Stephen's Notes

Crisis in food, farms, and agri-business

2011-08-22T18:43:00.002-06:00

I see lot's of articles concerning unhealthy food and unsafe practices being promoted by agri-business with their large bank accounts while the FDA and other civil government agencies target small agricultural producers trying to offer healthy alternatives to their well-educated customers that seek out their products. This is a great article that I think provides a fairly good overview of the issue and some sustainable solutions coming out.

I definitely believe that the next major crisis could be food or possibly water. We must begin to develop sustainable lifestyles and systems that accurately steward our natural resources.

‎"Progress" at what price?

2011-08-10T11:03:00.003-06:00

Last Stand for the Xingu River

On a river in the Amazon Basin in Brazil, plans are progressing to build a massive dam, called Belo Monte. The dam(s) will have massive negative impact on the lives of people that have lived in the region for centuries as well as negative environmental impact for the region. Over the years the indigenous people in collaboration with others opposed to the project have been able to slow the advance of the project but it is still progressing and construction is very close to beginning. Those that oppose the project are becoming more focused and organized to stop the project.
Integrity, wisdom, humility demand that we look at the drivers for the need for more electricity production which the proponents say these dams will provide. Love, compassion, righteousness, prudence demand that we look at the impact on others and long term environmental impact that the actions will have and speak out for the oppressed and "weak", at least politically and monetarily weak.
Here is a petition to the Brazilian Government:
I support the demands of Brazilian civil society and urge you to defend the Amazon and its people and stop the Belo Monte Dam Complex.
Sign here.

ustream.tv vs justin.tv

2011-02-15T11:45:00.000-06:00

I just found this draft from 3/27/2009. I don't remember the specifics of what I wrote here but I will post these rough notes. Hope it helps!

We started using ustream.tv instead of justin.tv. We could not get the XH-A1 Video Camera to connect to the firewire port on the Windows laptops and then we found camtwist for the Mac which is very nice for controlling the video input. Almost anything can be used as a video input.

viewers not having to login to access the integrated chat and can set their own name in the chat
the ability to change audio and video inputs without stopping the broadcast, of course CamTwist now fairly well covers that for the video
I just discovered the ability to type text as an overlay onto the video screen, very on the fly, I used it as a replacement for streaming the pp slides with the camera feed

Global warming debunked?

2010-12-31T13:25:00.002-06:00

Scientist Piers Corbyn's website:
http://www.weatheraction.com/

Other links on climate change.

Push to get Genetically Modified Foods out of our food supply

2010-10-10T17:57:00.011-06:00

My life is a stewardship for which I give account to God as to how I live. This is the perspective I am developing for every decision which I make in my life, including my health and how I eat. So, this is the context in which I post articles on my blog.
Ten years ago consumers in Europe forced food companies to not offer generically modified foods (GMOs). The power of the market place. This month in the USA there is a push to educate enough consumers about the options and how to avoid GMOs so that we reach a tipping point and cause GMOs to not be profitable for the food companies. Do it for your health and those to follow after us.

Non-GMO Shopping Guide to print

App for the iPhone/iPod

Another App for the iPhone/iPod

From The Center for Food Safety

10.91 acres for sale south of Dallas

2010-09-27T19:07:00.000-06:00

Land for sale

"Natural Flavors" ?!!?

2010-07-17T10:35:00.003-06:00

Ever see "Natural Flavors" in the ingredient list of packaged food and wonder what it really is? (You really should read ingredient lists and know what you are acually eating!) Here is an explanation.
HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein) is used to enhance flavors of thousands of food products, extend shelf life, and otherwise increase the food industry's bottom line. HVP is an ingredient in just about every processed food available in stores. As a paste or powder, it is added to soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, snack foods, dips and dressings. The name hydrolyzed vegetable protein most often refers to "hydrolyzed corn protein" or "hydrolyzed soy protein" and may sometimes be labeled as such. If mixed with spices, it is routinely identified only as "natural smoke flavor" or "natural flavors." This labeling practice protects proprietary recipes of manufacturers, but has long been a nightmare for people who are allergic to soy or corn, or who react to MSG, which is an inevitable and unavoidable byproduct of the hydrolyzing process. Products containing this additive may even state “No MSG” on the label, though this is clearly an untruth.
Source article
The article also continues with more information about problems with eating soy.

Son Finds Place Back on Family Farm

2010-07-09T19:40:00.000-06:00

This article really spoke to me about building generationally. Even more than just building a business or natural wealth to pass to the next generation, there is building a life with the principles and values of God that is transmitted to the next generation. But certainly working together in a family business gives great opportunity to see the application of those principles.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (New American Standard Bible)

¹⁸"You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
¹⁹"You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.
²⁰"You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
²¹so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.

How to Avoid Mosquito Bites Naturally | eHow.com

2010-07-02T13:13:00.000-06:00

How to Avoid Mosquito Bites Naturally | eHow.com

I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC parody

2010-06-29T20:25:00.002-06:00

Here's the article.

The Truth About Saturated Fat

2010-06-28T09:53:00.000-06:00

Say "No" to canola oil and "Yes" to coconut oil.

Article

USDA to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement for Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets – Seeks Public Comment

2010-06-06T19:08:00.000-06:00

Here is your opportunity to tell the USDA your comments concerning the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically sugar beets. This is their article with a link to comment online or address to mail your comments.

There has been no extensive study to determine the safety of tampering with God's genetic design but there is coming to light more and more information calling into question the health and safety of GMOs and their unfulfilled promises of increased productivity. Here is one study by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Here is another article about GMO soy production in Argentina, which I have posted before. One point this article makes is that the use of herbicides was to decrease with the use of this GMO soya but herbicide use has actually increased and herbicide resistant super weeds are being found.

Reformation

2010-04-24T21:44:00.000-06:00

"When we talk of reformation we are not just talking about manifestations of the Spirit designed to bless us. We are talking about a foundational renovation of everything that the Church is. Therefore, there can be no reformation without conflict. There can be no reformation without confrontation. Things have to break, things have to be remodelled, old things have to be renewed. A reformation is the critical activity of transformation within the very structure of the Church.
"'Behold the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah. Not according to the covenant I made with their fathers.' A new covenant is not a cloning of the old. You cannot take the old things into the new. It must be not according. You can't take with you your old attitudes, your old relationships, your old mentality and your old style. Things have to change. As long as we come over into the new, with the position and the mentality, with the desire and the perception of that which you were in the old, we will miss the frequency. The old vision cannot work in that which is new, there must be a re-evaluation of our personal postions in the Spirit.
"As long as we glorify, as long as we honour, as long as we are filled by that which we now have, there will be no transition, there will be no spiritual journey to a new position. Every reformation emerges from a spirit that is filled with hunger. There has to be a deep spiritual discontent. There has to be a breaking of that which is old. We have to come to a place where we recognize that we can no longer call the old success. If we continue with that which was successful, we now begin to define ourselves into a present failure. Therefore, reformation emerges out of that state of brokenness, that state of chaos, that state of personal tumult, that sense of a loss of the way. The passage to reformation is through violent seeking and through strong desire. There is no comfortable, complacent passage towards a reformation move of God."
Dr. Noel Woodroffe from the song, "Reformation"

Community knowledge

2010-03-29T18:27:00.000-06:00

Many indigenous cultures don't have a capitalistic or possessive mentality about knowledge or things. Knowledge is held in common for the good of all and God's creation has abundance for all to utilize for themselves and their family. But neither is this culture of community communism or socialism imposed by external force. It is the values in their heart which governs their lifestyle. Here is another article about the conflict some communities in the Amazon encounter when they are forced to interact with society outside of their communities:
Indigenous Community

Making a house a home

2010-03-22T15:25:00.000-06:00

You've probably heard the saying, "Home is where the heart is." Certainly a home is more than a house. Here is an interesting article on home-making.
Anyone up for building real relationships?

Argentina - impact of GM soya production

2010-03-16T13:29:00.001-06:00

A look at some of the effects of genetically modified soy bean production in Argentina:
article

Another example of greed overriding the common good.

African Dynamo: How a Malawian Teenager Harnessed the Power of the Wind

2010-03-05T10:23:00.002-06:00

A self-taught African boy brings electricity to his village. Click here for the full article.

WAORANI The Saga of Ecuador's Secret People: A Historical Perspective

2010-02-25T16:20:00.000-06:00

This article is such a clear presentation of how modern civilization is destroying traditional cultures and teaching them to live in the ways of the corrupt world system which is destroying them.
GOD, LET YOUR KINGDOM COME AND RULE IN THE HEARTS OF THESE PEOPLE.

Not just the Waorani but all the weak and defenseless people being abused by the big, powerful, greedy societies; so-called Western "civilized" society. Help your people to rise up, seize the opportunities to be the voice for these that have no voice, to show them the ways of the kingdom and to true life in Christ.

The prudent sees the evil and hides himself,

2010-02-24T19:54:00.003-06:00

Proverbs 22:3 (New American Standard Bible)
The prudent sees the evil and hides himself,
But the naive go on, and are punished for it.

Troubles are a part of life. Don't be lulled to complacency by apparent peace. Please prepare.
This is a very interesting allegory:
The Storm.

Picture source

Honor and respect in the Xavante people

2010-02-24T19:47:00.001-06:00

I enjoy learning and reading about different indigenous tribes.
This is an excerpt from a paper I found on the SIL website, concerning respect and honor in relationships with in-laws in the Xavante people in Brazil, a very popular subject, I'm sure, for all married people! ;) For me it is very thought provoking concerning treating everyone with respect and honor.

1.3 In-laws
Perhaps the most central and crucial relationship in Xavante society is that of son-in-law–parents-in-law, especially that of son-in-law–father-in-law. When a young man marries, he moves into his in-laws' house. At this point he must accept his father-in-law as head of the household, and treat him with utmost respect. He is obliged to work for him in his fields and in general is subservient to him. During this potentially volatile transitional phase, the son-in-law avoids making eye contact with or speaking to either of his parents-in-law unless absolutely necessary, and usually communicates by using his wife or, less commonly, someone else as a liaison. At those times when he must speak to them, he employs the respect forms. Curiously, the father-in-law rarely speaks directly to his son-in-law as well, despite the fact that he is in a position of authority over him. Again, when direct communication is necessary, he also utilizes the respect forms. Perhaps this serves to emphasize the extreme volatility of the relationship. Avoiding direct address at all costs enables those involved to avoid direct confrontation and the possibility of the severing of the relationship. As the relationship is stabilized and the son-in-law matures, the speech taboo is utilized less and less as a form of avoidance behavior. Nevertheless, the honorific grammatical forms continue to be used by the in-laws to call attention to and encode their relationship. For girls, the above phenomenon involving men which so strongly characterizes Xavante culture is rarely exhibited. A young married girl has little direct contact with her father-in-law, and although she may frequently visit her mother-in-law, the relationship is usually anything but tense. Nevertheless, a mother or father-in-law will use the honorific forms to address a son's wife.

Small farms getting big

2010-02-06T23:05:00.003-06:00

I was encouraged by this article to stay focused, though it's been slow, on my process to get setup on my land:

Small farms getting big

I'm looking at planting some trees to start the 5 year clock to get the ag exemption on my land. I'm thinking about oak to be able to harvest for firewood.

What is happening to our food supply?

2010-01-29T17:18:00.002-06:00

A large part of the food industry is a perfect example of a system based upon greed not doing what is right for the welfare of it's customers.
Here is an article on GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) food.

Here is more info on shopping for non-GMO food, including a downloadable shopping list:
Non-GMO Shopping

Here is a petition to Pres. Obama for labeling on GMO food:
Petition for GMO labeling.

Interesting stories from this past year related to the environment

2010-01-06T23:06:00.003-06:00

While I am certainly no proponent of the politically correct global warming theory, there are certainly issues of stewardship and personal responsibility which we must address regarding our health and the environment. Here is one writer's review of stories from this past year, many of them in which I take particular interest.

Plastic - death by convenience

2009-12-09T19:34:00.004-06:00

Plastic, that great invention of convenience is becoming a scourge. Report from BBC.
Years ago in Mexico, as I would see plastic bags scattered across neighborhoods and vacant lots, blowing in the wind, I began to develop a real disdain for the bags and have often thought that very term for plastic bags - scourge but they are just the tip of the iceberg of our irresponsible waste.

Plastic may take hundreds of years to breakdown but as it is breaking down it becomes smaller and smaller particles and molecules of the original toxic material. In the Pacific there is an area called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, GMA video. As these smaller and smaller pieces of plastic breakdown and become more numerous than plankton, animals begin to ingest them and thus these toxic chemicals find another way to enter the food chain. (Another way is through leeching into food stored or heated in plastic.) Here is a study on birds ingesting plastic.

Bisphenol A, one of the toxic substances in some plastics, has been reported to be linked to miscarriages in women with elevated levels of the toxin, video, some vulgar language.

Lot's more info...

Argentina - a blue print for the future of the USA?

2009-12-08T10:58:00.003-06:00

Interesting article looking at Argentina's economic history and how the USA is heading in a similar direction.

Harvesting energy on the farm too.

2009-11-07T20:29:00.002-06:00

Here is an article about what some are doing to produce energy for self-sustaining farms.

Truvia and the big business of highly processed foods

2009-10-27T20:22:00.005-06:00

Wow, whenever I get on one of these tangents of researching health, food, or such subjects, I can spend hours finding and reading lots of scary info.
Truvia is a processed derivative of the natural sweetener Stevia. Why process a natural sweetener like Stevia? To obtain a patent and make money. Red flag enough to be concerned but I find references to Cargill, the maker of Truvia, using GMO-modified corn for one of the ingredients in Truvia. Here is an eye-opening article about Cargill.
Here are some articles looking at the problems with high fructose corn syrup.
Here is an article explaining more about GMO (genetically modified organisms) food.
I'm not saying that I base my life on what I read on the Internet but when that information points to a simpler life, more in harmony with God's creation then I will tend to agree.
May I suggest, read, educate yourself, look for locally grown, minimally processed foods.

The hype on vaccines

2009-10-14T08:17:00.001-06:00

Here is another article on how vaccines are hyped up on their safety and effectiveness but really dangerous and ineffective.

Do you know the source of your meat?

2009-10-14T08:06:00.005-06:00

Is your meat really what it claims to be and is it safe?
NY Times article

Here are my links for grass-fed meats from local producers. I encourage you to search for producers that are close to you or some from my list will ship to you.

Simplify

2009-08-21T10:41:00.002-06:00

"We must achieve the character and acquire the skills to live much poorer than we do. We must waste less. We must do more for ourselves and each other. It is either that or continue merely to think and talk about changes that we are inviting catastrophe to make."

Wendell Berry, from the essay "Word and Flesh," in the book What Are People For? North Point Press, 1990.
Found here.

How To Protect Your Hard Earned Money From Financial Meltdown

2009-08-19T12:37:00.003-06:00

On this amazing 87 minute DVD for 2009, Don and David McAlvany analyze the financial market chaos and its immediate impact on the real world economy . Order your FREE copy of "Conquering Chaos" today at www.orderdvdtoday.com or call 800 525 9556.

View the trailer.

excited about the prospect of having a dog again (and more animals)

2009-08-17T18:40:00.004-06:00

As I am getting setup to live on my property, it is exciting to see the potential for applying what I am learning about a healthy lifestyle to the life of my animals as well. The classes and seminars I have been taking at Homestead have provided a lot of basics for understanding health from the ground up, literally, to plant, animal, and human. I just discovered on Dr Mercola's site, which I reference for human health, has also started an animal health site as well, mainly for dogs and cats. A lot of the same issues in the human health care system also applies in animal health and the veterinarian health care system. It is nice to see some of those trained in the system, able to see the weaknesses and speak out against the problems, and provide help for us as to how to best navigate through the system for true health.

"Cash for Clunkers" - Destroying valuable items to stimulate the economy?

2009-08-12T19:50:00.003-06:00

What is done with your cash for clunker trade-in, many of which are still usable? It is destroyed.
Well that's helping the environment and the economy then, right? Are you paying cash for the new car or are you getting more in debt? And many of the new purchases are for foreign made cars. So much for really helping the fundamentals of the USA economy. As for the environment, what effect does new car production have on the environment? What effect does scrapping a working car have on the environment?
We have to look at the bigger picture. I like this quote:
“In every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” The Iroquois Confederacy

Take a look at this tidbit from history:

During the Great Depression, millions of Americans couldn't afford to buy food. With food prices falling and huge surpluses of food building, the government decided to pass the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 which forced farmers to destroy crops and livestock in an attempt to artificially drive up food prices. The plan backfired and led to millions of Americans starving, prolonging the Great Depression for another six years.
From: http://inflation.us/cashforclunkers.html

Could cash for clunkers be just the beginning of more drastic measures to falsely prop up the failing economy but actually worsening the problem?

What is pasteurized milk?

2009-07-30T11:03:00.003-06:00

Found this at http://www.rawmilk.org/raw-milk.php:

Processed dairy is any dairy that has been altered from its raw state by heating the dairy above a cow's body temperature. Pasteurization, irradiation, boiling or homogenization are the most commonly known forms of processing. Also, the processes of chemical treatment are used to enhance flavor, fortify and preserve bad-tasting milk that has been heat-treated and putrefactive. The common store type of milk is processed to the extent it turns blue. They add large amounts of dolomite (mined calcium carbonate, that is rock) to make it white and add irradiated hydrogenated vegetable oil as Vitamin D. Hydrogenated oil has the same molecular structure as plastic unlike natural raw milk. Additionally, irradiated oil is not Vitamin D yet the FDA allows them to call it that.

Found out where you can buy raw milk here.

e-waste

2009-06-24T21:40:00.005-06:00

The results of our high-tech, high waste consumer society:
PBS

I have not reviewed all of the information on the PBS show but it definitely begs the question: How are we stewarding what we have?

TEXANS - Call governor to veto SB 1440

2009-06-06T21:19:00.004-06:00

The bill would give the court wide and arbitrary powers to make a ruling based only on an affidavit from Child Protective Services.
Press Release from Parent Guidance Center.
For more info.
Please call the governor's office and ask him to veto this SB 1440.

Information and Referral Hotline [for Texas callers] :
(800) 843-5789
Citizen's Opinion Hotline [for Texas callers] :
(800) 252-9600
Information and Referral and Opinion Hotline [for Austin, Texas and out-of-state callers] :
(512) 463-1782
Office of the Governor Main Switchboard [office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST] :
(512) 463-2000
Citizen's Assistance Telecommunications Device
If you are using a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD),
call 711 to reach Relay Texas
Office of the Governor Fax:
(512) 463-1849

State of the Economy - a Mess!

2009-06-03T18:49:00.003-06:00

Here is an excellent article on the condition of the economy:

Mountain Vision

At the end of the page is a story, in layman's terms describing the derivatives market.

World Hunger

2009-05-29T19:56:00.005-06:00

Here is an emotionally moving video on hunger in the world.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

No statistical facts but it makes a very strong case. Before we blame overpopulation, let's examine how the lack of some compares with the excesses of others.

swine flu statistics similar to death rates for normal flu

2009-05-23T18:32:00.003-06:00

I did some checking concerning swine flu. From what I find the death rate is very similar to regular flu, at least in the USA. CDC reports 6552 probable and confirmed cases and 9 deaths.

This site has slightly higher case numbers but no more deaths:
USA
confirmed - 7751
suspected 1014
fatal - 9

Reports from Mexico show (not sure how this would compare to normal flu there):
confirmed cases - 5234
suspected cases - 3971
fatal - 212
The WSJ proposes that the reason for the higher death rate in Mexico could be the lack of quality health care and the delay in accurately identifying it.

Canada:
confirmed - 787
suspected - 5
fatal - 1

even the Wall Street Journal weighs in with insights on eating healthy

2009-05-23T18:13:00.002-06:00

Wall Street Journal site

Raisins as a preservative - alternative to sodium nitrite

2009-05-19T18:12:00.004-06:00

During digestion, sodium nitrite can break down into cancer-causing chemicals but there is a study that shows raisins can be used as a health-safe alternative for preserving foods:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/31/raisins.aspx

All the more reason for me to like raisins! :-P

repeal of homestead property tax

2009-05-19T14:40:00.002-06:00

A proposal from a couple of years ago to repeal the property tax for homesteads in Indiana:
http://www.munciefreepress.com/node/17712
I wonder where this is now...
Need this in Texas, too!

God's perfect balance

2009-05-14T19:56:00.002-06:00

In my homesteading class today, we looked at the importance of soil and how to care for the soil. It is the foundation of all life. A pound of soil has over 900 billion living things in it. The health of the soil determines the health of the plants, which determines our health and the health of the animals which then continues to impact us when we eat the animals as well. It is amazing to see the synergistic, symbiotic cycle of life. A farm must be seen as a whole system of life on many levels, from the interconnectedness of the physical life systems but also on the level of the earth is a stewardship which God has given to us and how we relate to the life systems which God has designed in the earth is connected to our relationship with God. When we are out of order with how God has designed the earth to operate then it has serious consequences for life. Truly, the earth is groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God, those who are living and governing in the earth according to the design of Father God.

Raising Goats

2009-04-14T17:17:00.005-06:00

Here is an interesting article about a man raising goats.
It is encouraging to me right now, as I am having a hard time finding about 10 acres I can afford to buy to start my place. I might need to start a little smaller.

Here is an article about using goats to control brush. It has information about fencing, predator control, and goats per acre which I might find useful. "The percentage of brush cover and the number of acres need to be considered when determining stocking rate. One goat per acre per percent brush cover is a good minimum beginning rate." Of course, this is not completely accurate, since if the acreage has no brush, it could still support some level of goat grazing on the grass.
In their study, "Stock density ranged from a high of 3 to a low of 1.5 goats per acre." But yet they also say, "Stocking rate dropped to 0.5 goats per acre."

Global Cooling?

2009-04-07T16:44:00.006-06:00

There is a lot of evidence to support global COOLING, NOT warming. Do the research, don't get caught in the political propaganda machine. Some theorize that the increase in temperature in the past 150 years is just part of the earth's normal cyclical warming and cooling trends. We don't even have exact temperature data except for about the past 100 years and even the quality of that data has issues.
Here's my link to some info I have found.

new streaming setup

2009-03-27T16:51:00.004-06:00

The new XH-A1 HiDef Video Camera has been nice. We have also refined the whole setup, so here is a brief outline of it now.

Macintosh computer – current configuration:
Mac Mini (1.83GHz, 4GB RAM), monitor, keyboard, mouse
CamTwist
for video streaming - must be in mpeg-4 or Windows Media Player format
Soundflower (to stream audio from a video)
network card for Internet connection
web browser with Adobe Flash (Firefox and Safari work)

Streaming Setup
Connect camera
start CamTwist
- highlight Video Source

Webcam for live video

Movie for video

Desktop for PP presentation

Slide Show for pictures (can be exported from PP presentation)

- click Select or to add a second source, select PIP

to use PIP - can adjust the secondary picture in the main picture with the advanced window on the right – move it around with the black square, change size, etc

or just switch between the two sources

Video Source – select CamTwist

Audio Source – normally is Built-in Input, for movies select Soundflower (2ch) and set the audio output in the Mac System Preferences to Soundflower (2ch), as well. Soundflower configuration info

Click Start Broadcast
Should see at least some green in the VU meter and avoid red
Can adjust quality with bars on right
Select Server Monitor to see what is being broadcast
To put text on the video screen, I.e. instead of streaming pp
Select Text & Videos
New Text Layer
Type in the text and click Add
Click Preview or Push on air
can move it around, change colors, fonts, etc
just type over to update what is on screen

dangers of artificial sweeteners

2009-03-20T07:09:00.003-06:00

There are way too many chemicals in our processed foods today. One example is artificial sugar substitutes. One is aspartame. Here is a site talking about the dangers of it, I like the domain name:
http://www.sweetpoison.com/
Do a search on whatever artificial sweetener and you should come of with plenty of sites exposing the dangers and probably extolling its virtues. Consumers beware, be informed.
There are plenty of natural alternatives to sugar, such as stevia, honey, agave, and others. Even sugar in moderation is better than the artificial sweetener chemicals.

Insight into God's purposes

2009-02-19T13:55:00.002-06:00

I would encourage anyone interested in understanding more of what is happening behind the scenes in current events to these sites:
Scott Webster Ministries
Scott is on the Apostolic Core Leadership Team of the Kingdom Community Network of Congress WBN. He also heads the Atlanta Embassy of Elijah Center. Elijah Center, based in Trinidad, is the creative core of Congress WBN. Scott publishes a newsletter that gives insight of the underlying philosophies and mentalities that drive the events in society and how we must realign our hearts with God's principles to establish His rulership in our lives and the earth as a whole.

ICA is a financial and geo-political consultant company that offers a wealth of resources concerning current events. They have daily news briefings, a weekly audio commentary, and monthly newsletter.

Indians in South, Central America

2009-02-16T13:26:00.004-06:00

Here are some links to news stories of struggles of some indians in South and Central America about which I want to research more for a current update:
EMBERA KATÍO
Nasa Indians

The Community web page

2009-02-04T21:42:00.003-06:00

I found this on the web page of a Kingdom Community which is part of the Congress WBN:
"At TC, we see ourselves as a part of the “global church” which is not limited by geographical or geopolitical boundaries. We are a people who desire to develop a correct global perspective that empowers us to become a portal of divine activity into whatever nation within which God desires us to build. Our globalness also allows us to build seamlessly between our community, the communities within PTWN, and our affiliation with Congress-WBN."
I thought this was very interesting. It stirs my heart with the vision of God's purpose. Here is the page:
The Community
You can visit them if you are ever in NW Arkansas.

Economy, polity, society

2008-12-30T21:27:00.004-06:00

I recently finished a very interesting little book by Blair Adams, published by Colloquium Press. The title is "Severing the Roots of Unsustainability." It is called "A Basic Primer", for it is derived from other much more extensive works. It looks at how culture includes three aspects, economy, polity, and society. What determines the nature of the culture is which of those three is dominant. If economy is dominant then the other two; the public, civil life and inter-personal relationships serve only towards the goal of economic growth. What I would call raw capitalism. If polity is dominant, then the other two are subservient to the expansion of the public/civil life, an authoritarian type of system. In the type of culture where society, meaning personal relationships, is dominant then the basis of relationships is voluntary association with shared principles and values. Thus the civil government springs from the internal self-government of the people. The economy is based on meeting the needs of the individuals and the community, not focused on greater profit.

"A Republic, if you can keep it"

2008-12-28T23:10:00.006-06:00

Dr. Benjamin Franklin was quoted as giving the response, "A Republic, if you can keep it" to the question of the outcome of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Concerning this constitutional republic, John Adams second president of the USA, said in an address to the military, Oct. 11, 1798:
"We have no government armed in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
As we consider the current state of the Union, from the failure of policies towards the native American Indian nations and our national monetary system controlled by a private banking cartel to global police actions and federal entitlements for the broad spectrum of special interest groups, I would say that we have not fulfilled our responsibility to keep the republic. I would further say that it is a matter of the heart. As I read John Adams' quote, because we have not kept our individual lives by self-government under God, our civil government is showing serious signs of failure.

streaming using justin.tv

2008-12-16T18:42:00.001-06:00

Justin.tv is a streaming solution we have just started using. It is easy to setup and customize and can be used from Windows and Mac OS X. It includes a chat feature but each participant would have to have a justin.tv account to be able to chat, so not a real convenient web conferencing setup with respect to integrated chat. But for just streaming the audio/video it works well and is very simple to customize. I used the video plug-in code to make a customized page, including links for different video sizes.
We purchased a high def Canon XH-A1 camera, so that should be very beneficial for streaming to be able to zoom in with high quality to view the presentation and different people as they talk.

streaming with Windows Media Encoder

2008-12-16T16:26:00.003-06:00

One solution which worked fairly well for us, we used Windows Media Encoder to stream the audio and video. You can share your desktop as well but it requires an additional stream. As the name implies, it only runs on Windows OS. We used Primcast as the streaming server. Accounts start at $13/month for 5GB of data which was plenty for what we needed. The bandwidth used was about 100MB/person for about 2 hours. For a camera we used a Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF. This is a nice little webcam the Windows driver supports auto-tracking, so that as the person on which the camera is centered moves the camera follows them. Occasionally it has to be adjusted manually to keep it tracking. For audio we are using high-quality wireless mics, one for the main speaker and another for those in the local meeting to participate and be heard by those streaming. To be able to get the two mics connected into the one input on the computer (so that we don't have to setup a mixing board for every meeting) we use a stereo splitter, so that one mic is the right channel and the other is the left channel on the computer input.
We use Yahoo! IM for those receiving the stream to give feedback.

streaming versus webconferencing

2008-12-12T08:46:00.007-06:00

I am helping setup streaming for trainings, with others asking about doing it, I decided I should add this to my blog. Here are my links for streaming and webconferencing. I list the webconferencing link here to explain the differences I see. Some of the webconferencing I have found doesn't support video or support having an adjustable size video window (dimdim.com). Webconferencing does normally have the capability to share presentations, like powerpoint. dimdim.com seems like a nice solution if you don't need to make the video window real big.
I will give more details about what we have done in future posts.

Mexico - USA relations

2008-11-20T10:42:00.003-06:00

I am seeing in a new and greater way how I must work to develop a culture in my life and relationships that represents the accurate nature of Christ within me. One way is to develop more collaboration and interaction with other Kingdom minded people with different cultural backgrounds. With the current issues in connection with the USA's neighbor to the south, Mexico, here is a rather interesting article.

the dangers of chemicals in plastics

2008-11-06T14:55:00.006-06:00

phthalates (THAHL-ates) and bisphenol A (BPA)
If the federal government agency, The National Toxicology Program (NTP), is willing to contradict the FDA and acknowledge "some concern" over BPA exposure, I would strongly suspect that the problem is much greater.
More
More 2

running Windows on Mac hardware

2008-11-04T12:14:00.013-06:00

Here is an excellent review of three different solutions for running Windows on Mac hardware at MacTech.
They don't mention an opensource virtualization solution by Sun Microsystems, VirtualBox. I have tried version 1.4.1-beta2 and it works ok but lacked USB support. They are now at version 2.0.4 and USB support is supposed to be working, so I need to try it.

Live with a global vision

2008-09-10T16:13:00.003-06:00

How can I live complacently and comfortably, when others around the world live in fear for their next breath?
But one example, in Iraq.

But it is not so much just what I, each of us as individuals, or even the corporate we, do but it is who we are, our character and nature, that will have the most powerful, lasting impact.
This is nothing but more groaning for the eternal Truth and purpose of God to be revealed.

Recent Coltan article - used in iPhone?

2008-08-11T18:36:00.003-06:00

Here is another article about coltan and the conflict in the Congo.

How we live, impacts people around the world

2008-07-24T20:36:00.007-06:00

One aspect of the building of community is living with an understanding that how I live, what I do, who I am, impacts people in other parts of the world.
As the saying goes hindsight is 20/20, here is an article that dramatically illustrates this principle in a sad, negative light. A rare metal, of which I have never heard, coltan, is used in certain electronics components such as some capacitors and the Congo is a major source for this metal. According to Toward Freedom, in the 2000 launch of the Sony PS2, high demand of this metal by Sony helped fuel the astronomical rise in price from $49/pound to $275/pound. And this sharp increase in price helped fuel conflict and slave labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Involved were players such as Rwandan government sponsored militias to western mining companies, all funded by a debt-based, consumer materialistic mindset in "rich" nations.
The demand for coltan has cooled but if we are shortsighted and motivated by personal gratification then there will always come another point of conflict over the supply of some other resource to meet the demand.
We have got to be aware of how our desire for the latest, greatest, fastest whatever might be affecting people in other parts of the world. Questions such as this come to mind - Can my brother in the Congo afford one of these? Can he afford to buy food for his family to eat while I enjoy my latest luxuries?
How many are giving their lives in conflicts to mine the raw materials necessary to make this thing?
This is why we must increase in our knowledge of the truth and have the wisdom and foresight to be led by internal principles of what is right not what is merely convenient or desirable, so that we can avoid this situation of looking back at what went wrong.

Who's your Daddy? - The raw milk issue.

2008-07-02T14:57:00.007-06:00

I'll tell you who your Daddy is not. Your Daddy is not "Big Brother", the civil government that has gotten so big and powerful that it thinks it is our all-knowing benevolent father. And the real problem is that many, MANY people are quite content to look to civil government as their daddy. Some people are diligent and work hard to keep "Father" happy, others see civil government as their "Sugar Daddy" that will give them all they ever want or need but both generally believe everything "Daddy" says and when it comes right down to it, pretty much fall in line with what is expected of them. We must take personal responsibility to be informed and make decisions based upon Truth and the personal light and understanding we have. We must understand that God has given us responsibility for our own lives before Him and no one else. Part of this responsibility is to govern government not ignorantly submit to all the politicians and bureaucrats say but that is a rather deep subject, maybe a later post. But below is a case in point.
I saw this article about the controversy between raw and pasteurized milk and what some civil government agencies are doing to "protect" us from raw food and it rather inspired me. Here is one particular stirring quote that looks at the superficial panacea of pasteurization:

Around the time that Chicago passed the first pasteurization law in the United States, in 1908, many of the dairies supplying cities had themselves become urban. They were crowded, grassless, and filthy. Unscrupulous proprietors added chalk and plaster of paris to extend the milk. Consumptive workers coughed into their pails, spreading tuberculosis; children contracted diseases like scarlet fever from milk. Pasteurization was an easy solution. But pasteurization also gave farmers license to be unsanitary. They knew that if fecal bacteria got in the milk, the heating process would eventually take care of it. Customers didn’t notice, or pay less, when they drank the corpses of a few thousand pathogens. As a result, farmers who emphasized animal health and cleanliness were at a disadvantage to those who simply pushed for greater production.

It is amazing how all problems really go back to the root of lack of personal responsibility and love for others. And man looks for the easy superficial solution rather than having to address matters of the heart.

Florida trip - beautiful beaches

2008-06-23T12:08:00.004-06:00

Last week I had a trip to Panama City, Florida for business training. Here are some pictures of my break to the beaches there. Beautiful white sand beaches -

I didn't expect to find Mexico Beach in Florida! ;)

I rented an economy car on the Internet and this is what I got!

(Not as economy as I would have liked, but it actually wasn't too bad, and it was fun ;-)

With beautiful beaches like this, I could be a beach bum! ;)
It is hard to believe that this is still the Gulf of Mexico - Galveston it is not!
This is probably the prettiest beaches I have seen - I haven't been to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mauritius, etc, so I don't claim to be an expert! ;)

clear water with a beautiful blue reflection, it is hard to capture in one dimensional pictures

Whole Foods Market & Organic foods

2008-05-21T19:24:00.002-06:00

I started reading this article because I have shopped at Whole Foods some but it gives a lot of info about eating organic and healthy in general:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/04/17/the-whole-story-about-whole-foods-market.aspx

I definitely advocate always reading the labels. It also emphasizes buying locally grown food, vegetables and meat, like grass-fed beef.
I tried some grass-fed beef raised just northeast of Dallas. There was very little fat, grease when I cooked it and it did have a nice clean flavor to it.

Electromagnetic radiation

2008-05-08T13:39:00.006-06:00

Have you ever wondered about all the electromagnetic fields (EMF) with which we are surrounding ourselves more and more? Cell phones, microwaves, electrical power lines, cordless phones, Wi-fi computer networks, all of these transmit and/or emit varying types of electromagnetic signals. Our body also uses electromagnetic signals in our nervous system for the communication between our body and our brain. In fact, throughout our bodies, every biochemical process involves precisely choreographed movement of EMF-sensitive atoms, molecules, and ions. So, it seems logical that external EMF sources could disrupt our body's normal function. Consider that radiation used to kill cancer (and other cells which it contacts as well) is basically a high powered, focused EMF, should convince us that we must not take these things for granted - our health and very lives for the sake of our immediate need or convenience.
The evidence is inconclusive but some studies do indicate a possible link between EMF exposure and cancer, as I mentioned in a previous post:
http://brazosdedios-english.blogspot.com/2007/02/cell-phone-use-and-cancer.html
This is a site with more info and products to measure and shield against excessive EMF exposure:
EMF Safety Superstore

We must take personal responsibility for our lives and not assume that someone else or the civil government will always take care of us.

bankruptcy of the US

2008-04-21T23:41:00.002-06:00

In 1913 when the Federal Reserve was created, the US began to borrow our national currency from this new corporation of international bankers and so begins to owe interest on our own money. A really bizarre twist!
The following refers to what happened next. I'm not sure how factual it is but it certainly makes sense and would explain a lot. It is an excerpt from http://www.nomoreserfs.com/notice_to_public_servants.htm :
From 1913 until 1933, the United States paid the “interest” with more and more gold. The structured inevitability soon transpired: the Treasury was empty, the debt was greater than ever, and the United States declared bankruptcy. In exchange for using notes belonging to bankers who create them out of nothing on our own credit, we are forced to repay in substance (labor, property, land, businesses, resources - life) in ever-increasing amounts. This may be the greatest heist and fraud of all time.

FIAT EMPIRE - Why the Federal Reserve Violates the U.S. Constitution

2008-04-21T23:08:00.002-06:00

The Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America

2008-04-21T23:00:00.002-06:00

More - soy exposed

2008-04-07T10:49:00.001-06:00

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html

Soy Protein Isolate: Not So Friendly

2008-04-03T17:30:00.002-06:00

Below is an excerpt from an article covering many aspects of the negatives of soy products. Soy protein isolate is used in a protein mix I used to take. I am noting this article here in preparation for talking with the company about why they use SPI.

http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoid_soy.htm

Soy Protein Isolate: Not So Friendly

Soy processors have worked hard to get these antinutrients out of the finished product, particularly soy protein isolate (SPI) which is the key ingredient in most soy foods that imitate meat and dairy products, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk.

SPI is not something you can make in your own kitchen. Production takes place in industrial factories where a slurry of soy beans is first mixed with an alkaline solution to remove fiber, then precipitated and separated using an acid wash and, finally, neutralized in an alkaline solution.

Acid washing in aluminum tanks leaches high levels of aluminum into the final product. The resultant curds are spray- dried at high temperatures to produce a high-protein powder. A final indignity to the original soybean is high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to produce textured vegetable protein (TVP).

Much of the trypsin inhibitor content can be removed through high-temperature processing, but not all. Trypsin inhibitor content of soy protein isolate can vary as much as fivefold.21 (In rats, even low-level trypsin inhibitor SPI feeding results in reduced weight gain compared to controls.22)

But high-temperature processing has the unfortunate side-effect of so denaturing the other proteins in soy that they are rendered largely ineffective.23 That's why animals on soy feed need lysine supplements for normal growth.

Nitrites, which are potent carcinogens, are formed during spray-drying, and a toxin called lysinoalanine is formed during alkaline processing.24 Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein products to mask their strong "beany" taste and to impart the flavor of meat.25

In feeding experiments, the use of SPI increased requirements for vitamins E, K, D and B12 and created deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, copper, iron and zinc.26 Phytic acid remaining in these soy products greatly inhibits zinc and iron absorption; test animals fed SPI develop enlarged organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver.27

Yet soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are used extensively in school lunch programs, commercial baked goods, diet beverages and fast food products. They are heavily promoted in third world countries and form the basis of many food giveaway programs.

In spite of poor results in animal feeding trials, the soy industry has sponsored a number of studies designed to show that soy protein products can be used in human diets as a replacement for traditional foods.

An example is "Nutritional Quality of Soy Bean Protein Isolates: Studies in Children of Preschool Age", sponsored by the Ralston Purina Company.28 A group of Central American children suffering from malnutrition was first stabilized and brought into better health by feeding them native foods, including meat and dairy products. Then, for a two-week period, these traditional foods were replaced by a drink made of soy protein isolate and sugar.

All nitrogen taken in and all nitrogen excreted was measured in truly Orwellian fashion: the children were weighed naked every morning, and all excrement and vomit gathered up for analysis. The researchers found that the children retained nitrogen and that their growth was "adequate", so the experiment was declared a success.

Whether the children were actually healthy on such a diet, or could remain so over a long period, is another matter. The researchers noted that the children vomited "occasionally", usually after finishing a meal; that over half suffered from periods of moderate diarrhea; that some had upper respiratory infections; and that others suffered from rash and fever.

It should be noted that the researchers did not dare to use soy products to help the children recover from malnutrition, and were obliged to supplement the soy-sugar mixture with nutrients largely absent in soy products - notably, vitamins A, D and B12, iron, iodine and zinc.

Marketing The Perfect Food

"Just imagine you could grow the perfect food. This food not only would provide affordable nutrition, but also would be delicious and easy to prepare in a variety of ways. It would be a healthful food, with no saturated fat. In fact, you would be growing a virtual fountain of youth on your back forty."

The author is Dean Houghton, writing for The Furrow,2 a magazine published in 12 languages by John Deere. "This ideal food would help prevent, and perhaps reverse, some of the world's most dreaded diseases. You could grow this miracle crop in a variety of soils and climates. Its cultivation would build up, not deplete, the land...this miracle food already exists... It's called soy."

Just imagine. Farmers have been imagining - and planting more soy. What was once a minor crop, listed in the 1913 US Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product, now covers 72 million acres of American farmland. Much of this harvest will be used to feed chickens, turkeys, pigs, cows and salmon. Another large fraction will be squeezed to produce oil for margarine, shortenings and salad dressings.

Advances in technology make it possible to produce isolated soy protein from what was once considered a waste product - the defatted, high-protein soy chips - and then transform something that looks and smells terrible into products that can be consumed by human beings. Flavorings, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers and synthetic nutrients have turned soy protein isolate, the food processors' ugly duckling, into a New Age Cinderella.

The new fairy-tale food has been marketed not so much for her beauty but for her virtues. Early on, products based on soy protein isolate were sold as extenders and meat substitutes - a strategy that failed to produce the requisite consumer demand. The industry changed its approach.

"The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said an industry spokesman, "is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society."3 So soy is now sold to the upscale consumer, not as a cheap, poverty food but as a miracle substance that will prevent heart disease and cancer, whisk away hot flushes, build strong bones and keep us forever young.

The competition - meat, milk, cheese, butter and eggs - has been duly demonised by the appropriate government bodies. Soy serves as meat and milk for a new generation of virtuous vegetarians.

...
FDA Health Claim Challenged
...

Even with the change to soy protein isolate, FDA bureaucrats engaged in the "rigorous approval process" were forced to deal nimbly with concerns about mineral blocking effects, enzyme inhibitors, goitrogenicity, endocrine disruption, reproductive problems and increased allergic reactions from consumption of soy products.31

...

Soy And Cancer

...

Thousands of women are now consuming soy in the belief that it protects them against breast cancer. Yet, in 1996, researchers found that women consuming soy protein isolate had an increased incidence of epithelial hyperplasia, a condition that presages malignancies.45 A year later, dietary genistein was found to stimulate breast cells to enter the cell cycle - a discovery that led the study authors to conclude that women should not consume soy products to prevent breast cancer.46

Phytoestrogens: Panacea Or Poison?

Twenty-five grams of soy protein isolate, the minimum amount PTI claimed to have cholesterol-lowering effects, contains from 50 to 70 mg of isoflavones. It took only 45 mg of isoflavones in premenopausal women to exert significant biological effects, including a reduction in hormones needed for adequate thyroid function. These effects lingered for three months after soy consumption was discontinued.51

One hundred grams of soy protein - the maximum suggested cholesterol-lowering dose, and the amount recommended by Protein Technologies International - can contain almost 600 mg of isoflavones,52 an amount that is undeniably toxic. In 1992, the Swiss health service estimated that 100 grams of soy protein provided the estrogenic equivalent of the Pill.53

...
Question Marks Over GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) Status
...

Soy protein did have approval for use as a binder in cardboard boxes, and this approval was allowed to continue, as researchers considered that migration of nitrites from the box into the food contents would be too small to constitute a cancer risk. FDA officials called for safety specifications and monitoring procedures before granting of GRAS status for food.

These were never performed. To this day, use of soy protein is codified as GRAS only for this limited industrial use as a cardboard binder. This means that soy protein must be subject to premarket approval procedures each time manufacturers intend to use it as a food or add it to a food.

Soy protein was introduced into infant formula in the early 1960s. It was a new product with no history of any use at all. As soy protein did not have GRAS status, premarket approval was required. This was not and still has not been granted. The key ingredient of soy infant formula is not recognized as safe.

soy in food

2008-02-12T21:55:00.002-06:00

Here is information I have found about soy being unhealthy or downright dangerous to our bodies.
I hear that fermented soy (i.e. soy sauce) is good for us but that unfermented soy is not.
Here are excerpts from one source:
According to FDA scientists, soy can contribute to "toxicity in estrogen-sensitive tissues and in the thyroid."
"It could bind zinc and other minerals crucial to the body's immune and autoimmune function, and increase inflammation and the risk of autoimmune diseases, according to NewsMax’s Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of the Blaylock Wellness Report.
"Recent research has found direct links between high soy intake, in a pregnant or nursing mother or in a child, with a multitude of physical problems such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, pre-eclampsia and premature births.
"Adults with soy overload may experience higher rates of depression, infertility, heart attacks, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, among other disorders."
At least, omega-6, as found in soy, should be balanced 1 to 1 with omega-3.
Newsmax.com Health Alert, August 5, 2006

This site has a lot of articles about unfermented soy being unhealthy. Here is one:
http://www.mercola.com/2005/aug/30/soy_ruled_no_health_food.
htm

What is really frustrating is soy is in just about everything now. But it is not the great health food it is made out to be. Also, MSG is a derivative of soy.

vaccines - healthful or harmful?

2008-01-03T22:17:00.000-06:00

This is the reason that I wrote the previous post. This is an article I found looking at vaccines and associated problems:
http://www.mercola.com/2000/oct/15/vaccines.htm

Here is another site with lots of info:
http://www.909shot.com/

Do you still trust the systems of this world?

2008-01-03T21:54:00.000-06:00

We must be alert to the motivations behind the operation of any system in which we put our trust. And of course, ultimately our trust must only rest in God. Any organization operated by men will tend to corruption. Jesus described this when talking about the rulers of the world exercise oppressive dominion over their people but that in the kinagdom of God it must not be so. When the righteous rule, the leaders are the servants of the people to empower them to function in God's purpose because the leaders operate uner God's authority and in His nature and the people rejoice.
So, in the systems of the world; whether political, legal, religious, the pharmaceutical/medical conglomerate, banking/monetary, if you are alert and educate yourself you will discern how the fundamental operations of the systems are built on wrong motivations, whether for money, power, influential control over people, etc.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. We are not set free in Christ to be enslaved again to the wicked desires and mentalities of men. I am not talking about rebellion. I am talking about personal responsibility to walk in the character of Christ in EVERY area of our lives. This is not popular with the systems of the world.

Blaylock Wellness Report

2007-09-21T23:26:00.000-06:00

I receive invitations to get a paid subscription to the Blaylock Wellness Report from the news service newsmax.com.
I haven't subscribed but just the introductory invitations can be quite interesting. Here is one on the dangers of vaccines.
I have seen quite a bit of info on the dangers of vaccines at mercola.com, too.

Carlos Slim - Richest Man

2007-09-20T22:20:00.000-06:00

Carlos Slim, of Mexico, see previous entry, Richest Men, has been promoted to the top spot as the richest man in the world. I continue to find it interesting. Here is one recent article about him. It talks about the conservative financial operations which he has instilled in his companies, borrowing very little, so that their level of business debt is amazingly low. Of their official operating principles, 'one tenet translates into English as follows: "Maintain austerity in prosperous times (in times when the cow is fat with milk); it accelerates corporate development and avoids the need for drastic change in times of crisis."' It also talks about how Mr. Slim has trained his sons to operate the businesses and presents a perspective of the less than positive side such as their operating and maintaining a monopoly. The article concludes with a quote by Carlos Sr, which I thought was insightful, "Many people want to leave a better world for their children," he told the crowd. "I'm trying to leave better children for my world."
It's not about the external arrangement of things, it is the internal character we build, in ourselves and others.

? for president

2007-09-20T19:17:00.000-06:00

We as a nation must learn that civil government is not our savior, nor our big brother to "watch" over us. God has ordained us to rule by His principles, the Spirit of Christ within us. So, merely having external, civil, political reform is not the answer. Civil government is only an extension of the internal government within people. The problems seen in civil government are a manifestation of the lack of internal government by God's principles.

I started this blog entry as an endorsement of a candidate but as I wrote the above paragraph last, I decided maybe I should just make you think a little more, at least for right now. Because more important than having a president with these policies for the nation, is having a nation of people with the internal principles upon which these policies must be based. Here is a list of what I would consider a close to ideal list of policies for someone in political office. I'll just say that there is a candidate for president that fits it.
1. is pro-life, understands the value of life created by God
2. believes in limited civil government
3. will abolish the IRS
4. understands fiscal responsibility (watch out Federal Reserve!)
5. understands personal responsibility - and how that is applied on a national level, stop trying to police the world and force our way of life on them but through good will efforts help those who want it, clean up our own internal affairs first before trying to fix others
6. has an immigration policy which seems much more reasonable and workable, seal our borders to criminals and be inviting and consistent with those who want to come work
I could continue about his policies on other personal and national liberties, with respect to health care, privacy, property ownership, and national sovereignty. Having a proven track record of consistently working to implement these values during years of public and private service is also important.

Inequality in access to and use of resources

2007-08-11T19:45:00.000-06:00

The overpopulation myth was mentioned today in a training we had. So, that got me to searching and reading some different articles. Here is one that I found particularly interesting:
http://www.ied.info/books/www/feedingtheworld.html
It talks about at least one problem with hunger and poverty in many nations is not overpopulation but "Who controls the land." Basically, growing cash crops for export is more profitable for many farmers than growing food for people in their own nations. One quote from the book Paths to Paradise, by André Gorz, talks about that it is more profitable for big landowners in Brazil to grow soya for cattle feed for export than to grow black beans for the poor in Brazil.
"Because our cows' purchasing power has risen above that of the Brazilian poor, soya itself has got so expensive in Brazil that a third of the population can no longer afford to buy either its beans or oil." [11]
When he says "our" I'm not sure to what developed nation he is referring possibly the USA? But you get the idea.
This is what God is talking about when He says, "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low;" (Isa 40:4) - righteousness in our dealings with others and equality of access to resources.

Richest Men

2007-04-12T15:53:00.000-06:00

Very interesting news article I saw today. It talks about Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim has surpassed Warren Buffet as the second richest man in the world.
This article is interesting to me on a couple of points. I believe it is a huge, external indication of how God is realigning the great and the lowly in this world. I have heard it said that the USA will soon (10-50 years?) not be the economic leader of the world. Very soon the richest man in the world will not be based in the USA.
The final sentence in the article, Señor Slim talks about a difference in philosophy between himself and Warren Buffet; '"Our concept is more to accomplish and solve things, rather than giving — that is, not going around like Santa Claus," Slim said. "Poverty isn't solved with donations."'
This is so true but the welfare generation in the USA doesn't understand this yet. It makes me wonder what Carlos Slim understands will solve poverty; maybe developing internal principles, such as discipline, diligence, obedience to the voice of God?
I have just read another article in Spanish and it seems his philosophy may be more similar to Buffet's than the English article indicates. He talks about developing programs to solve people's problems, still not addressing internal character issues?

cell phone use and cancer

2007-02-10T13:26:00.001-06:00

Here is another one I find hard to pass:
http://www.mercola.com/2007/feb/10/more-proof-long-term-use-of-cellular-phones-is-as-unhealthy-as-cigarettes.htm

Here is another web site dedicated to understanding safety in wireless communications:
http://www.safewireless.org/

One observation I think that puts some rational perspective on the link between cell phone use and cancer, is that high widespread cell phone use has been less than 10 years. Historically, cancer will take more than 10 years of environmental exposure to surface. So, as we see the length of time increase that larger numbers of people have been exposed to these electromagnetic fields, we could be seeing an increase in related cancers.

Worst 5 "foods" to eat

2007-02-10T12:43:00.000-06:00

Dr. Mercola's website has so much interesting health information it is hard to stop browsing through his site. Here is a good one, the five worst "foods" to eat:
http://www.mercola.com/2003/oct/18/worst_foods.htm

doughnuts
soda
french fries (almost all commercially fried foods)
chips
fried non-fish seafood (all fried seafood would actually go in the prohibitive commercially fried foods but non-fish seafood is even worse)

So, really it comes down to fried foods and soda are the two worst types of so-called "foods" we can eat.

Updating my website

2007-01-11T14:46:00.000-06:00

I have been updating my website some to more fully and accurately reflect God's process of development in my life. Check it out:
http://www.brazosdedios.com/
Let me know what you think. After the last update the Spanish version is not displaying the unique Spanish characters correctly. I have been considering a better hosting setup. This is just another reason.

Congress WBN seminar in Houston

2006-12-10T09:21:00.000-06:00

We have had a great training seminar here in Houston. Something Wladimir emphasized to us before was that we are developing our lives to release the life of God to others, so that as sponsors of this seminar we must always be ready to serve in any capacity so that God's Word impacts the lives of the participants of the seminar. The key is in the midst of our serving we must have our own hearts and ears open and receptive to hear and receive. As Jesus talked about "justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." We must attend to the internal responsibilities of character without neglecting the external tasks. In Dallas recently, Dr Woodroffe related this to being Mr Stretch of the Fantastic 4. We must hang onto that which we already have AND reach beyond as we grow in the nature of Christ. This was definitely true for me during this time, learning to have the heart of Mary to hear the voice of Christ, while doing what needed to be done.
One personal application, I continued to receive concerning personal responsibility. I must discern my responsibility to impart God's life to those around me as God has given me responsibility, not be motivated by my needs nor what I expect of others. My life, who I am, is my responsibility before God. As I am faithful to properly steward my life before Him then He will give me responsibility to impact the lives of others, as well as the systems around me. We must see the honor and privilege it is to obey and serve God in any capacity but this requires that we hear Him first.

Nutrition

2006-11-27T22:02:00.000-06:00

I went to the chiropractor today after not sleeping well the past few nights. I need to take better care of how I sleep and exercise to avoid these visits. Up until a few weeks ago, I hadn't been in 2-3 years.
Since, I recently moved to Houston, I took a friend's recommendation and visited a chiropractor here. I was pleasantly surprised, Dr. Greene, D.C. is very focused, and apparently has been for years, on holistic care of the body, using proper nutrition for preventative care of the body. Here is his website:
http://www.dcnutrition.com
He highly recommends MSM for joint care, which I have as well for many years, since my dog was helped greatly by MSM, along with glucosamine sulfate in his joint problems. Vets have long understood, better than human doctors, the importance of nutrition for proper health.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-25T12:39:00.000-06:00

My family definitely has had a lot for which to be thankful this Thanksgiving. We had lots of family from Texas come together in San Antonio to be with my niece who is a rehabilitation hospital here. When I arrived Wednesday, it was great to see my niece with her eyes open and smiling at me. She just seemed to stare and stare at me. I guess she was as glad to see me, as I was for her to be able to see me. The last I saw her was several weeks ago and she was not very alert at all, barely opening her eyes.
Thursday was a beautiful day and we had lots of food on tables setup outside the hospital. As Gordon, my brother-in-law, finished giving thanks everyone, INCLUDING Abby, said "AMEN". This was her first word since her accident about 7 weeks ago! :) She said a couple of more words later that day too. She continues to mouth more words and slowly getting stronger and more coordinated in her arms and legs. She has such a great attitude. Often when she will try to do something but her body will not apparently respond to her brain, she will laugh so hard making it even harder to do anything. (Have you ever laughed that hard that you loose your strength and coordination?) :-D
Please continue to pray for grace, strength, and wisdom for Abby, her parents, younger brother, and doctors for the physical redevelopment process and also beyond the physical, for hearing God's voice and seeing His eternal purpose. The link to my sister's daily updates blog is to the right listed under links.

Torreón México

2006-11-25T12:31:00.000-06:00

Just briefly, some thoughts from the GLI seminar this past weekend. As sons of God, we are a holy nation and a royal priesthood; this means functioning in both realms, spiritual and natural. We are to interact with the people and systems of this world in such a way as to reflect the nature and character of God. This begins with our own lives being internally governed by God, personal responsibility for developing His principles and values in our lives, manifesting His nature and character of love, humility, purity, etc. As His law, truth operates in our own personal lives through love by His Spirit then the effect of God's life flows forth to impact the other systems around us, family, finances, community, business, civil government, etc.

Hello All

2006-11-25T11:45:00.000-06:00

I have decided I would give this blogging a try. With all that has happened this past week I thought it was time.