The Demon Sugar

So NYC mayor Bloomberg wants to remove soft drinks from the list of acceptable foods that you can buy with food stamps. Really?

I have many conflicting sentiments about this. First, government telling you what to eat or drink seems like a really bad idea, but we do have warnings on cigarettes and alcohol. However cigs and booze are considered adult-only consumptives. You have to be eighteen and twenty-one years of age, respectively, to legally purchase them. Do we need to make soft drinks age restrictive for purchasing as well?

Second, if they are banned from the food stamp program, then what sugar laden beverage would buyers choose? Fruit juice? So-called juice beverages? There will be a replacement that will not help reduce obesity. Mark my words.

Third, how much more liberty are people willing to give up? Do we need to have people give up choices because they are poor or impoverished?

Fourth, this is a government subsidy program. The government does have the right to set requirements for being part of the program. Is it right that the government asks people to give up choices to be part of a subsidy program? Do they require dietary behavior modification for inclusion now? What behavioral modification would be next, religious modification? Sexual behavior modification? Consumer spending behavior modification? How does getting someone to give up their legal rights, protected in the United States Constitution, align with the government's duty to protect the United States Constitution?

I don't have any concrete answers, but I do have plenty of questions to consider. Maybe we need to be encouraging people to be responsible with their exercise of their rights rather than holding them hostage in an all or nothing negotiation?

Cyber Bullying vs. Breakdown in Communication

The whole bullying thing is sadly a breakdown in communication between people. On one side is the subject of the bullying who doesn't deserve to be a target and doesn't understand the context of what is being said about them. On the other side are the people who are saying things for suspicious reasons and have attempted to use the person they are subjecting taunts to as a way to connect.

If you want to know something about another person, ask them if they will share with you. Do it in the context of respect and privacy. Recognize that you don't have the right to know things that other people don't want to share and you can't force them to share. It is frustrating, but that is the reality. The best perspective is to put yourself in their position and see how you would react. You can't expect to be perfect, but it is a better place to start from rather than make random speculative statements about that person.

Don't let bad communication turn your intentional concern and inquiry in to an attack on a person's character.

Life... neglected blog. Blog... neglected life.

Does anyone read my blog?

I am faaaarrrr too self-conscious to do this for attention and to self-centered to do this and be ignored.

It's political season. Time for the Republicans to try to attack the Democrats and how they have handled things in the last two years. Like Dubya needed only two years to have a referendum on his policies.

I am so tired of hearing the phrases "Job-killing taxes", "Typical politician" and "Bringing New Ideas" that I want to scream at the god-damned TV.

I have opinions and am not afraid to state them, nor change them.