time he threatened to burn it, he became world infamous. Possibly he gained some new church members. So, if it worked before it would probably work again.
I want to believe that this small town pastor (I refuse to dignify him by repeating his name) suffered through a moral dilemma before deciding to go ahead and burn the Koran. Clearly, this action would hurt and inflame the people who consider it holy, in an area of the world where many US soldiers are currently risking their lives to befriend the locals. That would have to be balanced against the benefit to his congregation and Christian principles.
On second thought, I do not believe a moral dilemma was involved. It was more likely a case of old-fashioned bigotry with the side benefit of free publicity.
Friday, April 1, 2011
sanitize insanity
The first human meat eaters did not have the benefit of gas or electric ovens. For that matter, they didn't even have fire. (Fire was only discovered when young human children started playing with matches.) Seriously, the first humans were scavengers and ate raw road kill. I imagine many of them died, but those who survived had the benefit of developing an immunity to the bacteria in decaying flesh. That strain of humans, the meat eaters, went on to dominate the world because meat was the best source of protein (Read GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL by Dr. Jared Diamond for a fascinating explanation of how this process worked).
If you ever watch the TV show BIZARRE FOODS with Andrew Zimmern, you probably exercise your gag reflex as he devours bugs and x-rated animal parts with relish. Speaking from experience, in many parts of the world the chief source of protein comes from those bugs and animal parts routinely discarded in this country or used in hot dogs. I visited a Samburu tribe in Kenya that lived exclusively on blood and milk from their herd of cattle. There were flies everywhere and when I asked the chief how he could stand living this way, he answered, "What flies?" "You see," he told me, "an abundance of flies means we have plenty of food, so it is a sign of prosperity."
The point of all this is that we humans are capable of eating just about anything under the most unsanitary of conditions (besides dealing with flies, the Samburu live in huts made out of cattle dung). That ability comes from those first humans who ate road kill. They passed on our body's natural ability to process anything as food so long as it contains protein, carbohydrates or fat. They also passed on our body's natural ability to thrive in this world filled with germs, bacteria and cat fur.
But alas, we have figured out a way to negate the accomplishments of all our ancestors in one or two generations by sanitizing ourselves. We sanitize our food, our hands, the air we breathe, and worst of all, we take antibiotics. These wonder drugs clear cut their way through our body's natural defenses in the name of saving us from a specific germ. Ironically, that germ will eventually develop its own ability to resist the antibiotic trying to kill it just as we did when we started eating road kill.
Why do you think that in the span of a few generations, we have developed allergies to foods and conditions where allergies never before existed? Why do so many Americans go to foreign countries and routinely suffer from fluid lower tract ailments when the locals have no problem with them? It's all because we systematically reverse the accomplishments of thousands of generations by destroying the very gift our ancestors suffered and died for so that we may live long and prosper.
One of my pet peeves is traveling with people who take "preventative" antibiotics like Cipro to "protect" them against Montezuma's revenge and other lower tract problems. In the process of "protecting" us, these antibiotics are killing all bacteria in our system, good and bad. Of course, the body will fight back against this onslaught by developing an immunity to Cipro, so when you really need it, it won't work anymore .
I take the opposite approach. My answer to preventing those liquid diseases is the same tactic our military uses when it invades a country and then starts to lose it. I call this strategy "the surge." I increase the amount of bacteria in my system instead of destroying it with antibiotics. How? By eating active culture yogurt, a cup a day for ten days, before leaving on a trip overseas. As it turns out, most countries I visit include yogurt as a mainstay of their diets (gee, I wonder why), so I can continue to eat it throughout my trip.
By the way, I always eat what the locals eat - you know, all those disgusting things that are great sources of protein. Just remember that your stomach only recognizes three things - protein, carbohydrates and fat. It's your mind that allows T-bone steaks past your taste buds, but forbids Mopani worms.
If you ever watch the TV show BIZARRE FOODS with Andrew Zimmern, you probably exercise your gag reflex as he devours bugs and x-rated animal parts with relish. Speaking from experience, in many parts of the world the chief source of protein comes from those bugs and animal parts routinely discarded in this country or used in hot dogs. I visited a Samburu tribe in Kenya that lived exclusively on blood and milk from their herd of cattle. There were flies everywhere and when I asked the chief how he could stand living this way, he answered, "What flies?" "You see," he told me, "an abundance of flies means we have plenty of food, so it is a sign of prosperity."
The point of all this is that we humans are capable of eating just about anything under the most unsanitary of conditions (besides dealing with flies, the Samburu live in huts made out of cattle dung). That ability comes from those first humans who ate road kill. They passed on our body's natural ability to process anything as food so long as it contains protein, carbohydrates or fat. They also passed on our body's natural ability to thrive in this world filled with germs, bacteria and cat fur.
But alas, we have figured out a way to negate the accomplishments of all our ancestors in one or two generations by sanitizing ourselves. We sanitize our food, our hands, the air we breathe, and worst of all, we take antibiotics. These wonder drugs clear cut their way through our body's natural defenses in the name of saving us from a specific germ. Ironically, that germ will eventually develop its own ability to resist the antibiotic trying to kill it just as we did when we started eating road kill.
Why do you think that in the span of a few generations, we have developed allergies to foods and conditions where allergies never before existed? Why do so many Americans go to foreign countries and routinely suffer from fluid lower tract ailments when the locals have no problem with them? It's all because we systematically reverse the accomplishments of thousands of generations by destroying the very gift our ancestors suffered and died for so that we may live long and prosper.
One of my pet peeves is traveling with people who take "preventative" antibiotics like Cipro to "protect" them against Montezuma's revenge and other lower tract problems. In the process of "protecting" us, these antibiotics are killing all bacteria in our system, good and bad. Of course, the body will fight back against this onslaught by developing an immunity to Cipro, so when you really need it, it won't work anymore .
I take the opposite approach. My answer to preventing those liquid diseases is the same tactic our military uses when it invades a country and then starts to lose it. I call this strategy "the surge." I increase the amount of bacteria in my system instead of destroying it with antibiotics. How? By eating active culture yogurt, a cup a day for ten days, before leaving on a trip overseas. As it turns out, most countries I visit include yogurt as a mainstay of their diets (gee, I wonder why), so I can continue to eat it throughout my trip.
By the way, I always eat what the locals eat - you know, all those disgusting things that are great sources of protein. Just remember that your stomach only recognizes three things - protein, carbohydrates and fat. It's your mind that allows T-bone steaks past your taste buds, but forbids Mopani worms.
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