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Show Notes
December 15, 2021
Impossible Question
Click here for the Impossible Question.
Q: On this Day in __(year)___ the _____ became law of the land.
A: 1791 / Bill of Rights
On December 15, 1791, Virginia became the 10th of 14 states to approve 10 of the 12 amendments, thus giving the Bill of Rights the majority of state ratification necessary to make it legal. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bill-of-rights-is-finally-ratified
Better Air
Absolute Electrical – Louis
UV Air Filtering – can this be set for certain rooms or is it the whole house
Whole-house air cleaning
Target: Starbucks
Last week’s prank targeting Starbucks was mostly swallowed by major media, but for the lactose-persistent, the question persisted: “is dietary racism a thing?”
Yes, it is a thing, and today the nonprofit Switch4Good, which put out the Starbucks spoof, offered a further explanation about the causes and impacts of dietary racism—which is far from performative “wokeness” as some carped.
Please see the information below, and if this is a topic that you find interesting we would love to work on something with S4G spokespeople.
Starbucks Spoof Adds “Dietary Racism” to National Lexicon
LOS ANGELES, Calif., December 15, 2021 – A prank targeting Starbucks last week raised the issue of dietary racism—yet many lactose-lovers seemed resistant to accept the existence of systemic, structural inequities surrounding food choices.
Switch4Good—a nonprofit championing the benefits of going dairy-free, together with the Yes Men—issued a mock press release announcing Starbucks was reversing years of dietary racism by eliminating its upcharge on non-dairy milk due to the prevalence of lactose intolerance in BIPOC communities.
Major media were fooled, yet many questioned the notion that dairy as a default amounted to dietary racism, and in response, Switch4Good released a video “explainer:” https://vimeo.com/654231842/08d0af47b4.
“Charging extra for non-dairy milk is indeed a form of dietary racism because up to 95 percent of BIPOC individuals are lactose intolerant, versus only 15 percent of white people,” said Switch4Good executive director Dotsie Bausch. “When people of color are disproportionately and unjustly penalized, it constitutes racism. As we said in our spoof video, plant-based milk is not a luxury that should be taxed, it’s a necessity.”
Up to 80% of Black and Latinx people, up to 95% of Asians, and more than 80% of Indigenous Americans cannot digest dairy, yet this is far from the only example of dietary racism.
Forced milk in public schools:
The National School Lunch Program requires schools to give milk to every child—unless families provide a doctor’s note—and makes no exceptions for lactose intolerance. If 75% of white children were made sick by dairy, it would be pulled from the school lunch program immediately.
Lack of representation:
There was not one person of color on the 2020-2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, and representation on past committees has been minimal. Whites setting these guidelines recommend three servings of dairy per day.
Food deserts limit food choices:
BIPOC and low-income neighborhoods are more likely to lack access to fresh healthy foods, and/or suffer from an oversupply of fast food and liquor/convenience stores.
Lack of food stores:
White neighborhoods have an average of four times as many supermarkets as predominantly Black neighborhoods, and food stores in Black communities are usually smaller, with less selection.
“Dietary racism clearly parallels environmental racism, and often creates financial barriers that exclude people from making healthier food choices,” said Milton Mills, MD, an urgent care physician in Washington DC who has published several research journal articles addressing racial bias in federal nutrition policy. “It is galling that this issue would be dismissed as performative ‘wokeness,’ when dietary racism impacts potentially every person of color in America.”
Starbucks has ignored requests from BIPOC customers to cancel the added charge for plant-based milk, and Switch4Good intends to continue its pressure.
Switch4Good testified on Capitol Hill in 2019 about the health impact of dairy and petitioned the USDA to remove it from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Along with other NGOs, it succeeded in getting soy milk recognized as nutritionally equivalent to dairy in the DGA.
Its multidisciplinary and multicultural coalition that includes BIPOC clinicians, dietitians, activists, athletes, and other thought leaders is working to enact fairer, healthier nutrition policies such as ensuring schools have access to, and reimbursement for, soy milk.
About Switch4Good
Switch4Good is a nonprofit organization aimed at raising awareness about the problems associated with consuming dairy and helping people make the switch to living dairy-free. The organization provides information about how dairy impacts the environment, health, fitness, food, justice, and animals. For more information about Dotsie Bausch, the organization, or how to make the switch to a dairy-free diet, please visit: https://switch4good.org.
Cancer Invading Our Christmas
Rev. Percy McCray
How do we best plan for, approach, and love that loved one or friend who is fighting for their lives at what should be the most joyful time of year?
8 WAYS TO CARE FOR A LOVED ONE WITH CANCER DURING THE HOLIDAYS
- Devote time to them. Leading up to the holidays, spend the day decorating their home or have a holiday movie night. This could be a lonely and frustrating time for even the strongest person. Just be mindful of their energy levels and needs.
- Help them with their shopping. They can possibly shop online, but there may be a necessary trip to the store. Offer to pick something up for them so they don’t have to brave the crowds and follow that up by wrapping their gifts.
- Think finances. There may be financial considerations for someone dealing with cancer so suggest homemade gifts or letters to loved ones as a replacement for purchased gifts.
- Treat them. Whether it is a new outfit, a trip to the salon or a day at the spa, most cancer patients don’t feel they look their best. Giving them boost of confidence will go a long way!
- Take them to church. Holiday services may be difficult to get to with winter storms and excessive traffic. Offer to take your loved one to church. If they are uncomfortable with seeing people, make arrangements with their pastor for a special viewing location to easily come and go and serve as the spokesperson for them.
- Change it up. If your loved one typically hosts over the holidays, suggest a new tradition. Eating out at a restaurant, ordering in, a potluck or even someone else hosting can help ease their stress and take significant items off their checklist.
- Be aware. Your loved one may be more emotional and sentimental than usual, wondering if this could possibly be their last Christmas. Help to give them hope, walk with them through these fears and make it a special and meaningful time together.
- Pray. Pray for them and pray with them. Ask them what is on their heart and what you can be praying for. There is nothing more powerful than prayer and nothing makes someone feel more loved than the sincere prayer with a dear friend.
BIO: Percy has spent more than two decades ministering to cancer patients and their caregivers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA). An ordained minister and a member of the U.S. Chaplain Association, he serves as the Director of Faith-Based Programs at CTCA and provides leadership to the pastoral care staff at CTCA hospitals across the U.S. He also oversees the nationwide cancer care ministry training and support program for church leaders, Our Journey of Hope®, and hosts an award-winning weekly cancer support podcast, Health, Hope & Inspiration.
Brain Balance
Dr. Rebecca Jackson, VP of Programs and Outcomes and Board Certified Cognitive Specialist for Brain Balance
Brain Balance Centers recently announced the launch of their new program designed to help adults who want to improve focus, anxiety, memory, organization, and overall performance without the use of medication. For more information, please visit https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/who-we-help/adults
Despite being recognized as the most wonderful time of the year, the holiday season often brings unwelcome guests — stress and depression. Between the disarray of cooking, shopping, cleaning, entertaining, and the physical exhaustion from holiday-related errands and obligations, it is no wonder we stress around the holidays.
Many of the common signs and symptoms of adult ADHD can be confused with holiday season stress. Some of the most commonly overlooked signs and symptoms of adult ADHD are:
Feelings of self-doubt or being overwhelmed
Inattentiveness, distractibility
Frequent small errors or mistakes
Struggle completing tasks
Procrastination and perfectionism
Anxiety and stress
Feelings of inadequacy or even shame (not living up to expectations from yourself or others)
A struggle to control mood and emotions – resulting in moments of anger, or heightened emotions
How to combat this
Tackle your hardest holiday tasks when you have the best energy and focus. This usually means the first thing in your day, not later. Don’t procrastinate and save the hardest tasks for when you have the least amount of focus.
Don’t try to work when hungry. The parts of our brain involved in higher-level thinking, planning, and implementation require high amounts of fuel to perform. Protein and healthy fats provide slow-burning, high-quality fuel to support this brain region.
Don’t abandon your routines, especially exercise. Exercise can help to re-engage your brain when you start to become fatigued or distracted. Taking a break to spike your heart rate and engage your muscles will also re-engage your brain!
Sleep. Focus requires energy. When you are well-rested you will be more able to focus for longer periods of time.
Remove distractions. Focus on one task at a time. If bringing the kids along with you to run holiday errands, consider leaving them at home. If you find your cell phone distracting during retail or food shopping, leave it in your pocket or purse to focus on the task at hand.
Achievers Sung and Unsung are the Real Heroes to Celebrate
For more than 200 years, millions of Americans worked diligently, seeking their dreams, providing for their families, and contributing to the development of the most prosperous country in the history of the world. We feel entitled to things our parents could only dream about, and our grandparents could not conceive.
Historically
– Only people achieving outstanding accomplishments received recognition
– Because everyone had to perform daily to survive and hopefully grow
– None of them are perfect or are we. The public honored their triumphs and overlooked or forgave their shortcomings.
Examples
– Lewis and Clark
– Charles Lindbergh
– Martin Luther King Jr.
– Dwight Eisenhower
– Theodore Roosevelt
– Helen Keller
Real heroes building our great country are the nameless and faceless workers
Everyone who labors in a legitimate arena contributes to our shared success and is worthy of gratitude and respect.
Adam Smith advocated in The Wealth of Nations in 1776 in free societies invisible hand benefits everyone. His quote, “Individual Ambition Serves the Common Good,”
Present
– Individuals grasping for an advantage to achieve fame.
– Influencers and reality “stars” appear overnight
– Celebrated by pop culture
– Contributions beyond themselves are challenging to identify
– Bask in the glow of a public subset satisfied with superficial achievements.
– heroes portrayed in entertainment are fictional or cartoon characters
– impervious to contemporary society’s human imperfections.
– failure to tell the stories of real American heroes is a disservice to present and future citizens.
– Athletes and entertainers receive excessive adulation
– World War II – many sacrificed years of careers to serve.
– Pat Tillman rare example today
- These groups today are disconnected from ordinary citizens.
If we properly praise, thank, and encourage all who make our lives better each day, we will reap richer lives. And, if we only applaud actual achievement instead of fame, maybe pop culture will shift away from celebrating fame and honor exceptional accomplishments.
The “Butterfly Effect” of Human History
Jared Knott – Author of “Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters: Thirty-Nine Tiny Mistakes That Changed the World Forever.”
The small things that had great historical consequences…
“Heart-stopping, compelling, and fun!” Win Blevins, New York Times Bestselling Author
How often does it happen that a single tiny mistake causes an entire civilization to collapse? More often than you think! Readers of Jared Knott’s book, Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters, will be amazed at the little things that changed history in a big way. Here are a few examples:
A single document poorly designed by one single clerk in one single county changed the outcome of a presidential election and led directly to a major war.
A soldier accidentally kicks a helmet off the top of a wall and causes an empire to collapse.
A small mechanical device several inches long fails to function, which changes the outcome of WWII and leads to the death of millions of people.
A man fails to gather his army in time to defend against an attack because of the temptation of opium and a young slave woman.
And many more!
Hypnotic and addictive, these well-researched, factual stories will keep you turning pages far past your bedtime. Human weakness at its very worst at critical moments. This book is the “Butterfly Effect” in human history reviewed.
Trailer for Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters: Thirty-Nine Tiny Mistakes That Changed the World Forever
John and the Tax The Billionaire Letter
219 ECONOMISTS & LAW PROFESSORS SUPPORT THE
BILLIONAIRES INCOME TAX. Letter here.
